Closed for lunch

Mint Sauce

Why do so many shops and businesses do this?

For alot of people that work its pretty much the only time of day, that they can deal with something that requires a face to face conversation, where using a telephone or an online service won't do.

Why can't the one man/woman business take their lunch maybe an hour later, or the businesses with more than one employee stagger their lunches.

3 places I gad to to today, all either closed, or closing, all with at least a few members of staff.

Celly Smunt

Why can't banks open in the evening :mad:

SEPT 23 1989

Why do birds suddenly appear?

The Narrator

Indeed, how dare people take lunch at lunch time.

Hank Scorpio

A mans got to know his limitations

Pretty Polly

Celly Smunt wrote: »

Why can't banks open in the evening :mad:

This. Or even late night opening until like 6pm one night a week.

BluesBerry

Yes it would be nice if the can stall staff lunches to send one or two at a time so that there is always cover

mattjack

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Why do birds suddenly appear?

every time you are near ?

jester77

Celly Smunt wrote: »

Why can't banks open in the evening :mad:

I haven't been inside a bank since 1999 when I setup a student AIB account. What are people doing that requires going into a bank?

Cody Pomeray

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Why do so many shops and businesses do this?

Because they are often one man operations, or else the carrying on of business requires that certain people be in the office.

Why can't the one man/woman business take their lunch maybe an hour later, or the businesses with more than one employee stagger their lunches.

Maybe they have business to attend to at lunch time.

Lunch time is a predictable time to close the shop. If they were closing at arbitrary times, customers would find the service, well, arbitrary.

This makes the business appear less reliable than if they simply close at lunch.

SEPT 23 1989

mattjack wrote: »

every time you are near ?

exactly

Tiddlypeeps

jester77 wrote: »

I haven't been inside a bank since 1999 when I setup a student AIB account. What are people doing that requires going into a bank?

Anything that isn't an everyday transaction. Opening a new/second account, applying for a loan/mortgage, cashing a cheque etc.

I've had a cheque sitting in my desk drawer for about 5 months now because I would have to take time off work to be able to go to a bank to cash it. It's only for €40 so definitely not worth taking time off for but it's still kind of crazy.

shruikan2553

I'm pretty sure banks just dont want people to use them. Last time I went into a bank and needed something that couldnt be done by the machines she acted as if I just told her to put all the money in a bag and no one gets hurt.

BeerWolf

Aww, tried to find a picture of a restaurant with a "Closed for lunch" sign on it... don't exist

listermint

The Narrator wrote: »

Indeed, how dare people take lunch at lunch time.

I wouldnt open a business if this is how youd run it.

Why would you close up shop at a high point in the day for custom ?



Wouldnt it be smarter to move the lunch break either side of the heavy traffic periods ??

Jeju

The internet is open 24/7, maybe bring your business there.

jester77

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

Anything that isn't an everyday transaction. Opening a new/second account, applying for a loan/mortgage, cashing a cheque etc.

I've had a cheque sitting in my desk drawer for about 5 months now because I would have to take time off work to be able to go to a bank to cash it. It's only for €40 so definitely not worth taking time off for but it's still kind of crazy.

Do cheques still exist Haven't seen one in over 15 years, the last one I got I cashed in a pub. As for the others, they can all be done from the PC.

I.S.T.

shruikan2553 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure banks just dont want people to use them. Last time I went into a bank and needed something that couldnt be done by the machines she acted as if I just told her to put all the money in a bag and no one gets hurt.

I just post cheques to the bank. Haven't been in the branch since the day the account was opened.

**Vai**

OP what shop was it? Surely every business, with an owner using more than 6 brain cells, staggers there lunch breaks?

hoodwinked

Celly Smunt wrote: »

Why can't banks open in the evening :mad:

they do now, well the aib kiosks do, saw one in Cork city open on a Sunday!

Tiddlypeeps

jester77 wrote: »

Do cheques still exist Haven't seen one in over 15 years, the last one I got I cashed in a pub. As for the others, they can all be done from the PC.

It's the first cheque I've seen in a good while too, they are very slowly being phased out. Still in use tho, just a lot less common.

AnonoBoy

I used to run a shop that sold 'Closed for Lunch' signs a few years ago.

We closed after a few weeks though.

No matter how many people came up to the door of the shop they never entered.

