What does "Closed" mean to you?

[Tiberius Jim]

Man, this thread is pretty good. Someone should, if not already have, started a "Stoopid Customers" thread...

As long as we can start a 'Stoopid Retail Employees' thread.

I find all the complaints in here funny. You guys do realize that life is like this for everyone, right?

Do you think it matters to my bosses and higher ups (military Cols and Commanders) that I'm off work at 3:30PM? Does that stop them from calling or emailing with last minute requests? Or having meetings that run past 3:30? Heck, even my own employees do that crap to me! They all know I go home at 3:30, but that doesn't stop the endless 'Hey, Alpinemaps, before you leave', as I walk down the hallway, trying to leave.

I joke constantly with Mrs. Alpinemaps that I need to install a secret entrance to my office, so my staff doesn't see me come and go. Then maybe I'd actually leave on time.

Yeah, but I'll bet you make more than 8 bucks an hour.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I was having a pretty good night tonight. I waited on this table, everything was great, they paid with a credit card.

Which brings up a point. Why doesn't anybody know how a goddamn credit card slip works? Okay. There are three blank spaces after the total. One for gratuity. One for the grand total. And a line to sign. Simple enough. In the gratuity line, you write how much you would like to leave. In the grand total line, you add the gratuity to the first total to receive what is known as the "grand total." Then, you sign your name.

People fuck this shit up all the time. They write in a gratuity, don't total it, sign. Or, they add gratuity, total it, and DON'T sign.

Anywho, back to the table. After giving great service (and being told the same), I go back to the table, collect the credit card slip. It's blank. I look at the itemized receipt we put in when we drop the bill off. At Ruby Tuesday, at the very bottom, it gives tip calculations, on 15%, 18% and 20%, just for those who don't want to pull out a calculator. Well, these people have circled the 18% line. Which would've been a decent tip HAD IT BEEN WRITTEN ON THE CREDIT CARD SLIP. So, I didn't get the tip, just because they couldn't be bothered to write and total and sign the damned slip

 

[SicOne]

Man, this thread is pretty good. Someone should, if not already have, started a "Stoopid Customers" thread...

As long as we can start a 'Stoopid Retail Employees' thread.

Yeah. Yeah! YEAH!!!

Let's do "Stoopid Customers", "Stoopid Employees", and "Stoopid Managers" threads!

Though I strongly suspect the Managers thread would skyrocket...

 

[TheLonelySquire]

"Why is it so dark in here?" asks one of the...I hate to say blondes, but yes she was. I control my twitching brow and reply firmly that it's because we've been closed for 40 minutes now. "You have?" she says followed by "Oh yeah the door is closed! Why didn't you say anything?" I cooly reply. "I did. Repeatedly." "Oh my I didn't notice!" At this point I just want to scream at her but trough an incredibly amount of self control I simply say "Would...*sigh*...there be anything else?" "No thanks, bye!" "Good evening." I end with as the pass out the door. I lock it behind them, wait until they're in their cars and are driving away before I let out a scream of anger so as to not smash anything.

Was she hot?

 

[Emher]

No, way too much makeup.

 

[CaptainStoner]

When you work in a service industry, there are just some things you have to suck up and deal with. I have always been friendly and efficient whenever I have had to deal with a last minute thing. If you close at 9 and someone comes in at 8:59, they still deserve to get your time and attention. Without the customer, you have no livelyhood and being rude because you want to go home is simply unforgivable if you want to hold onto your customer and keep them coming back. I realised that very quickly as I started my own business. I have customers that keep coming back and hiring me again and again because they are made to feel that I always give them the time and attention they need. When it affects your bottom line as directly as it does to me, you can't afford to be lazy and belligerent. Are the customers being ignorant?? Sure, sometimes they are and it doesn't hurt to politely explain the rules and the hours of business. If you treat them with patience and respect, they will come back. If you are whiney and bitchy, they won't. The math isn't too hard. If you choose to work in a service industry, or any company where you are dealing with customers, that's just the way it is. Don't like it?? The world can always use another ditch digger. You need to learn to choose your battles and look at the bigger picture.

