The sad thing about our consumer economy is that there are many people are on the front line dealing with people have overblown expectations of the season. Many of these people are in retail, grocery stores and any other service industry they are very stressed out. They know that their window to shop and try to enjoy the holidays with their own family is very limited. I speak from experience.

A tip I would like to add is to do something meaningful for a harried clerk. It is not much. Be present with that person. Stay off your phone, remove your sunglasses if you are wearing them. Acknowledge the person who is helping you. Notice their outfit or hair. Eyeglasses. People have pride over the eyeglasses they choose to wear. Give a genuine compliment. Say thank you. This slows down time for a brief moment. For both of you.