Your Holiday Staff: Elves or Grinches?

Recalling the classic holiday tale by Dr. Seuss, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” I believe we can collectively conclude that one Grinch was enough, no multiples needed! When working holiday retail, a bit of the Grinch’s grouchiness can start to seep out of all of us. So how do you keep this cold, calculating, hater‐of‐all‐things‐Christmas from taking the jolly out of your team this holiday season? Read on for some ideas to prevent their hearts from shrinking five times too small.

1. Almost everything we love is good in moderation.
Candy, cookies, snow! If we flood ourselves with special treats, well, they start to lose their specialness. It’s the same thing with Christmas music. It’s exciting when it first starts playing on the radio and in the stores; the thrill of the season is beginning its full swing! However, the glitter begins to wear off that ornament when it’s pumped overhead for eight-plus hours and you’re forced to hear “All I Want for Christmas” nine times during one shift. Why not have an hour each day where holiday music isn’t played? Give your employees (and customers) a much‐needed break from the repetition.

2. Santa isn’t the only one who can make lists.
Create your own “Naughty or Nice” list with customer service-oriented tasks to encourage employees in exceling their level of personal service. Did your sales associate help a customer carry packages to their car? Nice list! Did they offer to wrap the customer’s gifts? Nice list! This could be a daily or weekly contest to promote or maintain quality service during a busy and stressful season.

3. It’s not all about the customers.
Bring in a massage therapist for an hour so each sales associate can receive a 10 minute “trigger point” massage. Have fun with it and name the “triggers” they might be experiencing: impatience trigger, crabby-customer trigger, long line trigger, Christmas music trigger, too-much-fudge-trigger! Help ease their tension and show them while, yes, we value our customers, we value you, too.

4. Stock the fridge.
Holiday hours are long and usually start early. Stock a mini-fridge with soda, water and energy drinks to keep your team hydrated and caffeinated!

5. Create a holiday survival kit.
This doesn’t have to be expensive. Go to a discount store and pick items to create a bag, stocking or box for each sales associate with “holiday survival essentials.” Include a refillable water bottle, travel-size aspirin or Tylenol, mints, Dr. Scholl’s shoe inserts, calming lavender oil and maybe some fun holiday items from the dollar section like temporary tattoos, elf ears, holiday pens, accessories or candy. Don’t forget to include a thank-you note!

6. Break the ice.
Each holiday season brings new holiday help. Assimilate the new faces into the team with a picture board in the backroom. Have everyone bring in a childhood photo of themselves and let them write their favorite Christmas gift, holiday movie, Christmas song or candy underneath the photo. Have the employees then try to guess who is who from the photos.

7. Thanks a-latte.
This one is easy. Show up with lattes (peppermint is optional) for the whole crew!

8. Back to the beach.
Have one day where everyone gets a “beach break” and create a buzz with your customers. Let the employees wear Hawaiian shirts or leis. Play the Beach Boys instead of Christmas music during the day. Customers will surely get a kick out of the novelty during the winter season and your employees will enjoy the respite from the monotony.

Keep in mind that this is the most difficult season to shop or work. Set aside time to serve those who are serving others – keep the Grinch at bay, and go team Whoville!

Faith Bartrug of FBD Studios (Columbus, Ohio) has more than a decade of experience in transforming national brands. Her background includes brand strategy, environmental design and visual merchandising, and she has been able to practice what she preaches with leading design firms and clients such as Neiman Marcus, JCPenney and Mark Pi’s.