Holiday Etiquette

This year, unfortunately, was just like any other year as far as retail goes. It never fails, people will always exhibit the same behavior year after year when it comes to holiday shopping simply because they refuse to learn and adapt. Allow me to elaborate.

It's a few days before Christmas and your wife has gotten your daughter a Wii (or DS) and she has tasked you with going out to buy a game for her. You walk into your nearest game outlet (in this case lets just say Game Stop). You push your way through the tens of people in the store and you say "Hey, I need your help. What's a good game for the Wii (or DS)?" to which you, being the cynical retail employee, reply "I'll be right with you, sir". That simply won't do though because for one reason or another THIS guy is way more important than those tens of people he pushed through. So, you finish your transaction with the person in front of you and then hand the register over to a fellow retail soldier and you tend to your father in need. You ask him questions that any loving father should know like: "Is this a boy or girl? How old is the child? What does the child like to do? Do they watch TV and if so, what?" With any luck this father can answer maybe 2 of these questions. Depending on the age I always start with Dora and Diego and then gradually upgrade until I can get to Zelda or Metroid.

Next we have the slightly more patient customer. This one will actually wait in line and THEN have this conversation with you. People. it should be known that the closer we get to the holiday the less time you have to chat with retail employees. Why is that? Because we have lives and we want to go home to our families. I have no problem going about this with you say in early December or earlier than that but not on December 24th. That is asinine. There are other things but I'm going to let this sink in first before I go on another rant.