What part of "EMPLOYEES ONLY" do you not understand??

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

From the games store

I had just finished helping a customer, and I turned around and what do I see? A customer standing BEHIND THE COUNTER, looking through the games!

Me: Hey! That's employees only, you can't be in there!

SC: It wasn't marked or nothin, I was just looking to see what you had.

Me: Sir clearly the area BEHIND THE COUNTER is generally reserved for employees. Please get out of there.

SC: Ok, sorry man. *saunters off*

From Wally World

I am standing in the stockroom talking to a coworker a good 30 feet or so from the doors when this guy (not in uniform) approaches us.

Me: Sir do you work here?

SC: No I was looking for Jesse. He's taking too long.

Me: Excuse me?

SC: Some guy named Jesse said he had to go back here to look for something I need but that was 5 minutes ago and I'm sick of waiting so I decided to check up on him to see what's taking so long.

Me: Sir this area is employees only, you can't come in here.

SC: Oh... *just stands there*

Me: *gives WTF glance to coworker* Sir you have to LEAVE. now."

SC: "Ok, ok, but tell Jesse to hurry up!"

From the store I'm at now

I had to to do some repair work on this guys cellphone, I have a work counter and on the outside edge of the counter is a big EMPLOYEES ONLY sign so customers are expected to remain at the front of the counter at all times.

This one lady decides to FOLLOW me right back in there behind the desk!

Me: Excuse me ma'am, this area is employees only, please go back over there.

SC: Oh I'm sorry, I didn't see a sign or anything.

Of course you didn't, types you NEVER do. Even when I'm in restricted areas I STILL get SCs! There's no escaping them.

[powerboy]

Had that type of idiot at Office Max. I was helping a customer, when I had to go in back to check on something. The customer followed me to the back. Said something her not trusting me on actually checking.

[smileyeagle1021]

Oh I've gotten that at the hotel a few times... mainly in the morning... the breakfast isn't served until 6am, however, between 4 and 4:30 I'll usually set up the juice and coffee for the people going to the airport early figuring that will be enough to wake them up, then they can get breakfast at the airport... nope at least once a week (remember I only work 2 overnights) some idiot will go back in the kitchen, look around, come up to the desk and ask why everything is locked up back there... maybe it has to do with the fact that we know that no one knows how to read employees only.

[Samaliel]

maybe it has to do with the fact that we know that no one knows how to read employees only.

Come on... You and I both know they are only a very select few... Like the Darwin Awards candidates.

[LambChop]

maybe it has to do with the fact that we know that no one knows how to read.

Fixed it.

[scroob]

hate to play the sc-advocate, but i think the 1st guy may have been genuinely confused. if there is no sign, as you clearly say there wasn't, he had reason to be confused. also, it doesn't seem he was that rude. as far as the others, i totally agree. however, cut the first guy some slack.

[smileyeagle1021]

Fixed it.

oh no, they can read... they can read the reg card when we screw up and forget to "no post" the 3rd party rate... then bitch because they paid more than that... yeah, that's because the 3rd parties are in it to make money... oh and we charge them less than we do guests because they have a negotiated rate for 2 reasons, one they book so many rooms with us, and second, the big one, THEY PROVIDE FREE ADVERTISING for us (well free other than the lower rate they pay).
So, if it will help them be SCs they can read.

[Evil Queen]

Speaking of employees only... There was a little girl at the hotel last night that was trying to figure out the code on the electronic lock that's on the office door. You know, the one that leads to the Employee Only section of the front desk?

The little girl, after several attempts, figured out the door but I was already at the door. I figured it was one of my Boss's kids (K has three boys). Gee, they must be chasing each other around and in their hurry, can't input the code properly. This is a typical thing fo rthem so I fulled opened the door. To see a little girl instead.

Me:
LG: How do you open this door?
Me: You don't. What's your name?
LG: <gives name>
Me: You don't work here, so please leave the door alone and go back to your room.

She looked like I hit her, said okay and left. I told K when he walked through the door a minute later that we need to change the code on it. It's too easy to figure out. (6 buttons with a code that's only 3 numbers long. Yeah....)

[Kitten in the box]

I had one time I was on break and some customer came in the backroom to see if we had any backstock of and item we were sold out on. (keep in mind we are sold out of it and had no backstock.) K-Kitty (me)
SC-Stupid/sucky customer

K:*after sc walks into back room* You can't be in here ma'am. Employees open
Sc:*giving dont gaive a damn look* You gots any so and so (insert product here)
K: No we don't. But I need to ask to leave. Employees only
Sc*resuming dont give a damn look* You sure....? And WHY can't I be back here? I am a customer.
K: yes I know that...butwe don't want you to get hurt on our equipment...we are in the middle of a changeover back here and we don't want to see you land in the hsopital. (see * below)
Sc:Oh, I see. I understand. Why the hell don't you just tell your customers that WE DON'T WANT TO BE BOTHERED TO PAY YOUR F*CKIN' HOSPITAL BILL??! I FIND THAT WRONG *she leaves in a huff.

