What does "Closed" mean to you?
- Thread starter Tiberius Jim
- Start date
It seems that common sense goes out the window when you go to a theme park, esp. Disneyland.
This is the same everywhere. When I was a manager, I would not only get people calling me as I walked out the door, but I would get people paging me at home with trivia that could easily have waited until morning.
My Uncle's shop is in the first floor of the building where I live and he's often stuck there for an hour after closing time because people come in at the last minute.
People are alike all over.
My Uncle's shop is in the first floor of the building where I live and he's often stuck there for an hour after closing time because people come in at the last minute.
People are alike all over.
A
Amaris
Guest
Yep. I will always be courteous to a customer, even when they are screaming in my face (I had that happen Christmas Eve at a local Hills Dept. Store when I was 15), but I will not tolerate a customer trying to make me give them a discount which would cost me my job.
If you're not ready to check out, you don't get in line. How hard is that?
In that defense, I have been known to sneak over into the next line to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator and sneak back into position in my own line.
There we go. Let the hate flow through you.
J.
Eh, that doesn't really count. I think everybody has done that from time to time. But it's not like you have your cart holding your place in line while you wander around the store.
If you're not ready to check out, you don't get in line. How hard is that?
In that defense, I have been known to sneak over into the next line to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator and sneak back into position in my own line.
My mistake. I simple expected someone with retail experience to be a bit more understanding of the need to vent.
Besides, I did ask a question to incite some discussion. This isn't purely a bitch-thread.
To answer the original question, if I know a place is closing within a half-hour, I won't even bother going inside, just because I don't want the employees to see me and judge me as "that guy who came in right before close."
My mistake. I simple expected someone with retail experience to be a bit more understanding of the need to vent.
Besides, I did ask a question to incite some discussion. This isn't purely a bitch-thread.
My mistake. I simple expected someone with retail experience to be a bit more understanding of the need to vent.
Besides, I did ask a question to incite some discussion. This isn't purely a bitch-thread.
That's true you did, and my answer is that whilst online empathy evidently isn't my forte I'm not rude in real life, and wouldn't approach a cashier after the store's closing time, except in a supermarket as the big places like Tesco salary their employees to keep serving until everybody has left the shop.
Excactly. He doesn't give a shit about you, your plans, or that your another human being with a life and needs of your own. He just wants his phone.
Many years ago I was closing up the meat department for the night - 9pm - I'm turning off the lights and walking out when a customer came up and wanted two things from me:
a) To slice up a ham. Requiring me to dirty and have to clean equipment.
b) To make her some fresh-ground beef. She doesn't like the stuff in the pre-pack (even though it'll taste exactly the same!) Requiring me to really dirty a piece of equipment.
I sliced the ham for her did the hamburger. I was at work for another good 45 minutes re-cleaning equipment.
I didn't even get a thank-you from her because of the lengths and inconvenience I went through for her stupid 9pm food needs. Her only comment: "I thought you guys were open 24 hours."
Yes. They staff all of the service departments 24 hours. They pay a guy $20 an hour to staff a meat counter at 2:00 in the morning.
No you stupid bint, the store itself is open 24 hours. The service departments operate normal business hours because it's pointless and costly to staff them at times when customer traffic is non-exsistant.if that'd been me, i wouldn't've said 'in a minute', i would've said 'now'. i try not to let people get a foot in the door when we've got 2 minutes left to closing time because 9 times out 10 the fuckers take more than 2 minutes and they've had all blasted day, why wait til now?
TheLonelySquire
Vice Admiral
It's part of the job. And to be honest, if you're working retail you either are lucky to even have a job, or you love working with people. Either way, just remember that "the customer is always right".
Oh, and on a side note there's nothing more frustrating for the customer than a retail employee that has no clue what he's talking about. Conversely, there's nothing like one that does.
Oh, and on a side note there's nothing more frustrating for the customer than a retail employee that has no clue what he's talking about. Conversely, there's nothing like one that does.
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Don't we get more of those threads simply because they represent what what the majority or a sizable majority of posters do for a living?
I mean I could start a thread about how hard done by I am as a management consultant who owns the business and keeps all the money but where's the common frame of reference?
And even if we did, the legitimate criticism is that people like me earn a lot of money and should just shut the fuck up.
