Whether it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's, the end of the year brings many reasons to celebrate. Most businesses close down on holidays like these to allow their employees time for family and celebration. However, if you are one of the lucky people that work in the service industry, you might not be so lucky. Every year there is complaining and debate about retail workers on Thanksgiving and Black Friday having to work earlier and earlier. Yet, every year people flood the malls and stores to get the Black Friday deals that any rational store owner would be out of his or her mind to stay closed Thanksgiving evening. Call center employees, restaurant workers, grocery store clerks, retail workers, police, doctors and nurses, among others, all have the pleasure of working during the holidays and often aren't appreciated enough for it. So, if you do end up interacting with one of these people on a holiday please be aware of your small talk, it can be more annoying than anything.

1. "I'm so glad you guys are open today!"

Well, Debra, I'm glad I could make your day. To be honest, though, I would much rather be spending time with my family and friends drinking apple cider and having fun than working but as long as you're happy I guess everything is okay.

2. "Thank you for working!"

There is something about this one that really gets to me. I should be happy that someone is showing appreciation for me giving up (or being forced to give up) my Christmas or New Years so that the store would have enough employees. However, it seems to me like someone is acknowledging that I chose to work. I know there are some people that do choose to work but the grand majority would rather be someplace else. I think it is more appropriate to say "I'm sorry you have to work today. Hopefully, you make a lot of money to make it worth it or get off early so you can still spend time with your family."

3. "Even Walmart is closed for Christmas!"

Do you think I don't know this information, Karen? Do you think I honestly don't know that you are here because we are one of five restaurants open today in the entire city? Thanks for the information. If you think that it is crazy that we are open and that we shouldn't be, then don't come. Maybe if Christmas wasn't our biggest sales day of the year we wouldn't need to be open.

4. "I can't believe they are making you work!"

Well, I wonder whose fault that is, Sharon? Again, any rational business owner is going to be open on Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years as long as people like you continue to flood in and spend inordinate amounts of money. I don't blame my manager for putting me on the schedule. I blame you for creating the need for me being on the schedule.

5. Being generally rude.

I know this isn't a saying for you to avoid but it is just something to keep in mind. Don't blame it on the employee that there are a thousand people in the store and that it is hot and cramped and sweaty. It isn't our fault that the store is all out of the size that you need or that you have to wait forty minutes before getting a table. I'm sorry that you the holidays are stressing you out but being rude to me isn't going to change that. In reality, not only does it add stress and annoyance to my holiday but I'm probably not going to give you the best service if you are rude. As much as I don't want to be working on Thanksgiving or Christmas, I work in a customer-service industry and I know that to do well at my job I have to help people. If you are nice and polite to me, I'm going to do my best to give you the best experience possible. If you are rude, I will only do what my job requires me to do and am definitely not going to go out of my way to help you.