to feel so sorry for retail staff for the next 7 weeks?

[OtraCosaMariposa]

Have just been on a shoe shopping expedition, in and out of several stores. M&S, which doesn't usually have music playing, already has Elton warbling about stepping into Christmas and Mariah telling us what she wants for Christmas.

It's the THIRD OF NOVEMBER. There are over 7 weeks to Christmas Those poor staff having to listen to this shite on repeat for almost 2 months. And they wonder why everyone's switching to online shopping?

I feel sorry for retail staff all year round. People are fucking horrible.

"Sasha really? You lost count of the times someone called you that? Find that a bit hard to believe"

Have you ever worked with the public?

Christmas retail is flippin ace!!!! Reducing turkeys on Christmas eve is hilarious.
Don your riot gear haha.
People do get pissed when we run out of sprouts, carrots etc..... To avoid disappointment preorder

People are largely, vile.

I worked in Borders Books (now sadly defunct) as a student. Never again! Retail is a special kind of awful and it’s worse at Christmas.

I saw two women fight over the last bag of carrots, got called a speccy cunt because there was no vodka left at 4.55pm on Christmas Eve,was punched by a customer with a stolen debit card when he realised I knew and wanted it back, got threatened because there was no smoked salmon left..,,ah working with the public aka utter fuckwits!

Sasha really? You lost count of the times someone called you that? Find that a bit hard to believe

So says someone who's never worked with the general public!

People seem to think it's acceptable treat retail and hospitality workers like utter shit. I've been sworn at more times than I care to remember by entitled customers who think I'm there to do whatever the fuck they want, even if it would cost me my job to do so.

I used to work in retail. It ruined the christmas spirit for me after being sworn at, spat at, shoved, threatened with violence, had things thrown at me and being called vile names.

I avoid shops in December.

I avoid shops in December now as well as much as I can anyway. My first job was working over christmas in sainsburys. Horrible. The amount of abuse the staff get when they run out of something is unbelievable. We had someone chuck a whole salmon at a wall cause their card got declined. They would swear at you and shout over silly little things. The christmas music you just tune out sadly you can't do the same with the public.

I used to work in retail. I barely remember the Christmas music, I do however remember the sombre output on the day Princess Diana was killed.

People are annoying all year round though.

I’m a mature student and I was half thinking of getting a retail Christmas temp job in a store I like such as Waterstones or Hotel Chocolat...but I don’t think it’s worth the hassle of dealing with the public!

I say that as a former military officer...