Businesses taking advantage of the Bad Weather?

OutlawPete

Near killings outside Eason's today.

Signs in the window all week saying they closed @ 6:45pm on Christmas Eve. Signs today still said they closed at 6:45pm, yet come 6pm they close and people went nuts. One elderly women was crying as she had planned to get books as gifts and luckyily enough I just happened to know of another bookshop that was staying open until 8pm.

The staff on the doors where told by at least ten people there, that they were going to be reported to the Guards. One of them threatened to "knock the bollox" out of one Indian guy there who said that it was all a "Bunch of crap".

Christ, tell your customers if you are shutting early ffs.

This morning I drove down to the Motor Tax office and sign in window also saying they were not opening today due to the weather situation.

I think some are clearly taking advantage because they can, but I also see that some people really are working so hard just be their for their customers and it's well appreciated and that goes for the Taxi Drivers too, their cars take a battering this weather.

So, anyone else think that some businesses are taking advantage of the bad weather and using it as an excuse to close early or indeed not open at all? Or is it all above board and everywhere is really doing their best to cope?

stupidusername

Maybe not quite the same thing, but I know the easons in limerick has a sign up saying they close at whatever usual time, but they always close 15 minutes earlier. so I dunno, maybe it's the easons way...

KeithM89_old

In fairness, its partially the old womens fault for leaving it to the very last minute but youd think businesses would be glad to stay open on Christmas eve - bound to be the busiest day of the year.

And speaking of taking advantage, alot of local shops have massively increased the price of coal, logs and sticks because of the big freeze, but its probably to be expected.

whiskeyman

Not exactly 'taking advantage' by closing early because ultimately they'll be losing much needed revenue during what has been an extremely tough trading period.
Was probably a managemen decision to allow staff go home, especially if many had long journeys to make.
Maybe it's a gentle reminder to do your Christmas shopping earlier people!!

AntiMatter

To be fair, it's Christmas Eve, and normal rules don't really apply.

I thought I was a thrillseeker, leaving it till 3, but leaving it till 6 o'clock is asking for trouble. Despite the signs.

P_1

Tough shít for leaving it too late. Us poor saps who work in retail also get to have a Christmas too you know.

amdublin

How the hell is this taking advantage

kerrz

I think it's the staff more so than the business owners...A business can't open if their staff aren't willing to come in due to the weather conditions or insist on going home early to avoid the traffic disruptions and icey road conditions later on in the evenings ...Big retailers like Easons etc can afford to close when they like and also a lot of retailers will only be closed for one day this year as most plan to open on St Stephen's Day ... Many business owners esp retail assume closing early on Christmas Eve eases the pain of working St Stephen's Day for their staff, it makes them look good to staff too !

Also when I worked in retail as a manager we were always told we would close @ 5 on Christmas Eve and the signs for the door would also stipulate this but we would always get a call around 4pm on christmas eve from a higher up in the company wishing us a happy christmas and told we could close up then. It was kind of a way to stop us giving out about the extent of the working hours in the lead up to christmas and something that could be held over our heads should we not perform sales wise the following christmas.

Taxi drivers are great though..not much puts them off the road !!!

Happy Christmas !!!

OutlawPete

KeithM89 wrote: »

In fairness, its partially the old womens fault for leaving it to the very last minute ..

She didn't leave it until the last minute and neither need the one hundred or so people that were turned away between 6pm and and 6.10pm (I left then, I'd say there was many many more.

As they were locking the doors, the signs in the window listing closing times for every day over the Christmas still said: Christmas Eve Closing at 6:45pm.

At some point the decided to close and never alerted their customers.

The reason I went there at 6pm was, like many - I was in the shop earlier in the day and had checked the closing times, so as to make sure I would have 40 or so minutes to pick a few books and DVDs etc.

I knew of another book shop, so all was well - not worth getting upset for, but had to feel for those that needed to get stuff there that they may not get elsewhere, like vouchers and the like.

