Working retail on Black Friday - JohnDoe8865's Blog

JohnDoe8865's Blog

Working retail on Black Friday

Posted on November 24, 2008 at 10:45 PM.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The busiest shopping day of the entire year. Some stores in my area will be opening at 3 AM. Most stores will be having some kind of ridiculous discounts to get people in the door.

I work at a retail store. I have to work the opening shift on Black Friday. I'm pissed off. I wasn't scheduled to work Friday when my schedule was made this week. I was scheduled for Thanksgiving day, which I accepted because after all, someone has to do it.

Tonight my manager informed me, that instead of her working on Black Friday - as the schedule had said she would - that the schedule had changed now, and I was now going to work it and she would take one of my days earlier in the week. That is BS right there.

I'll be working the entire store by myself from open until 5 pm. I hate my job as it is, and the biggest reason is the crap like this that goes on there. The schedule was arbitrarily changed when the manager came into work today and found out that she was supposed to be on duty for Black Friday. So now she and her salary that more than doubles my salary, has the day off while I get ambushed by holiday shoppers looking for a deal.

I had to vent about this, it pisses me off to the core. I want to get out of that sh*+hole so bad.

Has anyone ever seen the movie Falling Down? I worry sometimes that I'm gonna flip out like that.

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Comments

# 1 thescoop @ Nov 24

My friend, I too must spend that day in retail hell. I hate my job too so I can relate. I've been working hard trying to free myself from that place.

At least at my job everyone, even the managers, must work on black friday. I still want to find the person that came up with this idea and punch him in the face. I really hate the early morning shoppers with a passion. Those idiots that show up in the insane early hours make us have to give up time with our families.

I feel your pain.....

# 2 JohnDoe8865 @ Nov 24

I'm sorry to hear that you too, must endure the hell of black friday.

# 3 djcorrosive @ Nov 25

Thankfully, I have never had to work retail on a Black Friday. However, you will have one less customer on this Friday. I do not want to be within 100 miles of any store on that day. I don't care how good the deals are. People act all kinds of crazy over this shiz. Good luck, godspeed, and hope you find a better job!

# 4 GoodVela @ Nov 25

Are the staff eligible for these discounts? Meaning do they get first dibs on stuff?

# 5 SPTO @ Nov 25

Tough to hear that but be thankful you're not my mother. She's working overnight from 11:30 PM to 7 AM for one week straight the week before X-Mas.

# 6 JohnDoe8865 @ Nov 25

Goodvela - At my store the answer is no, we don't get first dibs. Not sure about other stores.

SPTO - Dang, I'm sorry to hear about your mother. That sounds absolutely dreadful.

# 7 matt8204 @ Nov 25

I like to go to the stores and the mall at night to see the fallout from the day's activities. Everything's been picked through and the floors and shelves are a disaster. It's too crazy to go shopping during the day on Black Friday. It would take me a good 30-45 minutes just to get out of the parking lot at my local mall. Yeah, there are some good deals, but it's not worth getting into a fight or stressing out over it.

# 8 Fresh Tendrils @ Nov 25

I girlfriend works at a pretzel place in the mall and she has to be there at 3:30-4AM. Crazy stuff. I work retail, but thankfully its a furniture store which is a whole different monster.

# 9 The Chef @ Nov 25

I work on Thanksgiving as well as Black Friday, Thanksgiving I work 8-1, Black Friday Im 5:30-2:30 and Saturday Im the same 5:30-2:30 so it should be interesting.

# 10 JohnDoe8865 @ Nov 25

Chef, I also work Thanksgiving Day, 9 AM till 5 PM, in addition to Black Friday. I'm thinking Thanksgiving will be a slower day (hoping may be more accurate) and that I can just make it thru friday.

# 11 matt8204 @ Nov 26

I actually used to work at a supermarket in college, so we were always dead on Black Friday. Number one, everyone's at the mall that day and number two, everyone's too stuffed and has too many leftovers from the day before to go and buy more food. Were were always bored to tears on that day.

# 12 Steve_OS @ Nov 26

How those teeth doing?

# 13 JohnDoe8865 @ Nov 26

Teeth are much better Steve, thanks for asking!

# 14 DOAsaturn @ Nov 27

Just take it easy man. I had to work three Black Fridays while in retail a few years ago (2002-04). Just chill and understand that your not God and the customers can't expect you to be. I was able to survive them fairly easily. It seems AWFUL at first, but then you just go with the flow and don't become the customer. The customer is rushed and frantic, you don't need to be.

# 15 Rawdeal28 @ Nov 28

I feel ur pain john. i work at Target and Black Friday is hell. people elbowing each other just to get into the store. thank god i dont have to open but i still have to come in at 12. so it will still be rush time when i get there.

i wish i could change my schedule with someone but i cant. i was going to request that day off but i forgot to put in my paper for it (damn rawdeal. lol)

i never understood the point of waking up at 5 in the morning to go shop. some woman must have started this. smh.

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