Rude SC at closing time

[Lace Neil Singer]

This didn't actually happen to me, but to a collegue who came over from the main store to help my fellow petrol station collegue Cecy and I in our hour of need. It was just half an hour to closing time, and we still had a giant queue of cars stretching down the road and round the corner. The main store collegue, who I shall call Debbie, came over to help by doing all the closing up stuff that Cecy and I couldn't do, due to be trapped on the tills.

The SCness comes from the time when Debbie had to close off the forecourt. It was time to close and we simply couldn't let any more customers into the petrol station. You have to draw a line somewhere; if we'd kept letting people in, we'd have not ever left. Debbie went to the front to cone off the entrance while Cecy and I got rid of the remaining customers.

Now, I understand that it must be a real pain in the butt to have queued up for ages, only to be told that the petrol station is now closing, but honestly, they know full well what time we close so if you're waiting in a queue and it's getting near to closing time, surely you should think, "Oh bum, I'm not going to get in now. I'd better just cut my losses and try the We Killed Spongebob petrol station instead."

Not these people. Poor Debbie ended up having practically the whole lot of people turn SC on her and start beeping their horns and yelling abuse. One guy at the front even told her that it didn't matter about us needing to go home, we were there to serve customers so we should bloody well stay there to serve. Debbie just about managed to keep her cool with this guy which is more than I would have done.

[LillFilly]

Be nice if you could paint a line a ways out with a sign stating that cars lined-up beyond that point at closing will have to come back tomorrow.

[RealUnimportant]

I hated working in a petrol station because my hours were exactly the same as the store's opening hours; unfortunately due to my youth & stupidity, I didn't realise that this isn't necessarily universal practice at all similar venues, otherwise I'd have campaigned for a couple more minutes at start/end to allow me to safely open/close!

[thatcrazyredhead]

One guy at the front even told her that it didn't matter about us needing to go home, we were there to serve customers so we should bloody well stay there to serve.

"You're absolutely correct, sir. We are here to serve customers from <opening time> to <closing time>. We'll be more than happy to serve you tomorrow at <opening time>. Have a wonderful evening!"

[Shalom]

Be nice if you could paint a line a ways out with a sign stating that cars lined-up beyond that point at closing will have to come back tomorrow.

Back during the (first) gas crunch, stations around here had a sign "LAST CAR FOR GAS" which they'd take down the line and stick on the rear bumper of the last car they figured they'd have enough gas left to fill up. (Standard tank size back then was 24 gallons, so they could get at least a rough estimate.)

This was before I was old enough to drive, so I can't tell you if the people behind that car actually left or went all SC on the station guys.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I would hazard a guess that they all went SC. XD

I told my collegues today who are working the late shift of my troubles; they plan to go out there at ten to and only let a certain amount of people queue up. I told them good luck, and was so glad I didn't have to close tonight.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I would hazard a guess that they all went SC. XD

I told my collegues today who are working the late shift of my troubles; they plan to go out there at ten to and only let a certain amount of people queue up. I told them good luck, and was so glad I didn't have to close tonight.

*snicker*

Does your petrol station have video surveillance cameras? I was thinking it might be fun to play back the tape just to see if your coworkers had any better luck at closing time than you did.

[Slayer]

Geez, it always sounds busy, lol. Rare to see that here unless the discount at Costco is awesome. To be honest, the only gas station hours I know are costco's... Sorry!

Back when it was common, they'd come out 20-30 min to close and block it off. There were a couple that just didn't care and would take everyone for the business/overtime, but that was rare, too.

I just don't get why people think that just because "they're in" that it automatically makes them immune to real life. Boggles the mind.

[Marmalady]

Rude SC at closing time

Maybe I'm tired... but my brain read this at first as 'Nude SC at closing time'.


Oh well, it would have been good for a laugh at any rate....

[Lace Neil Singer]

That would have been one for youtube! XD

[Ironclad Alibi]

At closing time, you should be able to double the price for your gas, and the workers get the extra money as a bonus. I doubt any of the late shoppers would be will to pay that premium for buying gas after hours.

But they would still yell about it.

[greensinestro]

When I worked at the BST call center years ago, the cut off was 6pm, yet you had to make sure the que was cleared out. Well, seemed like every day, at 5:59pm and fifty-eight seconds, you were ready to hit your "close out" button, and at least one, sometimes two calls, would sneak in right when the clock hit 6:00:00. We were not allowed to turn those away, or just up and leave until those calls were gone.

I sure wish they had the rules your petrol station has back then.

[emax4]

Maybe I'm tired... but my brain read this at first as 'Nude SC at closing time'.

Then again, chances are if they're nude, they can't all be that S of an SC. Unless, of course, the SC is a relative...

[Lace Neil Singer]

When I worked at the BST call center years ago, the cut off was 6pm, yet you had to make sure the que was cleared out. Well, seemed like every day, at 5:59pm and fifty-eight seconds, you were ready to hit your "close out" button, and at least one, sometimes two calls, would sneak in right when the clock hit 6:00:00. We were not allowed to turn those away, or just up and leave until those calls were gone.

I sure wish they had the rules your petrol station has back then.

Yeah; it's a good thing that we're able to close on time and disallow customers from coming in. Debbie had to cone off the exit as well, cuz we often get sneaky SCs driving in the exit if we block off the entrance.

I have to wonder what on earth goes thru the minds of these SCs; or what passes for a mind. Even back before I worked retail, if I saw that a place had no lights on and was obviously closed, I never tried to get in there, even if I saw that there were staff in the shop part. We've also recently had window bangers; people who walk in and bang on the windows and scream abuse at us cuz we dared to close on time. Yeah, I'm really going to let you in now you've called me a bitch.

[downforit2008]

I would have told the customers that they had the entire day to come in, so why around closing time? There'd be no way in hell I'd put my personal life on hold to serve customers like this, or any customer at all, unless she'd be a hot babe in a convertible who would invite me to a party of hers right after my shift!

Oh...wait, I'm just going into my fantasy again.