We wish you a Cranky Christmas

[Food Lady]

So, for some inexplicable reason I'm excited about Christmas this year. So on my way in, before I even clock in, I start my workday listening to some SC complaining about the cheery snowflake decals on the windows. Come on, lady; you only have to see them for 15 seconds, tops. Let the rest of us enjoy the display. Then I'm on a register for the first part of my shift, trying to be nice to my customers, belying the fact that I really have no days off this month. I ask a lady buying Christmas candy if she's excited about Christmas & she tells me sullenly that Christmas "means nothing to her." Uh, ok.
Everyone else has been cranky, too, some not even responding to my greeting at all. But I will not let them steal my spirit. I refuse.

[Hobbs]

I can somewhat side with the first customer. I mean, it's barely Nov. 5th and we're seeing Christmas stuff already. My store's had it since 2nd or 3rd week of October. That's freaking rediculous, imho.

[rageaholic]

I too am excited about Christmas. I think it's just the time of year and the decorations (I am probably one of the few people here who actually likes going to the mall around this time of year). Good for you not letting the grouch's steal your spirit.

I also never understood why people feel the need to be vocal about something something so minor as a decoration. If I don't like a decoration, I keep it to myself. If it really bothers me, I might mention it to my mom, but I won't through a fit. Sounds like they need to find better things to piss and moan about.

[gremcint]

I can somewhat side with the first customer. I mean, it's barely Nov. 5th and we're seeing Christmas stuff already. My store's had it since 2nd or 3rd week of October. That's freaking rediculous, imho.

A couple weeks ago I walked down one isle at a dollar store, one side halloween and the other side christmas. That was really surreal.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

All our Christmas stuff at the swamp is pretty well up. It all looks pretty nice.

We've got a big selection of Charlie Brown Christmas stuff, seeing as how the little trees sold so well last year. The hot new item in that selection is this plush decoration of Charlie and Linus standing in the snow, around Charlie's little tree. You push a little button in the snow and it plays the part where Linus recites the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 8 to 14 ("And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night...." and so on).

It's so ungodly cute and I kinda want one, but they're 40 bucks a pop. Maybe the price will come down.

We've got a whole endstand of those things, so every now and then I got to listen to somebody activate it and comment over how kyewt it was, and I gotta say it wasn't unpleasant to hear it. Except when some boogerhead decided to set them all off and it sounded like Charlie and Linus were speaking in tongues.

[fireheart]

Our Christmas stuff has only just started going up.

From memory, we usually do tinsel around the registers and the employees usually wear either santa hats or Christmas t-shirts or both (rule on the t-shirts is no rude slogans).

[bhskittykatt]

I love Christmas. My home decorations went up Nov 1st! I quite enjoy the holiday displays in the stores. It's probably the only time of year I actually enjoy going to the mall. Unfortunately we aren't allowed to decorate our lobby at work at all, since Corporate is a Grinch.

[Kheldarson]

I'm sorry, but I'm turning into one of those cranks. I don't like how once September starts suddenly all the holidays start blending together. Not only was my store setting up decorations during the middle of October for December, radio stations were starting to filter in Christmas music before Halloween was over. I like Christmas and all, but doesn't all of the hype kinda lessen the joy of it? Especially when all the hype is "Hey, Christmas is only two months away! BUY BUY BUY!!"

Bah.

[Anthony K. S.]

For me, it isn't the fact that people get annoyed with Christmas decorations, music, etc., starting so early in the season . . . It's the fact that they actually come to us and complain about it that I find irksome.


One year, a guy came up to me at the Customer Service desk, with an expression on his face like we had said something offensive to his mother, and says :

"It's three weeks before Thanksgiving! It's too early to be playing Christmas music! When are you going to start playing it next year, the Fourth of July? This is ridiculous!"


. . . Okay, look. Personally, I agree, it really is too early to be playing Christmas music.

But, for me, that's the kind of thing I'd get mildly annoyed over, and then leave the store and immediately forget all about it. To actually take the time to walk up to a store employee and complain about something so petty . . . Especially when you act as overly dramatic about it as this guy did . . .