I tend to agree, but your perspective as a business owner is very, very different from some clerk who has no real stake in the business, only works there for rent, etc.
I had this kind of thing last night, where a clerk at a supermarket points out to me her light is off, she's closed. Ok, so I take the other line, which now has 6 people in it. That's not how you operate if you give a shit about your business, I end up musing, but of course, these are just peons in a corporation. Lifers, actually.

In some ways this really touches on the problems of having big corporations, Wal-mart etc., destroy small businesses. You go from a small business with a dedicated owner to a Wal-mart where no one gives a shit.

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah! Fuck that girl for being off and going to do her break, or count down her drawer so she can go home! She should just stand there and serve customers until they stop coming!



If she helped you then someone would've came up behind YOU to get helped -as they'd think she was open. Using your logic she couldn't tell that person either that she's done. So, in theory, she'd never get to be done to go home, count-down, or even go to -horror of horrors- sit down for 15 minutes with a can of soda and a Clark bar, until there happened to be a lull in customer traffic. And her not going to break would throw everyone else off.

Her lane was closed, deal with it and stand in the other line. And it's also likely she was TOLD to close her lane by the front-end manager. Because it's HIS responsibility to get employees out on time, to limit over time, and to make sure she has time to count-down her drawer (assuming they're on a system that requires that.)

You're not the center of the universe. No single customer is. There's a such thing as "other people" and sometimes that other person is someone who's been on their feet for the bulk of the last eight hours doing tedious work, putting up with a good deal of crap (the stories I hear from our front end guys, man) and she wants to go home. Her lane was closed. It has to happen sometime and that means someone has to be turned away.

 

[doubleohfive]

You're not the center of the universe.

May I sig this? Pretty please?

 

[Trekker4747]

You're not the center of the universe.

May I sig this? Pretty please?

Doubleoh, you of all peope don't have to ask me for anything.

 

[SeerSGB]

Yeah! Fuck that girl for being off and going to do her break, or count down her drawer so she can go home! She should just stand there and serve customers until they stop coming!



If she helped you then someone would've came up behind YOU to get helped -as they'd think she was open. Using your logic she couldn't tell that person either that she's done. So, in theory, she'd never get to be done to go home, count-down, or even go to -horror of horrors- sit down for 15 minutes with a can of soda and a Clark bar, until there happened to be a lull in customer traffic. And her not going to break would throw everyone else off.

Her lane was closed, deal with it and stand in the other line. And it's also likely she was TOLD to close her lane by the front-end manager. Because it's HIS responsibility to get employees out on time, to limit over time, and to make sure she has time to count-down her drawer (assuming they're on a system that requires that.)

You're not the center of the universe. No single customer is. There's a such thing as "other people" and sometimes that other person is someone who's been on their feet for the bulk of the last eight hours doing tedious work, putting up with a good deal of crap (the stories I hear from our front end guys, man) and she wants to go home. Her lane was closed. It has to happen sometime and that means someone has to be turned away.

Front end sucks ass.

Working for Krogers in Highschool-- and couple times after-- I have:

-- Broke my fingers in a customer's truck tailgate and been "laid off" for filing a insurance claim

-- Actually clipped by a customer's car, cause she forgot I was loading her groceries and just put the care in gear. (I could make a dumb blonde joke considering it was a 20th something blonde driving a t-bird, but I won't)

-- Shoved around by a pissed off boyfriend that thought that I was maknig a pass at his girlfriend Only to have him call the store and claim I decked him (not true, I just flipped him off and walked back inside and told my CSM what had happened) and he wanted me fired.

-- Various sun and sundry stupidity from customers and them not knowing that food spoils.

-- A woman that brought a lawyer and threatened to sue cause she used tuna flavored cat food in her Tuna Helper. Her argument that we [the store] should keep pet food in a different isle and clearly mark it as pet food.

-- Graveyard shift, it's true the freaks do come out and night and they go Krogering.

And on the company end: A front-end CSM that had a stop watch that would time how long it took for you ring up and/or bang each customer. And would march along the front end calling out your name and berating. "<cashier/bagger name> you're taking to long! I don't pay you be a lazy piece of shit! Pick it up, Pick it up, Pick It Up". He actually ran off a cashier by making them apology for taking longer than 3 minutes to ring up 4 buggies of merchandise. He ended up getting fired cause the DM was visiting one day and was running a register during a busy weekend and idiot didn't recongnize him and he pulled his crap on the DM. Bye, bye, CSM.