Ah well, I just managed to get all the gifts I needed to anyway .. last minute dash as usual

Dunjohn

Agreed with the other posters, closing early on Christmas Eve and turning crowds away doesn't sound like how a business might take advantage of bad weather. It was probably done with staff journeys home in mind and in that case, kudos to the management for giving them a break. I've working in retail at this time of year plenty of times and staff get it pretty rough as it is.

That said, the signs should have been taken down before opening this morning.

KeithM89_old

OutlawPete wrote: »

She didn't leave it until the last minute and neither need the one hundred or so people that were turned away between 6pm and and 6.10pm

6pm on a Christmas Eve?? Id call that last minute...
But if they were as busy as you said, they should have stayed open.

Guy:Incognito

LOL at people saying they'll call the Gards. What sort of idiots are these to be wasting Garda time with stuff thats nothing to do with them.

OutlawPete wrote: »

At some point the decided to close and never alerted their customers.

How can you alert customers that havnt arrived yet The only time they will see the new closeign time is when they get there

OutlawPete

pithater1 wrote: »

Tough shít for leaving it too late.

Eh, Closing time was 6:45pm - so, not "too late", early if anything.

pithater1 wrote: »

Us poor saps who work in retail also get to have a Christmas too you know.

Eh, who said they didn't.

They can close at 3pm for all I care (or anybody cares) just give people a few hours notice of your closing time, it's not much to ask.

ted1 wrote: »

what a load of nonense if they were charging they'd be taking advantage but closing early is in response to a lack of customers.

Customers were not a problem, it's Christmas eve in Dublin

ted1

what a load of nonense if they were charging they'd be taking advantage but closing early is in response to a lack of customers. They're being nice to staff and cutting their losses. Are you a union member of socialist?

rannerap

leaving it until 6 christmas eve to get presents is madness! we closed at 5 as stated on the door and you wouldnt believe the amount of pissy customers we got banging on the door saying they needed to get stuff and that we ruined their christmas, we have familys to get home to as well you know!

Guy:Incognito

OutlawPete wrote: »

Eh, Closing time was 6:45pm - so, not "too late", early if anything.

Anytime I worked in retail at Christmas, 6 was the latest teh shop was shceduled to close. We'd usually be well gone by 6 though as you'd get the call to shut up before that.

yoursaviour1989

Why didn't you just buy what you needed when you were in the shop earlier? I work in retail and we closed at 4 but stayed til 6 pricing for the sale. Anyone that tried to get in was promptly told to leave.

omahaid

Buying presents at 6pm Christmas eve is madness, I genuinely can't feel sorry for someone buying presents that late and having difficulties. And from working in retail myself I know how pissy customers can be, so even less pity

Corruptedmorals

6pm on christmas eve?? That couldnt be more last minute, most shops are closing or have closed by then. I worked 3 christmas eve's- they are hell on earth. The shops is upside down because everybody is chained to the tills so depended on what managers were closing if they'd let you go by half 6 or keep you until it's done (which can be an hour and a half as per contract). Customers are roaring in your face because blah blah x item is not in x size, people are frantically screaming for the wrapping paper that sold out on the 21st, 50 announcements have to be made, lights being randomly turned off etc. and then when the shutters go down people are practically crying for mercy and trying to run under. I have NO sympathy for some idiot who left it til 6, no matter what closing time was posted. Closing earlier can be a last minute thing in these days of heavily restricted busses etc. and then adding in the fact that most people have at least a week off for christmas- retail staff are only guaranteed the 25th off (and then not in Spars etc.!) now that they're all opening on the 26th. The lead up to christmas is horrendous and takes a lot out of you..and then you have the sales to look forward to. Call the guards on them?? LOL.

