We're closed! Get the Hell Out!

[Misty]

If your workplace is like mine, customers are now referred to as guests. Don't you just love it when your "guests" can't take a hint and go home?

Last night at closing time, there were two different sets of customers sitting at the tables yakking away. We locked the doors and began to clean up, but they still didn't budge. Finally, the shift supervisor had to ask them to leave. Luckily, they did so without a fuss.

I'm just glad I don't work at a bar. It's hard enough getting a few sober folks to go home; I can't imagine trying to corral a bunch of drunks and get them out the door.

[blas]

Closing was always a stressor and a pain for me, at the gas station since I worked alone. It was like ok, please no more people by a few minutes to close so I can guaranteed get these lights off and these doors locked before anyone else shows up.

At the mall, at Debs, not even trying to close the gate would detour people, it seemed.

[dalesys]

At the mall, at Debs, not even trying to close the gate would detour people, it seemed.

Do the limbo shop, right?

[blas]

Nah, it was more like, oh, the gate's going down? Wait, I just wanna try on 10 prom dresses!

[Kristev]

You should see the Little shop of horrors on Christmas Eve. It was the only time the place would ever close. Ever. And shoppers refused to accept that, either. They just kept on trying to get in. The place would shut down, approximately 6 p.m. They'd keep hitting the glass of the locked doors, they'd refuse to hear it when the public announcements went off.

The staff all collected there in the lobby, as our security guard would arrive, to await management's final sweep of the store and their escorting everyone out.

But the security guard told me that people would just keep trying to get in. They'd throw fits because they couldn't go shopping. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It would make no difference.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I always hate having to close on Christmas Eve. Even by the time we close, people are still driving into the petrol station. We put the cones up, people just drive in the back. I always want to give an announcement of "Attention. It's six thirty on Christmas Eve, don't you fucking people have lives?! GO THE FUCK HOME!" -.-

[NotAlBundy]

I always hate having to close on Christmas Eve. Even by the time we close, people are still driving into the petrol station. We put the cones up, people just drive in the back. I always want to give an announcement of "Attention. It's six thirty on Christmas Eve, don't you fucking people have lives?! GO THE FUCK HOME!" -.-

Well, that's why they need gas at 6:30 on Christmas Eve, they're trying to drive home to see their families. It's not their fault that they waited until the last minute on one of the only days that some businesses close/close early to get it. It's all your fault! You're ruining Christmas!!!

Saturday, we were crazy busy at work and I had worked open to close. I was SO ready to go home. We had two customers in the store at closing time (they were together). They knew it was closing time and were trying to hurry up and pick out their shoes. I went ahead to pull the gate half way down, so no one else would come in. As I do that, this lady that's sitting near the fountain that's right outside my store hollers at me, "Are yall closed? I just want one pair of shoes!" We were still slightly below our sales goal for the day, so I did let her in, took her to her size, showed her the one pair of shoes she wanted, and then she didn't buy them because they weren't on sale. *sigh*

[cashierbex]

Better then when a major drinking holiday/sports game happens on a Sunday and our liquor store is open 12pm-830pm instead of 9am-1030pm because of some stupid law. People will throw a hissy fit cause that was the only part of the store that closes. I don't make the laws, and learn to buy your shit early. You are very lucky they don't close it all day Sunday. Thankfully I only worked a couple Sunday nights or I'd

[DGoddessChardonnay]

But the security guard told me that people would just keep trying to get in. They'd throw fits because they couldn't go shopping. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It would make no difference.

Seen it many times over in the grocery store as well . . . we'd close at 6 p.m., get everyone out as quick as possible and start cleaning up to leave.

It could be 6:30, employees and management are ready to go out the door and some moron would still come up to the doors thinking we'd still be open.

Nevermind that we had signs posted since the week after Thanksgiving informing customers that we would close at 6 Christmas Eve . . . Oy!

Learn to tell time, people. Better yet, manage your time better.

[wagegoth]

When I closed the c-store, I locked the doors, even if customers were still inside. Then I threw the switches for the gas pumps and the outside sign. I checked out everyone who was still there, turned out all the outside lights, and started closing. If I'd had to leave the doors open while customers were inside, I never would have gotten out of there.

[crashhelmet]

Closing a bar is easy, if it actually closes. Here in Vegas most bars are open 24x7, but you get the occasional ones that do close for the night.

You make "Last Call" about a half hour before, completely stop serving 15 minutes before closing time (it may take that 15 minutes to get through everybody trying to get that last round), and kick them all out of the bar at closing time.

[sms001]

I'm just glad I don't work at a bar. It's hard enough getting a few sober folks to go home....

I might add to crashhelmet's post - closing a bar is one of the few times in service/retail where the law, the insurance company, and the boss ALL want every customer gone by a VERY specific time. It's kinda cool actually. Having no patrons on premise by XX:ZZ is more important than cleaning, stocking, and politeness.

[MadMike]

I might add to crashhelmet's post - closing a bar is one of the few times in service/retail where the law, the insurance company, and the boss ALL want every customer gone by a VERY specific time.

Here in PA, the liquor laws are very strict, and by law, anyone who doesn't work at the bar has to be out by 2:30 a.m., and they have to stop serving by 2:00. The fines are pretty steep, so no one chances it. Almost every bar I've been to has their clock set 5 or 10 minutes fast, and call "last call" somewhere between 1:30 and 1:45. After 2:00, they'll start calling out "10 minutes, drink 'em up!", "5 minutes", etc. I've actually been to two bars where they start shouting, "Get the fuck out!" And one of those had a sign up that said "No profanity." Go figure.

[Sapphire Silk]

Hospitals run 24/7, so I've never had to deal with those issues too much.

The issue we get is with people trying to visit after visiting hours are over. That's a mixed bag of nuts. Many patients are still up late (hospitals are terrible places to try and get real rest), and actually want the visitors, so we don't usually make a fuss unless the visitors are disruptive or the patient is really so sick that they need the downtime.

[blas]

The hospital my brother stayed at actually told my mom that immediate family could stay with my brother as late as we wanted, they even had an extra cot in the room.