 

[Trekker4747]

And on the company end: A front-end CSM that had a stop watch that would time how long it took for you ring up and/or bang each customer.

Interesting grocery store.

Part front-end manager, part abusive pimp.

"Your ass is MINE! You ring them up, you top them off and move on to the next one! I'm not paying you to give them foreplay!"

 

[SeerSGB]

And on the company end: A front-end CSM that had a stop watch that would time how long it took for you ring up and/or bang each customer. QUOTE]

Interesting grocery store.

Part front-end manager, part abusive pimp.

"Your ass is MINE! You ring them up, you top them off and move on to the next one! I'm not paying you to give them foreplay!"

IRC, he was supposed to some sort of ex drill sargenant or some such. Either way he was a dick that didn't last too long. I wish I could say he was the only CSM I knew that was like that: Shut up, ring 'em up, and get 'em out the door, next!"

I was working on comission at a store once and that means chit-chatting customers, and I got called down for spending to much time with a customer: Fine, I sold nearly $2000 in merchandise (appliances and various add-ons and warranties), I took to long (20 minutes) to do it.

 

[NickInABox]

As a customer, I am offended by this thread. Hahhahaha

 

[TheLonelySquire]

Yeah! Fuck that girl for being off and going to do her break, or count down her drawer so she can go home! She should just stand there and serve customers until they stop coming!



If she helped you then someone would've came up behind YOU to get helped -as they'd think she was open. Using your logic she couldn't tell that person either that she's done. So, in theory, she'd never get to be done to go home, count-down, or even go to -horror of horrors- sit down for 15 minutes with a can of soda and a Clark bar, until there happened to be a lull in customer traffic. And her not going to break would throw everyone else off.

Her lane was closed, deal with it and stand in the other line. And it's also likely she was TOLD to close her lane by the front-end manager. Because it's HIS responsibility to get employees out on time, to limit over time, and to make sure she has time to count-down her drawer (assuming they're on a system that requires that.)

You're not the center of the universe. No single customer is. There's a such thing as "other people" and sometimes that other person is someone who's been on their feet for the bulk of the last eight hours doing tedious work, putting up with a good deal of crap (the stories I hear from our front end guys, man) and she wants to go home. Her lane was closed. It has to happen sometime and that means someone has to be turned away.

This is starting to get silly. If management has a policy that says a customer that gets in the door before a specific time gets served, then you serve them. If your store has a policy that you don't have to, then there you go.

Whatever the policy is you follow it. If you or another clerk accepts a retail position you are bound by that policy. Why is this so difficult?

 

[SeerSGB]

Yeah! Fuck that girl for being off and going to do her break, or count down her drawer so she can go home! She should just stand there and serve customers until they stop coming!



If she helped you then someone would've came up behind YOU to get helped -as they'd think she was open. Using your logic she couldn't tell that person either that she's done. So, in theory, she'd never get to be done to go home, count-down, or even go to -horror of horrors- sit down for 15 minutes with a can of soda and a Clark bar, until there happened to be a lull in customer traffic. And her not going to break would throw everyone else off.

Her lane was closed, deal with it and stand in the other line. And it's also likely she was TOLD to close her lane by the front-end manager. Because it's HIS responsibility to get employees out on time, to limit over time, and to make sure she has time to count-down her drawer (assuming they're on a system that requires that.)

You're not the center of the universe. No single customer is. There's a such thing as "other people" and sometimes that other person is someone who's been on their feet for the bulk of the last eight hours doing tedious work, putting up with a good deal of crap (the stories I hear from our front end guys, man) and she wants to go home. Her lane was closed. It has to happen sometime and that means someone has to be turned away.

This is starting to get silly. If management has a policy that says a customer that gets in the door before a specific time gets served, then you serve them. If your store has a policy that you don't have to, then there you go.

Whatever the policy is you follow it. If you or another clerk accepts a retail position you are bound by that policy. Why is this so difficult?

Fine tell that to the a-hole customers that through a tantrum when you tell them you can't serve them cause of policy

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah! Fuck that girl for being off and going to do her break, or count down her drawer so she can go home! She should just stand there and serve customers until they stop coming!