OutlawPete

Sarannewrap wrote: »

leaving it until 6 christmas eve to get presents is madness! we closed at 5 as stated on the door and you wouldnt believe the amount of pissy customers we got banging on the door saying they needed to get stuff and that we ruined their christmas, we have familys to get home to as well you know!

That's a different situation in fairness.

I shopped in Blue Moon today and they closed at 5pm, as advertised in their window.

If customers expect you to stay open after the clearly displayed closing time, they're muppets and inconsiderate.

I'm sure that many of those customers that turned up at Easons at 6pm thinking there was 45 more minutes of shopping left there (as displayed in their window) ALSO worked in retail and had just finished their work and it was their only time all day to get a few gifts.

Fair is fair, if you want to close early - make people aware of it, otherwise you're just inconveniencing the people who help pay your wages.

/Off out, have a good one After Hours, hope Santa brings you what you wanted (chances are it won't be another fecking Eason's voucher anyway

Corruptedmorals

OutlawPete wrote: »

Eh, Closing time was 6:45pm - so, not "too late", early if anything.

Shops don't have normal closing times on christmas eve so 6:45 IS late and also a very weird closing time. Almost all other shops are closing or have closed by 6. Perhaps they should all stay open until the busses and luases have stopped running?

Oranage2

I'm glad this happened to them - leaving shopping till Christmas Eve in extreme weather you get what you deserve -

Coriolanus

Fúck that. Businesses aren't beholden in such a manner anymore than consumers are obliged to shop iv a given shop.

Npw whether or not it was best business practise turning away potential revenue hut it was in no way taking advantage.

No,sympathy for anyone doing anything but non essential shopping at 6pm Xmas eve.

Star Bingo

governments making advantageous bad weather? Cowen's in possession of a Tesla device, that takes the heat off

silverspoon

I've worked five Christmas Eves in retail. I can understand the stress of Christmas on people, especially in extreme weather when things are rough. I think it's rough that people might be left in the lurch by terrible advertising. but any time I was ever let home early after a day of sales prep or that, which was seriously rare, I was not thinking of crying old ladies who had weeks to but a shitty book. I was thinking of my own Christmas and how I was only getting one day off (Christmas day since you ask) because people apparently cannot wait 'til the 27th for half price jumpers, nor can they survive without cream, butter, sudocrem, or other various shit that can't wait a further day.

So in short, I think it's nice that the staff were left home early to enjoy Christmas. It is horrible working in retail over Christmas, and rest assured, if you come in at 6 p.m. on Christmas Ever looking for a book the potential recipient doesn't even want anyway, the staff of that establishment hate you. They don't give even the tiniest fuck whether you are ANGRY and will write LETTERS to the head office. Let them enjoy Christmas Eve, or what they have left. That all-important gift will just have to wait, unbought, until next year, when you learn that perhaps Christmas Eve isn't the cleverest of days to go shopping for gifts.

gsxr1

my missis is reading this and wondering what would be going through peeps heads.

Just to let yas know 30 min before a store closing , all but 1 till get closed . Idiots who leave their shopping to the last 30 mins to a store close on christmas eve deserve the embarrassing moment of not having a gift to give. .

The people that work there are not robots. Not everyone lives near and needs to get home in rush hour in -10 temps.

Garda. LOLOLOL


Jasus christ.
happy birthday

Sofa King Great

The shop is more than likely open either 363 or 364 days a year and people give out when it closes 45 minutes early on a christmas eve!?!

I worked in retail for 6 years, worked 12 hour overnight shifts in the week running up to christmas and then from lunch time on christmas eve every year. It is a pain in the hole and come 6 o'clock on christmas eve all you want to do is get out of there.


Also, if you go shopping at 6 oclock on a christmas eve you deserve what you get.

WalterMitty

Motor tax office doesnt suprise me. Bet they wont be workingan extra day in new year to cover that day Croke park deal or no croke park deal.

As for retail workers, 6.45pm is very late on xmas eve. Buses are finishing early and staff have to clean shop etc after closing and may be going for drinks.

