Black Friday

[His_kitty]

The day after Thanksgiving is the day millions of Americans, enjoying a rare Friday off (and a dearth of football games on television), head for the malls to inaugurate the Christmas shopping season. "Black Friday" (as it is known in the retail industry, because it's the day retailers watch their balance sheets move out of the red and into the black).


So who else is considering braving the maniacal shopping malls to catch those after Thanksgiving Day sales?

I worked on a Black Friday for a large retailer several years back, so I've been the customer and the employee on that sales day. I was never rude or disrespectful while out shopping but as a customer I witnessed it in fellow customers. I've noticed that I pay closer attention now after having worked it myself, to how we all act while shopping on that day. How embarrassed I am to see fully fledged adults cut others off, run people down as if they were in some sort of Nascar version of buggy races.

As an employee working it I was subjected to the abuse of berserk shoppers clutching their future purchases while they ran half crazed throughout the store onto the next big ticket item.
I had to "police" people from ripping down the barriers we had to put into place until the sale actually began, chastise mature adults for sneaking items out of another's buggy into their own.

Oh the giving Holiday spirit is at work on Black Friday.




Hmmmm I notice that K•B Toys has their Gameboy Advance systems for only $44.99 this year....

 

[deliciously_naughty]

I think it's the evil tinny Xmas music that drives us to do things we would never do. Temporary insanity as the only method to cope with the icky music. Which is why I'm doing all my shopping online if I can manage it.

 

[Blindinthedark]

I've worked both sides of the fence too. I've come to dislike christmas shopping because of it. People just go crazy!

And if it's the thought that counts ... I'm getting my gifts at the 7-11

 

[His_kitty]

I'm a sucker for sales

I'm one of those rarities who despise shopping, but every year I trudge out and go on Black Friday. I just hate doing it alone, so I'm currently in the process of whinning *goddess*emi* into going with me.

 

[QuickDuck]

Well no such thing as that here, but i know of at least one person who, while not wanting to go, has been dragged into being "official driver" for the rest of the family.

To all who are going, I wish you the best of luck in finding what you need/want

 

[His_kitty]

I've worked both sides of the fence too. I've come to dislike christmas shopping because of it. People just go crazy!

And if it's the thought that counts ... I'm getting my gifts at the 7-11

Do I hear the sound of calling cards being stuffed into stockings?

 

[islandman]

Is it 1987 again?

 

[Blindinthedark]

Do I hear the sound of calling cards being stuffed into stockings?

Calling cards bleh! They get Mojo's if they're good. And the ones that have fallen on the floor if they're not.
Ah I enjoy the look of love I get when the recipient opens his large coffee. Ah now there's the love!

 

[ridddder]

I gotta work!!! So who has friday off? I haven't ever had the Friday after Thanksgiving off except when I was in college, guess I chose the wrong line of work.

 

[islandman]

I'm working. Half-day only though.

 

[Rhys]

Quite frankly, I think everyone should have to work retail during the Christmas season at least one time in their lives.

I think it would force a little respect for those who work in retail and have to cope with overbearing, rude, uneducated, and downright psychotic people who shop those day after thanksgiving sales. Mob behaviour is a polite way to put it, and you would not catch me dying in a mall, or even Walmart the day after Thanksgiving. The people in retail have to bend over backwards and take what abuse they get from the customer, all in the name of customer service which, in my humble opinion is a bunch of bullshit. The most extreme example of this, and it happened to a friend of mine that related it to me, (meaning my friend witnessed this) a woman was shopping for clothing, and laid a ton of clothes on the counter for the clerk to total up. After a few minutes of dithering over what size she wanted, and what color, she then proceeded to haggle over the price with the clerk, the clerk patiently explained the discounts and promotions, and that sale coupons were not in efffect that day because of the ongoing sale blah blah blah and the clerk was not rude to the woman at all. The woman wanted to put half of the transaction on her credit card and pay cash for the rest, which they could do.
But she gets her sales reciept and proceeds to argue with the clerk again. The manager has to step in to keep the line flowing.
The upshot was that the manager had to interrupt the flow of business to do a return on the merchandise because the woman wanted to use an old coupon for a few bucks off ...when the sales prices were actually better. My friend said she overheard the manager telling the woman this, and trying to show her on a calculator that the sale price was better but the woman had it in her head that the coupon was better. My friend said she was still shopping in the store when the woman came back and screamed at the manager some more, this time she wanted all of her money back, and in cash, which then the store manager had to explain was against policy because of the half and half nature of the transaction. I think they did refund the cash half and the rest went back on the credit card but that is the type of insane shit that goes on on Black Friday.

