"I'm sorry, I can't" "BUT BUT BUT BUT" (apologies for the length)

[Miss_Stress]

Hi all, this is only my second post here. I work in a store where everything is the same price (I know Head Office have their minions looking for any negative internet comments about the company, so I don't really want to say too much more about where I work) and on Sundays our business hours are the same as most stores in the UK: 10am-4pm.

I'd done 17 hours over the weekend: a 10 hour shift on Saturday, and a 7 hour shift on Sunday, so I was tired and wanted to go home. We shut the doors at 3 minutes to 4 on a Sunday, as required by Head Office, in order to make sure the tills are off and all customers are out by no later than 4:10. Under no circumstances must we let ANYONE in once we close the doors, in fact we will get at the very least a verbal warning if this occurs. Anyways, on to the story:

SC: Woman who I originally felt quite sorry for
Me: Poor overworked employee
AS: Awesome supervisor
CW: Co-workers

The doors had been closed for at least 5 minutes, and the last customers had been gone about that amount of time. One of my supervisors had taken the till off. It showed 4:04 on the till clock, and this woman came rushing up to the door. I opened it a tiny amount to tell her we were closed (a BIG mistake to make!)

Me: I'm sorry, we closed 5 minutes ago

SC: But I only want one thing! Look I'll give you the money! *tries to shove the money in my face*

Me: I'm sorry, I can't take the money now, we've closed and the tills are off

SC: But I've come all the way from *nearby town* just for this (I noticed she had several bags of shopping from our local family stores...interesting)

Me: I'm sorry, I can't

SC: But I only want one thing

Me: I'm sorry, I can't let you in

Repeat ad nauseum for about 5 minutes...it doesn't sound like a long time but I swear to God it is when you are arguing with somebody!

Me: Awesome supervisor, could you come here a moment?

SC: Look I only want one thing, are you all stupid or something?!

AS: I'm sorry, we closed at 4, the tills are off, there's nothing I can do

SC: But I came all the way from *town* (yes, this was all she seemed to say!)

AS: I can't let you in, our policy, and the law, is that we cannot trade after 4 o'clock. Our CCTV cameras are pointed right at this door, and if our Head Office see us letting you in after 4pm we'll be in serious trouble.

SC: I don't care, I only want one thing and I came all the way from *town*, now let me in so I can get it you worthless cow!

Us:

AS: As i have already explained to you (how she kept her cool is beyond me!) we cannot trade after 4 o'clock, and I cannot let any customers in once the doors are closed!

SC (with a rather snooty air, and without looking at a phone or watch): Well I don't make it 4 o'clock! (It was easily 10 past by this time)

CWs: It's well past 4 o'clock!

AS: I'm sorry, I can't let you in and I cannot take your money, you're more than welcome to come back tomorrow and buy it then.

AS then closed the door and went back to sorting out the ATM. Don't get me wrong, I originally felt sorry for the woman cos she missed closing by 5 minutes, but any sympathy I had for her was gone once she started being abusive and refusing to take no for an answer.

The kicker? She only wanted a Nintendo DS cover

[JLG]

I never open the door for a customer to tell them we are closed. First it is for safety and second for the situation you just described. When customers come to the door when we are closed I ignore them.

Do customers really think that saying rude and nasty stuff to us is gonna make us want to help them?

[Imogene]

Do customers really think that saying rude and nasty stuff to us is gonna make us want to help them?

They think they can embarrass us into doing their will...

[AtDIelement]

Gotta love customer standard time.

[QASlave]

Do customers really think that saying rude and nasty stuff to us is gonna make us want to help them?

Of course it does, you will bend to their will because you are their servant and they couldn't give a flying @#$@ about the rules!

[ShadowTiger]

SC: Look I only want one thing, are you all stupid or something?!

Ah, you're right. I guess I am too stupid to open this door to make a sale. Ciao! *Walks away*

Seriously, once the insults start flying, I just walk away.



I remember closing one evening, and I was assigned to watch the doors to ensure nobody entered. Who is the first person I see? Why, none other than my first grade teacher that I really missed, waaay back in the day. And what's in her hands? A very heavy, clearly broken piece of equipment.

"PLEEEAASE, just let me in so I can give this back! It's sooo heavy! ;_; "

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you in. We're already closed. "

"PLEASE!! So heavy!!"

