Column: Say ‘thanks' this holiday season

I loved Christmas — until about five years ago.

When I started working in retail during college, Christmas quickly became associated with long hours, a messier store to straighten up at the end of the night and downright Scroogey customers.

The long hours and the messy store were something I could deal with; I just had to fuel up on orange juice and granola bars on my breaks. Hard work isn’t something that I would ever shy away from.  

The Scroogey customers, though, were the ones who sapped the Christmas spirit from me.

If something was out of stock, it was my fault. If the lines at the checkout were too long, it was my fault. If there were no carts available — because the store was so busy every single one was in use — it was my fault.

I’ve been out of the retail business for about two years and I still remember how people treated me; the yelling and faces of disdain will always haunt me.

Customers were always unhappy about something and they always seemed to find a way to blame it on the employees who were making a whopping $7.25 per hour.

From Black Friday to Christmas Eve, I was emotionally spent, trudging home after 12-hour days at 2 a.m. to curl up in bed, where I would have nightmares about the day before.

But to be quite honest, the holiday season isn’t the only time people are rude and unreasonable, it’s a trend that can be found during any season.

It seems our society has become so selfish that everybody thinks everything is all about them. When I’m in supermarkets, retail stores and restaurants, all I ever hear is people complaining. Rarely do they offer any sentiment of gratitude.

I can’t tell you how many times I helped customers find what they were looking for by searching through substantial backroom inventory, how many times I ran up to the front of the store to serve as a cashier in order to limit customer wait time and how many times I ventured into the parking lot — braving extreme weather (hot or cold) and risking being hit by cars — to push carts inside so that customers wouldn’t have to carry their purchases throughout the store.

Do you want to know how many times people thanked me for doing those things? Hmm … I’ll go with five. That’s right folks, when you do something right, people seldom take the time to stop and say “thanks.”

All I really want for Christmas this year is a little more gratitude for those in the service industry. Take time to say the food is delicious when you’re out at a restaurant; ask for the manager so that you can brag about the great service you received; or simply say “thanks” when someone goes out of their way to help you.

I’m not ignorant enough to believe that every person working in the service industry is doing a fantastic job, but a good portion of them are, so maybe it’s about time we all stop complaining and start appreciating.

I know that whenever someone took the time to give me a little praise, it added a little pep to my step. It made me feel like what I was doing was more than just a job. Maybe all we really need is for someone to remind us that we are making some kind of difference.

Believe me, a little gratitude goes a long way.

Sarah Campbell, a Farmville native and East Carolina University graduate, is a health reporter for The Free Press and can be reached at 252-559-1076 or scampbell@freedomenc.com. The opinions of the guest columnist are not necessarily those of The Free Press.