No, we're closed!

[Tikaysha]

Reading through some of the older posts reminded me of this.

I both love and hate working Sundays, because we're only open from noon to five pm. It's a short, easy day. On the other hand, more people are out to pull on our door and knock and try to wave me down if they see me inside. I've taken to walking over to the window and silently pointing to our hours.

Well, a few Sundays ago, I get in, lock the door behind me, and go to put my bag down and get the register cash out of the safe. As I'm walking up to the registers (near the door) I see a woman pulling. Then knocking. Then banging and shouting something I can't properly hear through the glass. For whatever dumb reason I stash the money and go to the door (I dunno, maybe the coffee hadn't kicked in?). Now, be aware, the lights were still off. I'd turned the alarm off not 3 minutes ago. I can only assume she was parked somewhere and waiting for me (we're downtown, so it's street parking, no lots).

Me: Sorry, we don't open until noon. (using my whole body to block the two inches I've opened the door, because I saw her try to jump in when she heard the lock click)
Sucky Lady: But I'll only be a minute.
Me: Sorry, I can't let you in.
SL: But I just want to make a return!!!
Me: Well I couldn't help you anyway, the registers aren't open.

She was trying to weasel her way in, so I cut her off with goodbye and shut the door. I really shouldn't have opened it at all. The rules are there for a reason. Usually to protect me, interestingly enough.

She watched me go about opening for about ten minutes, then walked off. Didn't even bother to come back that day.

[Samaliel]

Once again : returns. Why the hell should they expect you to be willing to bend the rules over something that will result in you losing money ?

Once again, were it Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan both with an army of personnal shoppers with their minds set on Full Shopping Spree, one might consider it... Might.

[StarsAreFixed]

We have such a job getting customers out of the store at closing time. Announcements start at a quarter to whatever hour it is 'Attention customers, we would like to remind you that this store is now closing/closed...'. Not listened to, ever. Several times I've made the last sale of the day on the last till open at 5 past or something while the cash office blare my name to close my til..ughh. All of the customers trying to get in to the store at 5 to, after five to, are foreigners, who seem to have no concept that gosh, we have a closing time! Several people will argue 'I just need to get milk! Why won't you let me get milk!' when the grocery tills have closed, and the fact that there's loads of convenience stores still open that sell milk. A few times we've had people appear down the escalators from homewares about 15 minutes after we've closed, demanding security to open the door, and instead of being apologetic, are indignant that we dared to close at the advertised time! Grr!

[Raventhistle]

At both retail stores I worked at we were told to just ignore those people. They're the ones who don't bother to check the doors for times, and they're going to complain anyways. If they complain when you let them in, just them them the doors are too thick and you couldn't hear them, and you were busy opening the store so you didn't see them. Aw, too bad for them.

[Tikaysha]

Yeah, I'm supposed to ignore them too. I don't know why I didn't. But with a big plate glass window it's really hard not to notice when someone bangs on it.

Also, I wish I were allowed to make closing announcements. I can do subtle things, like start to clean or (once we are closed) turn off the music, but I can only tell them if they ask. I don't mind 5-10 minutes if they are apologetic, but I've had people browse for 1/2 and hour and then not buy anything. Way to demolish my payroll without helping our sales figures, people.

[Pagan]

Also, I wish I were allowed to make closing announcements. I can do subtle things, like start to clean or (once we are closed) turn off the music, but I can only tell them if they ask. I don't mind 5-10 minutes if they are apologetic, but I've had people browse for 1/2 and hour and then not buy anything. Way to demolish my payroll without helping our sales figures, people.

I still don't get why some stores do this. I've heard the reasoning that they don't want to "insult" them. I have yet to figure out how a closing announcement is insulting.

Maybe it's because of having been in retail so long that if I won't go to a store if it's anything less than 30 minutes before they close? I know that those poor people are trying to get done so they can get the hell home! If I do go in during that last half hour, it's for one specific thing so I'm in, out, and out of their hair.

[the toy guy]

We close early on Sundays and we always have a steady stream of customers coming to the door afterwards. They've usually figured it out by the time the lights go out and we leave.


As for people in the store at closing time, my managers recently began announcing that our registers have an automatic shut-down. I keep trying to get them to switch to:

"Attention *store* guests, our store will be closing in 5 minutes. Any customers remaining in the building will become property of the *store* corporation and be sold to the highest bidder.",

but they won't listen.

[MattW]

I keep trying to get them to switch to:

"Attention *store* guests, our store will be closing in 5 minutes. Any customers remaining in the building will become property of the *store* corporation and be sold to the highest bidder.",

but they won't listen.

I used to work on the timber cutting machine at the DIY store. The store closed at 4pm on Sundays. At this same time, if I was cutting a piece of wood for a customer, the power to the machine would cut out and I would have to call the service desk to request the power be switched on again. I didn't clock off work until 4.30pm so didn't mind customers who were already waiting to be served at 4pm.

