Do shops attract more customers with their doors closed?..

PinkFly · 02-07-2011 11:08PM

Eh yes its quarter past 6 ive been patient enuf, my son will be waitin at my dront dooe for me now, and there ur still hovering round browsing....bloody bugs me....my needs and responsibilities come before the customer after opening hours in my opinion.....its only a certain kind of person that does it...i wood NEVER EVER do it cuz i know how rude and obnoxious it is!!

How so Joe · 02-07-2011 11:37PM

Cannot STAND people who come into shops just as they're closing. Or someone who, knowing they have a full trolley of shopping, will continue to browse as there are multiple announcements made that the store is closing.
It's not like the opening hours of a store aren't advertised, and if you're in a supermarket they'll make announcements that the store is closing soon. So the people who wander up to the till five minutes after the advertised closing time with a full trolley REALLY get my goat. We're not the store owners, we're merely mindless drones employed by the 'man'. It's not like I enjoy staying late, and that someone would blatantly ignore the multiple announcements and requests for them to make their way to the till absolutely drives me insane.

Worse than those people, though, are the ones who get stressed when you won't sell them alcohol after ten. I've been yelled at a good few times for something which is a) a legal requirement and b) a default setting on the computer system which can't be overridden. Now that's headwrecking.

Aurum · 03-07-2011 01:00AM

Sticky_Fingers wrote: »

I wasn't aware that closing time was the period when most accidents/bad sh!t happens to store employees. Please provide a valid reason why a shop shouldn't remain open an extra 10 minutes to accommodate a paying customer without relying upon childish hysterics.

I spent some holiday time working in a luxury goods shop. It closed at 5pm every day. A guy that I worked with commuted to Dublin everyday from a nearby county, and his transport home left every 45 minutes. If he didn't leave the shop by 5.05 he'd have to wait almost an hour for the next connection. Also, the shop's insurance didn't cover items stolen outside opening hours (except in exceptional cases), so it was against store policy to open the door once packing up had begun. I can't count the amount of times arrogant prats kept the staff of the shop waiting well after 5. They rarely apologized for the inconvenience caused, and generally behaved as though they were entitled to our (unpaid) time. It was around this time that I lost faith in humanity and began my law degree.

celj · 03-07-2011 01:02AM

Try working in the catering trade!
I worked as a chef for years,last orders 9.45 in the restaurant.People stroll in at 10 after the 5th drink.
After working a 12 hour day you are then stuck for another hour at least as they have all the courses.

At least I could leave when they got the last course,The waitng staff could be there half the night with some people.

And before anyone starts the "you should be lucky to have a job"routine,I was happy to work hard giving people the best meal I could but strolling in late when the restaurant should be closed is disrespectful to the professional staff there who have a life outside.

Irish people are the worst for this behaviour,getting as many drinks into them as they could before they eat.

Sinfonia · 03-07-2011 02:06AM

Sticky_Fingers wrote: »

Poor you, there are people sitting on the dole right now who would give their eye teeth to have a job and your moaning because you might have to work an extra 10 minutes now and then.

Realistically, that's a job I got because I was better qualified than other people who applied for it. It's not my fault or problem if they're on the dole and I have a job that I'm qualified for.
I work hard when we're open. When we're closed, we're closed. Also bear in mind the fact that once a place closes, the staff are usually cashing up at the end of the day, which is why they're still there. It would be ridiculous to reverse that process and start over for every latecomer that comes along.

Overall, the (and your) problem is this:

When a person comes along 10 minutes after closing, from their perspective it's only an extra bit of work for the employee and sure it's only a bit after closing.
From the perspective of the employee, this happens all the time. In the shop I used to work in, no less than 5 people would come up after closing every single day. So where does one draw the line? If I serve you, 10 minutes after closing, why not serve four other people, up to half an hour after closing?

This isn't an issue of principles relating to better customer service, it's an issue whereby you have singularised the scenario, so that it's one person, one time, just on or after closing time. In reality, if you accept one latecomer, more will follow (and they'll give you even more **** for serving the first guy and not them).

As others have pointed out, there are also issues relating to insurance.

SarahBeep! · 03-07-2011 02:49AM

Sinfonia wrote: »

Realistically, that's a job I got because I was better qualified than other people who applied for it. It's not my fault or problem if they're on the dole and I have a job that I'm qualified for.

I'm with you completely on this one. A lot of people around my age (I'm 19) can't get jobs because the never BOTHERD getting one when times were good. I got up off my ass and waited table and cleaned plates when I was 14. Did that until I was 16. Then I got a 'real' job, in sales. I was there for two years. I left there and moved onto a job I'm much happier in, also sales. And friends of mine can't even get jobc collecting glasses. It's all their own fault :rolleyes:

later12 · 03-07-2011 03:04AM

SarahBeep! wrote: »

I'm with you completely on this one. A lot of people around my age (I'm 19) can't get jobs because the never BOTHERD getting one when times were good. I got up off my ass and waited table and cleaned plates when I was 14. Did that until I was 16. Then I got a 'real' job, in sales. I was there for two years. I left there and moved onto a job I'm much happier in, also sales. And friends of mine can't even get jobc collecting glasses. It's all their own fault :rolleyes:

I have a job because I didn't work when I was 14. I was told to go upstairs and open a book and come down at suppertime. I know plenty of guys from school who let their grades slip because they were busy earning inflated wages, and are now unemployed with no contemporarily useful skills and no qualifications.

