There's one category of jobs that suffers more than all other jobs combined during the holiday season. The madness begins on Black Friday and goes well into January (with a plethora of returns and exchanges.)
That's right, I'm talking about jobs in retail. Retail is hard enough as it is for a salesperson trying to earn commission, but this time of year that all avid shoppers and gift-givers look forward to is the time we dread the most. Days are shorter, hours are longer, parking spots disappear, and customers grow frenzied.
As my second year in retail, I felt pretty prepared for Black Friday. Except for the fact that I got to the mall at 6:45 a.m. and waited 20 minutes for a decent parking spot. The mall was an absolute madhouse, and it only gets worse as shoppers rush to purchase last minute gifts. Can't wait!
Being as we're at the mall all day every day, retail workers can't wait to escape the chaos A.S.A.P. This poses a serious obstacle to our holiday shopping. Even though we are the people who spend the most time at the mall, it seems like we never get a chance to do our holiday shopping during our 30 minute lunch breaks.
Even worse, our lunch breaks seem to be half the length they once were. The food court is by far the most packed portion of the mall, and it is in no way immune from the inlfux of holiday shoppers. The lines are endless; by the time you get your food, those 30 minutes are already up. Looks like I'm going to be packing a lunch this holiday season.
Don't even get me started on the Christmas music. For some reason, the same most popular 15 songs are on a continuous loop in every store. This is super exciting and fun for shoppers who get immersed in a winter wonderland every time they step foot in a mall, but not so fun if you're a worker who's stuck with those 15 songs for 8 hours.
On the bright side, busy days mean more sales, which is good for business, which is good for you, because they pay you! Being busy also helps the days go faster, so try to keep that in mind when you're swamped with customers all looking for your assistance.
P.S.A. Lots of employees have gotten their cars towed for not parking in their assigned spots, and I don't want that to be you!; do yourself a favor and park far and just wait for the shuttle. Hopefully you won't have to run through the rain like I did today.
To all fellow salespersons, good luck keeping your sanity this holiday season.
May the sales be ever in your favor.
