by Chris Houghton
‘Twas the last shopping day before Christmas,
And all through the store,
Last minute shoppers were causing frenzy galore!
And I in the gift-wrapping department was inwardly waiting for that minute – that minute when the last customer would be ushered out the door.
I was tired, bone tired; my feet hurt, my back ached, my face with its fixed smile was stiff, and a steady hammering inside my head gradually got louder and louder. In this condition I frantically tried to gift wrap packages that would meet the approval of the customer.
The customer! Particularly the last minute Christmas Shopper! I am sure you have all been customers and you know all the peculiarities that go along with trying to buy things. Let’s take a look at the person on the other side of the counter. Let’s look especially at the gift-wrapper and the ten main types of customers a frantic gift-wrapper dreads to see approaching. Are you one?
First is the lady who has bought ten pairs of socks. Each pair is to be wrapped separately. She wants four with red ribbons, two with green ribbons, two with brown ribbons, and two with blue ribbons. She has filled out ten cards and there is a certain card to go inside a box with a certain pair of socks.
Second, a man approaches who has bought a huge umbrella with an enormous crooked handle. There is no box made that you can possibly find to wrap this monster in. How are you going to wrap it?
Third, a lady comes to have a package wrapped, but she does not have her ticket. You control your temper, remembering all the while that this is the season of good cheer and friendly words for everyone. You try to explain that she has to have proof that the purchase was made in the store. She gets angry because she thinks that you think that she is trying to put one over on you.
Fourth is the man who has bought a very special present for someone very special. He can not decide what color of ribbon he wants. Maybe he ought to get the same color of ribbon as the color of the gift inside, or her favorite color is red, but then the blue ribbon is very pretty. He asks your opinion. You shift from first one tired foot to the other waiting for him to make up his mind.
Fifth is the lady who wants to send her package out of town. She can not remember what the address is, but she has it written down on a slip of paper somewhere in her purse. Just a minute while she hunts for it. She puts her packages down on the counter in the way of everyone else and searches in her purse for several minutes. Finally she dumps the contents of her purse on the counter and has to retrieve her lipstick which falls on the floor and rolls several feet away. Ten minutes later the address is found on the pieces of paper that she has had clutched in her hand all the time.
Sixth is the person whose package was to be sent out to their house by delivery. They call up the management, wanting to know why their package has not arrived and where is it. Of course, they were in such a hurry to get away to do other errands that they forgot to leave their address.
Seventh is the person who left his packages to be wrapped but forgot to tell you his name. They return for the package and you have to search through all the “will calls” for a certain package which is so big and has such and such inside and is probably wrapped with red ribbon.
Eighth is a young, harassed mother who has three or four small children hanging on her coat tails. While she is conversing with a friend who is also waiting for packages, the children run behind the counter and place their smudgy handprints all over your beautifully wrapped packages.
Ninth is the customer who expects a dollars worth of ribbon for a ten cent gift.
Tenth is the woman who gossips with a friend. You have done a beautiful job on her package, and you are quite proud of it. The bow is perky and there is not a wrinkle in the paper. As you hand it to her she looks up to say that this card was supposed to go inside, or she wanted these socks to go inside with the other gift. Please do it over.
Have a heart! There are just a few more shopping days before Christmas. Let’s make this Christmas a “be kind to the clerk behind the counter Christmas,” whether she is a gift-wrapper or a salesclerk. You will feel better—and so will she.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.