A Former Retail Worker’s Black Friday Wisdom

Before I became 'Mr. Radio' guy, I worked in retail. Chances are, that you have worked in retail too! Meijer, Gamestop, Petco, Barnes & Noble, Shoe Carnival, etc. I will even throw in Food workers as well on this.

As a Retail worker...Black Friday sucks....

I worked at a GameStop during many Black Friday's. Video games have increased in popularity insanely over the years, and Gamestop is usually a first stop when it comes to Black Friday Sales.

For that reason, the place is absolutuly insane. Here are a couple of stories I remember below...

First and foremost, Gamestop has some epic sales for Black Friday, so if you are gonna shop for games, take a gander at their product.

• The store opened at midnight, and 4GB Xbox 360's were only $100 (usually $200). Remember, we opened at midnight. A customer came in at 4pm that day and wondered, in her words, "WHY THE F*** DO YOU NOT HAVE ANY XBOX'S?!?!" Well, figure it out lady! We opened at midnight and had a limited stock, where the hell do you think they are?
• There was a kid in the store walking around just yelling. He wasn't even yelling words, just opening his mouth and noise came out. What did the parents do? Nothing! After a minute, the kid started to make words, and they were the most dreadful words you ever want to hear. "I'm gonna puke, I'm gonna puke!" Guess what that kid did? HE PUKED ALL OVER THE FLOOR! Not like watery either, I am talking like chunky potatoes man. I'm having a hard time even typing this...of course, we weren't 100% prepared for this type of thing, so I called the mall staff and asked if they could help us out, and they couldn't since it wasn't their property. So I got down on all 4's with paper towel and rubber gloves and felt the squishiness of the puke in my hands....what did the parents do? Laugh and say they were sorry.
• I worked in a pretty tiny store, and body heat can radiate pretty well in an enclosed space. So what happens? The air conditioner for the store broke, making the store a whopping 92 Degrees. Just imagine all of the body sweat, bending down, getting up, on a stone hard floor while it's 92 Degrees in an enclosed area? It was hell on earth! Don't forget the angry customers too!

There are just WAY to many stories to fill into one blog post however, I leave you with this for all you Black Friday shoppers

• Remember, retail workers are people too! Treat them nicely because chances are, they don't want to be there at all.
• Be patient! I know with the crowds, it can be stressful, but just keep calm and get what you can.
• Don't blame the retailer because all of the TV's are gone. Blame yourself! You didn't start camping outside in September!
• If someone starts getting snippy with you in line, give it right back, Black Friday Brawls are something I look forward to on the news and provide me with entertainment and a general dislike for the human race. (Yell all you want, just don't hurt anyone...OK? 'Tis the f***in' season!)
• Remember, it's Christmas time! A time for family, happy times, and having a kid yell at you because you got them the wrong toy after you slaved at work for hours on end and stood in line till your feet flattened out.
• Be grateful that you can shop in this country. There are families out there who have nothing and can't afford presents, or even a tree! Maybe think about them before you start yelling at a retail worker because they are out of something that your spoiled kid wants. I bet there is a less fortunate kid out there who would love to have that gift, but can't because it's either a gift or food on the table.

Merry 'effin Christmas.... *drops mic*

While you're at it, click on the picture and donate to Toys for Tots!