" ;_; "


Good god. I'm relieved that she didn't recognize me. It was agony to see such a sweet woman holding that and holding that, but the doors were locked. I was only there to let people know the store was closed, because the lights were on (To count the tills) and people were still milling about (Workers with no vests on, cleaning the store, picking up items, etc.)

[vstorevigilante]

I never open the door for a customer to tell them we are closed. First it is for safety and second for the situation you just described. When customers come to the door when we are closed I ignore them.

At the Evil Empire I'd be standing at box office at 5:55pm (we openeded at 6), people would be gathered in the porches, main doors locked. Some would stand there and wait for us to open the door, no big deal, but most would shake them and rattle them (they were glass) as if that would unlock them I was literally 6 feet away, and I wouldn't make eyecontact, wouldn't look up, completely ignored them. If they started yelling, I'd hold up 6 fingers, mouth, "We open at six," and look away again.

[Sapphire Silk]

At the Evil Empire I'd be standing at box office at 5:55pm (we openeded at 6), people would be gathered in the porches, main doors locked. Some would stand there and wait for us to open the door, no big deal, but most would shake them and rattle them (they were glass) as if that would unlock them I was literally 6 feet away, and I wouldn't make eyecontact, wouldn't look up, completely ignored them. If they started yelling, I'd hold up 6 fingers, mouth, "We open at six," and look away again.

Hmm. As a customer, I'll confess I got a bit irritated by storeworkers who've done this to me.

When CompUSA was still in business, I stopped by to pick up something I needed to fix my Dad's computer. It was a sale day. I got there a bit early, and waited patiently (I knew the doors would not open early). What irritated me was the store manager lined up the crew for a pep talk right in front of the store doors and talked on and on for fifteen minutes past opening. If I'd had the time to go elsewhere, I would have (nearest similar store would have taken more time than waiting or so I thought).

Another customer tried the rap on the door routine and was blatantly ignored.

I get what you're saying, but 15 minutes past opening is a bit much.

[vstorevigilante]

I get what you're saying, but 15 minutes past opening is a bit much.

Oh, I completely agree with you there. I'd only ignore them before 6, if it was even a minute after and the doors hadn't opened, I'd apologize profusely when they were opened. There's no excuse to keep them waiting. But if it was before opening, and the sign clearly stated the time we opened, I wouldn't give them the time of day.

[bsaana]

At the Evil Empire I'd be standing at box office at 5:55pm (we openeded at 6), people would be gathered in the porches, main doors locked. Some would stand there and wait for us to open the door, no big deal, but most would shake them and rattle them (they were glass) as if that would unlock them I was literally 6 feet away, and I wouldn't make eyecontact, wouldn't look up, completely ignored them. If they started yelling, I'd hold up 6 fingers, mouth, "We open at six," and look away again.

The doors at the place I worked at were tinted - we could see out but they could barely see in. I used to love watching them pull on the doors, look at the posted hours, look at their watch and repeat it all again. I was able to do this both at open and close on different days.

After they built a new facility the doors weren't tinted, and we opened at 10am on Sundays. There was the remainder of a bowling tourney setup by a manager that started when we opened. I was the only person scheduled until 1PM, people showed up early wanting in - I of course said no and told them if they have complaints go to the main office. I had to prep everything, including run the lane conditioning machine otherwise said idiots for the tourney would again complain that the lanes were not ready. There was couple that were really nice I let in the back way that helped with the preparations for starting it up. I only let them in because they were very nice people, and even though they did not work there they helped me complete the setup. I forget how well they did in the tourney as its been about 5 years now.

Edit - We would get in big trouble for closing anything even 15 seconds early.

[wolfie]

Some years back, I was shopping with a friend at Canadian Tire on Christmas Eve, and a "just need one thing" person was turned away at the door. The kicker - he had identified the item he needed (a 40 amp cartridge fuse). Without the fuse, he wouldn't be able to use the oven to cook his Christmas turkey.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Ah, yes, I've related many stories about these "clock vultures." From the guy I eventually had to tell "It doesn't matter if you want one thing or one hundred, we're closed" to the asshole that THREE times showed up on a Sunday when we were closing an hour earlier for Inventory or a Employee-only Event.

Fortunately, though, on days when the store is closing early, they'll station two people at the front door to drive away clock vultures, and often have a manager handy in case Suck rears its head and demands one at which to rant.