Trials of a Closing Store

[Estil]

My line for people like that would be "the store is going out of business and I'm losing two jobs now. Do you REALLY think I give a fuck what you think the price SHOULD be?!!!"

Yeah I mean what are they gonna do, threaten to take their business elsewhere? Of course in a few days they won't really have a choice...

[Sapphire Silk]

The day before the owner closed the shop, he offered to sell me an amazing carved dragon chair that I had complimented on several occasions for $20. I countered with $30 (clawed feet holding balls, leather cushions, amazing detail). He looked shocked and countered with $25 and a free cup of coffee. I ended up paying $50 for it and got a pound of coffee and a nice large cup of coffee.


I still have the chair, it will probably outlive me, its so solidly made. I think I got a smoking deal on it and I didn't feel like a cheap jerk.

You did get a smokin' deal on it, you are not a cheap jerk, in fact you are a class act!

[XCashier]

You did get a smokin' deal on it, you are not a cheap jerk, in fact you are a class act!

Yeah, that was really nice of you, giving him more than he asked for. You knew he needed the money and were generous, and got an excellent quality chair for a great price. Nicely done.

[Catwoman2965]

If I see a going out of business sale, I usually try to at least stop in and look. If the price is still higher than I'm willing to pay, I just *gasp* don't buy it. I like a good deal as much as the next person, but there is nothing I need or want badly enough to argue liquidation prices with a cashier whose job is ending.

I got lucky at one of those types of sales. Small clothing store was going out and I was on the lookout for some stuff for a costume. There was a very specific kind of boot I was looking for and they had one last pair in my size. One of the boots was missing a button, but as cheap as they were I didn't care. If I really wanted to, I could buy a new button and repair it myself, but I'm lazy. I also found a shirt in just the right color for the costume so that saved me from having to spend more for fabric to make one. I was happy.

I'm the same way, and have found that most of the time, a going out of business sale doesn't mean rock bottom prices. Sadly, but that's life. If I see something and the price is right, I may get it. if not, i leave.

[Jetfire]

At least these SC's will keep their promises when the offer to never shop there again.

Sadly, that's rarely the case. Most likely those SC's will be back each day, either complaining:

a) that the prices aren't low enough.
b) that the things they are looking for (on the cheap) were *gasp* Sold! and no longer available.

Right up until there is nothing left but the barewalls and the now out of work folks are trying to get the doors locked. *sigh*

[EricKei]

Catwoman - Yup. Especially if it's a major company shutting stores down, they will turn everything over to a Liquidation firm, who tend to restore everything to their "default" pricing before applying any discounts. Can't be fun to work at those times >_< As for shopping, you either go early and pay prices that are likely to be higher than the shop's average pricing has been for years, or you wait for the deadline to get closer, pay much MUCH less, and have next to no selection to choose from.

[Slave to the Phone]

You did get a smokin' deal on it, you are not a cheap jerk, in fact you are a class act!

Yeah, that was really nice of you, giving him more than he asked for. You knew he needed the money and were generous, and got an excellent quality chair for a great price. Nicely done.

Thank you. My thought was that he was losing his business, he was losing his livelihood, he was losing everything. I certainly couldn't justify trying to rip him off.

Some people are jerks and some people just don't think about what going out of business means to the people who work there.

[Lace Neil Singer]

A mate of mine had to get a new job in a hurry when the store she was working at, a certain place where you could go and rent DVDs, liquidated and her store closed. She got the job, and was due to start two days after the last ever day. She told me that she had a ball telling off SCs for the closing down sale; her manager just let her get on with it cuz he was just as fed up with whinging SCs bitching about prices. Her crowning point was telling a guy who was demanding that since he'd bought two DVDs, the third and fourth ought to be free, to shove them up his arse. He replied, "I'm going to get you fired!" My friend replied, "Go right ahead; this store is closing forever after today."

So I'm with everyone else; grab the opportunity to be rude to SCs and tell them off.

[Evannah]

I hate sucky customers but I hate sucky customers who abuse the staff in a shop that is going out of business even more, especially when they've being rude about some petty insignificant thing. Sorry you've going through this. Good luck in your future.

[Deevil]

I'm the same way, and have found that most of the time, a going out of business sale doesn't mean rock bottom prices. Sadly, but that's life. If I see something and the price is right, I may get it. if not, i leave.

There was a furniture store around here that went out of business about ten years ago. The discounts were anything but a good deal. I knew of more that one person who had bought something like a sofa/loveseat combo not on sale for $500 six months previously and when they went in to check out the sales, saw the exact same thing now listed as 50% off the regular price of $1,200.

[Food Lady]

The day before the owner closed the shop, he offered to sell me an amazing carved dragon chair that I had complimented on several occasions for $20. I countered with $30

I have to admit I'm actually tearing up because I'm inspired by what a giving person you are. There aren't enough people like you.

[Slave to the Phone]

You are embarrassing me. I didn't post this for praise, I did it to share that not everyone going to a going out of business sale is a jerk. Many people are, but some of us understand what is happening to people who are losing their jobs and future.

Besides, it is a wonderful, awesome chair. My nieces and nephews fight over who gets to sit in it, that's how great it is. I have to use a timer so when it goes off I'll say, OK, Sam your time is over, give the chair to Candy.

If I could get my phone to talk to my comp so I could post pics of it, I would and then everyone would tell me that I had ripped the coffee shop guy off by just giving him $50.

[Food Lady]

Ha--love your edit reason. I remember a few years ago at the local World Market they had a table with a glass top so that you could see the colorful, carved base on it. It was made in Mexico and had all kinds of animals on it. It was the coolest table I have ever seen.

[bainsidhe]

I wish you the best finding another job. And when you do find another job, start immediately. Don't stay at your closing store out of loyalty, or because you like your coworkers. That is the one thing I regretted when Media Play closed. It was such an awful experience, and now whenever I see a store is closing, I refuse to shop there. The workers don't deserve to be treated like garbage, and I don't enjoy shopping in such an environment.

We had the discount vultures too. And when I said I couldn't discount it further, or that I'd immediately be fired, the response was, "So what? You're losing your job anyway." Aaaaaand now I definitely won't give you an extra discount.

[EricKei]

then everyone would tell me that I had ripped the coffee shop guy off by just giving him $50.

Not around these parts, they won't. We're friendly like that. Knowing the crew here, you're more likely to get comments on the handiwork and requests for up-close pictures so people can see the detail in the carving.

As for getting the images onto your comp -- does your phone use a removable SD/mini-SD card? And do you have access to a computer with a card reader? If your charger cable doesn't also transmit data, that could be an option. If you use a smartphone, you could also just email it to yourself, or post it on Facebook/a similar site, download the pic to your Desktop, and upload it here (without actually providing a FB link).