what would you think...

[GingerBiscuit]

if a store locked it's doors, pulled the protector screen thingy down on it's fridge and all the managers started hanging out by the doors?
Would you think the store MIGHT be closing, as it is now 5:30? Would you have to be approached a good five/ten minutes after closing to be TOLD the store was closed?

Because apparently the THREE customers in at the end of the day were too stupid to comprehend these facts. And two of them didn't even buy anything, and after they were told we were closing, took their sweet time in ambling to the doors.

It is not a big store, it is fairly easy to see when we're closing.

[MMATM]

Closing woes are universal. Where I used to work, (a little café) we had to stack all the outside tables and chairs and secure them with a cable lock. People would argue that they had "just sat down" with their coffees/sandwiches/cappulattemumbojumboaccino-au-lait's when we went and asked them to move. This was invariably half an hour after our actual closing time, as we would do all the indoor stuff first.

I, personally, won't go into a store if it's hours end within ten minutes of my entering unless:
A) I know what I'm getting.
B) I know where it is.
C) I have the money ready.
D) I will be out at least five minutes prior to their closing time.

Turning the lights off works in most places, unless the store is very small, closes early, and has lots of windows, in which case the customers will still be able to see by the light coming in.

[myswtghst]

MMATM--I tend to rely on similar guidelines, both for going in near closing time and for going in when I'm running late or in a hurry. If you are there to browse, come back tomorrow. If you need something specific, fine.

I also get annoyed when I'm being considerate when I run in near closing and just need one thing, and the staff act unprofessional, or are rude to me just because it's close to closing.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I also get annoyed when I'm being considerate when I run in near closing and just need one thing, and the staff act unprofessional, or are rude to me just because it's close to closing.

Staff has no right to be annoyed because you came in close to closing...only if you stay after closing...

When I saw people come in within 10 minutes of closing I would just politely let them know we were closing soon, but I would never get an attitude...

[Camry178]

I don't mind if customers come in close to closing. Just don't expect to get outstanding customer service at 5 minutes to closing.

I let them browse around as long as they like, but the minute it's time to close they get kicked out...

[myswtghst]

Just don't expect to get outstanding customer service at 5 minutes to closing.

I don't want to take this the wrong way (so if you didn't mean it like this, please disregard), but I expect the same general level of customer service at any time of day, so long as the place is open and not super-crowded. If I'm rude or expect you to stay open late, please, be rude right back. But 5 minutes to close means the store is still open--If I get a call 5 minutes before time to leave, I still give excellent service to the caller.

[blas]

This is why I can't work retail ever again.

I would get downright snappy at 5 minutes to close. But then again, they were all regular SCs who KNEW when we closed, hell, I'd already saw them at the beginning of my shift 7 hours ago, WHY the hell did they have to wander back at 5minutes to close?

I may be evil, but I swear I nearly got aroused when I beat the customers and already had the doors locked and lights off right at close so no one could play "closing time SC".

It was like flies on dog doo. If one customer came at one minute to close, then everyone else driving down the street would, too.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The last five or so minutes before close was always the time we'd give the best customer service possible--approaching everybody in the store asking if we could help them find something and escorting them right to the item.

Of course, this was more of a "hint hint, the store is closing, we'll be uber-helpful if it gets you out the door quickly" sort of thing.

[the lawsmeister]

I really hated the ones who would knock on the door 10 minutes after closing.
Seriously who could possibly need furniture that urgently.

Even worse were the ones who would turn up before we opened. We had one lady show up about 20 minutes before we opened. We didn't even have the roller door up yet but she'd seen one of us come in through the side door off the street. Unfortunately we opened the door thinking it was one of the other staff members and couldn't get rid of her. Then she wanted to buy a display model TV stand that was already assembled and wouldn't take no for an answer. We suggested she call one of our drivers who did assembly on the side but she actually made a sensible suggestion, she could pay the assembly fee and take the display model and we could have the driver assemble a new one when he came into the store next. So we loaded the TV stand into her car, put together a new one ourselves and had some beer money that night.

[myswtghst]

I really hated the ones who would knock on the door 10 minutes after closing.
Seriously who could possibly need furniture that urgently.

I could almost understand if it were a pharmacy/drug store...but c'mon, furniture?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

But 5 minutes to close means the store is still open--If I get a call 5 minutes before time to leave, I still give excellent service to the caller.

IMO, this is an apples-to-oranges comparison. The caller does not know you are scheduled to leave in 5 minutes when they call you and the call center is running 24 hours. It's more or less dumb luck.

However, my store closes at the same time almost every day, except for holidays and from Thanksgiving to Christmas when we are open extended hours. We have announcements that we are closing and the lights get cut. People know we are preparing to shut down for the night. So people should be able to figure out we are closing and we're not going to hang around all hours of the night waiting on people who straggle in after closing.

If you come in 5 minutes before close and you know what you want and where it is, no problem, we'll delay our closing procedures a bit to accommodate you. But when the announcement goes off that the store is closed, the doors get locked and nobody else can come in. And don't expect me to be all sunshine and rainbows if you come in two minutes before close, start browsing as if you have all day, and give me the "talk to the hand" gesture when I ask you if I can help you find something because I want to go home already.

[myswtghst]

IMO, this is an apples-to-oranges comparison. The caller does not know you are scheduled to leave in 5 minutes when they call you and the call center is running 24 hours. It's more or less dumb luck.

I should note that this is the same attitude I maintained when I worked til 7pm and the call center shut down when I left. People knew darn well what time we were done at, and that no one but a few agents were left at 6:55pm, but I still gave good service til we closed. In addition, I get customers who, for who knows what reason, call at 11:55pm when I'm leaving at midnight to discuss something miniscule and unimportant--when you call at that hour, it should be an emergency--I even have approval to advise people to call back, but I still take however long it takes to do what I can to resolve their issue.

[sarahj]

Honestly, I suck at knowing closing times. I know clothing and department stores' general closing times, but I'm not good with cafes/pizza/fish-n-chips/video rental stores. If the lights are on and the door's unlocked, a polite, "sorry, we're closed," will have me going back out the door without a scene. I figure there's no harm done if I don't get huffy. Right?

PS What's with people getting groceries at closing time? Morning's the best, nightfill's just happened so there's plenty of everything.

[Max]

This thread reminded me of when I worked in a boutique, and it would never fail that some yahoo would bang on the door 20 minutes after closing when all the tills had being cashed out and employees were at the doors to leave...on Christmas Eve. When we would politely tell them that we were closed and would be open Boxing Day they would yell at us that we were RUINING CHRISTMAS for their child/significant other/whatever. Assuming that their Christmas was ruined (I choose not to speculate on what type of person has a holiday ruined because they didn't get an expensive designer present), perhaps leaving that "extra special" gift purchase till 6:20pm on Christmas Eve had something to do with ruining Christmas?

Just a thought.

[Hon'ya-chan]

Hmmmm, this thread reminds me of something....

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/re...?date=20070728