Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from the Retail Doc blog.
USA Today reported Sarah Palin wrote in her new book that each time retail workers greets a shopper with "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings," the customer should confront the greeter and ask them why they did not use the traditional greeting of "Merry Christmas" instead.
Can you imagine an aggressive response to someone's pleasant holiday greeting in your retail store? I can't.
Now before you go all Focus on the Family on me or think that I'm some atheist out to decry your values, you should know I'm a PK — a preacher's kid. In fact, I come from a long line of preachers.
I sat through my own dad's sermons, sang in the choirs, and learned all the verses to most every Christmas carol in the hymnal. I love the Christmas holiday.
If you are a devout Christian, I understand. To you there is no other greeting more necessary than, "Merry Christmas" — Christ is your reason for the season. And if you are someone around my age, you've probably grown up always saying, "Merry Christmas." Why would you change now to be politically correct?
In fact, seventy-five percent of all Americans call themselves Christians. The problem is that it is not inclusive for 25 percent of them.
You want to cater to every customer; those who will buy their presents with cash and those who pay credit; those who can afford the best and those who cannot; those who celebrate Christmas and those who do not.
It's important to train your retail employees to greet everyone with "Happy Holidays." It's not that you never can say, "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Chanukah" or "Happy Kwanza," just wait until the customer has offered you a clue to what they celebrate.
You want to build as wide an audience as possible wherever you hold shop.
So regardless of Sarah Palin, I say, "Happy Holidays" is still the best greeting for your retail store employees to welcome all customers into your store. Of course, if you choose to do other, that's your personal choice.