Thoughts on the most wonderful time of the year.

The holiday season is in full swing.  Christmas trees and lights are going up, Christmas carols have been playing on the radio for weeks, and the overwhelming spirit of Christmas cheer is nearly palpable.  One thing I've noticed though, is as Christmas draws near, people seem to have less patience.  And with little patience, a short temper typically follows; particularly when it comes to interacting with cashiers and other retail workers.

I'd like to believe we live in a world where most people are reasonable, decent, and genuinely kind at their core.  But I've watched some of the nicest, most decent people I know verbally berate cashiers for computer glitches, and it sometimes makes me wonder.  I worked in retail for a few years, and in that time I encountered a lot of rude people.  Although I don't have any true horror stories of my own, I have been appalled on many occasions at the way I've seen other people treat retail workers.
When I have questioned these people about their behavior, the most popular response is, "This is what they're paid to do, and they need to do it correctly."

Stop.  Just stop.  Stop using the fact that your cashier gets paid as justification for acting like a jerk.  Their mistakes do not give you license to belittle or shame who they are as people.  I bet if you asked any retail employee what their favorite part of their job is, very few would say the customers.  But I bet if you asked them what their least favorite part was, the vast majority would say customers.  In an industry tailored around the consumer, isn't it just a little sad that very few of the workers actually like the people they're supposed to be working to please?

I can empathize with anyone who loses their temper occasionally.  I lose mine from time to time as well, and when that happens I often take it out on whoever is around me.  But that doesn't make lashing out okay or acceptable.  The lines are going to be long regardless of how you feel or act.  Computer glitches will continue to happen, causing quick purchases to drag on for nearly twenty minutes.  The holidays are stressful for both employees and customers, but just try to remember that everyone involved is a human with feelings of their own.  So the next time you feel like you're about to lose your cool in the checkout line, take a deep breath, count to ten, and then decide if this is really worth freaking out over.  Chances are, it's not.