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ENTERTAINMENT Sales people not thankful for Friday after Thanksgiving
ENTERTAINMENT Sales people not thankful for Friday after Thanksgiving | Sales people not thankful for Friday after Thanksgiving |
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| Written by Alanna Quillen, The Shorthorn Senior staff | ||||
| Monday, 23 November 2009 03:20 PM | ||||
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If you’re waking up with the roosters for a day of shopping mayhem, it must be Black Friday. For some, it means discounts and deals on everything from laptops to lawnmowers. For others like English freshman Anna Thompson, it’s a day of angry and anxious customers. “People are shopping crazy on Black Friday,” she said. “People get trampled and hurt and mean.” Thompson has worked three Black Fridays for the clothing store, Avenue. She will work from 4:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Friday. “It will certainly be a really long day,” she said. “Black Friday is not a day that I want to be out in crowds.” Black Friday is an annual national shopping holiday taking place the day after Thanksgiving. Retail stores like Wal-Mart, Macy’s and Best Buy offer some of the best sales of the year. Shoppers even go the extra mile by setting up tents outside the stores hours before opening. “That’s just a way for the retail industry to make more money,” Jazz studies sophomore Brian Elliot said. Elliot works 40 hours a week selling drums at Guitar Center. He has worked four Black Fridays – two of them at Guitar Center and the other two at jazz festivals in San Francisco and New Orleans held for the shopping holiday. “The crowd is very hectic,” he said. “Everybody is asking questions and you have to deal with different people and personalities all day. It’s quite demanding.” While on his way to work, Elliot said he gets into a certain mindset. “I just realize that today is Black Friday and it’s different from a regular day,” he said. “I have to be nice, kind, and work with customers as best as possible.” Black Friday may take an entire day away from working students, but Elliot said he won’t let it take away his lunch hour. “Lunch hour is everything to me. It gives me some leeway to get out of the shop,” he said. “That hour I can spend away from the shop makes me feel like I have a life.” Psychology sophomore Darricca Darling remembers her first Black Friday experience last year at former retail store Steve & Barry’s as being fast-paced. “There were a lot of people coming in and out of the store,” she said. “I probably rung up 1,000 people that day.” Despite the hectic atmosphere, Darling said she wouldn’t mind working another Black Friday. “While some customers were rude, I still enjoyed the fast paced work experience,” she said. “It made the day go by faster and gave me something to do at all times.” She said she saw customers fighting over an item on sale. “There was more than just one dress, but neither of the customers would let go,” she said. Thompson has also seen customers get aggravated over items. “That was pretty weird to me,” she said. “I don’t think that a $5 sweater is really something to get into a fight and then go to jail over.” Shopping advice around the holidaysRetailers bring back layawayEconomics professor William Crowder said layaway is another form of credit that allows consumers to purchase items but the merchandise is not taken home until the entire cost is paid. Best Buy employee Jasmine Hodge said stores like Best Buy allow consumers to use the layaway program if the total cost of the items is more than $250 before tax. There is a non-refundable 5 percent restocking fee. Customers must make a 30 percent down payment the day of the purchase and have eight weeks to pay the remaining balance, Hodge said. Each store has a different policy. More stores are offering layaway because the availability of credit has decreased due to the recession, Crowder said. Customers do not have to apply for a line credit for layaway programs. He said stores are more selective of whom they offer credit to and without a great credit score it is hard to get credit. Do’s and Don’ts to Holiday Shopping Hodge said skip Black Friday unless the sale is unbeatable. On Black Friday most stores feature items they may not have in large quantities. Some store locations may only get two or three of the featured items. Call the store or stop by before Black Friday to see if the long lines are necessary. Public relations senior Gina Garza suggests shopping online as it gets closer to Christmas. Shopping online for gifts is easier with detailed product information. Stores feature free shipping for qualifying orders, which takes the hassle out of leaving home. Check the product reviews because employees are likely to suggest merchandise to benefit the store, Hodge said. Ask others about brands or products and check online for possible manufacturer problems and consumer thoughts. Garza suggest asking about return policy because she learned the hard way that a return policy was shortened around the holidays. Ask about the store policy before purchasing and compare it to others to figure out the best fit. She said don’t shop on Christmas Eve, because most of the popular items are gone. - Micaela Titus Views: 830 | E-mail
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 28 January 2010 01:43 PM ) | ||||
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