Dear Retail Worker,
Whether you are in the mall or a stand alone store or even selling Christmas trees in a parking lot- this is for you.
Welcome to a special little version of hell. I cannot begin to express the amount of respect I have for what you are about to go through; not a lot of people could do what you are doing. I know that the holidays is full of cheer and the spirit of giving, but for some reason that all goes flying out the window when people are doing their holiday shopping. I am not going to lie, you are probably about to be treated like dirt with all of your customers thinking that their lives are going to stop if you do not have something in stock right then and there. How do I know? Well, I have been there and will be returning to the retail chaos this holiday season. I am not writing this letter to pat myself on the back, I am writing it to say thank you to everyone else making the holidays function in one of the most challenging- dare I say- unprecedented times ever ( I am know there are real struggles that have happened in the past I am just saying this for dramatic effect).
Not every customer is the same- you may have a rude, selfish customer completely tear you down just for another to completely build you right back up. Remember that these times have been hard for all of us in different ways and people might not be able to see the loved ones they have been missing during this time. Obviously that is no reason to be treating you badly, but you have to be able to put things into perspective and most importantly DETACH. If someone is short with you is 100% means that there is something else going wrong because if you are doing all you can to help them, you have done nothing wrong!
Self-care is of the essence and while you may be tempted to drink away the Karen's of the world, I implore you to rather light a candle, take a bath, and watch a cheesy Hallmark film that will make you have unrealistic expectations for a holiday fling. I know not everyone will remember to say "Thank you", so I just wanted to say it myself. You play a huge part in this holiday season and your patience is invaluable. Plus wear a mask makes it almost impossible for anyone to see you quietly cursing to yourself about a customer who may have given you a hard time. I hope that everyone is reminded to treat you like the human being that you are and I know that dead or alive you will get through this!!
GOOD LUCK!!
***
Stay UNIQUE and Happy Holidays,
Sara Anne
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