What does "Closed" mean to you?

[SeerSGB]

I forget which piss-away retail job I was slaving at at the time, but I was working as a stocker one night, couple hours after closing maybe 1 or 2 in the morning, and we hear this loud screaming and banging noise at the doors. We run up front thinking someone's hurt, we get there and some dude wants to know if we'd let him in to shop. We told him we couldn't cause (1) Store closes at 9PM (2) We're not cashiers. He then calls the police and tells them that someone has broken into the store. Cops come down, talk to the shift super, cops start laughing, and end up arresting the idiot for making a false report.

One from my wife's job: I was waiting to pick up her up one night and this paniced girl runs up to the doors and start banging on the shuttered door. She comes over to the girl and asks if I can call inside and get someone to open the store. I tell her "no", she then starts crying and saying she needed to pick up her birth control pills and it was really , really, really important that she had them tonight. I just shrugged, pointed at the grocery store next door and said "well I reckon they sell condoms, have fun". She gave me a dirty look got back in her car, and her and her [I assume] boyfriend started shouting at each other as they drove off.

 

[Trekker4747]

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".

The guy who said that even admits that people take that too far.

The customer is NOT right when he's intruding on an employee's time. The store closes at 8:30. Not whenever the customer decides he's satisfied.

Have you ever actually met another human being?

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.

Employee who doesn't know what he's talking about like what time a store closes and his desires to go home and relax after a day of work?

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

I never thought i'd say this, but i agree with Trekker.

 

[Daedalus12]

^ Not a big fan of tube amps myself as I don't think I'll get one of those unless I buy a Stax Omega 2 in the future but what do you like about them?

Well i've never had a chance to do a side by side comparison, but whenever I hear my friends amp it always has an incredible warmth about it.

It's not that i'm particularly a big fan of tube amps (except when it comes to my guitars naturally), it's that the price is so insanely low, for £100 it would knock the socks off my current amp which is just a mid level Marantz transistor and cost 4 times that.

You guys got to tell me how to get these great deals. Craigslist just doesn't have them here. If somebody offered me a very good amp (tube or transistor) for only £100 I would've bitten their arms off.

 

[RoJoHen]

I never thought i'd say this, but i agree with Trekker.

Same here.

 

[Trekker4747]

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?

This is the 21st century. People don't write anything on their time-card. You punch in and out through an electronic computer system. (Small businesses might still use hand-written time machine, however.

If you write "9pm", most of your ability to bitch goes away right there.

Right. How dare someone after working an 8-hour shift expect to get out of work at a reasonable time without being delayed by someone who suddenly wanted a cellphone at 8:30 at night?

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.

You're right. Retail employees should not have personal lives. We should be at whims of people 24/7. Our phone numbers should be posted on the front door so if that guy who comes up at 11pm wants a cellphone all he has to do is call someone at home. How DARE someone make plans for when they get off work! Someone wants their goddamn cellphone!

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?

This would do nothing but shift the problem that much time forward.

It's expected that most people have an understanding of the concept of "other people" and won't walk in to a store five minutes before closing and want to dilly-dally around or go through a long process of adding a phone to a contract.

If the doors are open, you should be ready and willing to serve a customer, otherwise, close the doors.

Again. It's expected that customers have an ounce or two of common sense and courtesy. If they walk through the doors at 8:25 they should make their business fairly brief. It's unlikely they just "close the doors" at 8:30 either and may still have another hour of post-closing work to do: cleaning, doing paperwork, organizing shelves, etc.

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 valid, 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...

You've obviously forgotten what a pain in the ass other people are or worked in retail before people got a sense of entitlement over their fellow human beings.

No one has made complaints -that I've seen so far- against people walking in minutes before closing, grabbing something quick and then getting out of there. The complaints seem to be that customers who walk in at closing and waste time (or are in there around closing and are wasting time) or expect to get full-service/go through long retail processes.

Sorry. Retail employees are human beings and they expect to be able to go home when their shift is up, they may also have other things to do that they can't until the last customer is gone.

If you're in a store at closing don't stand around picking your nose. Get your shopping done and get out. That courtesy to your fellow human being. I know, unheard of in this day and age, but to walk into an electronics store at 8:25 and expect to be able to hook up a new cellphone plan -apparently a long process- is asinine, selfish and a dickish thing to do.

