"Are you open here?"

[Despina83]

Here's something ironic for you. Many times when I have the light ON at my register, people will approach and ask, "Are you open?" However, when I have flipped the light OFF, many people will stroll on up and start unloading. Then when I say, "Oh, sorry, I have to close here", they'll look up at the unlit light, surprised. Why is this??

[blas]

Murphy's Law of Retail.

Light's on?
Customers will avoid you or question if you are actually open. They think you are going to trick them.

Light's off?
It really means you're still open, ya know!

[ShinyGreenApple]

The other night I came back from lunch, got on the intercom, and said "Register 7 is open with no wait!" in my cheery, retail-ish little voice.

*customer creeps around the corner*

"Are . . . are you open?"

[MrDelirious]

Yep.

C: Are you open?
Me: What? No, I just like to stand behind the register and make expectant eye contact with the next person in line.
C: Oh. Okay.

THEY WALKED AWAY.

[Shengirl]

When I'm at a register with the light on, and someone asks if I'm open, I put on a bewildered face. Then, I look up at the light as if to check and make sure it's on. Finally, I look back at the customer and tell them, "Yep!" Occasionally, I'll make a super cheery-sounding comment about, "As long as the light's on, someone's watching, I promise!" and smile so it looks like I'm ignorant of how I may or may not be insulting their intelligence. Never have gotten a complaint!

[hotelnpa]

At the movie theater, we had two concession stands. During the school year, except on weekends, only one stand was open. Anyway, the opened stand would have its lights turned on with employees standing behind the registers. Well this didn't stop customers from going to the closed side. A big hint that maybe that side wasn't opened--I don't know, the lights were turned off and no one was behind the registers???

But one great thing about working at the theater was I got to see free movies, even when they first came out.

[akilika]

This comes into trouble if your grocery store has folks who'll leave the light on even when they're not there or available. I was given to ask at my old Giant after making the wrong assumption a few times.

But I figure that's a pretty specific instance. ^_^

[Shengirl]

This comes into trouble if your grocery store has folks who'll leave the light on even when they're not there or available. I was given to ask at my old Giant after making the wrong assumption a few times.

Our cashiers will leave their light on and walk away to help another cashier bag, but they have to be able to see their register at all times. That way, someone going by the lights won't get screwed. And if another person's line gets long?

"SIX IS OPEN WITH NO LINE!" and watch the stampede.

[AriRashkae]

At the movie theater, we had two concession stands. During the school year, except on weekends, only one stand was open. Anyway, the opened stand would have its lights turned on with employees standing behind the registers. Well this didn't stop customers from going to the closed side. A big hint that maybe that side wasn't opened--I don't know, the lights were turned off and no one was behind the registers???

Don't forget the lack of popcorn/bags/drinks, and of course, the signs saying "Next register please!" (Seriously, even the registers said that if they weren't open.)

[Bloodsoul]

I'm starting to think I need to make a personalized close sign since simply turning the light off doesn't help (although non-confrontational me won't tell them I'm closed and just take them, anyway). >.<

[ShinyGreenApple]

We have plastic chains that we hang across our lanes when we close. Most of the time, a manager closes them off for us, or one of the baggers will be happy to. A lot better than the little "LANE CLOSED" sticks that wallyworld put at the end of our registers. Customers would just move them out of the way and come through anyways

Soft-spoken, easy-going little me became much less passive about such things after a while.

[GolfCart34]

I'm starting to think I need to make a personalized close sign since simply turning the light off doesn't help (although non-confrontational me won't tell them I'm closed and just take them, anyway). >.<

Signs don't work too well these days, especially when it comes to idiot customers and their selective reading skills. When I worked at an amusement park, we had a huge red on white sign that was placed outside of each window that said "THIS LINE CLOSED" as well as a huge "CLOSED" sign to hang over the window itself, yet we'd always get the morons who would come up to line, where our window is closed and there are signs everywhere indicating that the line itself is closed, yet still ask if the line was closed. Thankfully we had a headset to use to listen and communicate with the outside world, so we'd just pretend we couldn't hear them through the headset and continue counting our money. Ahh, the joys of working in a locked, caged window booth at an amusement park. There are times when I miss those days.

[Kogarashi]

A lot better than the little "LANE CLOSED" sticks that wallyworld put at the end of our registers. Customers would just move them out of the way and come through anyways

When I worked at a Wal-Mart that actually had the chains across the checkout lanes, I still had customers who would duck under the chain and get in line, so they don't work all that much better than the little signs.

And then I had one lady who came up, unclipped the chain, and looked at me and said, "Oh, I fixed that for you. It said you were closed."

I stared for a moment before explaining, "That's because I'm closed, Ma'am," and pointed to my light, which was off.

She at least had the decency to look embarrassed.

[obscure_reference]

That happens to me when I'm on register, too. If a customer only has a few items, I don't care as much if they try to sneak past the closed sign... but unfortunately, that tends to start a chain reaction when other shoppers see me ringing the first person up. If I tell the first person that I'm closing after them, usually they'll pass the word along to anyone that comes up behind them. I try to do something similar when I've got a line of people and I know I need to close by a certain time - I'll tell the last person in the line that they're my last customer and that I'm closing.

Luckily, most of the customers at my grocery store have the decency to ask if I'm closed or not before they unload their junk...

On a similar note, have any of you that run register been called up front to open when there's lines 4 and 5 people deep, turned your light on and still had nobody come over to your line? I don't just mean customers on cell phones or busy reading the tabloids - I've had customers looking right at me and still just stay in their line when I'm obviously open!! I don't get it...

[Kogarashi]

Plenty of times, Obscure. Plenty of times.

I'd even get the customers who would stare at me for a while while I looked at them expectantly, then would ask, "Are you open?"

Or I'd get the ones where the five registers around mine had deep lines, and I just opened. No one comes over, so I say loudly enough for the lines to hear, "Register 11 is open with no lines and no waiting!" and they'd just stare at me like sheep. Oi. That means come over here, nutjobs.