What does "Closed" mean to you?
- Thread starter Tiberius Jim
- Start date
Not read the thread it's too long but i'll give my own pennys worth.
All the shops I know of, if they close at a certain time such as 9pm then they have somebody at the door at 8:40pm stopping any more people coming in because the shop is closing in 20 minutes.
It's as simple and straight forward as that.
Well 20 minutes before closing is a little extreme. I have no problem with people coming in at 20 minutes til closing...as long as they don't stay longer than 20 minutes. Its the folks who stay after we're closed or ask us to do things that take a long time when we're about to close up that get to me.
I think the main problem is that people aren't aware of what time we close. Not the fault of the store...we have a sign posted out front. People just can't be bothered to read. I've tried turning off the TV's and dimming the lights at d minutes til to set a "mood" but 9 times out of 10 people are oblivious.
hellsgate
Commodore
I just roll down the door. I had a couple of customers stand there in the doorway asking "When do you close?" I'd tell them "Seven." They'd just stand there saying "What?" "What?". English. You're in Canada. *head meet counter.*
The sound of me pushing the button & the door grinding closed on an electric motor does the trick. Watch them scramble back from the doorway.
The sound of me pushing the button & the door grinding closed on an electric motor does the trick. Watch them scramble back from the doorway.
Something I learned today:
It's my fault that my warehouse disco'd an item and that I cannot get it in any more on any regular basis and that if the customer wants it I can special order it but it's a good 2-week wait to bring non-warehoused items.
Yep, my fault.
Because a store-level manager is the same thing as a corporate-level purchaser for the warehouse.
Damn, this guy ripped me a new one going on and on about "customer service" and doing things for the customer, and discontinuing things people buy. etc.
It's my fault that my warehouse disco'd an item and that I cannot get it in any more on any regular basis and that if the customer wants it I can special order it but it's a good 2-week wait to bring non-warehoused items.
Yep, my fault.
Because a store-level manager is the same thing as a corporate-level purchaser for the warehouse.
Damn, this guy ripped me a new one going on and on about "customer service" and doing things for the customer, and discontinuing things people buy. etc.
The other night there were two guys sitting at the bar well after we closed. This normally doesn't bother me as long as they're paid up because I often have at least 30 minutes worth of cleaning to do once I get my drawer cashed out.Not read the thread it's too long but i'll give my own pennys worth.
All the shops I know of, if they close at a certain time such as 9pm then they have somebody at the door at 8:40pm stopping any more people coming in because the shop is closing in 20 minutes.
It's as simple and straight forward as that.
Well 20 minutes before closing is a little extreme. I have no problem with people coming in at 20 minutes til closing...as long as they don't stay longer than 20 minutes. Its the folks who stay after we're closed or ask us to do things that take a long time when we're about to close up that get to me.
I think the main problem is that people aren't aware of what time we close. Not the fault of the store...we have a sign posted out front. People just can't be bothered to read. I've tried turning off the TV's and dimming the lights at d minutes til to set a "mood" but 9 times out of 10 people are oblivious.
But it got to be really late. My fellow bartender and I were done with everything, and these guys just kept sitting and talking. At this point we had been closed for 45 minutes.
So I turned the music off. I turned the TVs off. I turned the lights off. Normally people take the hint, but these guys just kept chatting away...in the dark! It was absurd. Finally, we asked them to leave, and they got angry about it, tried to argue, and then stormed out in a huff.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
Something I learned today:
It's my fault that my warehouse disco'd an item and that I cannot get it in any more on any regular basis and that if the customer wants it I can special order it but it's a good 2-week wait to bring non-warehoused items.
Yep, my fault.
Because a store-level manager is the same thing as a corporate-level purchaser for the warehouse.
Damn, this guy ripped me a new one going on and on about "customer service" and doing things for the customer, and discontinuing things people buy. etc.
Surely though, you informed this gentleman that disco was dead?
