The sign says "CLOSED", dumbass!

[CrazedClerk]

A great deal of my shifts (I sell video games) run until close, therefore when the last customer leaves, myself and my co-worker close up the store.

We also have security shutters that we lower as well that cover all the windows.

So let's see, you pull up to the store with the shutters clearly pulled down and the OPEN sign turned OFF and see if you can figure out if the place is open or not.

Here's some of what I see when I close the store:

- People run up and violently shake the handles, I point to the "CLOSED" sign, they give me a dirty look and leave.

- People knock on the door repeatedly, I finally open it to tell them to go away and they plead with me to let them in so they can buy a game to keep their kid happy.

- People stand at the door pointing to their watch, indicating that a) they think we should still be open and b) Obviously we must not know how to tell time.

- People that bang on our door with some other object than their hands.

- People try to shout at me through the glass that I should open back up.

But the absolute worst I ever had:

I had completely closed up and as I emerged from the store, preparing to lock the door, this SC runs up and says "Oh thank god you're still here, I desperately need game X, it's my son's birthday tomorrow."

me: "I'm sorry sir, store is closed."

SC: "Come on, you're still here, just fire up the register and we can do this really quick, it'll only take a minute."

(firstly I can't just "fire up" the register, it CANNOT be opened until the next morning)

me: "I've already closed the registers and clocked out, I can't just go in real quick and do a sale for you."

SC: "buddy how long does it take to turn on a machine? My kid wants this game so bad for his birthday and he'll be disappointed if he doesn't get it."

me: "I understand that sir, but the fact is the store is closed, I'm off the clock and I have no obligation to sell you anything."

SC: "Fine. I'm never coming back here again. I'll buy my games somewhere else."

Good riddance. But how do people not understand how business hours work? It's unreal.

[karma_gypsy]

Yeah, same here, no sort of begging, whining or complaining will get those computers (or registers) back up for one sale. One lady was begging us to just take her money (she wanted to pickup an item she had in pawn) and keep until morning (her item was due the next day).

This was waaay after close, doors locked, computers shut down, tills being counted out ... She was begging, 'cause she had to go in for surgery the next day and wasn't able to make payment . . . too bad, but you know, we were opened earlier in the day . . .

[Special Patrol Group]

Arrrgg, I used to get this when I worked at a supermarket all the time. It was a stand alone store and we would lock all but one entrance which would be closed and have a security guard standing by it allowing staff to leave the store. On Sunday we close at 10pm rather than 12 which always creates trouble. Usually once people have been turned away but the security guard they complain once and then leave. One night at 10:30pm, when I have taken all the cash out of the tills and put it in the safe and logged off all the EFTPOS machines some dumb ass comes up and keeps yelling at the security guard to let him in. I walk to the doors with the other cashier (our shifts both ended half an hour ago!) and try to leave. Dumb Ass yells at us wanting to know why we wont let him buy one thing. I tell him there is no money in the draws, no EFTPOS and I'm the last cashier and I'm GOING HOME NOW, ALREADY 1/2 AN HOUR LATE.

Does Dumb Ass except this? No. Apparently I'm petty for not letting him shop. Seeing as I'm off the clock and the security guard doesn't give a damn I tell Dumb Ass the the store closed 1/2 an hour ago and I'm tired of people who can't tell the time and don't understand that NO MONEY IN THE TILLS MEANS NO SHOPPING. I inform him there is 24 hour supermarket 20 mins drive away and HE should stop his petty complaining and shop there.

He follows me and the other cashier our car yelling at us, we get in wave happily at him to piss him off as we go home I would have been scared except the security guard is pretty tough and would have no problem breaking the guys face if he laid a finger on me.

[CrazedClerk]

Arrrgg, I used to get this when I worked at a supermarket all the time. It was a stand alone store and we would lock all but one entrance which would be closed and have a security guard standing by it allowing staff to leave the store. On Sunday we close at 10pm rather than 12 which always creates trouble. Usually once people have been turned away but the security guard they complain once and then leave. One night at 10:30pm, when I have taken all the cash out of the tills and put it in the safe and logged off all the EFTPOS machines some dumb ass comes up and keeps yelling at the security guard to let him in. I walk to the doors with the other cashier (our shifts both ended half an hour ago!) and try to leave. Dumb Ass yells at us wanting to know why we wont let him buy one thing. I tell him there is no money in the draws, no EFTPOS and I'm the last cashier and I'm GOING HOME NOW, ALREADY 1/2 AN HOUR LATE.

Does Dumb Ass except this? No. Apparently I'm petty for not letting him shop. Seeing as I'm off the clock and the security guard doesn't give a damn I tell Dumb Ass the the store closed 1/2 an hour ago and I'm tired of people who can't tell the time and don't understand that NO MONEY IN THE TILLS MEANS NO SHOPPING. I inform him there is 24 hour supermarket 20 mins drive away and HE should stop his petty complaining and shop there.

He follows me and the other cashier our car yelling at us, we get in wave happily at him to piss him off as we go home I would have been scared except the security guard is pretty tough and would have no problem breaking the guys face if he laid a finger on me.

Man I wish I could get away with something like that.

[Becks]

SC: "buddy how long does it take to turn on a machine? My kid wants this game so bad for his birthday and he'll be disappointed if he doesn't get it."