If she helped you then someone would've came up behind YOU to get helped -as they'd think she was open. Using your logic she couldn't tell that person either that she's done. So, in theory, she'd never get to be done to go home, count-down, or even go to -horror of horrors- sit down for 15 minutes with a can of soda and a Clark bar, until there happened to be a lull in customer traffic. And her not going to break would throw everyone else off.

Her lane was closed, deal with it and stand in the other line. And it's also likely she was TOLD to close her lane by the front-end manager. Because it's HIS responsibility to get employees out on time, to limit over time, and to make sure she has time to count-down her drawer (assuming they're on a system that requires that.)

You're not the center of the universe. No single customer is. There's a such thing as "other people" and sometimes that other person is someone who's been on their feet for the bulk of the last eight hours doing tedious work, putting up with a good deal of crap (the stories I hear from our front end guys, man) and she wants to go home. Her lane was closed. It has to happen sometime and that means someone has to be turned away.

This is starting to get silly. If management has a policy that says a customer that gets in the door before a specific time gets served, then you serve them. If your store has a policy that you don't have to, then there you go.

Whatever the policy is you follow it. If you or another clerk accepts a retail position you are bound by that policy. Why is this so difficult?

Is your skull made of osmium?

If someone "comes in the door before a specific time" they WILL get served. The argument is that those customers are arrogant, self-centered and oblivious to the concept that those working in the establishment are people too and may be delayed or put-off by their last-minute shopping.

I say again, I spent 45-minutes after work once to help a customer who came in at the "last minute." 45-minutes that I could've spent at home relaxing before being back-in at work eight hours later. I did it because, yeah, it's my job to give the customer the best service possible. But it is STILL annoying that that customer came in at the last possible minute, had me dirty equipment and go through a huge pain in the ass ordeal because they couldn't shop during more regular business hours.

And as I said in my post above a closed check-lane is another enitity entirely. For some checkers there's a 30 minute process of counting the drawer, there's also other lines that that customer can go in. If a checker just helped people until no more came in their line they'd never leave on time because people would just keep coming.

This isn't about not wanting to help people, this is about people (customers) not being aware that service employees are people too and that they want to go home on time and walking in the door five minutes before close and wandering around a store picking your nose before leaving without buying anything isn't doing anyone any favors and just delaying someone from getting to go home. Likely STILL some time after the customer has left to do closing duties.

We've seen people post here about dining customers who've hug out as the last diners well after employees have cleaned up and are just sitting there watching people drink, chat, and take up space. It's a restaurant, not your living room. Sitting there is delaying people from finishing their work and going home.

Stop and think about other people once in a while. If you walk in to a store five-til-close just dilly-dally around -or to go into a complicated procedure of setting up a phone- you're delaying the end of someone's day. Yeah, every job has these hang-ups and I willing to be that those people don't smile and think it's great to have to work longer than scheduled. They're probably annoyed too.

It just happens in office jobs it happens because a boss is an asshole with no understanding of employees' needs and desires to go home, or in the case of medical profession sudden emergencies/accident.

In my line it work? It happens because people are self-centered assholes.

 

[Saturn0660]

When you work in a service industry, there are just some things you have to suck up and deal with. I have always been friendly and efficient whenever I have had to deal with a last minute thing. If you close at 9 and someone comes in at 8:59, they still deserve to get your time and attention. Without the customer, you have no livelyhood and being rude because you want to go home is simply unforgivable if you want to hold onto your customer and keep them coming back. I realised that very quickly as I started my own business. I have customers that keep coming back and hiring me again and again because they are made to feel that I always give them the time and attention they need. When it affects your bottom line as directly as it does to me, you can't afford to be lazy and belligerent. Are the customers being ignorant?? Sure, sometimes they are and it doesn't hurt to politely explain the rules and the hours of business. If you treat them with patience and respect, they will come back. If you are whiney and bitchy, they won't. The math isn't too hard. If you choose to work in a service industry, or any company where you are dealing with customers, that's just the way it is. Don't like it?? The world can always use another ditch digger. You need to learn to choose your battles and look at the bigger picture.

In some ways this really touches on the problems of having big corporations, Wal-mart etc., destroy small businesses.

