As you all know I work in retail. I have worked in retail for the past 12 years and I continue to notice that people seem to get more and more rude and entitled every year. Since the holidays are coming up and in the type of store I work at, right now hunting season is the start of our busy time, I am urging everyone to really remember that we are all people and everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Now, I am talking about how you treat the workers, fellow shoppers AND the merchandise. Many times more and more stores are under staffed and companies are packing in more and more product into small spaces. The employees trying deal with helping all customers and make sure they are getting all the merchandise out in a timely manner. In reality almost everyone is trying their best to be helpful but when you think about it, someone may be less willing to be helpful if you come at them with an attitude. Just think about your tone when you speak to someone you want help from. Sometimes you may have the same tone with a worker that someone an hour ago had and that resulted with the worker getting yelled at.
Now I know that the holidays are stressful but I think everyone would have better shopping experiences if they remember that we are all human. Sometimes people are just following the rules that they were told and they just don’t want to lose their job over something that could be avoided. And remember you are not entitled to speak to someone or yell at someone just because you are stressed out or mad. Most people are not out to screw you over they are usually trying to help you and do what they can. Also be mindful if you are out shopping with your children. The way you treat people is what they are going to mirror. I find that we all just need to be mindful of how we come across to others and who might be watching those actions.
And one more thing I would definitely like to address, I don’t understand why grown men and women feel that it is ok to yell and point their finger in someone’s face (just because they look young or look like a college student). I once had a man do this to me and lean up over the counter and yell at me and I was 7 months pregnant!!! The next time you think this is acceptable behavior maybe think about how upset you would be if you watched someone treat your mother, daughter, sister, wife, etc like this. Everyone is entitled to have a bad day every once in a while but when you do please try not to make everyone that you come in contact with have a bad day also.
This is just some food for thought before we get too far into this holiday season. Maybe if we all remember this and be mindful of it then the stress of the holidays might not be so bad. Remember when the holidays used to be a fun time to get together with family and friends? Maybe just relaxing a bit and enjoying the moments instead of the stuff you need to do or buy will bring a little bit of that fun back.
Beauty, Brains and Biceps 