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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think Christmas day shoppers can't complain?

55 replies

HardHatOnin321 · 13/12/2017 11:00

About staff being made to work Christmas/shops being open?
Ex retail staff here - glad to be out of it. For 3yrs I continually worked every public holiday and event. On almost every one someone would come in and say
"God, I can't believe your open on x day! I don't like that... can't believe this" and so forth... or worse
"It's Christmas! Don't you have family to see"
Actually yeah I do including a young baby but unfortunately I'm stood here serving ungrateful gits was what I wanted to say, but I said nothing, smiled and wished her a merry Christmas.
Aibu to find it infuriating that every year, retail staff are confronted with this and it's widely complained about, yet a lot of these people flock to the shops between Xmas eve and Boxing Day while whining about shops being open ?
If you're one of these people who doesn't like it, bloody stay home!

OP posts:

Justabadwife · 13/12/2017 11:03

We get this where i work, But on boxing day. 'Oh its such a shame you have to work!' 'You'd think they would close the shop and let you have a few days off' my team leader at the time said 'well its people like you that mean we have to be open, if we had no customers there wouldn't be any need for us to open today' 😂😂

BreatheMeIn · 13/12/2017 11:10

It's not they don't like it, it's just a conversation starter. Or expressing sympathy. Bah humbug.

Beerwench · 13/12/2017 11:21

Hospitality here and My experience is the opposite! A pub I worked had reduced opening hours Christmas day, just a couple of hours over dinner time. You'd have thought we intended to murder each customer the way some carried on! It was especially annoying because previous years we'd been open all day as usual and I worked - and spent Christmas night, from 6-10pm on my own as no one came in. Then the ones who did at 10 demanded a lock in when I wanted to close at 11!
But you're right, if you're in the shop on Christmas day don't moan that it's open! Personally as someone who works most Christmas days, I thoroughly appreciate that a shop is open because working the busy run up to Christmas and having to rush my shopping I invariably run out of or forget something important like gas or electric! So I'd be thanking you for working Christmas day rather than moaning about you being open

FreeNiki · 13/12/2017 11:31

I had a horrendous Christmas last year. Family feuding and I ended up the scape goat and walked out.

Thank you so much to the little pub that was open that day so I could take refuge and cry into my g&t and get something to eat.

stickytoffeevodka · 13/12/2017 11:35

The same here.

We close Christmas Day but open first thing Boxing Day, and we get so many people saying "Oh it's such a shame you have to work Boxing Day" and I just feel like screaming "well if you didn't insist on shopping at 9am in the morning then I could be home with my family!"

I don't want fake sympathy from customers. If they cared about people working Boxing Day, they wouldn't be shopping on Boxing Day!

BarbaraofSevillle · 13/12/2017 11:36

well its people like you that mean we have to be open, if we had no customers there wouldn't be any need for us to open today

Shops don't have to open. They could always stay closed. It's just that the bosses think it's worth opening, or if one/a few shops open, they all think they must to keep up. Then people shop, because they don't want to miss out on the best of the sales bargains. If the shops closed on Boxing Day, they'd just wait a day to do this.

Until a couple of years ago, Morrisons used to close Boxing Day and New Year's day as well as Christmas Day, even though other supermarkets opened, but now I see they have fallen into line with the others. Shame.

SlothMama · 13/12/2017 11:41

I worked in retail for 6 years and was always lumped with the crappy Christmas shifts. I'd work Christmas Eve until 6pm then be back in Boxing day at 8am, then new years eve until 7pm and back in New Years Day at 7am. It was rubbish, and the customers that came in saying "Don't you get to enjoy Christmas with your family?"
I'd love to say no thanks to you! But I'd get fired.
The worst was the people wanting a reduced turkey on Christmas Eve when their sell by dates were Boxing day so I wasn't allowed to reduce them and I'd get moaned at...

ragged · 13/12/2017 11:42

I liked working on holidays when I did work in retail. Chance to earn extra money. Win Win.

ReinettePompadour · 13/12/2017 11:45

I'm in hospitality for the first time this year (hotel) and yes I'm booked on to work despite having primary school age kids and a husband also working all day Christmas day (emergency services).

Several customers have asked me if I'm working Christmas and when Ive said yes they have all been shocked that I'm not at home with my family and children. Oddly enough its also those customers who have booked their Christmas break at the hotel including Christmas dinner on the day.

Their very fake 'concern/compassion' for me working Christmas day is really grating.

ReanimatedSGB · 13/12/2017 11:45

Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and those who don't appreciate either the chance to shop - or the chance to get extra hours at a higher rate of pay.
Yes, it's a bit of a nuisance if you are rostered to work and you would prefer not to, but that's life. (I know there are some workplaces full of CFs who don't do their fair share of covering bank holiday work but that's another issue.)