Nothing wrong with the decision they made, btw, 18 year olds cannot be expected to be economic barometers. But please do not portray those of us who did not work in our school or college days as being lazy or ''not bothered''.

citizen_p · 03-07-2011 04:11AM

No, I go to a shop when I need to, I don't sense a shop door closing and become drawn to it.

If the door is just closing however I will knock and ask, if im not allowed in etc.. no hard feelings, thats why shops having opening hours...

Gavin "shels" · 03-07-2011 04:33AM

Sticky_Fingers wrote: »

Poor you, there are people sitting on the dole right now who would give their eye teeth to have a job and your moaning because you might have to work an extra 10 minutes now and then.

You can come into my shop at 10pm and I'll let you stay till 10.10pm with the one condition you clean, restock the shop and have it ready for opening the next day. Unfortunately shops don't do this themselves therefore I do it when I close the shop at 10pm and not 10.10pm.

leggo · 03-07-2011 05:01AM

In fairness, while in an ideal world the 'customer is always right' attitude would be the best way to go, that relies on people always being reasonable.

As someone already pointed out, a certain type of people do this. If you don't see a problem with it, then you either are that person or have never worked in retail. The main problem (my day-job is retail security...so I'm generally the guy who's refusing people) is that when you start out you try and be nice and reasonable, and take them at their word that they'll only be 5 minutes. When they walk out 15 minutes later with a "Gotcha!" sneer on their face, you realise that it's just never worth the hassle.

People have lives, lives that they build around their scheduled working hours. Customers insisting that they can just waltz in and disregard any decency and concern for others and get the red carpet treatment are just delusional. It's not a case of bad customer service, or people who should be happy to be a job (the latter is just a recession-based excuse people use to say "Do what I want, regardless of how irrational it is"), it's a case of taking advantage of people's kind nature and putting your own needs above theirs when you've no real right to. The shop is closed. Practise better time-keeping in future. End of.

If you do this and still expect service with a smile then you really need to take a long look in the mirror.

Jimoslimos · 03-07-2011 06:10AM

Is this thread closed?? I just need to pop in quickly and say something - only be a minute, honest;)

When I worked in retail we'd generally be happy for people to continue browsing if they were already in the shop at time of closing. Latecomers would usually be turned away - and anyway these were the kinds of people who'd already have been turfed out of other shops a few minutes previously.

Having said that I've encountered (and emphatise with) customers who use this ploy because during normal hours they hate busy, crowded shops with other customers invading their personal space.

celj · 03-07-2011 12:57PM

SarahBeep! wrote: »

I'm with you completely on this one. A lot of people around my age (I'm 19) can't get jobs because the never BOTHERD getting one when times were good. I got up off my ass and waited table and cleaned plates when I was 14. Did that until I was 16. Then I got a 'real' job, in sales. I was there for two years. I left there and moved onto a job I'm much happier in, also sales. And friends of mine can't even get jobc collecting glasses. It's all their own fault :rolleyes:

All teenagers should be encouraged to look for a job in this day and age.

7sr2z3fely84g5 · 03-07-2011 01:01PM

i think teens have better chance of getting jobs than of an older person who would expect at least min wage and proper working rights.

Bowlardo · 03-07-2011 01:08PM

leggo wrote: »

In fairness, while in an ideal world the 'customer is always right' attitude would be the best way to go, that relies on people always being reasonable.

As someone already pointed out, a certain type of people do this. If you don't see a problem with it, then you either are that person or have never worked in retail. The main problem (my day-job is retail security...so I'm generally the guy who's refusing people) is that when you start out you try and be nice and reasonable, and take them at their word that they'll only be 5 minutes. When they walk out 15 minutes later with a "Gotcha!" sneer on their face, you realise that it's just never worth the hassle.

People have lives, lives that they build around their scheduled working hours. Customers insisting that they can just waltz in and disregard any decency and concern for others and get the red carpet treatment are just delusional. It's not a case of bad customer service, or people who should be happy to be a job (the latter is just a recession-based excuse people use to say "Do what I want, regardless of how irrational it is"), it's a case of taking advantage of people's kind nature and putting your own needs above theirs when you've no real right to. The shop is closed. Practise better time-keeping in future. End of.

If you do this and still expect service with a smile then you really need to take a long look in the mirror.

Brilliant...hit the nail on the head

SarahBeep! · 03-07-2011 01:13PM

later10 wrote: »

I have a job because I didn't work when I was 14. I was told to go upstairs and open a book and come down at suppertime. I know plenty of guys from school who let their grades slip because they were busy earning inflated wages, and are now unemployed with no contemporarily useful skills and no qualifications.

