Over the past month and a half, I have been keeping myself busy with a new job in a retail store.

For the sake of keeping said job, I will not say the name of the store, but I will keep it vague by describing it simply as a "home goods store." While I have found myself rather enjoying time spent there, I do have a number of complaints that I would like to get off my chest in terms of our customers, of whom I have had both the pleasure and displeasure of helping over these past several weeks.

Let me start by saying this: when I clock in, I am not giving up my identity as a human being. Just because I put on a name tag and am required by my job description to ask you if you need help, does not mean that I am suddenly a robot or entity capable of providing you with the fulfill to every wish you have at a price that you are willing to pay.

While this is something I'm sure that most of us have seen in other places of businesses from restaurants to other retail stores, I never truly understood the level of selfishness and anger that a person can have when they walk into an establishment. While I would like to ask why you are yelling at me - bearing in mind that I am a young college student who is working behind a register in the middle of the day, and therefore have no influence whatsoever on the corporate pricing on a candle - instead I can only smile and nod before doing everything in my power to get a manager.

I wonder - what makes someone feel so entitled? Seeing as I am paid only ten dollars an hour for dealing with rude customers, the incentive to not bite back a retort is almost not enough after several hours of the same treatment. This is not to say that there are no objectively nice customers who walk in, but they are few and far between when most are indifferent at best and nasty at worst. Even then, however, there is one constant in that I am lesser because of my status as an employee, and I have little doubt that the "nice" customer would pull a Mr. Hyde on me at the drop of the dime.

My next complaint is one that I have found few to pay any mind to: if I appear to be doing something, I probably am. Yes, I will try to help you, but I am no miracle worker and am trying my best. If I happen to be speed-walking from one corner of the store to another, or tapping out a long series of numbers into the computer, I am not doing it for fun.

By all means, feel free to catch my attention, but do not expect me to drop everything I am doing just because you feel that you deserve to top my list of growing to-do's and priorities. Furthermore, if you do call me over, I do not think that a hint of politeness would kill you. Nothing will make me less inclined to actually do my best to help you if you say "Hey you" instead of "Excuse me." It is a tell that you are rude, and I would rather rush through helping you to get you out of the store as soon as possible than take my time for your satisfaction.

On a minor scale, another complaint comes when you come to me at the register. Believe me, since the line is always growing and because I am the only employee available to check you out at the moment, I want to make the process as speedy as possible. So, when I ask for your phone number at the register, there is no need to pick up an attitude and ask why I would need that.

Why? Because the company is trying to send you coupons and wants you to be on the email list, so the register locks up unless I bypass - which I've found also makes people upset when I'm tapping on several extra buttons in order to do so, instead of ringing them up - and the fastest way to help you on your way is if you list off those ten digits.

Finally, no, I cannot control prices or expiration dates. Your coupon that expired last week? No, you can't use it anymore because you were not within the time frame. It's not my decision, but the company's, and as much as you may lament, the register will not allow it, and it is not within my authority to give you the discount "just because."

That's not how a store works. Just because we have a sign advertising a sale does not mean that the particular item you happen to be buying is also on sale, and feel free to complain to me, but you are wasting only your own time. Likewise, no, I cannot control the prices. As much as you argue that any particular pillow is not worth the price, there is nothing that I can do about it. I don't make the prices, and your whining about it can't make it so.

Next time you walk into a retail store, give the employees a break. Truly, they have already had their fill of people being rude and giving them an attitude for incidents that are not their fault. They are tired, and are probably stressed out enough. So, please, have mercy on us all, and we'll do our best to help you.