Dear Holiday Grocery Shoppers,

I know, I know, I know that you want to throw the best Thanksgiving and it is important you have green bean casserole and what not. I get that this is important to you and you want to get everything on your list. Stop for a second - on a scale of 1 to 10 - how truly important is this. If the store ran out, would the world stop turning if you do not get these items or if you had to try another store to complete your list. The world will likely keep turning, but what do I know I am just a former grocery store employee who received little respect during the holidays.

This is the busiest season for retail workers from grocery stores to clothing stores. It is two months full of under-staffing and overwhelming customer census. Trust me, many of the workers you encounter will want to help you the best they can, but they have very limited powers and abilities.

I am here to share some helpful holiday tips before you embark on your shopping:

For all that is holy, please do not say "it must suck to be this busy", "I can't believe they make you work Christmas Eve", or "you picked a bad job". They are stressed as it is, and in the back of their head they are thinking about the family parties they are missing but they still showed up to work to help you have a better holiday season. They are working to make money to help make their holidays better.

If you have to wait in a long line or the store is super busy, please do not gripe at the cashiers and become angry. They understand the situation and are working at the fastest pace they can to best serve everyone. They are not in control of the amount of people who decided to come to the store that day. If you waited until Christmas Eve to do $300 worth of meal shopping for Christmas, expect the lines will be long - that is your problem for waiting until last minute.

If the store runs out of product, again it is not the fault of the sales associate. They did not decide how many to order, and they were not plotting against you so your little Jimmy can't get a spaceship for Christmas. Stay calm, and ask if there are other options like ordering it online. Many stores will ship it for free to your house.

If you misread a sign for the price of the item, that does not mean you automatically get that item for the price you thought it was. The cashier most likely does not know what the price sign by the bread aisle said, but they do know that the can of pumpkin puree is a dollar and that is a good price. Do not fight over the nickel difference, if it is that big of a deal they will get you the manager.

Do not dent cans, tear boxes, or destroy products on purpose then attempt to haggle a price. The 18-year old cashiers do not have the power to give discounts like that, it is normally done through the managers. Also, that can of green beans will still taste the same with the dent in the can. You ask yourself why things cost so much, well it is because of people like you.

TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. You would not like if someone came to your work and yelled at you for something you could not control, or told you that you were bad at your job after they have met you for 30 seconds and caught you on your busiest day. Please understand, retail workers are important and they are human just like you. They deserve as much respect as anyone else.

Take it from me, my hardest days were the holidays. I would have thought people would be nicer, but they were not. We live in a world filled with a lot of negativity, so take this time and be on your best behavior. Be nice to everyone you encounter and practice patience and kindness.

Love,

A Former Retail Worker (Kroger Cashier)