The ones that appear at the timber cutter after the power has been cut annoyed me. This SC arrived at the machine just as I was tidying up the section. The power had already been cut off and this time I wasn't prepared to call a manager to request the power be switched back on. Sometimes it can take ages to serve a customer if they want a lot of sheets of wood cut and I wasn't prepared to work for free if it was to take me past 4.30pm!

The SC explained to me and a colleague that he had phoned in and spoke to someone who assured him that yes, we can cut up some wood for him blah blah blah. What didn't seem to register with the SC that as it was a Sunday, we were legally obliged to open for no more than 6 hours. SC got on his high horse saying that he came all the way from XXX (about 20 miles away - quite a long distance in European terms, given the cost of fuel). Oh right! So I'll restart the machine because you have no grasp of time and our opening hours, shall I?

My full time colleague, who dealt with more SCs than I did and was better equipped to deal with him, backed me up and he skulked back to the front of the store.

Reminds me of another time on a Sunday just after 4.30pm when us employees walked from the exit door to our cars in the car park (only employees' cars were left as the majority of the level headed customers had taken their shopping home). Unlocked my car to get in just as an SC in a poncey 4x4 (or SUV! ) drove up to me and, realising that the store had closed for the day, rather curtly asked if I know of any hardware shops that were still open.

I forgot what my reply was but I almost burst out laughing! The store I worked for had very long opening hours as they were - it would be a freaking miracle if another shop was still open at that time of the day, bearing in mind Sunday Trading Laws. I think I would have been much more polite to him if he drove an ordinary car, as I had - and still have - a general dislike for the types of people that tend to drive SUVs in the UK.

[JustADude]

On the other hand, I've stepped in to a few places, especially restaurants, where they didn't have a posted closing time and found out they were minutes from closing (like it's 9:28pm and they stop at 9:30pm), and they said they were just fine with serving us when we apologized and made to leave.

I, of course, make sure to thank them and leave at least a 25% tip (if appropriate) at times like that.

[Peppergirl]

I, of course, make sure to thank them and leave at least a 25% tip (if appropriate) at times like that.

As a former server, allow me to assure you that your generosity was appreciated. I can tell you that the VAST majority of people who come into a restaurant several minutes before closing not only linger, but tip poorly.

I've never understood that. Just another EW affliction, I suppose.

[Catwoman2965]

We get that as well. I only open on weekends as its only pT for me. So i ususally get there anywhre from 15-20 mins before we open, and have to bang on the door to be let in....and there is always someone outside who a. tries to come in or b. tries to be helpful and say "they don't open until x time" - REALLY? thanks for the info, i wasn't aware of that! i generally pull the door shut behind me quick and lock it!

And don't get me started on closing. we are NOT allowed to make any referenes to the fact we are closing, except to answer when the customers asks what time we close. We will however, lock the doors, so no one else can come in, but all this week we have had stragglers come in 5, 10 minutes before we close, apologize, and yet still manage to meander about and mess up stuff past closing. We can sort of follow them around, and be overly helpful, but we cannot come out and say, hey, we are closed, get your ass out! Its always the same people too; just plain inconsiderate.

[Pagan]

We can sort of follow them around, and be overly helpful, but we cannot come out and say, hey, we are closed, get your ass out! Its always the same people too; just plain inconsiderate.

The next to last store manager that I worked with at Hasting's had an awesome way to get past closing lingerers out. In addition to telling them that our registers shut down 15 minutes past close (they didn't), that having them in the store that late created a safety issue. Which it could have been. Closing GSMs in the front office with the safe open and all of the cash out? Yeah.

[MadMike]

Maybe it's because of having been in retail so long that if I won't go to a store if it's anything less than 30 minutes before they close? I know that those poor people are trying to get done so they can get the hell home!

I'm the same way.

One New Year's Eve, on the way to a party, we stopped off at Arby's for a quick bite. As we were ordering, I noticed that they were cleaning the dining area, and I asked if they were closing early. It turned out they were, in about five minutes, so I said, "I'm sorry about that. We'll take this to go." I've become quite skilled at eating in the car.

So we got our food, and got out of their hair, with about a minute to spare. As we were leaving, we saw three other cars pull in.

I felt so sorry for those guys...

[Delphae]

In my old store, even if I let her in I couldn't do the return. You see we can't do a return unless there is enough cash to do it, even if the return is credit. Just can't do it. And it totally sucked.

[edible_hat]

On the other hand, I've stepped in to a few places, especially restaurants, where they didn't have a posted closing time and found out they were minutes from closing (like it's 9:28pm and they stop at 9:30pm), and they said they were just fine with serving us when we apologized and made to leave.

Around here a lot of restaurants are open "5pm till late". Which usually means they close sometime after 10pm, but it varies depending on demand.