OK, I'm ignoring the fact that he had ALL DAY to shop. Even though I'm considered spoiled, I never expected my birthday presents to be available the second I woke up. (That's what Christmas is for!!!!!!!!! ) Why can't Daddy think of that?

[batmoody]

When we close at 1am, all the doors get locked except one of the exit doors. That way, when am employee comes to work say at 2am (me!), we can get in by pulling back on the exit door to enter. Its those automatic doors, and not a super easy feat to open backwards, but at least we can get in. It amazes me that we will still get customers in the middle of the night, who will have had to enter the store this way, then when no one is there to ring them up, gets pissed about our poor customer service. Um, you came in the exit door, cuz the enter door was locked. It was a pain in the ass for you to come in the exit door, and the hours were posted right there. The best part about graveyard is not having to deal with customers! Don't ruin it for me!

[dispatch]

I worked at a supermarket for 2 christmas seasons, both of witch we posted our holidays hours a month ahead of time; close at 6:30 christmas eve, closed all day chirstmas day, open 7 am the day after. the first year we posted someone outside 15 min before closing to turn people away, SC after SC begged and pleaded to let them in to just get one thing they forgot, then once they got past him grabbed a cart and moseied on through the store, after observing this the manager came outside to tell the guy at the door to not let anyone through for anything.
I had been off at 6, but stayed because there was a bit of a rush and wanted to help clear things up so everyone could go home that much faster. it was 6:35 and I was waiting for my ride by the front doors and this lady would not let up!

Lady: please, I just need one thing and I'll be gone!

Supervisor: I'm sorry, we're closed

lady: but the doors are still open!

sup: because there are still customers and employees inside

lady: so why can't I go in?

Sup: because we're closed, if we keep letting people in we'll be here all night

lady: but it's christmas eve, can you-

me: exactly m'am, and we have families we'd like to go home to

lady: *hangs head and walks away

just about then a pickup truck pulled up to the curb

sup: *under his breath* oh great, what the hell is this?

me: chill out ken, that's my brother, merry christmas!

the following year we blocked off the entry door at 6 and had an off-duty police officer there turning people away, he had been working the store anyway that year because of shoplifting concerns, and as I left he was fending off pissed off SCs that seem to think we exist to serve the public need to buy milk at 2 for-the-price-of-one specials

[TruthHurts]

One of the things that annoyed me about closing up is when the person is across the street or parking lot and sees you locking up. They then start running towards the store as if they think if they can stop you from leaving you have to reopne for them

[blaubent]

Our store closes at 10 pm every single day. Pharmacy closes at 10 pm weekdays, 6 pm weekends.

10:30 on a Thursday. A woman comes up, bangs on the door. Can I let her in to get a prescription? No, I cannot. The pharmacy is closed and completely locked up. The store is locked up. The registers are locked up also. With that, she gives a look that can kill and walks off.

Normally, on the weekends, if the customers are pleasant and need their medications right away (OTC stuff or prescriptions that need to be dropped off and filled right away), I will refer them to our competitor down the street that is open 24/7. Other wise, I tell them to come back in the morning.

[friendofjimmyk]

People just don't understand that there is more to closing out a register than just turning it off and taking out the money. Tills are counted, credit sales matched, money is balanced...blah blah blah. We just don't turn the registered off, lock the drawer, and we're done for the evening.

My step-father and mother ran a retail kiosk in the mall and it would make me mad because he would gladly take sales after hours if we were still there because the business was so small he didn't want to turn down any sale. I understood this but it sends the wrong message that any store would do this.

[Amalthea]

Occasionally (with District Manager approval) my bookstore will close a little early due to a holiday. I think the day I'm thinking of was New Years Eve, we closed at 6 instead of 10. So we have signs up on the doors, at the customer service desk, on the doors to the bathrooms. So we've closed, and I'm recovering the store up near the front. This lady starts pounding on the doors. So I go up, point to the sign, and tell her we're closed. "I know" she tells me, "But I wanted to see if my kids were still in there." Okaaaaaay, the doors are locked, we're closed, but we're letting your kids continue to hang out because.... why?

[pbmods]

"I know" she tells me, "But I wanted to see if my kids were still in there."

Oooh. Lost something, lady? Hehe. I wonder if they're over here!

[Ryu]

heh, how bout at a movie theater
we close once the last movie of the night has been playing for 15 minutes
people STILL try to get in and buy tickets after we're closed
but you know if we allowed it theyd complain that the movie already started...

[Jester]

My step-father and mother ran a retail kiosk in the mall and it would make me mad because he would gladly take sales after hours if we were still there because the business was so small he didn't want to turn down any sale. I understood this but it sends the wrong message that any store would do this.

I disagree. The message this sends is that your stepfather is a really nice guy willing to do things above and beyond for his customers, not that this is something any store would do. Unfortunately, the SC's of the world don't get that message, the message that they are lucky with this one proprietor. No, they get the message that this is something all stores should do for them all the time. That being said, the SC's would have that attitude whether or not they encountered someone like your stepfather. The GOOD customers of the world, however, get it.

[Tito]

People just don't understand that there is more to closing out a register than just turning it off and taking out the money.

Exactly! I used to work the courtesy booth & when I had the closing shift, I would have to close out the cash drawers for the cashiers & myself, balance the check cashing drawer & change drawer, & the two lottery drawers. I would then run the closing report. Once the report is run, that is it until tomorrow. We would occasionally get someone who did not understand why we would not let them in & shop, but thankfully it was not that often.