Why are customers so grumpy at Christmas?

[AirHostess]

Isn't it a time of peace and goodwill? I went into town on Sunday and was impressed by the retail employees good cheer in the midst of some truly miserable and rude customers!

[rvdammit]

Because evryone wants to buy everything at the same time?

[draggar]

Stress.
(filler)

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Because their kids have declared they don't want to go on living unless they get a Nintendo Wii/Webkinz/High School Musical chotchkies/Tickle Me Telly?

Whenever I've dealt with sucky customers at Christmas time, it always seems to be people trying to buy for their kids.

After Christmas it will be all the people returning stuff.

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

I dunno--maybe shopping can be a miserable, soul-sucking experience, despite our happy, shining faces? Hell--who in their right mind likes to go shopping? You're in a heavy coat, the heaters are blasting, you've been going around all day, and you have no idea what the fark the man in your life wants. Then there's the flourescent lights and the mind-numbing overstimulation of all that sh$#%@% on the shelves. Add to that a kid, and you begin to get an idea of what hell is like.

Ahhhh, internet.

[blas]

Is this a trick question?

*Disclaimer: Not about to deeply go into religion, just an explanation is all!*

Once upon a time, Christmas was about rejoicing the birth of Jesus Christ. Even just gathering with family and going to church was good enough. Then came the tales of old Saint Nick, now Santa Claus. Over time, Christmas has lost its traditional, religious meaning...

No one cares about their fellow man anymore around this time of year. Not when they are too busy shoving them out of the way so they can get a Wii or Tickle Me Elmo FIRST!

[GolfCart34]

Holiday shoppers are the reason why I did 98% of my shopping online this year.

I hate the overconsumption of consumer goods that happens at this time of the year. Sure when I was growing up my brother and I got all excited about what presents we got, but we were more excited about going to my aunt's or grandmother's house for family time and a huge home cooked meal. Family always came before presents.

I can tell you one thing that made me sick last week. I needed to get some scratch remover for my car (bf accidentally scratched my car with the snowblower... oops). I wanted to go to K-Mart since the local K-Mart is much nicer and much more spacious than the local Wal-Mart. Not only that but K-Mart is usually deserted so I can shop in peace. Anyway, I go there after work, pull into the parking lot and promptly turned back around and left. The parking lot was full, people were parking at the Chili's and laundromat located way across the parking lot from K-Mart, and the parking lot vultures were out in full force. I ended up just going to the grocery store for a few grocery items before heading home.

And what makes me even more sick is how people practically go broke buying useless crap during the holidays, then go on to complain about how they never seem to have money. It's your own darn fault if you spend too much on useless gifts and then end up not being able to pay your bills. I am the queen of clearance shopping. I got everybody in my family shopped for for about $200. And that's talking about shopping for 10+ people and 3 cats. I spent the most on my dad and my bf and limited myself to about $20 for everybody else. I didn't go broke and I will be able to pay my bills after Christmas.

I get grumpy at Christmas because I'm sick of seeing everybody else being stupid during this time of year. I'd rather just lock myself in my house and wait until January 1st to come out again.

Don't mind my holiday ranting. I'm mostly sick of the fact that Christmas has lost it's true meaning over the years.

[Estil]

Once upon a time, Christmas was about rejoicing the birth of Jesus Christ. Even just gathering with family and going to church was good enough. Then came the tales of old Saint Nick, now Santa Claus. Over time, Christmas has lost its traditional, religious meaning...

And once upon a time retailers could actually say the name of the holiday and didn't call Christmas decorations "holiday trees" and "holiday lights". Seriously, you don't see the Menorah refered to as a "holiday candlestick holder". :P

Luckily I do work in a retailer that doesn't treat Christmas like a four letter word.

[TryNotToBeThatOne]

I used to like shopping in December, but I was younger then & foolish. I also shopped for fewer people. 10 or so then, and now it's about 30 or so (between families & co-workers).

These days I start shopping in October (get one of a kind gifts, handmade, from the people who made them) and just get a few last minute things after Christmas (annual 2nd Christmas party at New Years).

For the few things that I had to get this past weekend (additional brackets for my mom's new shelves, etc), the staff was friendly & cheerful. I tried to be extra nice to them and remembered to contact the company to tell them how pleasant the employees were.

[DesignFox]

I try to get shopping and cards and everything done super early. That way I don't have to deal with crowds and obnoxiousness.

I think the holidays have just become overcommercialized... it's a shame.

I don't understand how these kids can say they will hate their parents if they don't get an [insert popular toy here]. I was just never like that... my parents wouldn't get me anything if I ever behaved like that!

[Secret Shopper]

I dunno--maybe shopping can be a miserable, soul-sucking experience, despite our happy, shining faces? Hell--who in their right mind likes to go shopping? You're in a heavy coat, the heaters are blasting, you've been going around all day, and you have no idea what the fark the man in your life wants. Then there's the flourescent lights and the mind-numbing overstimulation of all that sh$#%@% on the shelves. Add to that a kid, and you begin to get an idea of what hell is like.

Ahhhh, internet.

There you go. Shopping sucks and Christmas has been hijacked by the consumer culture and it's demands.

[SuperB]

The more I deal with adults the more I love my kids. Just yesterday my daughter (9) was telling me how lucky she was that we were able to have more family here for Christmas and (secondary) for what she got, and believe me the kids didn't get a whole lot this year. We did one main gift for the whole family that the in-laws helped on as their gift to us and then a few small items to unwrap that morning. But the main thing she was happy about was who was here.

[IHateStupidCustomers]

I think people are just not focusing on what Christmas is really about, and taking the whole gift-giving thing way too far and stressing themselves out.

I work at a mall kiosk that sells blown glass figurines, and had a guy buy a madonna figure with a lighted mirror base. As I am wrapping up the madonna, he picks out another item. I ask him if he would like another mirror base for this new item (not even trying to sell it to him, I just need to know if he expects it in his bag or not) and he FLIPS.

SC: "I thought you said I was getting a WIDER base!!"

Me: "uh...I don't know what you mean, I was just asking if you wanted -"

SC: "A WIDER BASE!!!" (okay...at no time did those words ever come out of my mouth...we don't even have different sized bases.)

Me: "We don't HAVE wider bases."

SC: "Well I just need ONE!"

Me: "OKAY, sir. I was just asking if you were going to need a second base for the second glass piece, that's all. I don't know if you wanted it or not or if they are going to seperate people or what. I just don't think you should scream at me for asking you a simple question."

He actually apologized. The christmas craziness must not have consumed him completely.