I feel for those people. I really do. You should to.

 

[bknight2602]

I'm glad I wait until the day before Xmas and avoid all the rush and chaos.

 

[His_kitty]

Calling cards bleh! They get Mojo's if they're good. And the ones that have fallen on the floor if they're not.
Ah I enjoy the look of love I get when the recipient opens his large coffee. Ah now there's the love!

Lmao you're so silly!



Pst how are ya?



islandman -

I feel for ya ridder, sucks having to work while it seems like everyone else is enjoying such a long weekend.

Rhys - that's exactly what I was talking about. I worked at Wal-Mart during Black Friday *shudders* those people were possessed! LoL

I literally had to run down the main "action alley" as they call it, to avoid getting run over by nuts who really shouldn't be operating a cart, when it was time for the sale to begin. Me running is not a pretty sight I can tell ya.

 

[RastaPope]

I've worked retail over a handful of Christmas seasons. Never bothered me. I never bent over backwards for stupid fucks who couldn't get their shopping done earlier, who waited until the absolute busiest time to by their little baubles for the holidays. I never got mad, or pissed off, I never let it get to me. I didn't rush, I didn't bust my ass. I just worked my normal pace no matter how pissed off customers would get.

 

[Blindinthedark]

Pst how are ya?

I'm doing good. How about you? Enjoying you Thanksgiving? Eat some turkey for me!!!

 

[His_kitty]

I'm doing good. How about you? Enjoying you Thanksgiving? Eat some turkey for me!!!

Thanksgiving was fine, I barely ate a thing but yet I was stuffed.

 

[Blindinthedark]

Thanksgiving was fine, I barely ate a thing but yet I was stuffed.

Then you're missing the whole point of Thanksgiving dinner. You should be sitting on a couch with your pants undone. Or is that just the guys?
Holidays are not the time to try to keep that girlish figure

 

[morninggirl5]

I'm braving the crowds early in the morning. My sister and mother usually do the early morning shopping but they both have to work this year. I've listened to my sister's "advice" about shopping tactics unitl i'm ready to scream. There's nothing i'm buying that's important enough for me to act like a spoiled 3 year old.

 

[His_kitty]

I'm braving the crowds early in the morning. My sister and mother usually do the early morning shopping but they both have to work this year. I've listened to my sister's "advice" about shopping tactics unitl i'm ready to scream. There's nothing i'm buying that's important enough for me to act like a spoiled 3 year old.

Where do you live?

I hate doing this alone, its nice to have someone to chit chat with while you're waiting an hour in a line. I'm harrassing *goddess*emi*'s daughter on messenger to let her mother have the computer back so I can beg her to go with me in the morning.

-sidenote- if she doesn't happen to go with me I hope she sees this thread and feels very very guilty.

 

[morninggirl5]

Where do you live?

I hate doing this alone, its nice to have someone to chit chat with while you're waiting an hour in a line. I'm harrassing *goddess*emi*'s daughter on messenger to let her mother have the computer back so I can beg her to go with me in the morning.

-sidenote- if she doesn't happen to go with me I hope she sees this thread and feels very very guilty.

I live in Atlanta, but i'm TN for the weekend. My first stop in the store is going to be to buy a book for the long lines.

 

[#1tankcomander]

I just hate going to any store this time of year!

 

[His_kitty]

I live in Atlanta, but i'm TN for the weekend. My first stop in the store is going to be to buy a book for the long lines.

Yes a little too far from me *sigh*

Excellent idea, I might do that myself. Get some reading in while I shop.

I normally only go to at tops 3 stores, and if I have a partner with me its off to lunch with liquids being the emphasis.




LoL so true blind, but thats something I think I lost years ago

 

[sabbathstorm]

I shudder to think what tomorrow is going to be like. The big Xmas package goes on sale and with that come all the problems

 

[bknight2602]

I shudder to think what tomorrow is going to be like. The big Xmas package goes on sale and with that come all the problems

Cheer up you may always come here tomorrow night and rant and rave!

 

[Neftoon_Zamora]

Every year I say I'm going to brave the crowds and do the early bird thing. And every year I come to my senses in the nick of time.