Retail has always been the absolute worst job to occupy, but working in retail reaches its peak during the holiday season. Customers are never brattier or more rude than they are during Black Friday, and though Christmas is supposed to be a time to be kind and generous towards your fellow man, retail workers don't really count as people. Feel free to be as horrible as humanly possible to the people at the register, it's not as though they're in the midst of a 12-hour shift when they should be with their family and friends instead.
People are always shocked to hear that we work on Christmas and on New Years, as though they expected robots to be wrapping their last minute gift purchases. Yes, we're open and I'll be here because you neglected to buy this book for your nephew and you now have to do it the day before. Our schedules for the holidays are beyond anything you can imagine. If you think you're the unfortunate one because you've been dragged out to Macy's in the snow and slush, just think about the fact that the Macy's worker helping you pick out your perfume has been there since seven in the morning, for three days straight.
Treat this Macy's worker in accordance with that, a.k.a human decency. The lines are long because you're an idiot and decided to shop in the middle of Manhattan during the holidays and screaming at the cashiers isn't going to change that. They ran out of your size because you couldn't be arsed to drag yourself out of the house three days ago when you were supposed to and complaining about it to the lady checking stock for you isn't going to make the size magically appear. Retail workers spend hours upon hours in high-stress situations on aching feet, and coming in with the audacity to scream at the people trying to help you makes you a complete and utter piece of trash.
Your trashiness level is only increased when you expect that we smile in response to your indecency. We've been listening to the same Christmas music for the past three months now. We've been screamed at twice in the past hour for no reason. If you have the guts to complain that I'm not being friendly enough, I sincerely hope you slip on that puddle near the door I haven't had the chance to mop up yet. I'll let you in on a retail secret: if you're friendly to me, no matter how tired I am... I'll be friendly to you. Shocker.