Tweet
Since the Christmas season has started, we have had a few complaints about how our store isn't going "all out" for Christmas (decorating, playing non-stop Christmas music at top volume, etc.)
This is the 4th Christmas our particular store has been open. The first year we did do a lot of decorating throughout the store, including a really neat tree with the lighted animated deer and packages and all the registers decorated. That year corporate decreed that the decorations had to be down a week before Christmas so that when we closed on Christmas Eve it wouldn't take time to take them down. Customers were angry then (as were most of the employees...as many as were working Christmas Eve it would have taken no time to take down things as soon as we closed the doors) and some customers told us that if we didn't "honor Christmas" by leaving the decor up until Christmas that they would shop elsewhere. I can see that...corporate wants them to shop there for all their Christmas stuff but won't leave the decorations up to help with the holiday spirit?
The 2nd year we got to do some decorating, but only small stuff and mainly only around customer service. Last year all we had was the "official" Happy Holidays banner hanging at the Service Desk, and this year nothing...if you are outside our seasonal area you wouldn't know it was the holidays.
I had one customer come up to the Service Desk and ask if we were going to be playing Christmas music. I told him we were..they just didn't have the volume too loud and right now we are playing a mix of Christmas and non-Christmas music and as we get closer to the holiday the mix will feature more holiday tunes. He said, "Well tell them to play more and PLAY IT LOUD!!" The smartass in me felt like saying, "I could walk behind you and sing Christmas carols while you shop." but I held my tongue.
Last night a guy came up to the Service Desk and asked if we would be decorating for Christmas. The other girl at the desk asked me since she is new, and I told her (and him) that the first year we had decorated quite a bit, but it had gotten less and less since then and that Corporate had told us that we couldn't decorate. He said, "Well, tell CORPORATE that I am boycotting Meijer because they won't decorate!" and went stomping off.
I can see their point...it wasn't even like we had to buy more stuff to decorate with...we had stored it all after the first year. I think if they want people to buy stuff for Christmas that they should make more of an effort to set the holiday mood with decoration and music, esp this close to the holidays. To look at our store, you wouldn't even know that Christmas was just a few weeks away, except the fertilizer and seeds in the garden center have been replaced with Christmas trees and wrapping paper.
This is the 4th Christmas our particular store has been open. The first year we did do a lot of decorating throughout the store, including a really neat tree with the lighted animated deer and packages and all the registers decorated. That year corporate decreed that the decorations had to be down a week before Christmas so that when we closed on Christmas Eve it wouldn't take time to take them down. Customers were angry then (as were most of the employees...as many as were working Christmas Eve it would have taken no time to take down things as soon as we closed the doors) and some customers told us that if we didn't "honor Christmas" by leaving the decor up until Christmas that they would shop elsewhere. I can see that...corporate wants them to shop there for all their Christmas stuff but won't leave the decorations up to help with the holiday spirit?
The 2nd year we got to do some decorating, but only small stuff and mainly only around customer service. Last year all we had was the "official" Happy Holidays banner hanging at the Service Desk, and this year nothing...if you are outside our seasonal area you wouldn't know it was the holidays.
I had one customer come up to the Service Desk and ask if we were going to be playing Christmas music. I told him we were..they just didn't have the volume too loud and right now we are playing a mix of Christmas and non-Christmas music and as we get closer to the holiday the mix will feature more holiday tunes. He said, "Well tell them to play more and PLAY IT LOUD!!" The smartass in me felt like saying, "I could walk behind you and sing Christmas carols while you shop." but I held my tongue.
Last night a guy came up to the Service Desk and asked if we would be decorating for Christmas. The other girl at the desk asked me since she is new, and I told her (and him) that the first year we had decorated quite a bit, but it had gotten less and less since then and that Corporate had told us that we couldn't decorate. He said, "Well, tell CORPORATE that I am boycotting Meijer because they won't decorate!" and went stomping off.
I can see their point...it wasn't even like we had to buy more stuff to decorate with...we had stored it all after the first year. I think if they want people to buy stuff for Christmas that they should make more of an effort to set the holiday mood with decoration and music, esp this close to the holidays. To look at our store, you wouldn't even know that Christmas was just a few weeks away, except the fertilizer and seeds in the garden center have been replaced with Christmas trees and wrapping paper.
Silver Surfer gets a few lights wrapped around his surfboard & he wears a Santa Hat. (During Halloween, Silver Surfer gets dressed as Freddy Kreuger).
Comment