If there’s anything we’ve learned since the rise of taking videos on our phones and posting them to the internet, it’s that the only thing more stressful than shopping on Black Friday, is working on Black Friday. It’s a day like no other where you’d like to scream, but you have to smile, and where you’d like to run, you have to stay.
In fact, if you look up the entomology of the term “grin and bear it,” we wouldn’t be surprised if you could trace it all the way back to 1932: the year of the very first Black Friday.
Year after year we volunteer to work the hardest shifts in the promise that we’ll get paid overtime. And year after year, we wonder, “is it really worth it?”
And even though the extra money or the extra sales you’re going to make during the biggest shopping holiday of the year are enough of a reason to keep chugging forward, you don’t have to have a terrible time.
Whether it’s a new phone or a new purse, make sure you’re aware of the most sought after items and deals. This may take some trial and error, but will certainly help you make the day run more smoothly. After all, you are the middle-man between the focused, determined shoppers and their deals. The day will be a lot better for everyone if they’re all on the same page.
The only thing worse than floods of eager shoppers trampling your store, are floods of angry and disappointed shoppers flooding your store because you’re sold-out of what they were looking for. When this happens (because it surely will), make sure you have an open line of communication with your customers to help from making the situation worse. Post it throughout your social media pages, put up a big “SOLD OUT” sign or even announce it over the loud speaker – just make sure to keep them in the loop.
If you work at, or own, a small boutique, limiting the number of people allowed in your store at once is a must. Sure, some customers won’t really like the prospect of having to wait outside of the store for the early birds to catch the best worms, but we’re sure that they’ll like it a-whole-lot better than being smooshed in between people with no space to move.
If you’re a business owner or someone who has some say about how you can set up shop, act on it! You don’t want everyone to be piling into one corner because everything on their holiday shopping list is over there, while the rest of the store is virtually empty. Take advantage of the space if you’ve got it, but remember to not make things so different that customers don’t recognize the store anymore.
And finally, probably the most important tip about Black Friday is that you have no control over other people’s actions, but you do have control over how you choose to react to them. Maybe you can’t get over your dislike for big crowds or your disdain for rude customers, but take the day in stride and be happy that this isn’t your everyday. Every negative has a positive and every cloud has a silver lining. It’s up to you to find it.
Although Black Friday can be stressful, it’s not the only adjective you have to describe it by. This year, strive for organized, sensible, and maybe even kind of fun.
– Your Friends at PriceReel
black friday, merchant resourceful, store owner resources
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