 

[SeerSGB]

Being in retail or "customer is always right" doesn't give people the right to treat employees like trash or think they [the customer] can do whatever the fuck they want. That's the damn problem: people are taught or have come to think that "I'm paying their paycheck, their my slaves, they have to do what I say." Fuck 'em, you get what you give: treat me like a human being, you'll get the same back and vice versa.

You want to see this movie for free cause you have "a blog" call corporate and get a pass; no I'm restricting you "freedom of the press", I used to be a real reporter ass munch, I know the game now back of the line and blog about how mean I was...Aaah, you're upset cause we won't give you a refund on the used book you bought at McKays, that still has their sticker on it and that we don't even sell anyway, boo-hoo....Wow, you know some cuss words what are you 12?....Oh you'll call my boss? Here, let me call him for you...oh you want me fired? Fine I'll quit and then I can tell you how I really feel. Now have a nice day

 

[Trekker4747]

I never thought i'd say this, but i agree with Trekker.

Kind of gives you a tingling feeling, doesn't it?

 

[Cali]

Closed means closed. Closed means I have a great desire to finish cashing up, sign off end of day reports and get the hell home because I do not get paid past our 6pm closing time.

Also, in the town I work in? The customer is rarely right. The customer is usually a complete and utter tool. But we still treat each customer with a great deal of politeness. Unless the start screaming, swearing and threatening, in which case we call the police.

 

[SeerSGB]

What make it really annoying: You know this inconsiderate fucks that are smirking and going "Customer is always right" and get mad at you for being pissed at them for keeping you past your shift, would be just as mad as you are if someone did it to them on their job.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

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.

It's my fault...for expecting to be able to adhere to a schedule? Yes, how silly of me. Apparently I should just forfeit all social experiences because I happen to work a retail job. BTW, the store closes at 8:30 but my shift is over at 8:45, the extra 15 minutes being given to do closing tasks. However, if a customer keeps us there until 9:00 or even later, we don't get to leave until those closing tasks are done, so we have to add on at least an extra 15 to however long the customer keeps us there.

-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?

I personally never said I didn't want to help people *before* 8:30. It's the people who come in at 8:29 and want us to spend 20 minutes on their transaction, or wander around at half the speed of smell trying to pick out what they want. I don't mind too much if people come in during the last few minutes...I simply ask that they exhibit some alacrity. 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.

Which my store does.

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.

Again, agreed. My shift ends at 8:45. However, that's reliant on the store being free of customers. We can't close the store with people still shopping, and a guy wanting to keep us there an extra 20 minutes *really* screws that up.

-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...

I believe I stated at the beginning of this thread that I completely intend on getting out of retail for good in a matter of months once I've graduated from school. As for the complaints being immature or invalid...I don't see how they are either.

The real question is, "why the hell would you send someone away who wants to add a line to his cell phone just because you close in a few min"? Do you have ANY idea how much bottom line that give you? It just paid you whole day of work...

Uh...no. I would have gotten $15 extra (before taxes) had I been able to process his request. I would have done it if we'd had the phone in stock...I'm not saying I would have sent him away...but honestly the few bucks extra I would have made wouldn't have been worth being kept at work that much longer.

And as far as the line "the customer is always right"? That's complete bullshit, and is the reason people get this holier-than-thou attitude. If you subscribe to that theory then I guess the guy who wanted to exchange his DVD player, but only brought in the unit itself was right when he demanded I give him *everything* from the new unit including the box, cables, remote, etc. and then threatened to call my district manager because I didn't give him a new box, because he threw his old one away.

 

[Amaris]

What make it really annoying: You know this inconsiderate fucks that are smirking and going "Customer is always right" and get mad at you for being pissed at them for keeping you past your shift, would be just as mad as you are if someone did it to them on their job.

Remember, kids, you're retail, which means you're a lower form of life. You get paid to take abuse, get screamed at, to stay past your normal workshift because a customer doesn't have to follow your "rules". You're unskilled and unloved, a nice whipping post for people who feel like they need to assert some superiority. You're a blank face that is disposable once the want or need is fulfilled. The customer is always right.


J.

 

[SeerSGB]

What make it really annoying: You know this inconsiderate fucks that are smirking and going "Customer is always right" and get mad at you for being pissed at them for keeping you past your shift, would be just as mad as you are if someone did it to them on their job.

Remember, kids, you're retail, which means you're a lower form of life. You get paid to take abuse, get screamed at, to stay past your normal workshift because a customer doesn't have to follow your "rules". You're unskilled and unloved, a nice whipping post for people who feel like they need to assert some superiority. You're a blank face that is disposable once the want or need is fulfilled. The customer is always right.


