Working in retail during the holiday season is anything but jolly. I’d even go as far as to say that this retail season is the antithesis of what the holidays stand for. Pour some gift shopping stress into a bowl; add a dash of impatience and a whole lot of attitude and you get the typical holiday shopper. Forget the physical exhaustion of being on your feet all day, the mental fatigue of dealing with disrespectful customers is absolutely debilitating.

But amidst the mayhem, I am seldom seen without a smile on my face. I treat every customer as though they were the first of the day and hope they pay that kindness forward. That’s why, when a customer acknowledges this, I feel especially thankful for them.

Thank you to the customers who remind me why I keep my kindhearted spirit, even among the irritability that is overwhelmingly potent during this time in retail. When customers thank me for being friendly and upbeat, the stench of the hatred dissipates. I have been hit with every rude remark in the book because apparently, people see my nametag and automatically assume I am some sort of inhuman machine that is not allotted any wiggle room for mistakes. My advice to those customers is to imagine your own child behind that cash register; how would you want them to be treated? Would you be proud of your behavior? Doubtful.

To the customers who recognize my hard work and undying smile, thank you for sharing a piece of your holiday spirit with me, and allowing mine to continue to blossom. A flower cannot grow without the sun, and my smile cannot remain without the reciprocity of your altruism. Think about how ugly this world would be if retail associates treated customers with the same disrespect that they are treated with. While I am sure there are plenty of employees who need an attitude check, there are certainly a large handful that never stoop to the level of brutishness they receive from customers. If we all behaved so uncivilly, the holiday season would absolutely collapse.

So, the next time you are shopping for gifts and feel the urge to unleash your anger, stress, or frustration on a retail associate, think twice about how you would feel if you were in their shoes. Practice what you preach to your kids, and try your best to keep your place on “The Nice List.”