No. I will not serve you while the building is on fire.

[customersruinmylife]

The title pretty much sums everything up.

A small fire broke out in the cellar of the pub. Manager spotted it and immediately set off the fire alarm, ordering to us to evacuate and call the fire brigade while he tackled it. He got the fire out right away, but there was a lot of damage and a lot of smoke.

Here are some examples. Also, please remember that while I was dealing with these customers, I had no idea that the fire was out. As far as I was aware, the building was burning down and I wanted to leave!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me: Please make your ways to the doors right away guys!
SC: Oh. Does that mean it's too late to order breakfast?
Me: What? Of course it does!
SC: Ok, Ok, don't snap.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SC: Are you seriously asking us to leave? I just ordered food!
Me: Yes. This is not a drill! You need to leave!
SC: Well could I at least get a refund first?
Me: The place is on fire! You need to leave!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SC: I see no fire! What are you talking about?
Me: It's in the cellar. Please make your way to the doors.
SC: Can't you just wait and see how serious it is?
Me: No. You need to evacuate! And I want to evacuate too!
SC: What a fuss!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The customers were making their way very slowly to the doors. And while they were leaving, others kept entering the building! The smoke was now visible at this point, the alarms were screeching and the smell was very strong.

Me: You cannot enter! We are evacuating!
SC: Oh. For how long?
Me: Just get out!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cooks had left the kitchen, and they were literally taking people's drinks out of their hands.

Cook: Come on! Get out!
SC: Goodness sake! I wanted to finish that!


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SC: Is no one serving?
Me: What?? Seriously?!?! Just get out!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A co-worker who is visibly pregnant left the pub immediately. She didn't stay to assist for obvious reasons. She was subjected to abuse from the customers who left.

SC: Well, you were quick on your feet!
CW: I'm pregnant.
SC: It's not a disease. You still could have helped.

Another came over.

SC: I left my drink. Could you go back in and get it for me?
CW: No!
SC: But I paid for it!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All the staff left the pub. Manager informed us that the fire was out, but we had to wait for the fire brigade to check everything out.

A customer overheard.

SC: Well if it's out you could easily go back and serve us!
M: The place is full of smoke.
SC: Yeah, but it's not as bad as fire.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of course we didn't reopen. We told the customers we wouldn't be reopening, but they still stood there with us, even though we told them it was pointless.

SC: But I wanted breakfast!
M: Keep your receipts. Bring them back and we'll arrange a refund.
SC: I don't want to come back after this terrible service!

I actually had a brilliant day after that. We got to spend the day cleaning!

[Jay 2K Winger]

Yeeeah, when we had a fire scare at the wholesale club (no flames inside the building-- a mulch fire's smoke crept under the outer wall and got inside) we got some suck from the customers who had to evacuate. My CW Lil Mama Awesome caught flak from a sucktomer who didn't like that LMA wouldn't stick around to ring her out.

LMA's stance was she had a "higher calling-- it's called 'Mommy,'" specifically that LMA was going to make sure she got home to her daughter, not risk injury or death staying in a possibly burning building to ring out some entitlement whore.

I don't wanna think about how much suck there'd be with alcohol involved, like at a pub. Cheers, CRML, glad to hear everyone at the pub's okay.

[mathnerd]

What morons. I actually got a complaint when I worked for MajorBank when I hung up on a banker after the tornado sirens went off. I'd been on the phone with this guy, and when I heard the sirens I said "I'm sorry. Tornado sirens are sounding and I have to leave. Please call back and one of my coworkers at a different site will assist you.", then hung up without giving him a chance to respond. He filed a formal complaint for my rudeness. Thankfully, our calls were all recorded, and the complainer actually got in trouble with his boss for being unreasonable.

For the record, we were not hit, but there was major damage less than a half mile away.

[strawbabies]

Why do people have to be so stupid when it comes to fire? I used to work for a state agency, and each agency in the building would have to send a representative to a regular meeting to talk about safety. Our agency's rep was my supervisor, but I got to attend in her place once because she was on leave. One of the topics of this particular meeting was that we had a problem with employees in the building who wouldn't get up and leave their desks when the fire alarms went off. We had drills, but they were not announced, so we couldn't tell if the fire was real or not. People actually assumed nothing was wrong, and wouldn't even hang up their stupid phone calls.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

When my mom was working at the clearance swamp and the attached strip mall caught fire, people were still trying to get their purchases rung up as the evacuation was going on.

And this ended up being a major fire. There was some kind of electrical malfunction and the strip mall didn't have sprinklers or fire breaks because those weren't required at the time the building went up. The roof caved in and the whole thing was pretty well gutted. The swamp itself just had smoke and water damage to merchandise and fixtures.

Then about 15 years ago one of the stores in the strip mall had a gas leak and the swamp was evacuated as a precaution. Bet people still tried to check out as we were ushering them out the doors.

