Happy Friday: Remembering the Cashiers

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Sent from reader, Kristen:

Hi Collin! Like others, your website and hard work has changed my life! I look forward to your posts and great deals every day! I wanted to share something that I started last year and will do again this year. While I don’t go shopping on Black Friday, I can’t pass up the drugstore deals that start on Thanksgiving every year. Stores being open on Thanksgiving is always a hot topic. Since I am a Thanksgiving shopper at a few stores, I wanted to show my appreciation to the employees that have to sacrifice their time in order to serve the customers like myself. I made these little bags to show my appreciation to the cashiers. It includes a thank you note, a small bath and body works lotion, some candy, and hot chocolate. It’s small, but I think it has more meaning than throwing them a tip.


HAPPY FRIDAY!

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Comments 66

  1. Sara

    I love this! Such a sweet idea!

  2. Susan

    So very kind of you!

  3. Tara in TX

    Kindness and generosity shows the true spirit of this season! So thoughtful Kristen!

  4. Amy

    Aw. That is so sweet.

  5. FelissaEly

    What a wonderful idea, I absolutely love the ladies who work at Rite Aid, they’re both the store manager/assistant manager etc but are always extremely helpful, funny and awesome especially with me coming in early Thanksgiving morning(bows head) lol. I’ll have to do something like this for them around Christmas, I appreciate you sharing your story!

  6. Sara gedeon

    Aww that’s awesome if I was the cashier that would totally make my day. Wish there were alot more ppl out there like that. Kindness goes a very very very long way….;) and it’s an awesome and cute idea.

  7. Tami

    Wonderful! I used to be a cashier & the kindness of 1 customer could erase the memories of the unkind ones!!

  8. data

    as a retail employee (who worked thanksgiving) i had to stop in and say how honestly thoughtful that is. it’s really easy to feel like people forget about us and just the idea that someone acknowledges our work means the world. you have such a big heart!

    • tia

      Very well said…you couldn’t have explained it better for all of us holiday cashiers

  9. Meredith

    Sweetness 💗💖☺️

  10. Stacy

    Thats really nice, but please call and check with your store manager beforehand. Most retail places I have worked didn’t allow either gifts or tips. Accepting either meant you could be fired, something not all seasonal employees know. My management always had us put tips in the charity collection by the registers if the customer was insistent. However, most places did allow food gifts that all employees could share.

  11. Tobey

    I do feel bad for the cashiers because I remember a time when nothing was open on holidays.

  12. Mel

    Such a sweet idea 💗

  13. Rach

    So nice, I wish patients families thought of that for all the hospital workers who sacrifice their family life for the sake of others… Just like cops and firefighters do every single day… Holidays are no exception.

    • Laura

      Exactly!

    • Erin

      I was hospitalized over Thanksgiving a few years ago, and I thanked all the people who took care of me. Some were really angry that they had to work and viewed me as an annoyance when I needed help, but others really appreciated my expressions of gratitude. You just have to give without expecting anything; just plant a seed!

      • AnnieD

        That’s terribly sad, Erin. I’m a nurse, and I went into this career knowing that I would be working holidays, weekends, and night shifts. Actually, some of my favorite shifts have been on holidays when we all pulled together to try to make the day special for our patients who had no choice but to be away from home on the holiday.

    • Lolita

      I agree that it would be nice, but I think it would be unfair to expect little gifts like these from these families. Lots of times these families are going through rough times emotionally and financially and do not need the extra stress of trying to come up with goody bags or something nice to give the hospital workers. I think being grateful and kind, as Erin mentioned, should be enough.

      • tipaye

        Agreed, Lolita. 🙂

    • Erin

      It seems to me that this extends to many–maybe all–professions. Maybe just a little more courtesy and appreciation to everyone is in order?

      • me

        i think is nice to do this but now all cashiers will be expecting us to do this.. i think they are getting paid for working on this day, if they need more time to spend with family i should look for a diffrent kind of job. why do we feel that we need to tip everybody now days??? if i tip someone that will be a person who is volunteering!. i think is just a bad habit

  14. Theresa

    I love this idea! I did 90% of my black friday shopping online. So I think I am going to make up little bags for my Fedex and UPS delivery guys 🙂

    • Tobey

      I do this every year. I have friends that drive for ups and I will tell, they appreciate it very much.😀

    • Carrie

      Such a great idea! I did about 95% of mine online, and see UPS and FedEx guys very often. What suggestions do you have for a bag of goodies?

