Are you the kind of person that goes crazy on Black Friday?  Do you get up real early just to see what kinds of deals you can finds in the stores?

First, let me tell you this, you aren’t really getting a deal.  Stores first raised the prices up and then put it on sale at a lower price.  That’s a secret they don’t want the buying public to know; otherwise they cannot hook them in to shop in their stores.

Yet so many people rushed into the stores on Black Friday and even later in the day on Thanksgiving.  They hope to get the best deals for  their bucks.  They wait to then to do their Christmas shopping.

Don’t they know that the better time to Christmas shop is after Christmas for the following year.  You can finds better deals during the year for ideas for Christmas gifts than during Black Friday.

Now let us get to the real reason for this blog.

The two worst jobs with the most stress and least pay are:  those who works retails and those who works in the restaurant industry.  Also in those type of jobs, those who worked them are less appreciated for their service.

I worked in the restaurant and I worked retails. I don’t know which jobs were more stressful.

William James, an American psychologist and philosopher wrote, “In every person from the cradle to the grave, there is a deep craving to be appreciated.”

We all wants to be appreciated!!

So when you wait until the last minute and choose to  go crazy and shop on Black Friday, don’t blame those who works in these dead-end jobs of retails and restaurant.  It’s not their fault that the stores ran out of the items that you want.  It’s your fault for waiting until the last minute.

Stores owners knows that, that is why they lure you into their trap to get you to spend your hard earned money.

Those who works in the retail and restaurant industry gets very little pay and no appreciation.  Not just from irate customers; but also from the owners and/or managers.  The owners and managers doesn’t really appreciate you.  They say they do.  They are just talking out of both side of their mouth.  Their appreciation is not genuine.

If they really appreciate the help, they would pay them better and gives them decent benefits.  They would even gives bonuses.

Wal-Mart is one of the top retails now.  When Sam Walton was alive he took better care of his employees than his kids do.  Then again he didn’t expect for Wal-Mart to be as big as it is.  It was his kids who made it a global industry.

They raised the starting wage to lure workers in; but when it comes right down to it, what do you get.  You just get a swift kick in the ass and treated like slaves.  They don’t give raises, bonuses, benefits, etc.

I never worked Wal-Mart but I did worked for Kmart.  At one time they were a prominent company.  The original owner took care of his employees.  I know that the company is dying.  You can thank Eddie Lambert.  (I don’t won’t go too far into this because that is another blog.)

All I will say, the pay for working retails and restaurant is very low and there is no incentives.  The turnover is very high as well.  There are many restaurants.  People who usually works retails are those in high school and/or college.  They are working those jobs until they get their education, so they can get a better paying jobs.  Those types of jobs is a stepping stool for something better.

Don’t get me wrong though.  There are some people who do stays a long time working in retails and restaurants as well.  Somebody go to do it, I guess.  Either they like it or is afraid to move on to better paying jobs.  Some may not even get a better paying jobs; so they are stuck.

Not only is the pay low and there is no incentives; those types of jobs are more apt to be part time.  That way they don’t have to provide benefits.

It’s all about greed!!

Retail workers are not suppose to accept tips or gifts from customers.  Even when the customers do it to show their appreciation.  I can say it now, but I couldn’t while working at Kmart.  There had been some customers who gave me tips outside in the parking lot as I helped them with a carry-out.  We were not suppose to accept and if we did, we were suppose to give it to the managers.  What I been told, “what the managers don’t know won’t hurt them.”  If they don’t want to appreciate their helps, then they should allow customers to show their appreciation.

Those who works in restaurants, usually gets tips along with their pay.  These restaurants owners figured since they get tips, they don’t have to pay more in wages.

They don’t make enough in tips to make a living.  Also our government wants you to claims your tips you make as well.  That is not right!

The wait staff takes a lot of bull from customers.  They have to deal with rude and angry customers.

I had an aunt, who had money; but when it came to leaving tips, she was cheap.  She would makes these wait staff runs constantly.  It was embarrassing going out eating with her.  I felt sorry the waitress.  The excuse she used was, “I need the quarters to do my laundry.”  So she will makes them do all these running for her thinking they are doing her a service; and all she would leaves them is pennies/or lose change.  If you don’t want to leaves quarters, you can leave dollars.

Sometimes even cooks, busboys, and dishwasher would gets tips as well.  Usually the wait staff have to split it with them though.

I do remember one time though, while working at the Viking Room, there was a customer; who happened to be an old boss, gave me a tip for cooking what she ordered.

Like I said, I worked retails and I worked restaurants; I don’t know which is more stressful.  Believe me, I don’t miss it!

All I will say is this, working retails when it slows down in January, there is really no slow down.  You are constantly putting out freight or helping customers.  Unless the stores is struggling, that is a different story.  Then they cut hours.

In restaurants, they cut hours to.  Sometimes, you have to looks for ways to get your hours by finding things to do, like special cleaning for example.

That stress working in retails and restaurants is hard on a person body.  You feels it all over.  The aches and pains!  There is a different between stress tired and a good honest tired.  I won’t go into that because that is a different blog.

This year either during Black Friday or the Christmas season, shows some appreciation for those who works retails and restaurants.  Don’t get mad at them because you couldn’t get the item you wanted to buy.  It’s not their fault that you waited so long.  They do a lot of to make sure that  the customers gets the service they expect.  They are not truly appreciated by their employers or even paid decent.  They have no benefits and no incentives.  Sure, the manager may say, “we appreciate you,”  but then all they give is a piece of paper.  That’s a joke!!

Thus the title of this blog, in honor of Black Friday, show some appreciation.  As Tim McGraw sang, “Be humble and kind.”  They are humbling themselves to serve you.  The least thing you can do for them is show them a little appreciation.

Stay tuned for next week when I will discuss how managers can be better managers by breaking some rules and even treat their employees better.