Wife shared on from a few nights ago: Store closed, auto-doors off but unlocked (some fire Insurannce/Loss prevention rule about not having locked doors while a person is inside the building) and it's 30 minutes after close. They had a woman push the doors apart, raises a security shutter, walks in-- half the lights out, security shutters all down, empty cash drawers open and the cashier and my wife getting ready to leave-- start shoppping with a cart. When she was told they were closed she got pissed, left the cart, stormed out cursing (called my wife a fat lazy cunt) and got in her car. litterally as they went out the door the phone rings and its' the woman calling to file a complaint n "the fat bitch that closed the store early" 
Last edited:
Wife shared on from a few nights ago: Store closed, auto-doors off but unlocked (some fire Insurannce/Loss prevention rule about not having locked drawers while a person in inside the building) and it's 30 minutes after close. They had a woman push the doors apart, raises a security shutter, walks in-- half the lights out, security shutters all down, empty cash drawers open and the cashier and my wife getting ready to leave-- start shoppping with a cart. When she was told they were closed she got pissed, left the cart, stormed out cursing (called my wife a fat lazy cunt) and got in her car. litterally as they went out the door the phone rings and its' the woman calling to file a complaint n "the fat bitch that closed the store early"
Holy shit man.
Some people are really clueless and selfish and nasty.
^ That's putting it mildly. Some people are just fuckin' assholes.
It really makes you wonder sometimes how people were raised. I'm not saying I had the best parents in the world, but I at least was taught not to be a total dick to people.
You know some weeks I put in almost 80 hours and since I'm salaried I get no overtime. So forgive me for not giving a shit about hearing someone whine about having to stay a lousy 15 minutes to take care of a customer. Sometimes we show up at closing time because that is the only time we could cram in our schedule to shop. If you want our business and by extension your job, you'll suck it up with a smile.
I suppose the key to smoothing this over is mutual respect. The customer should respect the closing time and offer some apologies. Meanwhile, the store employee should respect the fact that the customer may have a dire need for the product or no other time in which to shop.
And then you have the customers who are just oblivious assholes, in which case both sides are unhappy.
I'm bitchy about this because I was up in Toledo for a funeral last fall, spent all day at the funeral home and then the evening helping pack up the grandmother's house when I ran to Subway to grab subs for the family who had not eaten since lunch. It was 5 minutes before closing time and the two girls behind the counter gave me nothing but grief about how they had to pull everything back out. I wanted to shove those subs right in their faces. I waited until they were done bitching to tell them about the funeral and enjoyed seeing them fall over themselves apologizing.
I suppose the key to smoothing this over is mutual respect. The customer should respect the closing time and offer some apologies. Meanwhile, the store employee should respect the fact that the customer may have a dire need for the product or no other time in which to shop.
And then you have the customers who are just oblivious assholes, in which case both sides are unhappy.
I'm bitchy about this because I was up in Toledo for a funeral last fall, spent all day at the funeral home and then the evening helping pack up the grandmother's house when I ran to Subway to grab subs for the family who had not eaten since lunch. It was 5 minutes before closing time and the two girls behind the counter gave me nothing but grief about how they had to pull everything back out. I wanted to shove those subs right in their faces. I waited until they were done bitching to tell them about the funeral and enjoyed seeing them fall over themselves apologizing.
TheLonelySquire
Vice Admiral
They work at Subway for a reason.
That's the kind of attitude that makes people think it's okay to treat people who have a job in food/retail like shit.
Yeah some people just don't know what the hell "closed" means. Looking at it from a Food Service and Amusement Park point of view. I once worked for Slave World - I mean Sea World. I worked in a restaurant it had. We had our hours clearly posted on a sign right outside the path to the door and on the door itself. We opened an hour after the park opened and closed an hour before the park. We had a great view of the fireworks show. We all had our parts for closing, and as long as one table had people, we had to make sure one service station was open. The kitchen would typically close about half an hour after the last table was served and we told our guest that the kitchen was closing to get in final orders. Once all the last orders were served the kitchen closed and our chefs cleaned up and left. They would not take anymore orders at all.