    • BW

      Don’t forget your regular mailmen/women. My dad is a mail carrier and during Christmas season, he gets home from work at about 8-9pm. Not only that, but at the end of their work day Fedex and UPS drop off many their packages at the post office for the regular mail carrier to deliver.

  15. Melanie

    Very considerate! Great idea!

  16. Heidi

    Colin, just have to say I love your Black Friday pic at the top of your site! So cute and creative

  17. Dawn

    Kristin, you are a very sweet and thoughtful person. I’m sure your kindness was very much appreciated. Happy Holidays to you and your family and Thank you Collin for providing the platform to share kindness to all. 😃

  18. beth

    i love this idea, but i also am not sure if they are allowed to accept small gifts or even coupons. Anyone know? I feel like i tried to share coupons before with cashiers and i have heard they cant always accept them. I dont want to get them in trouble. lovely gesture though!!

    • Stacy

      In every corporate retail job I have had, we would fet fired for accepting gifts. Call and ask management ahead of time! And just be a big ball of sunshine, even if the salesperson is curt or slow. Thats the best part.

    • Kat

      I have worked retail sales and management at several stores years before I went back to school, and we were usually just not allowed to take money. I have had customers give me small gifts like this, take me out to lunch on my birthday, etc., and it was allowed. When I worked for Kays people used to try to tip me all the time, and I would tell them I appreciated it but was going to put it towards our St. Jude donations. They were always okay with that.

    • Lolita

      That was my concern as well. I got to know one cashier that was a single mom/pregnant, and I wanted to give her a gift card with money for her baby. I asked the manager how I could do it, and was told I could not, and that if I did try to do it and she accepted, she could get fired.

      • tipaye

        Lolita, I would have caught-up with her outside after her shift. 😉

        • Kim

          Unfortunately if you caught her outside and someone reported it, you most likely would have cost her a job she needed. The grocery store where I work would have fired her on the spot, no exception. Customers will buy us drinks or snacks but any gift that’s considered monetary is firing offense.

  19. Happymama

    Love this!

  20. Stephanie Gibaldi

    Cash is always best when it comes to tipping! If someone is a server, cashier…then a few dollars would be more beneficial than some lotion or soap. Just my opinion 😄

    • STfU

      One in every crowd ….ugh

    • tipaye

      Stephanie, servers work for tips as part of their profession–they generally receive only a couple dollars hourly as wages (which usually go to pay taxes). Cashiers make at least minimum wage, sometimes more. Shoppers may not have a “few dollars” to make multiple gift bags for cashiers, it’s very nice to do anything at all besides show kindness.

      • Karen

        By law waitstaff receive at least minimum wage as well. If their tips don’t cover it then the restaurant is required to make up the difference themselves, none of those employees go home making $2/hr even if they received $0 tips.

        • Carol

          Oh wow thats crazy, i live in California. And here we get paid minimun 9 hour plus tips. Ive seen servers make about an average of 25 an hour with both wage and tip. But i feel for other servers at other states.

  21. Patty

    Last year a CVS store manager and I had a conversation. He said it is totally against policy to accept anything from customers, and said it is grounds for termination and to never offer them anything. Even though I used to give them stuff, I will never again. Someone losing their job because of me would suck!

    • Michelle

      That is weird that a CVS manager told you that because i took treat bags in to CVS yesterday and all the managers were fine with that… We r a small town so maybe that us why they allow it…

    • me

      iim glad corporates have this policy, otherwise people will be always expecting us costumers to give them tips or we will get dirty faces!!!

  22. Maori

    That is very sweet, but we could help out those poor cashiers even more by just not showing up on Thanksgiving. If no one shopped on Thanksgiving the managers would close the store and celebrate with their families instead! It’s so sad what we’ve done to this wonderful holiday. The holiday of gratefulness has become a day for “getting.”

    • aq

      I always volunteer to work every holiday 😃 A lot of us do.

      • tia in boise

        This has bothered me a lot this year: people complaining about others having to work on holidays. There are some people who like to work on holidays because they need the money. Also, not everyone has family to be with on holidays, so working keeps them from being lonely. Just thought I’d throw that out there.

