Black Friday Etiquette: Staying Civilized in a Money-Saving Madhouse

Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving and one of the craziest shopping days of the year - has grown from a novel event when stores open early to a riotous cacophony of deals, savings, specials, and bad manners. Limited quantities, short-term offers, and other incentives encourage frantic behavior for fear that the deal will be over before shoppers reach the register.

Ironically, however, Black Friday is also the first day of the Christmas season - a season dedicated to peace, kindness, and generosity. The frantic tramplings to get the best deal and the mayhem that results when prized products are scarce are diametrically opposed to the holiday spirit of love and charity, but with a few careful steps toward gracious etiquette, eager shoppers can secure their deals without losing hold of common courtesy.

Unlike other shopping trips, finding the best deals on Black Friday will entail a certain amount of aggressive behavior. To minimize this while maximizing savings...

Plan Ahead - By knowing where you want to shop and precisely what items you are interested in, you do not waste time wandering crowded aisles or pestering other patrons with questions. Furthermore, you will not need to stop in the middle of aisles - blocking better prepared customers - to consult sales flyers or store maps.

Skip the Cell Phone - Hundreds of people crowded into stores coupled with the click and clack of cash registers can create a tremendous amount of noise, making cell phones virtually impossible to hear without shouting and therefore adding even more noise to the roar. Because many shoppers will spend the morning hours of Black Friday rubbing elbow to elbow with strangers, loud cell phone conversations will be disruptive and rude.

Listen Carefully - While waiting outside popular stores for the inevitable opening rush, it pays to listen carefully to employees' announcements and the questions of fellow shoppers. This way, you can avoid asking redundant questions that waste employees' time and frustrate other shoppers with unique inquiries.

Help Others - If you see another shopper in the crowd struggling to reach a product you can easily grasp, help them out and hand it to them. This act of kindness will cost you only seconds and will be a pleasant infusion of holiday spirit into the shopping frenzy.

Say Please and Thank You - These simple words of courtesy are often forgotten in the rush of Black Friday deals. Be sure to thank cashiers - many of whom are giving up family time in order to fulfill extra-long duty shifts - as well as other customers who may offer you a helping hand. If you need assistance reaching a product or finding a particular item, preface your request with a sincere please.

Postpone Personal Space - Hundreds of shoppers may crowd into popular toy, electronic, and discount stores in a matter of minutes when the doors first open just hours after the turkey dinner. While you should try to respect others' personal space and avoid pushing and bumping whenever necessary, the most important thing to avoid is frustration, irritation, and outbursts of anger whenever your personal space may be jeopardized.

Lose Deals Not Tempers - Inevitably, some shoppers will be distraught to see someone just a few feet ahead of them in line snag the last package of some crucial gift or limited deal. Many merchants emphasize that Black Friday promotions are for limited quantities only, and rain checks may not be available. If any particular item is essential to your holiday happiness, make finding it a priority in the wee hours of the morning but refrain from temper tantrums if you're just a bit too late. There will be many other shopping opportunities over the next month and you may well find an even better bargain.

Stay Patient - Long checkout lines and stores that look like shoppers' refugee camps can try the patience of Santa Claus, but remember that the extra dollars you are saving are well worth the time spent in line. Watch carefully for shorter register lines, and have the appropriate payment immediately available to speed up the line for you and everyone behind you.

Common courtesy does not need to disappear faster than cold turkey on Black Friday. By remembering the spirit of the season, holiday shoppers can get a jump on Christmas bargains even as they begin to spread goodwill to their fellow shoppers.