25 Tips for Stress-Free Shopping, Traveling, and Dining.

• Position: Holiday shopping and entertaining tips

If feel like you still are recovering from last year's holiday season--made memorable by incredibly long lines at the cash register, last-minute shopping, midnight gift-wrapping long delays when traveling to visit relatives, and poor service at restaurants--you're not alone. The holiday season is one of most stressful times of the year because consumers travel, shop, and have family and business obligations all crunched into a very intense, two-week period filled with lots of expectations.

You can enjoy the holidays, experience less stress, and get better customer service if you follow the advice of customer service consultants Karen Leland and Keith Bailey, founders of The International Association of Quality Service and authors of Customer Service for "Getting good service is a partnership between the consumer and the company. The consumer's part in that partnership is to be well-prepared, specific, and empowered." To be a more empowered consumer and help plan for a service-filled and stress-free holiday season, Leland and Bailey offer an assortment of tips:

Shopping

Make a list of who you need to buy presents for and from which stores. Being organized will save you time, money, and stress just by knowing in advance who you want to buy gifts for and what you want to get them. Plan on spending a set amount of time on a given day at the stores on your list. If at all possible, go in the early morning or late and try to avoid shopping on weekends from Thanksgiving through Christmas.

Shop by mail or computer. Many catalogue companies will wrap your gifts, include a personalized card, and ship them directly to relatives, friends, and business associates. This is a great way to get all your holiday shopping done without ever leaving the house.

Stock up on basic items before the season rush begins. This includes wrapping paper and ribbon, tape, cards and tags, and even candles and candy. The selection will be better, and you will avoid having to fight the crowds and wait in line for just a few "small things."

Don't feel pressured to make a purchase just because others are waiting in line. Making a gift-buying decision under pressure invariably leads to poor choices and often a second trip to the store to return the item. If you can't decide whether one is suitable, ask the salesperson to put it on hold for you for an hour and take a break, get a cup of coffee, have a bite to eat, or just window shop. If you still want the item, go back to the...