I mean I could start a thread about how hard done by I am as a management consultant who owns the business and keeps all the money but where's the common frame of reference?
And even if we did, the legitimate criticism is that people like me earn a lot of money and should just shut the fuck up.
TheLonelySquire
Vice Admiral
I buy my stereo equipment from a specialist store - the staff are paid well above mininum wage and know their stuff, the local electronics/home retail store pays minimum wage and nobody knows what they are talking about - mainly because the staff leave as soon as they get something that pays more - it's not rocket science to work out what the difference is...
TheLonelySquire
Vice Admiral
I used to go to Tweeter and they were pretty good. Circuit City was brutal. You just KNEW the guy didn't know jack. Of course I'd just go to a retail store to hear the equipment. I'd actually buy it online.
I have yet seen any store (retail or specialty) here that sell a pair of these. Usually I am forced to depend on internet stores and internet reviews for high end audio equipment.
G
Garrovick
Guest
That's why I shop at 24/7 Wal Mart. Or on line. I hate making employees in the Mall stores upset.
I do pretty much all of my shopping online expect for little bits like bread and milk. The only time I go to stores are for clothes and high end electronics (when you plunk down that amount of cash you want to see what you are getting or better still *hear* it).
I guess, as a counter-point, I've got a couple questions of my own:
If a customer comes in right before closing, and serving him requires you to stay until 9pm, even if the store closes at 8:30, what do you write on your timecard? If you write "9pm", most of your ability to bitch goes away right there. You got paid for it, and if you are regularly scheduled for a full 40-hour week, you might have even receive overtime pay for it. You KNOW this can happen as part of your job (not being able to drop things and run when the whistle blows), so it's largely your fault for making plans right after closing.
-If you are not willing to serve customers (even annoying ones) in the last few minutes before 8:30, why have 8:30 as your closing time? Why not call it 8:15, or 8pm? If the doors are open, you should be ready and willing to serve a customer, otherwise, close the doors. And for those that DO lock the doors before the stated closing time, Management (either in the store, or higher up) would likely be pretty upset to hear this. You're supposed to be serving customers right up until the stated closing time. And then shut things down. Store closing time doesn't signify the end of your shift, simply when you can start closing down, and lock the doors. If you think you can leave at 8:31 because the store closes at 8:30, and you get pissed at the guy that comes in 10 minutes before close, it's a personal problem.
-And yes, I worked retail. All through high school, college breaks and summers. I understand your complaints (worked in a grocery store), they're just not particularly vaild, and fairly immature. I decided I didn't like it (and it was never meant to be a career), so I got another job. Seems to be the options...
If a customer comes in right before closing, and serving him requires you to stay until 9pm, even if the store closes at 8:30, what do you write on your timecard? If you write "9pm", most of your ability to bitch goes away right there. You got paid for it, and if you are regularly scheduled for a full 40-hour week, you might have even receive overtime pay for it. You KNOW this can happen as part of your job (not being able to drop things and run when the whistle blows), so it's largely your fault for making plans right after closing.
-If you are not willing to serve customers (even annoying ones) in the last few minutes before 8:30, why have 8:30 as your closing time? Why not call it 8:15, or 8pm? If the doors are open, you should be ready and willing to serve a customer, otherwise, close the doors. And for those that DO lock the doors before the stated closing time, Management (either in the store, or higher up) would likely be pretty upset to hear this. You're supposed to be serving customers right up until the stated closing time. And then shut things down. Store closing time doesn't signify the end of your shift, simply when you can start closing down, and lock the doors. If you think you can leave at 8:31 because the store closes at 8:30, and you get pissed at the guy that comes in 10 minutes before close, it's a personal problem.
-And yes, I worked retail. All through high school, college breaks and summers. I understand your complaints (worked in a grocery store), they're just not particularly vaild, and fairly immature. I decided I didn't like it (and it was never meant to be a career), so I got another job. Seems to be the options...
Where do you go? I haven't bought any hi-fi equipment for a long time, but I used to shop at Richer Sounds in the 90s. They were a hell of a shop back then, half the price of the high street, always ready to haggle, great sales people and shit loads of free stuff whenever you buy anything.
I've heard they have gone downhill since they diversified beyond selling separates.
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