        • Nikki

          You said exactly what I was thinking —- while not everyone wants to work on a holiday, there are some people who WANT to make the extra money that comes along with that. I think there is going to be good AND bad that comes along with anything, so a simple gesture just as a thank you can help to make some of that bad a little bit easier to deal with. I think this is a great idea, as long as allowed by management.

          • Sarah

            Believe me, many, many more would rather be home. 🙁

          • Carol

            Agreed. We complain about alot but yet are not thankful that we have a job to go to and that we are getting paid extra. Thanksgiving isnt only about getting to sit down and eat but be thankful for the opportunity that you live in a country were you are able to work and provide for a family you can see everday.
            As a college student i worked my share of holidays and wasnt getting paid time and half but i showed up with a smile because i was working and could afford to give my parents a Christmas gift.

        • Em

          I worked at Best Buy the first year they were open on Thanksgiving. I requested not to work Thanksgiving, but was still scheduled and missed my family’s Thanksgiving dinner.

          Also, Best Buy schedules the shifts so you get minimal overtime. They had us work 4 hour shifts on Thanksgiving day and then come back Black Friday for a shift that wouldn’t require overtime. So basically, the store saved a ton on OT pay!

          It sucks to work retail and even more so on a holiday!

      • Victoria

        Yes some people do volunteer to work and some people would prefer to work. However, a large majority of high schoolers and college students HAVE to work, as retail and the food industry usually require employees to be available for these holidays (and that is the jobs that typically are only feasible for them). I’m sorry, but missing a day of work is not going to make or break anyone. Spending time with family on the other hand, for many may just be that case–as many times holidays are the few occasions family members get to see each other, i.e. college students. Money comes and goes, but time is limited.

  23. Jenny S.

    This is so sweet! 🎁

  24. Jacki

    You truly make the world a better place by being it.

  25. Jess

    How kind! What a thoughtful idea.

  26. Tammy

    Great way to pay it forward Kristen! That is very thoughtful of you.

  27. Tobey

    Hip2save makes it easy to be very generous and giving during the holidays! It makes a difference and it does pay forward.

  28. Sarah

    Amen to that Maori!! I totally agree

  29. Stephanie

    At my work we are forced to work 3 out of the 5 holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day). If I have to be there, tips are greatly appreciated (we have a tip jar, so it’s 100% legit). Please remember to be kind, I miss almost every holiday not being able to be with my family.

  30. Maddy

    Omg I love it! I’m sure some are not allowed but I bet most managers don’t care or there is no policy. Retail is the worst! What a great idea! If there is a policy maybe you can call the manager and let them know how much you love the cashier and she/he will get recognition.

  31. Angela

    I am a manager that worked Thanksgiving. We absolutely are not allowed to accept cash tips at work, but we can accept gifts under $15 of items or food. On Thanksgiving a regular customer bought me a bottle of wine. It really made my night. Just ask the manager that way you don’t cause problems as every store has different rules. I will say I was happy to work as I work for Aafes and wanted the single soldiers stuck on base to be able to get snacks or beer. Anything to make their day a little better far from home.

  32. Jackie

    Very thoughtful!

  33. JA

    I offered my favorite Walgreens cashier a small gift and she said she wasn’t allowed to take it. And as far as working holidays, when you are employed by anyone, anywhere, you are at the mercy of your employer. You will have to work on holidays, birthdays, anniversaries. It’s not personal, you just can’t have off every day that you want. I’ve worked retail and if you have the right attitude, it shouldn’t matter what day the calendar says.

  34. Hayden Pecor

    Yeah, as some have said, be very careful how you give this. When I was in college I worked retail and we were told we’d be fired for any sort of gift, tip, etc that we received while on the clock.

  35. Jennifer

    It’s going to get to the point that no one does random acts of kindness for fear of all these things mentioned. Kinda sad😔.. I think this was a beautiful gesture and something like this needs to be completely thought out before doing it. Which I am sure this person did.

  36. Sumbenge

    I had to work on thanksgiving -in a hospital- and was not paid extra. Comes w the profession.
    Very thoughtful gesture you did! Keep it up!!!!

  37. kay

    Very sweet however my retail job will not let us accept gifts or tips. Sweett thought though

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