As for prices going up in local shops for coal etc, get used to it its called supply and demand. If your job skills were in high demand your pay would rise significantly, would you refuse it?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Local said they were closing at 20:30 (half ten).. Got my last pint at -1:05 and the craic up there is still might!.

Oh, ordered a Chinese last night, the deliervy guys were charging €1 extra on top of their usual charge.

wil

OutlawPete wrote: »

So, anyone else think that some businesses are taking advantage of the bad weather and using it as an excuse to close early or indeed not open at all? Or is it all above board and everywhere is really doing their best to cope?

If anything it is quite the opposite. Employers have a duty of care to their employees so if weather conditions are looking treacherous the only advantage they are getting is the health and safety of their staff and a little good will.

You take your chances leaving it so late, its either sold out, wrong size, damaged or closed. A simple phonecall will often help.
An elderly woman has seen enough Christmasses to know Xmas eve shopping in Dublin is not for the fainthearted.

Threatening staff with police when you leave it that late is taking the pi$$.

It will be cheaper in the sales.

Aisling(",)

I know the shop I work in has been closing early but thats because the roads are so bad,they felt it was safer for staff to get out earlier and to be safer and they were loosing huge revenue anyhow.It closed 45 minutes earlier it may have inconvienenced you but it happens so deal with it.

Just take it as incentive to do your christmas shopping earlier.

High energy

Aisling(",) wrote: »

Just take it as incentive to do your christmas shopping earlier.

NO :mad: SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssss

Zebra3

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

LOL at people saying they'll call the Gards. What sort of idiots are these to be wasting Garda time with stuff thats nothing to do with them.

Yeah, sure the guards'd be fierce busy driving Rosanna Davidson home. :rolleyes:

mikemac

Brian Unsightly Suicide wrote: »

Oh, ordered a Chinese last night, the deliervy guys were charging €1 extra on top of their usual charge.

I hope you didn't pay it.

And anyone who leaves Christmas shopping until 6pm on Christmas eve is a fool. Banks are on a half day, most shops are closed at 6pm and Tesco close at 7pm.

If you decide to do your Christmas shopping at 6pm on Christmas eve then sorry, no sympathy from me.
Retail staff need to get home and catch trains and Bus Éireann too you know

mikemac

OutlawPete wrote: »

One elderly women was crying as she had planned to get books as gifts old by at least ten people there,

Boo hoo, she had all of November and December to buy those books. And if it was a new release, Amazon would have posted it if she had put in an order.
Procrastination is a terrible habit, I do it myself but I don't wait until Christmas eve to buy presents and then rant at retail staff who need to get home.

OutlawPete wrote: »

by at least ten people there, that they were going to be reported to the Guards.

Yeah, and what are the the security guards going to do? Well you wrote guards and not gardai

_Whimsical_

If lack of a couple of books can "ruin Christmas" or leave people crying in the streets then I despair of what's happened to Irish people. If your buying presents you can always say "well this is embarrassing but I'll have to give you yours after Christmas" and go in, buy it and give it to them 24 hrs later on Stephens day. There's never been a better excuse than the recent weather to not have all your presents bought on time.

Expecting staff to stay in work after 6,even until 6 in my opinion, on xmass eve is ridiculously selfish. If a few businesses start doing that we'll all find ourselves working late in xmass eve in a few years regardless of our job.

Personally I'd rather go without for a day and live in a society where everyone can get to spend one evening and one day at home with their family concentrating on that.

mikemac

Tbh, banks are on a half day, I wouldn't have an issue with retail shops shutting down at lunchtime on Christmas eve.
Staff need to get home and with current weather conditions it could be a lot of hours on Bus Eireann.
Many will be back on St. Stephens Day which is too early too imo.

People who leave shopping until Christmas Eve only bring misfortune on themselves.
With the internet and Amazon and ebay, people have options they didn't have 10 years ago

arybvtcw0eolkf

feelingstressed wrote: »

I hope you didn't pay it.

