Black Friday Debriefing Thread 2011

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

While I don't work retail and I live in Canada where we don't have Black Friday (yet). For those of you who are working, I wish you all the best, no SC's, lots of cookies and (For after work, of course!)

Best of luck!

ExArtShopSlave.

In Canada we have Boxing Day, essentially the same thing but not until AFTER Christmas.

I have a VERY busy day tomorrow because I have to work my main job in the morning from 4 am to 10 or 11ish (we leave when the work is done so end time fluctuates), THEN I have to go work at the Games Store from 1 to close.

This will be my FOURTH Black Friday at the games store and I do expect some craziness.

I didn't realize it until yesterday but unfortunately my company has decided on opening at Midnight this year (it has been 4 am the past two years I think). Thankfully due to my other job I don't have to put up with any of that, but it will still be a long afternoon and I'll have to put the store back together when it's all finished.

I'll be back in this thread with stories.

[SourRobot]

5am-3pm. Even though I've done this a few years in a row, I really don't know what to expect. I think that at this time I'll be more pissed off by the managers not leaving me alone than I will be from the customers being...customers. I don't even know what time I should get up in the morning, or what time I should get on the road. I really wish I could have gotten the midnight shift. I just want to get this day over with.

[Spork4pedro]

this will be the first year in a while that I've worked somewhere that is affected by Black Friday so I will be "celebrating" my return with a bang: 6am-3p at one job then 3p-7p at the second (the two places are right next to each other) I foresee lots of caffeine tomorrow!

[AccountingDrone]

I am unemployed scum, and hubby has the entire week off for the first time in the 20+ years we have been together!

We both have ended up with some form of plague, his started saturday during the drive to western NY, mine started tuesday - my throat feels absolutely raw so we are driving back to CT tomorrow instead of waiting until Sunday so we can both pick up Dr's appointments saturday morning.

We promise not to do any normal Black Friday shopping tomorrow as part of our personal refusal to buy into that stupid excuse for opening at the ass-crack of dawn for entitlement whores. We already have a full tank of diesel, and we are packing our usual leftover turkey sandwiches for travel food and will be making for home as fast as legally possible!

[Sapphire Silk]

While I don't work retail and I live in Canada where we don't have Black Friday (yet). For those of you who are working, I wish you all the best, no SC's, lots of cookies and (For after work, of course!)

Canadians are smart; they schedule their Thanksgiving a month earlier than we do.

I'm off today and tomorrow, so no hospice suckitude expected that's holiday related.

I'm mulling over stopping into a store and seeing what kind of deal I can get on a new TV. I hate crowds though, so I'm not sure if I'll have the guts to go through with it .

[Android Kaeli]

I just got out of my first ever Thanksgiving shift [not the Black Friday kind, been working that since forever] -- it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Parking wasn't too bad, got in early and parked with the ASM, and in general people weren't too bad. There were a couple, but not too bad.

Will see how tomorrow is.

[PentUpRage]

My 17 year old is facing his first day on the job, first ever working retail and they start him at midnight tonight until 4am. I know, only 4 hours, mostly I dread going in to get him at that hour more than anything.

I have never supported black Friday, never even gotten in the car on that day so I have NO idea what to expect. I have opted to drive him because our state just enacted some new driving laws for minors and while technically he's safe because he's driving from work, it's 4am and I'm not going to push it.

Poor kid, he's going to be a greeter on his first day. At least it's a store in the mall so hopefully the crush won't be too bad. I told him to locate a hidey hole in the event he had to get out of the way.

[sweetj82]

I work 9am to pm tomorrow. I goy so many black friday calls today that I wanted to unplug the phone.

[SunshyneWalker4167]

Ugh i have to go in at 10:30 tonight until 4 in the afternoon tomorrow. Pulling a double on Black Friday is going to suck...horribly lol wish me luck!!

[ExArtShopSlave]

In Canada we have Boxing Day, essentially the same thing but not until AFTER Christmas.

Yes. That is true. Boxing Day. The only time I ever had to work that day in retail was when I was working at Costco. Even then, it wasn't crazy because they didn't really have any Boxing Day Blowout Sales.

I think in near future, maybe, we might be jumping on the Black Friday bandwagon. I've actually seen some commercials for a couple places such as Future Shop and Leons advertising "Black Friday Sales." So, who knows?

ExArtShopSlave

[Kheldarson]

Kabe just texted me. He's going in to work for Black Friday (his store decided to start the sales at 10 pm...) and parking for the store is already backed up to the next store down entirely. This is the regional store for this area so it's rather large...

[ralerin]

Thankfully, I get the weekend off - My first full weekend since I went on vacation in JUNE

Pffft. My last full weekend off was over a month ago, after having worked over a year without a weekend off...I don't even get Saturdays off unless I ask a couple weeks in advance.

To the poster whose son is doing Black Friday as his first job, give him hugs. And lots of his favorite food. And chocolate.

[PentUpRage]

To the poster whose son is doing Black Friday as his first job, give him hugs. And lots of his favorite food. And chocolate.

Will do! Not his first job, prior was at a grocery store and a restaurant and he's getting a bit nervous for tonight. We're going to head in to town in about an hour. I'm in my jammies and I will not be exiting the vehicle. Those people scare me.

[Sarlon]

I too work in a call center....and while my shift starts at 8am I garuntee we'll have angry people going "WHY WASN'T MY MONEY ON MY CARD!!!!!!!!!11111!!!!ELEVENTY!!!!!"

[smalltownclerk]

I'm working in the gas station c-store tomorrow 4-10PM. I get all the people whose credit cards are maxed out or debit cards that hit their daily limit.