Retailers have been trying to gear up for the holiday gift return season.

But returning items could be a bit frustrating for consumers. There are almost 200,000 fewer workers in retail stores now than before the pandemic. That means there could be fewer people able to handle gift returns. Retailers have been trying to hire people just to handle all of the returns this year but many are still understaffed.

So, as you return items, be patient. Many of the sales people are newly hired, some still learning the ropes. It's important to make sure they realize the item you're returning was a gift and should not be put back on the credit card of the purchaser.