We're closed!

[Craftstoreslave]

I know there are plenty of these stories out there, but I had one tonight that I must share.

So, these two ladies walk in about an hour before closing with a return, but they want to do some shopping first and decide to leave their merchandise up front. Fair enough. We do this all the time. So, the hour passes, and at about 15 minutes to closing, the closing announcements begin. No sign of them. Then we do the final announcement, and they still haven't shown up. Finally, about 15 minutes after we've closed, they stroll their way up to the registers, taking their sweet time and not caring that we're closed and would really like to go home.

We start the return, but then lady #1 has to go through her behemoth of a purse looking for the receipt. (Oh, joy!) 5 minutes and piles of wadded up paper and money later, she doesn't have the receipt. Surprised? Of course not. Meanwhile, one of the items she's returning doesn't have a price, and since we're very old-fashioned and don't have any sort of scanner or computer system, we have to wait on the lady from that department to get the price. Anyway, I finish the return, but then (about 20 minutes after closing), I have to start ringing up their HUGE cartful of merchandise, most of which is breakable and has to be wrapped. While doing this, these ladies are being glared at by everyone else in the store since we're forced to wait on them to finish, but they barely notice and continue on their conversation because we forgot the world revolves around them.

Finally, 45 minutes after closing, they are finished, and we're FREE! Lots of rambling, but long story short: I hate people.

[One-Fang]

This is why closed needs to mean CLOSED. Tills off. Computers down. Sorry ma'am, nothing I can do for you now.

[Demonoid Phenomenon]

Craftstoreslave, I feel your pain.
That scenario could easily be one of my own (and, unfortunately, HAS been).
Only difference is that the people in my story would be talking on a cellphone the whole time and their check would not go through.

[Clintmax]

Gods, I hate it when people do that! You're right...I think THEY think the world revolves around THEM. Another thing I hate is when people expect us to stay open late for them! We've had customers call five minutes before closing saying they are on the way to our store, but won't be there until after we close and could we still let them in after closing! Then, they get all mad when we tell them no. Holey moley...we're open 11 hours a day! They could make it there during business hours.

[Craftstoreslave]

We've had the phone call thing happen before. And then, to our dismay, the managers always cave and say "Suuuuure!"

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Frankly I'd have called the cops. Once the store is closed, people in it are at the discretion of the people running the store. After you tell them to leave and they don't they are considered trespassing.

Mongo

[Phone Jockey]

This is why closed needs to mean CLOSED. Tills off. Computers down. Sorry ma'am, nothing I can do for you now.

Yes indeed. I mean, why should the customers care if you're closed if they can check out & return things? As long as they get in the store BEFORE closing time... I really wish managers would back up their workers.

[theredbaron47]

Oh man, that is the exact same scenario that has happened time and time again at my work. What I absolutely HATE is when the managers start BS-ing with people and they forget that 9pm came and went, and the lights are still on because they weren't paying attention to the time. That means more people we have to yell at through the door saying we're close, more time we have to waste there, and frankly, my shift is 5-9, so why do I care about anything after 9? 9pm comes, I'm done. The End. Just last night, at closing, as ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES were walking through the lot to their cars to go home, some lady comes up, realizes the door is locked, and runs up to me:

"Are you closed?"
"Yes."
"Does this mean I can't get my blahblahblah???"
*I speed up and walk away*.

People who bother me after closing WILL incur rudeness whether they like it or not.

Managers always need to back up closing rules more forcefully. Such as, at 9pm, the registers ARE shut down, the doors ARE locked, the lights ARE shut off, the employees ARE gone, and NO, no one is available to help you, so please leave!

</rant>

[Kiwi]

our managers got so sick of customers thinking they could shop after closing that they actually had went around to customers and said, the computer automatically go into cash up mode 10 minutes after our closing time.

at one point it got so bad that we would literally refuse service 10 minutes after closing, if you werent in line by 5.10 then you werent getting your stuff purchased.

thats why I loved my manager, 10 minutes after signs went up on our departments registers and she made the customers search out another department to get their stuff. We had to do it, some times they would come up with 15 different types of ribbon, wanting a metre of each... that takes a good 20 minutes by the time they ho hum their way through each one

I remember one customer who said " your store closes when I have finished shopping" .... we were all dumb founded at that much entitlement squished into one person

[Lace Neil Singer]

I would have replied to someone like that, "No, we're bound by trading laws actually." I did in fact have a customer whine to me, "Why can't you stay open for longer? I only want a few things!" I replied, "Sorry, I can't let you in cuz you could be from the government. We're only allowed to trade for half an hour after closing time."

[Craftstoreslave]

I remember one customer who said " your store closes when I have finished shopping" .... we were all dumb founded at that much entitlement squished into one person

Wow. We've had some bad ones, but I can't recall anyone ever taking it this far with me. (At least, they never outright said this, but they have certainly acted it.)

[blas]

I used to close 3-5 mins early to prevent last minute customers. I closed at 9. NINE O CLOCK. Not 9:02, not 9:05.......I had thousands of dollars to count, a drawer to balance, and a safe fund to count to be sure it was set at the right amount. That itself took 15-30 minutes. No way in hell was I staying any later because some moron waited until 8:59 to go get ciggs from my store, when a 24 hr Holiday is right down the street. Plus, we all know, once one last minute customer shows up, the whole block shows up.

Good thing I don't work there anymore. I went in to chit chat the other day and my manager said that at their last employee meeting, she told them if anyone was caught closing early, they'd be written up. Two times and they would be fired.

I feel kinda to blame, LOL....because I always told newbies that it was ok to close a few minutes early, and it helped prevent last minute customers, but someone must have closed like a half hour or more early, because they normally don't check the cameras to see what time the lights were shut off.....I think the only way it was found out would be a customer showing up and then telling my manager the next day....which in this instance is justified, because that's way too early to close on a normal night.

I just find it funny I never got in trouble for it :P

[repsac]

Ever notice, when the stores have sets of double doors in the front; that if the doors are locked, customers will shake the doors first. Then move to the second set, shake them, and finally return to the first set as if shaking the second set unlocked the first?

[Mixed Bag]

Before my boss said it was okay to serve customers after closing, I refused one because I grew up with some idea that it was a horrible practice for some reason I couldn't understand, even though I couldn't see the actual harm. (Later, after I learned it was okay in that sleepy shop, I didn't answer the phone right after closing as I was on my way out, only to hear the caller complain through the answering machine that we closed too early (based on our official hours) and hang up before I could pick up.)

I showed up at a camera store 15 or 20 minutes after closing and was curtly told by the exiting staff that they were closed. I explained their ad in the yellow pages said they closed one hour later than they now did. No acknowledgment. No sign I could see on or near the door apologizing for having to make such a cost-cutting measure or explaining that the ad printer goofed. No future visits from me either. I emailed a local talkradio personality, who fancied himself a lofty moral sort and who'd been praising them to the skies , that he might want to reconsider.

[Clintmax]

I guess lots of people think every retailer should be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week....by LAW! The 24 hour Supercenters have everyone spoiled or something, I don't know.