The Codec — Edition 2
Welcome to edition two of “The Codec”.
Edition 2: That Elusive Holiday Spirit
By: Tony Nilles
Happy holidays, and welcome to this, edition two, of “The Codec”. I say happy holidays because as we have all become painfully aware of, there are multiple holidays going on this time of year – being celebrated by many different denominations and cultures. What really bothers me in all this, however, is that we have to resort to a generic phrase such as “Happy Holidays” rather than a specific “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah” (if you’re offended that I didn’t just mention “your” holiday, keep reading… you’re part of the problem). It seems to me that if one were to wish someone else a merry whatever-it-is-the-greeter-celebrates would be infinitely more meaningful as opposed to a generic “Happy Holidays”. Why, you ask? Well, if “my” holiday were Christmas, and I were to wish someone a merry Christmas, I would be conveying to them a greeting that holds behind it the weight of my entire system of religious, or cultural, beliefs – it’s something meaningful to me, therefore when I wish someone a merry Christmas, it is wishing them merry something that I hold sacred. The problem, of course, is that it might not be a holiday which the other person celebrates, and due to our hypersensitive state of political correctness, people actually become offended by the greeting. I know, it seems absurd when you read it in print doesn’t it? PEOPLE ARE OFFENDED BY A GREETING! Insane, ludicrous, preposterous – for some reason people are more wrapped up in their own sphere of self-righteous indignation, that they completely overlook that another human being is offering them a kind sentiment in the spirit of the season.
This isn’t where it all stops, however. As a foot soldier on the front lines of retail for the past seven Christmases, I can personally tell you that many clerks won’t even hear the generic “Happy Holidays” from most people – instead they will be yelled at and berated because some last minute-shopper wants to save a buck-fifty on their purchase. I understand that people get upset when they feel that service has been less than adequate at a place of business – *I* get upset when I feel that service has been less than adequate at a place of business – but to take it out on a clerk (who in most cases is genuinely trying to please you) is completely uncalled for. This time of year I regularly get yelled at for things that are completely out of control, the actions of other customers, or simple mistakes I make while trying to service people as quickly as possible. Many consumers tend to overlook the fact that what they are dealing with is a human being, someone who is trying to make an honest living – and in nearly all cases, someone who really does want to help them. Is it frustrating when something is out of stock, or rings up at the wrong price? Of course it is – but does that really give you an excuse to start screaming at the person in front of you just because they have a company logo on their shirt? I know that some people are saying “yes” to that question in their head; they would argue with me that the person standing in front of them is a representative of the company and should be made aware of their (the customer’s) displeasure. Now that’s a fine argument, but my response would be that you can make them aware, in a kind and courteous way – not by yelling at them, making a scene, or storming out of the store exclaiming you will “never shop there again” (at least not until the next big deal, right?) The clerks you talk to are people. When you yell at them, they carry that with them the rest of the day even if they don’t want to. They think about it at work, they think about it at home; sure after a couple hours it slips out of mind and they go on as if nothing happened – but next time, ask yourself if you can really be happy giving that gift to your loved one knowing that you had to ruin someone’s day, and make them feel miserable, just so you could save a couple bucks.
So to you, our listeners, I wish you a merry Christmas. Here’s to a year gone by, and another year to come; to friends, to family, to presents and cheer. May we all be happy, warm and well fed – so that we may raise happy, well adjusted, children who don’t yell at shop clerks, and freely give their holiday greetings to his or her “fellow passengers to the grave”.
Merry Christmas.
