How hard is it to read the sign? (Kinda Long)

[Aressel]

This happened about a month ago, but is still worth telling.

A little background first:
The computer shop that I work at only has two employees, me and Bossman. We also sublet space to a few other groups: A couple of website guys, a local fishing tours company, and the local jazz society. This means that even if the computer shop is closed, there may still be people in here working and receiving customers.

About a month ago, Bossman goes on vacation for a week and a half. Because of my school schedule, I only work Thursday - Saturday. This means that we wind up being closed for the Monday - Wednesday. So, we print up the appropriate signage, post it on the door, and leave a message on the answering machine.

Of course, we have a couple incidents

1) I get a call on Monday from the web guys saying that they are having network problems. So, I go in Tuesday before class to do some troubleshooting. (When I went in, it appeared to be working, but wound up being a more complicated problem that we didn't figure out completely until Thursday) I only expect to be in there for 15 minutes or so, so I don't think to lock the door behind me. That, of course, was my mistake. Customer pulls up, gets out of his car, looks in the window, looks at the signs (I assume), and seeing me walking around inside, opens the door and comes in.

I tell him that we're not open today. He tells me that he had thought that I was just opening up. Fortunately, he just had a question about antivirus software. So, I answer his question, send him on his way, finish the troubleshooting that I was doing, and manage get to class on time with no further incidents.

2) When I come in on Thursday, there is a computer on my workbench, waiting for me to work on it. When the web guys are in, they put a sign up on the (locked) door, saying that they are in here, and just to knock. Apparently, when they were receiving one of their customers, somebody with a computer that needed to be fixed snuck in. Nothing that they said could convince this guy that they were not computer techs, and that they were just web guys with an office in the back. So they got a name and phone number, and a description of the problem, and left it for me to deal with. It was the only way to make him go away.

How much bigger and more obvious do we need to make the sign?
Aressel

[Teysa]

It wouldn't matter if the sign was written in big block letters and covered the entire front side of the building. Customers are selectively illiterate when it comes to reading signs.

[feedyourfeet]

Did it smell of shoe polish?

[SnapAddict218]

Did it smell of shoe polish?

Some one get me a wet nap!!!!

[Aressel]

Did it smell of shoe polish?

Trying not to sound dense here, but I'm afraid that I don't get it.

[Arcade Man D]

Trying not to sound dense here, but I'm afraid that I don't get it.

Watch Clerks.




Also, customers are very much selectively illiterate. Gurndigarn knows precisely what I am talking about with the very well-posted ((at each token machine and on the back office door)) about no cash refunds. Yet I'll always get them ((invariably at closing when they conveniently ignore my closing time announcements and the mall hours posted on the door they entered to get into the mall)).

[Bloodsoul]

We recently replaced the sign on our fire exit with a new one that reads, simply enough, "Fire Exit: Please Do Not Block Door. Thank You" (old one said similar, but was rather dirty); it's written in fairly large type so should be easily readable to a 99.95% English-speaking/reading populace.

Atleast every other day or so I still find shopping carts left infront of the door. Of course the entrance into store, with the foyer where we keep the carts, is not but five feet away...