And anyone who leaves Christmas shopping until 6pm on Christmas eve is a fool. Banks are on a half day, most shops are closed at 6pm and Tesco close at 7pm.

If you decide to do your Christmas shopping at 6pm on Christmas eve then sorry, no sympathy from me.
Retail staff need to get home and catch trains and Bus Éireann too you know

No we didn't pay it. The excuse used was that it was due to the icy conditions of the roads.

As for last minute shopping, thats me but I don't feel foolish tbh. Its fair to say that I've hardly a minute in the day to spare for shopping, but people close to me know that and don't really expect much.

CorkMan

To people who work in retail, how do you buy presents for your loved ones? I mean you are working at the same times as other shops so cannot get there in time.

mikemac

CorkMan wrote: »

To people who work in retail, how do you buy presents for your loved ones?

Very simple answer.
If you are smart you'll do your Christmas shopping in November. If you work in a town you can do it during lunch-hour.
Or use Amazon/ebay, etc.
At the very least you'll get a day off and can do your shopping then.
For buying food, with fridge freezers you don't have to leave it until the last minute

Only a muppet leaves shopping until 6pm on Christmas eve

aca101

stupidusername wrote: »

Maybe not quite the same thing, but I know the easons in limerick has a sign up saying they close at whatever usual time, but they always close 15 minutes earlier. so I dunno, maybe it's the easons way...

Haha it's funny cos i've actually seen them do the same thing in Cork loadsa times...must be an easons things alrite!

People locked out must have gutted...one things for sure-you cannot beat a good book at christmas.

Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod. They closed 30 minutes earlier and I won't be able to buy and books for two days. Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod. Let's riot!

OutlawPete

feelingstressed wrote: »

Retail staff need to get home and catch trains and Bus Éireann too you know

As had a lot of other staff around town and so they decided earlier in the week to close up early and made sure their customer were aware of it. Two hours before that I had dropped a few people off at Cineworld as the last movies advertised were all 4.40ish. What if they all decided to close up early and that they needed to get home.

Would walking in half way through the movies and saying that the staff needed to get home be acceptable, as the poor staff have lives too?

I never heard such sanctimonious crap as that they staff have lives of their own. If they wanted to close early on Christmas Eve, they could have. Nobody asked them to stay open until 6:45pm - THEY chose that time and advertised it all week. HMV stuck to their closing time, Arnotts, Clearys etc etc etc.

Easons where the only place to shut the doors in customers faces and say that a last minute decision was made.

Deleted User wrote: »

Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod. They closed 30 minutes earlier and I won't be able to buy and books for two days. Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod. Let's riot!

45 minutes late and people were not pissed off because they couldn't buy books for two days, they were annoyed that they couldn't buy gifts they would need for the next day.

yoursaviour1989 wrote: »

Why didn't you just buy what you needed when you were in the shop earlier?

I had a few places to go and buy stuff, I knew what time they were closing and so checked with staff to see what their closing time was (6.45 I was told) and so decided to get the other stuff first, otherwise I would be rushing. Turning up at Easons at 6pm was giving me 45 minutes to buy stuff, so there was nothing last minute about it.

As I said, I knew of another bookshop on Grafton St who were staying open until 7.30, so I wasn't too bothered and told a few people there about that store.

Corruptedmorals wrote: »

6pm on christmas eve?? That couldnt be more last minute, most shops are closing or have closed by then.

Easons weren't and so it wasn't last minute, there was 45 minutes before closing. People can keep saying that those customers were leaving things to the last minute 'till the cows come home, but it won't make it true.

Turning up at a shop, 45 minutes before they close is not "last minute".

Corruptedmorals wrote: »

Call the guards on them?? LOL.