*translation* We don't want to be stuck footing your hospital bill if you are stupid enough to get hurt back here...hence the Employees Only sign*

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

K:*after sc walks into back room* You can't be in here ma'am. Employees open
Sc:*giving dont gaive a damn look* You gots any so and so (insert product here)
K: No we don't. But I need to ask to leave. Employees only
Sc*resuming dont give a damn look* You sure....? And WHY can't I be back here? I am a customer.
K: yes I know that...butwe don't want you to get hurt on our equipment...we are in the middle of a changeover back here and we don't want to see you land in the hsopital. (see * below)
Sc:Oh, I see. I understand. Why the hell don't you just tell your customers that WE DON'T WANT TO BE BOTHERED TO PAY YOUR F*CKIN' HOSPITAL BILL??! I FIND THAT WRONG *she leaves in a huff.

I have a mental image of that person wandering around the backroom muttering "Must hurt self...."

Our backroom is teeming with merchandise that could fall at a moment's notice and machinery like forklifts and balers capable of causing injury or death. Those 'employees only" signs are up for a reason and if you come barging into my backroom asking for help, I'm just going to tell you to get out.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

hate to play the sc-advocate, but i think the 1st guy may have been genuinely confused. if there is no sign, as you clearly say there wasn't, he had reason to be confused. also, it doesn't seem he was that rude. as far as the others, i totally agree. however, cut the first guy some slack.

There shouldn't have to be a sign to tell customers to NOT go in behind where the registers are.

[Can I have a cheeseburger]

Our breakroom is upstairs, and the door to the staircase to get upstairs is near the public washroom. Occasionally we will get an elderly customer come into the breakroom asking where the washrooms are. The washrooms are clearly marked, and the door to the stairs up to the breakroom says Employees Only!

That breakroom is our area to b*tch and complain about customers. We don't want them in there!

[Imogene]

There shouldn't have to be a sign to tell customers to NOT go in behind where the registers are.

One warning, ONE, then you get socked in the face for possible thievery.

[KhirasHY]

This crap happens all the times in my hotel...it's one of the few things that tries my usually inexhaustible amounts of patience. The usual flow of these conversations is something like this.

Me: Sir/Ma'am?
SC: Yes?
Me: Are you an employee?
SC: No, I'm staying here/using the restaurant/drinking at the bar.
Me: This area is off-limits to guests, you need to return to the lobby.
SC: Why? There's nothing dangerous back here.
Me: This is an employee area, please come with me back to the lobby.
SC: What's the big deal?
Me: (Khiras is getting upset) Sir/Ma'am, you are trespassing in this area. I am asking one last time, nicely, will you come with me out of this area, now?
SC: I don't think this place should be off-limits, the painting is nice (see * below)
Me: (Khiras is now upset) Sir/Ma'am. OUT! (At this point, I point to the door and herd them, forcibly, out of the area)

*We had a mural painted by one of our employees in the back area...it is very nice, but it's ours, so bugger off.

The sad part is that, when I shout "OUT!" they always seem so startled as if the idea that they were in a bad place hadn't occurred to them before.

Edit: Just remembered a fun one...

We were searching for a guest's missing boyfriend. They had been drinking, had a small argument, and he had vanished hours before, and they were worried...at 4am in downtown Denver, I can't blame them. Anyway, we get a description, and keep an eye out for him so we can send him back to his room where he belongs, it's no big deal...I have to do this every now and then, and it's a way to pass the time. About 45 minutes go by, and we find Mr. Drunk...in a back hallway on our meeting room floors. He's not just wandering, he's gotten into the liquor cooler, which was left open by one of the bar managers. He hasn't drunk anything yet, but he's carrying a case of beer, and he has stolen a banquet cart, loaded up with:

1 "air wall" tool that extends the false "walls" to divide up parts of our meeting rooms
1 case of tools belonging to an engineer working near by (approx. value, $1850 all together)
1 pair of pants...owner unknown, since the drunk guy still had his, and they were the wrong size (we never figured this one out)

He was extra fun to have arrested since, as we were arresting him, I got to call his girlfriend and relay to her that he was going to spend the night with Denver Police for stealing so much crap from us. That was a fun conversation!

[mattm04]

I had one of those today. I work in supermarket bakery. Not the front is nice white tile floors, etc, the back room has a brown spray on epoxy floor, stainless work tables, ovens, boxes, knives, etc. It is only access bale by 1 entrance wide enough for a pallet. I was in the freezer (to get to said freezer you must go thru entry area about 5 feet behind counter to get to the door) and I was humid out. Being humid the windows on the doors to keep the cold air in had frosted up. I am carrying two heavy boxes out and a customer walks in the freezer. One box slid and hid the SC in the face...

SC: wha tthe hell did you hit me for!?
Me: Ma'am get out of the back room and on the sales floor.
SC: I was in th back room? Why did you hit me?
Me: ma'am leave the back room NOW! *sc leaves*
SC: You were rude! Can you please call a manager.
Me: I have to because you were ht by a box in the back room.

I pick op the phone, hit page "I need a manager in the bakeshop immideatley. manager to the bakeshop immmideatley!"

EVERY manager arrives, two talked to the SC, who changed her story and the other talks to me. They call LP who has the whole thing on tape. The I get to spend a hour in the office filling out a report because our customers are stupid.