The rest of us had to stay, the cashier, at least 1 waiter, 2 bus boys and a manager to lock up and turn in the receipts. Well more than once we had families stay well after closing. We tried to give them hints, like the shuttle to the parking lots had stopped, the kitchen was closed and there was nothing else to serve, the coffee was gone, there was no more tea, the bar was closed and we cleaned up all around them and put the chairs on the tables. Still they stayed, drinking water. We even shut off the lights except for the one furthest away from them. One tabled stayed for almost 2 hours after the park closed. Security had to be called to let therm out. Some "guests" are just rude.
The rest of us had to stay, the cashier, at least 1 waiter, 2 bus boys and a manager to lock up and turn in the receipts. Well more than once we had families stay well after closing. We tried to give them hints, like the shuttle to the parking lots had stopped, the kitchen was closed and there was nothing else to serve, the coffee was gone, there was no more tea, the bar was closed and we cleaned up all around them and put the chairs on the tables. Still they stayed, drinking water. We even shut off the lights except for the one furthest away from them. One tabled stayed for almost 2 hours after the park closed. Security had to be called to let therm out. Some "guests" are just rude.
And it instills that kind of attitude that leads to shit service: Well it's a shit job, so fuck it I'll do it shitty.They work at Subway for a reason.
That's the kind of attitude that makes people think it's okay to treat people who have a job in food/retail like shit.
Speaking in the general sense: A job is a job, and hey you're making money and don't have to work those jobs good for you. But you know what, one day you might have to feed your family and keep a roof over your head, and you're going to have some asshole come in a treat you like dirt and look down on you just the way you do to people working those jobs now.
TheLonelySquire
Vice Admiral
They work at Subway for a reason.
That's the kind of attitude that makes people think it's okay to treat people who have a job in food/retail like shit.
No, it's the truth. Because someone has a low level job doesn't mean they should be abused. They're either teens that don't have knowledge or don't care to service the customers or they are people who for one reason or another cannot get a better job. Doesn't in ANY way mean they should be abused. Clear?
TheLonelySquire
Vice Admiral
And it instills that kind of attitude that leads to shit service: Well it's a shit job, so fuck it I'll do it shitty.They work at Subway for a reason.
That's the kind of attitude that makes people think it's okay to treat people who have a job in food/retail like shit.
Speaking in the general sense: A job is a job, and hey you're making money and don't have to work those jobs good for you. But you know what, one day you might have to feed your family and keep a roof over your head, and you're going to have some asshole come in a treat you like dirt and look down on you just the way you do to people working those jobs now.
Oh that's beautiful. Blame one person for someone else's attitude! Classic.
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.
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.
Which my store does.
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.
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.
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.
Where do you work? When i say bottom line I mean your monthly PnL. Cell phone is a pure profit item. You can ONLY make money on them.( as line as they pay the bill) Add a line or not. Back in my Wal-Mart days i remember there are store that sell so many phone that they bring in more profit then the entire store combined. These were $100,000,000+ stores.
Talk about money per Sqft..
Radioshack. I personally would have gotten a whopping $15 (before taxes). I know the store would have gotten a lot for it but frankly I couldn't care less. As long as they stay in business for 4 more months, I'm good.
Wow, make sure you tell the next person who you are hoping to hire you that.
They work at Subway for a reason.
That's the kind of attitude that makes people think it's okay to treat people who have a job in food/retail like shit.
No, it's the truth. Because someone has a low level job doesn't mean they should be abused. They're either teens that don't have knowledge or don't care to service the customers or they are people who for one reason or another cannot get a better job. Doesn't in ANY way mean they should be abused. Clear?
Stupid people expecting to go home when their shift is over!
They shouldn't have cleaned the place up. You know, just in case someone decides to walk in minutes before the place is closed and make people make a big mess.
I've got this disease in me that means I think of other people and put myself in their position.
As a result I, personally, wouldn't walk into a subshop at 8:55 at night and make them redo all of their closing procedures just so I can get a few sandwiches.
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