The holiday season is upon us and it's the biggest shopping time of the year. I've worked as a sales associate at a clothing store for only seven months, but I've learned a lot in that short period of time. Here are some of the things retail workers want you to know.

1. Ask us for help.

Part of our job as employees is to help you find everything you're looking for. If you don't see something you like in your size, ask one of us! If your hands are too full of clothes, ask one of us to start a dressing room for you. The more we interact with customers, the faster our shift goes so ask away. It's what we're there for!

2. Being nice goes a long way.

We work all day and it's normal to get a few bad eggs, but being kind and friendly makes us happier. Plus, you're more likely to receive a positive response from us when you've been a kind customer.

3. Don't ignore us.

Trust us, it's awkward to welcome you to the store and ask you if you're looking for anything, in particular, today, but it's part of our job. The least you could do is say hello and tell us you're just browsing. It's nice to get a response!

4. Asking if you have a card for our store is part of our job.

Like the awkward questions we ask you when you walk in the store, we're going to ask this one too. It's part of our job! Chances are you don't want a store card, but sometimes, it's totally worth it to open one up just for the purchase you're making that day. I've had customers tell me they open cards and then shut them down when they receive them in the mail. Smart. Very smart.

5. Recovering the store is a pain.

Whenever you take something out of a folded pile or off of a hangar and leave it there in a crumpled pile, you can guarantee that we don't like that. Not only does it make more work for us, but it makes the store look horrible which we don't want either. Making the effort to at least try to fold the clothes the way you found them is much appreciated.

6. Fitting room etiquette.

A sales associate's favorite thing is when she goes into the fitting rooms and finds the customer has brought everything out of the fitting room and placed it on the return rack or cart. We don't like cleaning up after people, especially when they leave their 30 pairs of jeans and 20 shirts all over the dressing room (it's happened before). So please, for us, empty your dressing room of everything you don't want and leave it better than when you found it.

7. We've heard all the jokes.

"It doesn't have a price tag, it must be free!" or "You can't find the price tag so it must be free!"

*clothing static clings to you* It likes me so much!"

We've heard 'em all before, though we appreciate your attempt at comedy.

8. Be kind to your fellow customers.

Being kind to the sales associates is fantastic, but being kind to your fellow shopper is even better. There have been instances where I've seen two grown women passive-aggressively fight over a pair of jeans when we had the exact same pair in the same size in the back. Be kind, be courteous, and be friendly to other customers. A little goes a long way.

And there you have it! 8 ways to head into the holidays with a bit more knowledge about the stores you're visiting. Above all, have fun while you're shopping and spread some holiday cheer while you're at it. Happy holidays!