J.

So basically bad customers equal trolls? Shame we can't prermeban them from life...well we can, but then the cops get involved and there's clean up to do.

 

[RevdKathy]

I think I just discovered the cause of the global recession. It's not that people aren't buying, it's that grouchy retail assistants won't work ten minutes overtime to make a sale. Next time you are expected to work a bit of time over, take a long look at the local unemloyment figures and realise just how easy you'd be to replace. Right now, it's a buyers market.

I work in healthcare: everyone works unpaid overtime (Except the consultants). It's normal to work half an hour, an hour or more after your official schedule. If we didn't the NHS would grind to a halt. And abuse? in mental health verbal and physical abuse is the daily norm. One day last week I was called evil and wicked, a necrophiliac and a 'fucking cunt' by three different 'customers'. And I still consider it a privilege to do my job.

It's Friday - I don't feel like grouching.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

*sigh* Again, I never said I wouldn't have worked the extra 15-20 minutes (not 10) to get the guy his damn phone. The only reason I didn't was because we didn't possess the phone. Had this guy come in during the middle of the day or hell, even an hour earlier I could have called another store, gotten the ESN number from the phone they have in stock, activated the thing and had him go to the other store and pick up his new activated phone. I couldn't have done all of that at 8:29 because the other stores also close at that time, some of them even earlier.

If we'd had the phone in stock I would have done it...I would have been annoyed and would have gotten through the process as quickly as possible, but I would have done it.

Here's a question: why would you want to go to an establishment where it's employees are about to go home and be the guy who keeps them there? You're obviously not going to get the same level of service as if you came in at 4 in the afternoon since you've now pissed them off and they're going to hurry through the process. Especially if you're going into a restaurant...do you really want to piss off the people handling your food?

 

[Amaris]

I think I just discovered the cause of the global recession. It's not that people aren't buying, it's that grouchy retail assistants won't work ten minutes overtime to make a sale. Next time you are expected to work a bit of time over, take a long look at the local unemloyment figures and realise just how easy you'd be to replace. Right now, it's a buyers market.

I work in healthcare: everyone works unpaid overtime (Except the consultants). It's normal to work half an hour, an hour or more after your official schedule. If we didn't the NHS would grind to a halt. And abuse? in mental health verbal and physical abuse is the daily norm. One day last week I was called evil and wicked, a necrophiliac and a 'fucking cunt' by three different 'customers'. And I still consider it a privilege to do my job.

It's Friday - I don't feel like grouching.

Did you get paid $4.25 an hour? I've been called a "fuckhead", "asshole", "piece of shit", my life has been threatened, I've had people push me up against merchandise racks, and I was 15 when that happened. So tell me, would you feel privileged to do the same job at $7 an hour? Would you take it over the prospect of a customer screaming epithets at you because you won't take back their scratched DVD player? Would you take it 300 times a day? I did, and I was 15. I've done it several more times since then. When you want to feed your family, you do what you have to. Spending an extra 30 minutes with a customer after closing time means $3. At the end of the week or every two weeks, that's $3 which is taken away by taxes so you never really had it to begin with, so it might as well have been unpaid. The point being is it's not the work. It's the brazen stupidity of a customer who has no desire to consider anyone else's needs. The entitlement syndrome that says "I'm the customer, I'm always right." NHS, huh? Interesting. Would you let a patient tell you that they're right and you're wrong? Would you have a right to be upset if they kept telling you how wrong you are, and that they'll go over your head to get their way? Does it ever jeopardize your job? How thankful would you be if that happened and you were fired? Not very, I'd imagine, yet it happens every day in the retail business.

J.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

^ Exactly. I've actually told customers that I don't get paid nearly enough to put up with their shit and have asked them to leave. I was called an asshole and a smartass just last week by the guy with the DVD player. He brought in the unit to exchange, because he stated that it didn't work. He does this all in a tone that makes it seem like it's my personal fault that the thing is defective, by the way. All he had was the unit and his receipt. So I told him I'd be happy to exchange it with a new one for him. I grab a new unit, take it out of the box, make a notation on his receipt that the unit has been exchanged, take his old unit and put it in the box to be shipped out, and tell him he's all set. Which he was...he had a new unit. Should have been enough right?

Wrong.

