Before I begin, I'd like to point out that I will hopefully be leaving the world of retail employment far behind me in about 4 months after I graduate from college, so any "Get a better job if you don't like it" comments can be preemptively avoided. I'm really only in it for the paycheck to get me through school, and then I'm out.
Now, as a customer, when I am walking into a store in the later hours of the evening, I always check to see what time said establishment will close. If I am walking in at, say, 8:50 and the store closes at 9:00 I'll quicken my pace and get what I need and get out. If I don't know exactly what I need, I'll simply leave and come back when I have more time.
Because the store closes at 9:00.
A lot of people don't seem to understand that concept. My store closes at 8:30. There is a sign by the front door noting out business hours. I frequently deal with people coming in literally 2 minutes before closing and either are "just looking" or want to engage in a lengthy transaction. For example, this happened just the other night at exactly 8:29. I even had the key out and was walking toward the door to lock it when this guy walks in...
Customer: Hi, I'd like a phone.
Me: Okay, what kind of phone? Home phone?
Customer: No, cell phone, I'd like to add a line.
Me: Oh...I don't know if we'll have time to do that tonight.
Customer: Oh, what time do you guys close?
Me: *Looks at watch* Actually in about 1 minute, at 8:30.
Customer: Well how long does it take?
Me: About 15-20 minutes.
Customer: Oh okay, well I'd like this phone here....
Me: *sigh*
Luckily, we were out of stock of the phone and sent him to another store (luckily for them, they were closed already). But what gets me is that if we had had the phone in stock he would have been just fine with keeping us there past our closing time.
To me, a closing time means that once that time has come and passed, we're no longer open for business. Granted, if a customer is in the store and ready to purchase, we won't kick them out and will ring them up. But for a lengthy process as adding a line to a cell phone plan, plus activating a new phone goes way beyond the 2-3 minute process of ringing somebody up. I simply can't understand why people are content with keeping a store open past their close time, effectively screwing up anything the employees there had for the night, not to mention costing the company more money. I'm pretty sure it has to do with people being selfish and not seeing store employees as people, too.
How do you all feel? If you know a store is about to close do you expedite your shopping or leave and plan to come back again at an earlier time? Or do you think that being forced to stay past closing is just part of a retail job, that those closing times are just a suggestion, and the employees shouldn't be so silly as to think they can have lives outside of work?
(If you answer in the latter, please stay the hell away from my store at or around 8:30pm)
Now, as a customer, when I am walking into a store in the later hours of the evening, I always check to see what time said establishment will close. If I am walking in at, say, 8:50 and the store closes at 9:00 I'll quicken my pace and get what I need and get out. If I don't know exactly what I need, I'll simply leave and come back when I have more time.
Because the store closes at 9:00.
A lot of people don't seem to understand that concept. My store closes at 8:30. There is a sign by the front door noting out business hours. I frequently deal with people coming in literally 2 minutes before closing and either are "just looking" or want to engage in a lengthy transaction. For example, this happened just the other night at exactly 8:29. I even had the key out and was walking toward the door to lock it when this guy walks in...
Customer: Hi, I'd like a phone.
Me: Okay, what kind of phone? Home phone?
Customer: No, cell phone, I'd like to add a line.
Me: Oh...I don't know if we'll have time to do that tonight.
Customer: Oh, what time do you guys close?
Me: *Looks at watch* Actually in about 1 minute, at 8:30.
Customer: Well how long does it take?
Me: About 15-20 minutes.
Customer: Oh okay, well I'd like this phone here....
Me: *sigh*
Luckily, we were out of stock of the phone and sent him to another store (luckily for them, they were closed already). But what gets me is that if we had had the phone in stock he would have been just fine with keeping us there past our closing time.
To me, a closing time means that once that time has come and passed, we're no longer open for business. Granted, if a customer is in the store and ready to purchase, we won't kick them out and will ring them up. But for a lengthy process as adding a line to a cell phone plan, plus activating a new phone goes way beyond the 2-3 minute process of ringing somebody up. I simply can't understand why people are content with keeping a store open past their close time, effectively screwing up anything the employees there had for the night, not to mention costing the company more money. I'm pretty sure it has to do with people being selfish and not seeing store employees as people, too.
How do you all feel? If you know a store is about to close do you expedite your shopping or leave and plan to come back again at an earlier time? Or do you think that being forced to stay past closing is just part of a retail job, that those closing times are just a suggestion, and the employees shouldn't be so silly as to think they can have lives outside of work?
(If you answer in the latter, please stay the hell away from my store at or around 8:30pm)
