…you might consider being extra nice to them this time of the year.

As the holiday shopping season gets into full swing, malls and stores become more and more crowded which ramps up the stress levels of shoppers. Some of these uptight shoppers vent their stress at retail clerks by being rude, mean and nasty toward them. This, in turn, makes their job incredibly difficult and thankless during what should be a happy of the year. If you want to make a big difference in these clerks’ lives, you might consider being extra nice to them this time of the year. As they’re ringing up your merchandise, smile and say something to them that brightens their day.

I read where one person carried small packets of M&M’s in his pocket to give to clerks as he went through the check-out process. He would simply put it in their hand and say, “I hope your day is going well.” One subscriber send me an email regarding what he did to relieve the tension in a long check-out line: “A couple years ago, I was second in a check-out line in a grocery store. The lady in front of me had (I’m guessing) a hundred coupons which the cashier had to ring up one by one. She looked at the pile of coupons and the long line of waiting customers.

I happened to have a harmonica in my pocket, so I took it out and played a tune to the delight of the cashier and customers. This broke the tension and put smiles on everyone’s faces.” The lesson here is that the holiday season is not about tension; it’s about spreading good will. So, let’s all make sure we take the time to spread some.