The Customer Who Wouldn't Leave

[purplecat41877]

Today, the produce employee mentioned to my service desk coworker that the last customer of the day wouldn't leave. From what I heard, the conversation went something like this.

Produce Employee: We're closing now.

Customer: Don't rush me!

Produce Employee: We're trying not to go into overtime.

Customer: I don't care!

Also, the closing checker needed to leave at closing so she wouldn't get in trouble. The reason for that was because she was a minor.

[mattm04]

Ah, the old "The World Revolves Around meeeeeeeee and meeeee only!!!!" people. I hate them.

[EricKei]

20 bucks says that customer showed up less than 20 minutes before closing...

[Mr Hero]

This sounds like a title for a B grade horror flick. I'd go see it if it were made.

[Tito]

Don't you wish you knew where their place of business was, so you could go pull that on them at closing time? I know that would be stooping to their level, but at least they would find out what it's like.

Agreed, I used to hate people like that back in the day! It's like they think that retail workers have no life outside of work, they live to cater to the customer & that's it.

[GiftShopGirl]

That's when you shut down the registers and start closing up shop. When the customer comes up with a full cart of groceries, just say, "Sorry, we're closed. We told you about this 20 minutes ago". You know they won't do it again, and they'll pay more attention next time.

That's what I do in my gift shop. People just won't leave, even after all the closing announcements and turning the lights off around them. When they finally deign to come to the registers with their items, it's already cashed out and the deposit is made. We're ready to go, and we're not opening back up for one purchase. We've had a lot less people sticking around since we took up this policy.

[Pagan]

20 bucks says that customer showed up less than 20 minutes before closing...

I don't take sucker bets.

Agreed, I used to hate people like that back in the day! It's like they think that retail workers have no life outside of work, they live to cater to the customer & that's it.

Didn't you know that we're automatons?

[TravisRB69]

grumble grumble grumble How am I supposed to know the hours even though I've been a regular here for 30 years? I'm spending money, I should be entitled to stay as late as I want! grumble grumble grumble

[draco664]

That's when you shut down the registers and start closing up shop. When the customer comes up with a full cart of groceries, just say, "Sorry, we're closed. We told you about this 20 minutes ago". You know they won't do it again, and they'll pay more attention next time.

Nice. I'd be tempted to try doubling the price of their purchase to cover the 'double-time' required to pay the cashier.

[RestaurantDude]

Had similar happen at work last night. Customers walk in at around 8.45pm, knowing that we stop serving at 9 and try to get everyone out my 9.30. At 10pm they were still there. We asked them, nicely, to leave, as they ad payed the check and were just chatting.

SC: Why should we have to go?
Me: Well, we closed an hour ago, and the owner want's to lock up. (mind you, i need to work the very next morning)
SC: Not our problem.

... fast forward to 10.20pm, the owner had to come down & get them out.

[EricKei]

No, that is their problem. They know when you close, they made you stay open later and are actively costing the place money.

Alternatively, charge them for the extra labor (for ALL people on the clock at that time), electricity, A/C, etc required due to their presence. Minimum of one hour's worth of each charged.

[Bunny the Veggie Slayer]

One of the latest upgrades to my stores tills gives us a great excuse. To save electricity the back office system turns off the power to the tills 5minites after our official closing time.

So I make a point of letting stragglers know.

I don't tell them that we can overide it though

[Lace Neil Singer]

At the garden centre where I used to work, we used to turn off the lights at the back of the store to herd customers to the front. XD Worked every time, even if they were only going to the front to whinge about the lights being switched off.