Yes, We Close

[disneyfav4ever]

My store is usually open 24 hours. Except on Sunday we close at midnight, and reopen at 6:00 AM Monday morning. You would think that no one would "need" to do their grocery shopping then.

Well last night I had the closing shift. At 11:58 some guy came in with a shopping cart, and was informed, (not by me, but by the night manager,) that we were closing in two minutes, and in two minutes he would have to check out regardless of if he was done his shopping or not.

My store is very good about kicking customers out when we close, and most customers are corteous enough to check out when I make the 15 and 10 minute announcements.

Of course, this guy was not going to be able to do his weekly grocery shopping in two minutes. He started complaining that we've never closed Sunday nights before, (umm, yes we have, at least for the few years working here, that's been our hours,) and that he "needed" a bunch of stuff. Sorry, it's posted right on our door that we close at midnight. Anyway, him and the night manager got into an argument, and I missed most of what they were saying but got the general gist of it.

The guy ended up storming out when I was leaving. Why do people always wait until so late to go shopping? I know some people have schedules that they can only go shopping late at night, but why can't they do it the other six nights of the week when we're open 24 hours? What really gets me is this guy tried to stay be saying that he's always done his shopping Sunday nights, and that we never close, which is obviously not true, and who knows why he would even try and tell us, the people who always work Sunday nights, that, and what on Earth would make him think there was even a chance we'd believe him. What an idiot.

[powerboy]

You know, if the manager had let you guys stay open until he was done shopping. That he would be back every Sunday @ closing. With me, if a store is closed; then I am going shopping somewhere else or wait til wait to go earlier in the day

[Jack T. Chance]

My store is usually open 24 hours. Except on Sunday we close at midnight, and reopen at 6:00 AM Monday morning. You would think that no one would "need" to do their grocery shopping then.

And this is the way it is at every "24 hr" grocery store where I live, too! Because they HAVE to have SOME time to change over all the signage when one week's sale ends, and the next week's sale begins. And some even *GASP!* close on SATURDAY night, too!

My store is very good about kicking customers out when we close, and most customers are corteous enough to check out when I make the 15 and 10 minute announcements.

Holy crap! Yours must be the ONLY grocery store that DOES kick them out! What chain do you work for? I want to actually SEE a grocery store chain that knows what it's doing with my own 2 eyes!

The guy ended up storming out when I was leaving. Why do people always wait until so late to go shopping? I know some people have schedules that they can only go shopping late at night, but why can't they do it the other six nights of the week when we're open 24 hours?

Because that would make sense! And as we all know, if it makes sense, then it's not allowed!

What really gets me is this guy tried to stay be saying that he's always done his shopping Sunday nights, and that we never close, which is obviously not true, and who knows why he would even try and tell us, the people who always work Sunday nights, that, and what on Earth would make him think there was even a chance we'd believe him. What an idiot.

I agree, he WAS an idiot! Good thing your manager knows what he's doing!

[ThePhoneGoddess]

I work graveyard so on my days off I like to shop around midnight to 4AM. There's few obnoxious customers around that time of night, . I go to Winco cause it's open 24, and I always have to steer my cart around pallets of stock and watch out for guys driving the forklift. So that's why some people like to go in late.

However, if the manager approached me and told me they were closing, I'd mentally kick myself in the ass because I missed the sign outside saying so, then I'd find another store to go to. The guy was an anuscake, pure and simple.

[Bright_Star]

Well then he can go to Wal-Mart. They're open 24/7 everyday of the year EXCEPT Christmas Day. Or in other words...it sucks to be him...lol.

[Sliceanddice]

in defense to the SC (in away that makes me want to scrub my self with boiling hot water and bleach... lots of bleach) theres a store in my area that advertises 24 HOURS but is only open from 9-12, every day, 7 days a week..... that aint 24 hours.

[myswtghst]

While I understand shopping late at night--I go to the 24-hr Meijer near me once every two weeks or so to do my grocery shopping between midnight and 2am after work, I don't see any reason in arguing. If a manager were to tell me the store is closing, I'd leave and go elsewhere.

Granted, I'm sane, intelligent, and the type to check the website or call the store before heading out to make sure that they're open late.

[Peppergirl]

While I understand shopping late at night--I go to the 24-hr Meijer near me once every two weeks or so to do my grocery shopping between midnight and 2am after work, I don't see any reason in arguing. If a manager were to tell me the store is closing, I'd leave and go elsewhere.

Granted, I'm sane, intelligent, and the type to check the website or call the store before heading out to make sure that they're open late.

I totally agree! I work 2nd shift and quite often go shopping after I leave work at 1am. There are no lines and no old ladies puttering along in front of you like during the day.

That said, if I showed up at a store that happened to be closing for whatever reason, I'd just leave.

Seriously, what is the big deal.

Dude just wanted to bitch about it, I'm sure.

[HALFHUMANHALFZOMBIE]

Trespassing

Where I live you can charge someone for trespassing when they refuse to leave a place of business after closing hours I'm quite sure of that. I've heard managers tell Sc's that theya re trespassing in the theatre at least

[hecubus]

That remind me of an old Steven Wright bit:

I went to the convenience store. When I got there, there was a guy outside locking the doors. I said, "Your sign says 'Open 24 hours.'"

The guy said, "Yeah. Not in a row."

[Alfie]

in defense to the SC (in away that makes me want to scrub my self with boiling hot water and bleach... lots of bleach) theres a store in my area that advertises 24 HOURS but is only open from 9-12, every day, 7 days a week..... that aint 24 hours.

I know that this is off topic, but... Why do stores advertise that they are open 24hrs when they clearly aren't? I visited my dad in England, and he had a "24hr"grocery store near him, which was only open about 12 hrs a day. What is the logic behind it?

[Jester]

Damn. Someone beat me to the Steven Wright line.

I do my shopping quite often at what most people consider odd hours. We have an Albertson's here that I like that also happens to be open 24 hours. EXCEPT...between about 2 and 3 am, they shut down the registers to do the nightly rollover. Now, the store is still open, and you can shop at that hour, you just can't check out. Which means you either need to have your shit together before 2, or not plan on checking out till 3. Which is fine. I know this, I am used to this, and I adjust my shopping appropriately at such times. But man, do they get some people who are annoyed with on many, many nights....DESPITE the fact that they make announcements leading up to the 2am shutdown EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT.

Anyone who tries to tell me people aren't stupid needs to go watch people in a grocery store. That would end their argument real fast.

[Jack T. Chance]

Anyone who tries to tell me people aren't stupid needs to go watch people in a grocery store. That would end their argument real fast.

Oh, you'll get NO argument from me on that point! People ARE stupid! That is, after all, the Wizard's First Rule!

The Wizard's First Rule

People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it’s true, or because they are afraid it might be true.

Therefore, simple trickery is a very powerful form of magic!

[Broomjockey]

Oh, you'll get NO argument from me on that point! People ARE stupid! That is, after all, the Wizard's First Rule! Therefore, simple trickery is a very powerful form of magic!

Woot! I love the Wizards' Rules! They're disturbingly true. And I've used them to my advantage a couple of times, too.

[evilhomer]

That Wright line was the first thing I thought of reading this post

I never understand the "I know better than you" argument from customers, particularly when they're hearing it from a manager. I'm right, I know the facts and they're what I'm telling you, I couldn't give a rat's ass what you have to say because it's bullshit. We were open last Sunday?!? Number 1: Bullshit. Number 2: We're closed today and will continue to be closed at this hour every Sunday until the flipping sign on the door says otherwise... learn to read assclown.