Show some appreciation!

Holiday shopping is in full effect. And with the holidays come rude, stressed out consumers. This is probably my 6th year of working retail at this time of year; and it always seems that no matter how many extra employees are brought on for the season there are never enough of us. This is frustrating for us and for the customers; frustration which gets passed back and forth in a vicious circle. Customers seem to think that we are purposely not helping them, taking our time, ignoring them, etc., but really WE ARE DOING THE BEST WE CAN! If I climb up a ladder to fetch a 60lb thing-a-majig, hoist it over my shoulder, and practically break a limb to put it in your cart, the least you can do is say "thank you". When every register is armed with a cashier being asked for gift receipts, rebate forms, coupon adjustments, and lord knows what else, don't freak out that you must wait on line for several minutes. I repeat: WE ARE DOING THE BEST WE CAN! I'm not trying to do you an injustice. Chances are I'm twice as annoyed with the ratio of employees to customers as you. If I had my way there would be an employee for every inch of retail space. Calm down, try to be patient and understanding, and remember it's Christmas.