Customer: This thing doesnt work *slams unit down on the counter*
Me: Okay, well I actually can't return it without all of it's packaging.
C: Well I don't want to return it, I want a new one.
M: Oh, okay no problem, let me see if I have any in stock. *checks* Yep, we have a couple new ones. I'll go grab one for you.
*I grab a new one, pull out the unit and replace it with the old one*
C:What, I don't get the box?
M: Well, no. You only brought in the unit. I can only replace what you brought in.
C: But I don't even know if this thing is gonna work, I want to have the box for it.
M: Okay...but this is now the box for your old unit. Did you keep the original box for it?
C: Are you trying to be a smartass?
M: Excuse me?
C: Who keeps the boxes to stuff?
M: Personally, I do...
C: Well that you, not me. I threw it away right after I got it.
M: Well I'm sorry but I can't give you the box.
C: Well I'll just have to call you district manager. Whats you last name?
M: You're going to call the DM because I won't give you a box...?
C: Yeah youre being an asshole about it, whats your last name.
M: It doesn't matter what my last name is, I'm the only James at this store.
C: You need to work on your customer service.
M: What exactly do I need to work on?
C: Your attitude, you're all cocky and all "You need to have your box" and shit, I'm a customer and you need to help me out when I have a problem.
M: *getting pretty pissed at this point* I DID help you out, I got you a brand new unit.
C: You're mouthing off to the wrong guy...trust me.

At that point I just dropped it because anything I did or said was going to cost me my job. Once he was finally leaving I just gave him a nice, polite "Have a good one..." I may of may have not ended that sentence with an expletive once he was out the door.

 

[RevdKathy]

Take a look at the UK unemployment figures: anyone with a job is privileged. Even the crap jobs at basic minimum wage.

My work environment is so high pressure and demanding they don't take 15 year-olds anywhere on any of the teams. Every member has to be trained in dealing violence and abuse before they're allowed to work. One of my colleagues was recently put in hospital for several weeks by a 'customer' with an axe. And no, there was no legal recourse.

Are customers stupid, rude and inconsiderate? Sure. But this is a recession: they can be. Frankly, in the last couple of weeks I've dealt with rather a lot of rude, inconsiderate and stupid retail assistants and I took my business elsewhere. Which might increase the chance that they won't have a job next month.

If customers are abusive, you have recourse to the law. If they assume that closing time = last entry, take their money, work late and smile. Maybe they just got out of work themselves, and have dashed in to shop after a day of taking abuse.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

So just because I have a job I should just be happy to put up with abuse? The fact that the economy is lousy means people are allowed to be assholes?

Uh...no.

If they just got out of work after a day of taking crap from people, why would they want to go somewhere and inflict that upon someone else? I know as a result of my years in retail I'm one of the most courteous shoppers an employee could hope for. Just because I get crapped on at work doesn't make it okay for me to go somewhere and do it to someone else.

 

[SeerSGB]

Here's a question: why would you want to go to an establishment where it's employees are about to go home and be the guy who keeps them there? You're obviously not going to get the same level of service as if you came in at 4 in the afternoon since you've now pissed them off and they're going to hurry through the process.

One that never got old []: Another from BBBSCH(1) Deadline for next day special orders was 5PM, after that it had to wait till it was shipped on the regular delivery truck, anywhere from a week to two weeks, a week for home delivery. All orders got a ETD (Estimated time of delivery), we always said call after 3PM on the day of the ETD to see if it's in or not.

-- Customer 1: (8am the next morning) I came at 8 last night and ordered a book, my order receipt says it'll be there next week...did it arrive this morning.

-- Customer 2: (on one case, literally a hour after he had placed the order) I ordered a book this morning, has it arrived on the truck yet?

-- Customer 3: I requested home deliver and the automated system says it's already at the post office and out for delivery to my home, can I pick it up at the store.

After 4 weeks of not being picked up a book is either floored to sell or sent back. It's on the order slip, it's told to them, it's made very clear.

-- Customer: You sold my book!
-- Me: Well ms, the call log shows we have called you 3 times a week for a month now.
-- Customer: I know that, I didn't have the money to pick it up yet so I wasn't answering the phone.
-- Me: I'm sorry ms., if you had just told us you need more time we would gladly put it in the back office with a hold notice for a extra 4 weeks.
-- Customer: That's not the point, I can't pay for the book!
-- Me: What's the problem here exactly?
-- Customer: You sold my book!


(1- Bigbox Bookstore Chain Hell)