Never figured out where we went wrong.

homerjay2005

The Narrator wrote: »

Indeed, how dare people take lunch at lunch time.

nonsense....typical Irish reaction as they say.

they could alter their schedule to do it apart from 12-2 for example or have staff go at different times, to avoid closing the place.

you provide a service, you should be there when people need it.

anncoates

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

Anything that isn't an everyday transaction. Opening a new/second account, applying for a loan/mortgage, cashing a cheque etc.

I've had a cheque sitting in my desk drawer for about 5 months now because I would have to take time off work to be able to go to a bank to cash it. It's only for €40 so definitely not worth taking time off for but it's still kind of crazy.

Go in and deposit in the cheque lodgement machine. Never a queue for that.

I go in once a month to get s sterling bank draft, that's it.

MrPudding

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Why do so many shops and businesses do this?

For alot of people that work its pretty much the only time of day, that they can deal with something that requires a face to face conversation, where using a telephone or an online service won't do.

Why can't the one man/woman business take their lunch maybe an hour later, or the businesses with more than one employee stagger their lunches.

3 places I gad to to today, all either closed, or closing, all with at least a few members of staff.

Do not go to France, you will not have a good time.

MrP

Mr Benevolent

MrPudding wrote: »

Do not go to France, you will not have a good time.

Nobody has a good time in France.

OneArt

BeerWolf wrote: »

Aww, tried to find a picture of a restaurant with a "Closed for lunch" sign on it... don't exist

Saw a restaurant that was closed for lunch from 12-2

It's Germany though, businesses are weird here. Kebab shops often close for a whole month, as do a few restaurants. The nearest pharmacy to me is open only three days a week:mad: and closes for lunch for three hours. I'm sorry, but dispensing medication isn't THAT exhausting.

luckyboy

A lot of Spanish businesses close down for the month of August, particularly in Madrid where - to be fair - it does get exceedingly hot and stifling at this time of year

Cody Pomeray

homerjay2005 wrote: »

nonsense....typical Irish reaction as they say.

they could alter their schedule to do it apart from 12-2 for example or have staff go at different times, to avoid closing the place.

you provide a service, you should be there when people need it.

It's not some sort of public service, it's a business. They can run it as they see fit. I know a local veg shop back home that has been closing for lunch every day for decades, has seen a lot of retail 'entrepreneurs' come and go in that time.

Larbre34

OneArt wrote: »

Saw a restaurant that was closed for lunch from 12-2

It's Germany though, businesses are weird here. Kebab shops often close for a whole month, as do a few restaurants. The nearest pharmacy to me is open only three days a week:mad: and closes for lunch for three hours. I'm sorry, but dispensing medication isn't THAT exhausting.

Any they have the neck to lecture us on productivity?

Tiddlypeeps

anncoates wrote: »

Go in and deposit in the cheque lodgement machine. Never a queue for that.

I go in once a month to get s sterling bank draft, that's it.

The critical flaw with that plan is that it still involves being in a bank between the hours of 10 and 4. I work 9 to 6 Monday to Friday and the nearest AIB branch is at least a 45 minute walk away.

frank reynolds

it's Ireland. they simply couldnt be arsed.

Wattle

There's a chemist near me that used to close for lunch. It drove people who were on their lunch-breaks and needed prescriptions mad. Then a new chemists opened a few doors down and started taking all the lunchtime trade. The first chemist no longer closes for lunch.

michellie

Because its lunch time !

We have a scheduled lunch break and we constantly have people walking around the back of the building and opening fire exits and shouting in the canteen window when were on lunch. Bloody annoying.

Shenshen

jester77 wrote: »

Do cheques still exist Haven't seen one in over 15 years, the last one I got I cashed in a pub. As for the others, they can all be done from the PC.

A friend of mine received a cheque from Ryanair yesterday, to cover costs they incurred while being stuck in Portugal for 2 days while airports were on strike there. So they do still exist indeed.

As for applying for a mortgage online, I wish!
We got ours 4 years back, the amount of times we were required to show up at various banks we had applied to was absolutely unreal, I ended up having to take unpaid leave from work because I ran out of holiday entitlement.

OneArt

Larbre34 wrote: »

Any they have the neck to lecture us on productivity?

German efficiency is a lie.

Czarcasm

When you call a homeless person shelter at half one in the day and you get the answering machine telling you they're out to lunch...

The inefficiency and bureaucracy in this country beggars belief sometimes.

rubadub

The Narrator wrote: »

Indeed, how dare people take lunch at lunch time.

Many foolish businesses do dare/risk it. And loose out like the chemist example.

Many businesses do not see any upsurge in potential trade at lunchtime so take it then.