I'll pick this one quote out of the many posters implying that there was those there who were gonna call the Gardai because of the early closing time (what are you all talking about?) you all really should pay a little closer attention to what's being posted.

Happy St Stephen's Day / Boxing Day.

ejmaztec

Hey Pete, where's my fuckin present?:mad:









:pac:

Kimono-Girl

i see where you are coming from outlawpete in fact i noticed the majority of shops for christmas eve's hours had "9am- " they just left it blank so i assumed they'd close when the rush died down.

but then having worked in retail on christmas eve,you could close at 3pm or 5pm or 6pm and it wouldn't make a difference there is always that 1 customer ducking under the shutters screaming they have to get a present for so and so....

and you politely tell them you are closed while they scream at you for ruining their christmas!!

Corruptedmorals

Shopping on Christmas eve at all IS last minute, it's the day before christmas and it's the worst day, most people avoid it at all costs. But shopping at 5/6pm and after on christmas eve IS about as last minute as you can get. Yes it was their advertised time and yes that sounds frustrating, that would be extremely anooying on any other day but I think on Christmas Eve if you're shopping at all you should plan to be on a bus home at around 3 just in case. I wouldn't begrudge them allowing staff home earlier, there is the weather too, several shops have been closing early over the last few weeks- another incentive to be well on your way before 5.

OutlawPete

Kimono-Girl wrote: »

but then having worked in retail on christmas eve,you could close at 3pm or 5pm or 6pm and it wouldn't make a difference there is always that 1 customer ducking under the shutters screaming they have to get a present for so and so....

and you politely tell them you are closed while they scream at you for ruining their christmas!!

Totally get that of course and worked in retail myself for a few years.

Walked past quite a few shops around O'Connell St and Henry that had early closing times and seen people get turned away. I was in Cleary's from 5pm till closing (5.45pm) and so seen many do the usual begging of door staff to get in for just two minutes etc as I left.

Anyway, all worked out well as I ended up going to that Book Store on Grafton St around 6.30 and seen Imelda May, Bono (yes I know, he's a dickhead but it was nice to see) Paul Brady and few others busking. Steps of Rome were still open so I even got to have some of my favourite Pizza all thanks to Easons.

Best of all was that I got to stand beside Laura Whitmore as I watched the busking ...mmmmmmmerry Christmas indeed, I'm sure I fell in love in those 15 minutes or so

Overheal

I don't see how this is "taking advantage" of customers

Charging $5 for a bottle of water when its 98 degrees outside - thats taking advantage. Charging more for an umbrella when its raining - thats taking advantage. Obama commemorative books/stickers/plates/shyte - taking advantage. Charging more for the newspaper when something important has happen = taking advantage.

Closing early because of the weather/conditions - not taking advantage.

OutlawPete

Overheal wrote: »

I don't see how this is "taking advantage" of customers

Where do I say it's "taking advantage" of "customers".

It's taking advantage of the 'bad weather', closing early because you have an excuse.

Overheal wrote: »

Closing early because of the weather/conditions - not taking advantage.

There was no need to close early, no other store / cinema felt the need to shutt up earlier than they specifically advertised for. The weather on Christmas Eve had not dractically changed betwen 4pm and 6pm that they suddenly had to close up.

Same with Motor Tax office, one of the easiest jobs in the country.

I can understand Dublin Bus and the like stopping their service at 9.30pm as they have been remarkable over the Christmas and any other service that has been so badly effected by the weather.

I commended Taxi Drivers for the service they have provided so far this weather in my OP but I guess as this is After Hours, so fcuk them and lets just pity the staff in a warm heated shop who have a Christmas of their own to attended to and Outlaw Scrooge is a very bad man who just wants them to get back to shoveling hot coals till the clock strikes 6:45pm :mad:

No sympathy to anyone who leaves things like this to the last minute.

ejmaztec

People seem to be double-traumatised at Christmas, and most of them seem to have it in their heads that all of shops are going to be closed for 6 months.