[raudf]

I still wonder how our species survives with this complete lack of self-preservation in many of it's members.

At MW, the store, not the repair center, I witnessed such lack of self-preservation on a huge scale. My Dad and I were dropping off the repair center's till and one of us had to go into the store to do it. Well, just as we got the service van parked, the tornado sirens started sounding, so I hopped out with Dad. We both went inside, passed the money to the cash office (who promptly slammed their gate down, smart folks!) and followed other managers who were flooding down to the basement of the store.

We passed the sells floor and watched (briefly) the store associates trying to herd what might as well have been the most retarded cats (who probably still have more self-preservation) in history down into the basement. Cue pissed off customers wondering why the registers had shut down (when the gates on the cash office slam, the registers go down) and the associates refused to do anything other than make sure the idiots in their area were safely stowed downstairs.

Look, I'm off the clock. I'd rather be anywhere but in the basement of the company I work for, but guess what? I'd rather still be able to go home rather than wind up in the hospital (if I was lucky) or be late to my own funeral.

We followed the store manager who turned on the store's am/fm radio (we had our own) and listened as an actual tornado touched down and wiped out a good portion of College Station (part of Little Rock.. I think). Basically it hit just north or west of us.

For the record, there were smart customers. Ones there were in the parking lot came in and went to the nearest employee and then down into the basement. They said the winds had picked up horribly and they could see the farking tornado! Yeah, it was too close for their comfort and ours.

The only ones that left before the sirens went off.. or were allowed to leave before the sirens went off with the all clear was the first responders and off duties.

[greek_jester]

Let me get this straight. There was a fire in the cellar of a business that sells booze. In such businesses said booze is usually stored in the cellar (which was on fire). When it gets too hot, e.g. in a fire, booze tends to explode.

My question is, why did you bother trying to talk these twits into leaving after the first time they argued? If they fried the national average IQ would actually increase.

[dalesys]

I still wonder how our species survives with this complete lack of self-preservation in many of it's members...

It is to the evolutionary advantage of the more intelligent to maintain a numerous population of dimwits in their close kith and kin for cat food.

Remember, when the lion roars, you don't have to be the fastest... just not the slowest.

[Seanette]

Sounds like the OP needs to change alias from "customersruinmylife" to "customerswanttoendmylife".

What a bunch of selfish morons! How would they feel if they were at their workplace (if any), and some jackass basically said "getting my drink is worth you dying over"?

[notalwaysright]

The college I attend installed the most ear-piercingly loud fire alarms imaginable. They did it because people used to resist drills, but this alarm absolutely forces people to leave. It is LOUD.

When the power went out at my work I had people upset that I wouldn't cut their fabric, because "you don't need power to use scissors!" Well, no power is a safety hazard so get out! Plus, we had no way to ring them up. It makes it clear how amazingly self centered people are. Like little toddlers. I wan it I wan it nowwww!"

[XCashier]

I'm beginning to think your pub should hire some ogres to pound the idiot customers in the head until they knock some sense into them. Or knock them unconscious. Either way, it's an improvement.

I cannot wrap my head around how utterly self-centered and willfully stupid a person has to be to demand service in a building that is visibly on fire! Especially one stocked with lots of flammable alcohol!

[Brojekk]

SC: Well if it's out you could easily go back and serve us!
M: The place is full of smoke.
SC: Yeah, but it's not as bad as fire.

I think in some ways it's worse.

[earl colby pottinger]

Cellar fire

Let me get this straight. There was a fire in the cellar of a business that sells booze. In such businesses said booze is usually stored in the cellar (which was on fire). When it gets too hot, e.g. in a fire, booze tends to explode.

My question is, why did you bother trying to talk these twits into leaving after the first time they argued? If they fried the national average IQ would actually increase.

Fire in the cellar could spread until the entire basement is burning, and any booze stored there as above pointed out will just help. At that point the entire floor could collapse or explode as already mentioned.

So one minute it all looks fine to these stupid SCs and next second the entire floor could become a burning inferno! Is there no limit to how dumb a SC can be?

[Monterey Jack]

All the staff left the pub. Manager informed us that the fire was out, but we had to wait for the fire brigade to check everything out.

A customer overheard.

SC: Well if it's out you could easily go back and serve us!
M: The place is full of smoke.
SC: Yeah, but it's not as bad as fire.

Yeah, because NO ONE ever dies of smoke inhalation during a fire...

[Seanette]

Fire in the cellar could spread until the entire basement is burning, and any booze stored there as above pointed out will just help. At that point the entire floor could collapse or explode as already mentioned.

So one minute it all looks fine to these stupid SCs and next second the entire floor could become a burning inferno! Is there no limit to how dumb a SC can be?

About that question, just how long have you been here again?