SlothMama · 13/12/2017 11:47

The CFs who managed to book off Christmas every year and made it so I had to cover their shifts really got on my nerves. Particularly when one asked me if I'd give her daughter a lift to work after being smug about the fact that I was covering her shift.

MaroonPencil · 13/12/2017 11:49

I see The Entertainer chain of shops are all closing Christmas Eve because it is a Sunday, and the owner's principles/ religion mean he or she (not sure) doesn't allow any of the shops to open on a Sunday. I thought that was particularly brave for a toy shop not to be open on Christmas Eve!

Birdsgottafly · 13/12/2017 11:51

We got a Tesco express close by, last year. Until then I didn't realise that they were open until 10th on Christmas Eve. I found that out by asking what time they closed, in the morning.

I sympathised. I don't think that they should open that late.

I did go about 8, because I was passing.

I worked in Care, an off licence and restaurant, so have had to work every shift, in the past.

BarbaraofSevillle · 13/12/2017 11:52

Ikea doesn't open on Christmas Eve because that's the big holiday day in Sweden.

Scuppered my last minute plans for emergency folding chairs one year when I realised we had more bums than seats for Christmas Dinner. Guests had to bring their own chair

crunchymint · 13/12/2017 11:52

I have popped into shops I did not expect to be open, not because I went out for the day to do shopping, but because I went out for the day to do something else and saw a shop open so popped in. If I pop in on Boxing Day, it is to see if there are any bargains.

MarthasHarbour · 13/12/2017 11:54

Not religion, principles. There is a sign outside of our local Entertainer basically saying that they appreciate that their staff have families and a life and want to enjoy the festive break. I thought that was lovely

Hands up i am one who doesnt use hospitality/retail from Christmas Even through to Boxing day as (a)it is usually horrendous busy and (b)because i dont think it is fair that staff have to work over the xmas period.

Obviously with the exception of the emergency services, my DDad worked for one of them and often worked Xmas day, we all sucked it up as we knew that he needed to be at work.

Sullabylullaby · 13/12/2017 11:54

I was chatting to a taxi driver and idly asked him about his Christmas plans. He said he actually works two jobs, part-time in Boots and part-time as taxi driver and that as he doesn't celebrate Christmas, he would probably work the day as they get paid triple time. He celebrates Eid.
I felt like a bit of an eejit assuming everyone celebrates Christmas, but he wasn't offended. Boots isn't open Xmas day, but the staff work to stock shelves for sales on boxing day. He said Christmas day work is offered to those who want it/don't mind having to work that day.

e1y1 · 13/12/2017 11:56

Totally agree. I used to work in a call centre and worked most bank holidays (some choice due to the money as was very generous, some not choice but we were short on numbers).

Every call started with the customer saying “oh I didn’t think you’d be open today”. My in my head response was “so why are you phoning then?”.

crunchymint · 13/12/2017 12:00

My friend volunteered to work in a call centre on Xmas day. They get paid double time and she says it is an easy day as they get few calls.

FormerlyFrikadela01 · 13/12/2017 12:01

That is a shame. I used to work for.morrisons and when the other supermarkets started with 24hr opening I remember Ken Morrison himself visiting our store and one of things he said to staff is he would never support 24 he opening nor opening on boxing day or new years day. He was very big on what he called "old fashioned family values".

Polarbearflavour · 13/12/2017 12:01

As a student, I once worked New Year’s Day in Paperchase for double time. Nowadays, I do not shop on Boxing Day or New Year’s!

Most shops no longer offer double time do they?!

e1y1 · 13/12/2017 12:07

My friend volunteered to work in a call centre on Xmas day. They get paid double time and she says it is an easy day as they get few calls

In the 10years of being at that call centre, I only ever worked ONE Christmas Day, despite it being treble time. Took what felt like millions of calls, and all of the same type (which never happened normally) the woman next to me got about 4 calls all day (different call type) and the other company we owned on the middle floor were very not busy so were playing games and rowdy as anything.

I vowed never again.

JaneEyre70 · 13/12/2017 12:09

I worked in care for a few years, and found Christmas was a lovely time to work - clients were so much happier/more grateful to see you, and it was nice to make a real effort with those who were sat alone all day apart from their care visits. Made me really appreciate my family and having them to go home to. What wasn't nice was the um "less responsible younger" members of staff who got so drunk and called in sick that your 4 hours away from your family became 8/10. That was the reason I stopped. I always feel very sorry for anyone who is forced to work instead of spending time with loved ones, but very grateful for them too - especially health/emergency services.

MorrisZapp · 13/12/2017 12:10

In my lifetime, John Lewis used to be closed every Monday, to give their staff a two day 'weekend'.

Ragwort · 13/12/2017 12:14

I remember that Morris - and they closed at 1pm on a Saturday shows age.

I work in retail and love it over Christmas, lovely atmosphere - but we are lucky in that we get very nice customers .

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