Dear customer,

First of all, let me apologize for a few things.

I’m sorry that I don’t know where every single product in the store is located. There are thousands of different items for sale and it’s a big store. But trust me, I’m trying to remember as many product locations as I can so when you ask which aisle Command Hooks are in, I can tell you they’re in aisle 16, about half way down the aisle on your right hand side.

I also want to apologize that there are certain policies that I have to follow to protect my job. I can’t accept a picture of a credit card that isn’t even yours as payment for your items. And I definitely cannot just change the prices of all the products to better suit your budget.

I’m also sorry that I don’t always laugh at your jokes. I’m sure you probably don’t realize that I hear “Oh, it’s not scanning? GUESS IT’S FREE!” multiple times throughout one shift. Also, I don’t want to take your screaming kids home with me and I wish you would stop asking me and maybe discipline your children instead of making jokes. And no, creepy old guy who smells like cigarettes and whiskey, I definitely do not want to go home with you.

Now that I’ve gotten those things out of the way, I really need to ask you to do something for me.

Can you please, PLEASE treat me like a human being?

I am not beneath just because I work in retail. What makes you so much better than me or anyone else who works in retail? You are not better than me simply because you sit at a desk and I stand at a register or run around a store all day. We have a job that we go to every day, just like you. We face challenges, inconveniences, and trust me, we have bad days at work too.

I don’t know what you’re going through. I don’t know your life or your problems and I probably never will. I understand we all have things that put a damper on our mood. I don’t expect you to go out of your way to be overly friendly to me and try to become my best friend, I am simply asking you to treat me with a sense of decency.

Sincerely,