I'll call bullshit on that one. I'll tell you why it seems that why. I live in a small town and I live near downtown. You know what time downtown closes? 5PM sharp. So, me who has a job and needs to buy something CAN'T go downtown and buy anything cuz it's all closed. Oh, weekends you say??
Sure as long at i'm there by noon. Forget Sun it's all closed up.


THATS why walmart destroys small stores.. The small stores are not open when I need them open.

 

[TheLonelySquire]

Yeah! Fuck that girl for being off and going to do her break, or count down her drawer so she can go home! She should just stand there and serve customers until they stop coming!



If she helped you then someone would've came up behind YOU to get helped -as they'd think she was open. Using your logic she couldn't tell that person either that she's done. So, in theory, she'd never get to be done to go home, count-down, or even go to -horror of horrors- sit down for 15 minutes with a can of soda and a Clark bar, until there happened to be a lull in customer traffic. And her not going to break would throw everyone else off.

Her lane was closed, deal with it and stand in the other line. And it's also likely she was TOLD to close her lane by the front-end manager. Because it's HIS responsibility to get employees out on time, to limit over time, and to make sure she has time to count-down her drawer (assuming they're on a system that requires that.)

You're not the center of the universe. No single customer is. There's a such thing as "other people" and sometimes that other person is someone who's been on their feet for the bulk of the last eight hours doing tedious work, putting up with a good deal of crap (the stories I hear from our front end guys, man) and she wants to go home. Her lane was closed. It has to happen sometime and that means someone has to be turned away.

This is starting to get silly. If management has a policy that says a customer that gets in the door before a specific time gets served, then you serve them. If your store has a policy that you don't have to, then there you go.

Whatever the policy is you follow it. If you or another clerk accepts a retail position you are bound by that policy. Why is this so difficult?

Fine tell that to the a-hole customers that through a tantrum when you tell them you can't serve them cause of policy

But if you have the policy to back you up then there shouldn't be a problem.

I worked retail in high school as many kids do. It was part of the territory that that some customers got out of the store after we closed. We sucked it up and dealt with it. It is the nature of retail.

 

[TheLonelySquire]

Yeah! Fuck that girl for being off and going to do her break, or count down her drawer so she can go home! She should just stand there and serve customers until they stop coming!



If she helped you then someone would've came up behind YOU to get helped -as they'd think she was open. Using your logic she couldn't tell that person either that she's done. So, in theory, she'd never get to be done to go home, count-down, or even go to -horror of horrors- sit down for 15 minutes with a can of soda and a Clark bar, until there happened to be a lull in customer traffic. And her not going to break would throw everyone else off.

Her lane was closed, deal with it and stand in the other line. And it's also likely she was TOLD to close her lane by the front-end manager. Because it's HIS responsibility to get employees out on time, to limit over time, and to make sure she has time to count-down her drawer (assuming they're on a system that requires that.)

You're not the center of the universe. No single customer is. There's a such thing as "other people" and sometimes that other person is someone who's been on their feet for the bulk of the last eight hours doing tedious work, putting up with a good deal of crap (the stories I hear from our front end guys, man) and she wants to go home. Her lane was closed. It has to happen sometime and that means someone has to be turned away.

This is starting to get silly. If management has a policy that says a customer that gets in the door before a specific time gets served, then you serve them. If your store has a policy that you don't have to, then there you go.

Whatever the policy is you follow it. If you or another clerk accepts a retail position you are bound by that policy. Why is this so difficult?

Is your skull made of osmium?

If someone "comes in the door before a specific time" they WILL get served. The argument is that those customers are arrogant, self-centered and oblivious to the concept that those working in the establishment are people too and may be delayed or put-off by their last-minute shopping.

I say again, I spent 45-minutes after work once to help a customer who came in at the "last minute." 45-minutes that I could've spent at home relaxing before being back-in at work eight hours later. I did it because, yeah, it's my job to give the customer the best service possible. But it is STILL annoying that that customer came in at the last possible minute, had me dirty equipment and go through a huge pain in the ass ordeal because they couldn't shop during more regular business hours.

And as I said in my post above a closed check-lane is another enitity entirely. For some checkers there's a 30 minute process of counting the drawer, there's also other lines that that customer can go in. If a checker just helped people until no more came in their line they'd never leave on time because people would just keep coming.