Honestly, folks, you gotta pick your battles in life. Is this really worth getting so worked up over?

And besides, it's not as if complaining to us is likely to do any real good. These decisions are often made at the Corporate level, and we all know how much Corporate people value the feedback they get from their front-line employees.

[infinitemonkies]

I was working at the hotel Halloween night, which is, in itself, several stories. When Halloween falls on a Friday or Saturday, its generally an even worse night for a hotel worker than New Year's Eve.

Anyway, here in the lobby we have a big flatscreen tv tuned to the weather network, and I happened to notice with contempt and disdain the very first commercial to run after midnight on Halloween was a christmas merchandise ad.

Also, I happened to be in the mall (the horror....) first thing later that morning, and I noticed that nearly every store had extra staff in pulling down all the leftover Halloween crap and putting up christmas crap.

As said elsewhere, I'm not an x-mas person. For the entire month of December I wont go into a store, except for groceries or booze. At best, I'll grudgingly tolerate what I can't ignore, but there are two things that piss me off too much for either: playing carols and/or wishing someone a merry xmas in November.

*foul language follows, highlight to read*
I mean, fuck off. I'll give you a whole damn month to be merry to your hearts content, but yes, 2 months of build-up followed by another 2 fucking months of boxing-decade (DAY! it's boxing DAY goddamnit) sales IS too much to ask for.

[BeeMused]

As said elsewhere, I'm not an x-mas person. For the entire month of December I wont go into a store, except for groceries or booze. At best, I'll grudgingly tolerate what I can't ignore, but there are two things that piss me off too much for either: playing carols and/or wishing someone a merry xmas in November.

I completely concur! The first xmas stuff showed up in late in August in our stores here in Germany! This stuff shows up earlier and earlier each year, at least it feels like it. I'm just happy that they don't play any xmas music in most shops, I hate most music played in shops anyway.

[Food Lady]

For me, it isn't the fact that people get annoyed with Christmas decorations, music, etc., starting so early in the season . . . It's the fact that they actually come to us and complain about it that I find irksome. One year, a guy came up to me at the Customer Service desk, with an expression on his face like we had said something offensive to his mother, and says : "It's three weeks before Thanksgiving! It's too early to be playing Christmas music! When are you going to start playing it next year, the Fourth of July? This is ridiculous!" . . . Okay, look. Personally, I agree....But, for me, that's the kind of thing I'd get mildly annoyed over, and then leave the store and immediately forget all about it. To actually take the time to walk up to a store employee and complain about something so petty

Exactly why I posted this thread. And besides, snowflakes on our windows, come to think of it, can just be about winter.

[mariamousie1]

I'm excited about Christmas too! My nephew is two now and it should be extra special for him this year. Things that make me christmassy- eggnog and gingerbread! Stollen too. Christmas to me is all about the eating.

[fireheart]

In our case, the annual Christmas Pageant is on this Saturday! ^_^

Think the Macy's Thanksgiving day Parade and it's very much like that, minus the balloons.

[Racket_Man]

We've got a big selection of Charlie Brown Christmas stuff, seeing as how the little trees sold so well last year. The hot new item in that selection is this plush decoration of Charlie and Linus standing in the snow, around Charlie's little tree. You push a little button in the snow and it plays the part ......

It's so ungodly cute and I kinda want one, but they're 40 bucks a pop. Maybe the price will come down.

We've got a whole endstand of those things, so every now and then I got to listen to somebody activate it and comment over how kyewt it was, and I gotta say it wasn't unpleasant to hear it. Except when some boogerhead decided to set them all off and it sounded like Charlie and Linus were speaking in tongues.

I saw those at my local Clearance Swamp while perusing other things. the plushie things is nice but a bit pricey (less than the $40 you said more like $25 but I was not paying too much attention. my local store also still has the tree for like $20

hmmm will have to check out the other Charlie Brown things later in the week and stop playing the soundtrack album for A Charlie Bronw Christmas all the time