Dunno what goes through the minds of some people, it'd be like Trabolgan closing down for the summer months, "our staff have to take holidays you know". Or a pub closing on christmas eve or new years eve.

The tesco beside me has cooked food at 7 or 8am, full roast chickens, the place is deserted but mountains of food at the deli. When I go in at 6pm its finished up, really bizarre, when you think most people would be in after work to pick up a chicken for dinner.

When the good friday pub closure issue comes up there is always the usual comment of how publicans might like it, since they can get work done etc. There is no way any publican would choose to close on a friday if given the choice. Also if there were 2 pubs beside each other they would be crazy to both close on the same day.

endacl

jester77 wrote: »

I haven't been inside a bank since 1999 when I setup a student AIB account. What are people doing that requires going into a bank?

Lodging coins, foreign exchange, meetings....

Mince Pie

Its not possible to do all transactions online or indeed on the phone as I have just found out.
Tried to sort a Direct Debit problem online and couldn't do it, then proceeded to ring said financial institution to sort and still not possible.
No I have to go into work late in the morning to attend the bank between the hours of 9.30am to 4.30pm to sign of piece of paper to enable them to alter said Direct Debit.

Blisterman

jester77 wrote: »

Do cheques still exist Haven't seen one in over 15 years, the last one I got I cashed in a pub. As for the others, they can all be done from the PC.

A lot of businesses such as electricity suppliers send you refunds etc as cheques in the hopes that you won't bother queuing in the bank for such a small amount.

Of course they're perfectly able to take money out of your account electronically.

jester77

Shenshen wrote: »

A friend of mine received a cheque from Ryanair yesterday, to cover costs they incurred while being stuck in Portugal for 2 days while airports were on strike there. So they do still exist indeed.

As for applying for a mortgage online, I wish!
We got ours 4 years back, the amount of times we were required to show up at various banks we had applied to was absolutely unreal, I ended up having to take unpaid leave from work because I ran out of holiday entitlement.

I got a mortgage recently and didn't have to go to the bank once. They came to my apartment when it came to signing the papers, and they did it at 6pm so I didn't have to take any time off work.

jester77

Blisterman wrote: »

A lot of businesses such as electricity suppliers send you refunds etc as cheques in the hopes that you won't bother queuing in the bank for such a small amount.

Of course they're perfectly able to take money out of your account electronically.

Cheeky. I would send it back and tell them to credit your account with it.

Shenshen

jester77 wrote: »

I got a mortgage recently and didn't have to go to the bank once. They came to my apartment when it came to signing the papers, and they did it at 6pm so I didn't have to take any time off work.

I do have to ask which bank that was. BoI, AIB, Permanent TSB and Ulster all had us "arrange a meeting" with them, weekdays between 10 and 4.
First one to receive the application form we had downloaded and filled in, second one to go through that form, and third one to tell us why they wouldn't be giving us money...

Shenshen

jester77 wrote: »

Cheeky. I would send it back and tell them to credit your account with it.

Heh, I tried that with Board Gas a while back. They said they sent me the cheque, and didn't care if I cashed it or not, but they wouldn't be able to transfer the money.

endacl

Shenshen wrote: »

Heh, I tried that with Board Gas a while back. They said they sent me the cheque, and didn't care if I cashed it or not, but they wouldn't be able to transfer the money.

Quick lodge envelope. When you're passing the bank just drop it in the slot.

SHOVELLER

Closing for lunch is very unprofessional no matter what the business. Footfall is going to be at its highest during that time.

Also there is no excuse for any business that does not have a decent website.

Shenshen

endacl wrote: »

Quick lodge envelope. When you're passing the bank just drop it in the slot.

I've got a sneaking suspicion that they will need a special envelope for that, which you will have to come to a branch to pick up...

Anyone

Why dont people take an early or late lunch so they can go to these shops/business's when they are open?

endacl

Shenshen wrote: »

I've got a sneaking suspicion that they will need a special envelope for that, which you will have to come to a branch to pick up...

They do. Whenever I'm down to my last couple, I grab another stack. If I'm in anyway to lodge...

Shenshen

endacl wrote: »

They do. Whenever I'm down to my last couple, I grab another stack. If I'm in anyway to lodge...

That's where my problem lies.

I work in a Business Park, there are no nearby bank branches.
I have to take time off work in order to ever get to a bank. That's one of the reasons I miss Halifax, they used to be open on Saturdays and give me a chance to drop in if I needed to.