This isn't about not wanting to help people, this is about people (customers) not being aware that service employees are people too and that they want to go home on time and walking in the door five minutes before close and wandering around a store picking your nose before leaving without buying anything isn't doing anyone any favors and just delaying someone from getting to go home. Likely STILL some time after the customer has left to do closing duties.

We've seen people post here about dining customers who've hug out as the last diners well after employees have cleaned up and are just sitting there watching people drink, chat, and take up space. It's a restaurant, not your living room. Sitting there is delaying people from finishing their work and going home.

Stop and think about other people once in a while. If you walk in to a store five-til-close just dilly-dally around -or to go into a complicated procedure of setting up a phone- you're delaying the end of someone's day. Yeah, every job has these hang-ups and I willing to be that those people don't smile and think it's great to have to work longer than scheduled. They're probably annoyed too.

It just happens in office jobs it happens because a boss is an asshole with no understanding of employees' needs and desires to go home, or in the case of medical profession sudden emergencies/accident.

In my line it work? It happens because people are self-centered assholes.

Trekker, sure there are inconsiderate consumers out there. Many of them. Personally I would try and not set up a cell phone at closing time because I do understand people working there may have a life.

However, if I really needed it and I got in the door 30 seconds before closing time, I'm getting that transaction done if at all possible. The clerks obligation to satisfy the consumer and fulfill his job obligation outweighs his right to leave.

 

[SeerSGB]

This is starting to get silly. If management has a policy that says a customer that gets in the door before a specific time gets served, then you serve them. If your store has a policy that you don't have to, then there you go.

Whatever the policy is you follow it. If you or another clerk accepts a retail position you are bound by that policy. Why is this so difficult?

Is your skull made of osmium?

If someone "comes in the door before a specific time" they WILL get served. The argument is that those customers are arrogant, self-centered and oblivious to the concept that those working in the establishment are people too and may be delayed or put-off by their last-minute shopping.

I say again, I spent 45-minutes after work once to help a customer who came in at the "last minute." 45-minutes that I could've spent at home relaxing before being back-in at work eight hours later. I did it because, yeah, it's my job to give the customer the best service possible. But it is STILL annoying that that customer came in at the last possible minute, had me dirty equipment and go through a huge pain in the ass ordeal because they couldn't shop during more regular business hours.

And as I said in my post above a closed check-lane is another enitity entirely. For some checkers there's a 30 minute process of counting the drawer, there's also other lines that that customer can go in. If a checker just helped people until no more came in their line they'd never leave on time because people would just keep coming.

This isn't about not wanting to help people, this is about people (customers) not being aware that service employees are people too and that they want to go home on time and walking in the door five minutes before close and wandering around a store picking your nose before leaving without buying anything isn't doing anyone any favors and just delaying someone from getting to go home. Likely STILL some time after the customer has left to do closing duties.

We've seen people post here about dining customers who've hug out as the last diners well after employees have cleaned up and are just sitting there watching people drink, chat, and take up space. It's a restaurant, not your living room. Sitting there is delaying people from finishing their work and going home.

Stop and think about other people once in a while. If you walk in to a store five-til-close just dilly-dally around -or to go into a complicated procedure of setting up a phone- you're delaying the end of someone's day. Yeah, every job has these hang-ups and I willing to be that those people don't smile and think it's great to have to work longer than scheduled. They're probably annoyed too.

It just happens in office jobs it happens because a boss is an asshole with no understanding of employees' needs and desires to go home, or in the case of medical profession sudden emergencies/accident.

In my line it work? It happens because people are self-centered assholes.

Trekker, sure there are inconsiderate consumers out there. Many of them. Personally I would try and not set up a cell phone at closing time because I do understand people working there may have a life.

However, if I really needed it and I got in the door 30 seconds before closing time, I'm getting that transaction done if at all possible. The clerks obligation to satisfy the consumer and fulfill his job obligation outweighs his right to leave.

Yeah fuck 'em. Sure they'll could get a right up or fired for being over their schedule, so long as you get what YOU want.

But if you have the policy to back you up then there shouldn't be a problem

It shouldn't be it is. "You're making that up, theres no such thing..." or "I've been shopping here <insert bullshit number of years>, that doesn't apply to ME!"