Nothing wrong with the decision they made, btw, 18 year olds cannot be expected to be economic barometers. But please do not portray those of us who did not work in our school or college days as being lazy or ''not bothered''.

I never let my school work slide. I'm training to be a teacher and can fford to do so because I'm an experienced worker ina good job. My wages were NEVER inflated, I'm making under a tenner/hr. Working gave me a skill school couldn't, independence.

stephendevlin · 03-07-2011 01:27PM

We've had someone "when we were actually closed for a stocktake" open the toilet window and shout in "are you open??" when someone was in there "on the job":D

voz es · 03-07-2011 01:31PM

Sticky_Fingers wrote: »

In this day and age shop keepers should be delighted that people are even entering the shop, no matter how close it is to closing. If you turn away paying customers then you can't piss and moan when your business goes under, same goes for paid staff who have any desire to make sure their livelihood is secure.

'Opening hours' indicates that the store is supposed to be closed outside of these hours, have you not grasped tha yet?

Yes, you can piss and moan if you business closes down or you loose your job if this is the only other reason than our the enonomy is in tatters

Fair play to us sticking it out while others go off abroad pay nothing in tax and most likely come back flush when we have paid off the state loans paying high taxes doing menial jobs, putting up with self important folks like you who think that holding up staff after their paid hours is something other than rude!

Mike 1972 · 03-07-2011 02:44PM

1) Open a shop
2) At all times while the shop is actually open leave the shutters half down giving the impression to passers by that its about to close
3) ?
4) PROFIT !

Aard · 03-07-2011 03:24PM

In France, if a shop closes at 6pm, it's locked at six and everybody is gone. People working there start telling people 15 minutes before that they're closing soon, and generally won't let anybody in about 10 minutes before.

celj · 03-07-2011 06:33PM

Aard wrote: »

In France, if a shop closes at 6pm, it's locked at six and everybody is gone. People working there start telling people 15 minutes before that they're closing soon, and generally won't let anybody in about 10 minutes before.

They are right!

Sinfonia · 03-07-2011 07:09PM

Aard wrote: »

In France, if a shop closes at 6pm, it's locked at six and everybody is gone. People working there start telling people 15 minutes before that they're closing soon, and generally won't let anybody in about 10 minutes before.

In the shop I used to work in, we used to do that because we'd cash up each morning for the previous day. Then it switched to cashing up at the end of the day. As long as you're physically in the shop, people will try.
Countless times I've had my jacket on, rucksack on my back, walking out of the shop, and people have still tried. "Come onnn, it's just one more". Get ****ed.

celj · 03-07-2011 09:19PM

If people are let get away with it they will.

stinkle · 03-07-2011 11:09PM

In addition to the cashing up thing, it's a security issue. In my old job we had particualr days that the cash-in-transit firm called. USUALLY (i.e. during the week) that would be ok as they would be collecting previous days' takings only but at the end of the week we had to have that day's and the previous 1-2 days' cash ready to hand over at a particular time,which was often 20-30 mins after closing. We always had a LOT of cash to deposit.

Securicor guys wouldn't be best pleased if we were late with the handover as they had other businesses to call to after us, plus the longer the vans hang around, the more of a robbery target they are I guess. So yeah, the browsing moron with a hundred stupid questions who was too lazy to call in during our generous opening hours would cause a lot of chaos on those particular days, just from a security/accurately cashing up perspective. Don;t get me started on the effect this might have on the staff whose kids/grandkids/elderly parents depended on them getting home at a reasonable time

03-07-2011 11:17PM

I actually get phone calls from customers at closing time, asking me if I'll hang on a few minutes for them. I agreed once and ended up staying 20 minutes later. So I don't do it anymore.

Heck, on one other occasion I had locked up and was walking home when someone pulled up in a car beside me and asked me if I'd reopen the shop to let him buy a disk drive!

whatswhat · 03-07-2011 11:41PM

Sticky_Fingers wrote: »

Poor you, there are people sitting on the dole right now who would give their eye teeth to have a job and your moaning because you might have to work an extra 10 minutes now and then. The Celtic Tiger is dead and buried, the "I couldn't give a feck about the punters, my day's done" attitude won't get you very far.

Considering I dropped nearly 2 grand on that purchase I would expect a bit more cop on from the owner. It was sitting in the backroom ready to be collected, it would have taken him less than a minute to give it to me. Instead he acted the bollox and made me come in the next day for it. I may be only one customer but he has lost all my repeat business and that of my family. It may surprise you that in this age of choice and the internet customer service is pretty bloody important, if you won't provide the service the customers want then they will go somewhere else. Getting in a huff because you have to stay in work an extra 10 minutes and stating that you don't give a rats arse what one customer thinks is a surefire way to ensure that you will be sitting on your arse on the dole.

would you rather they went somewhere else for their purchase? Would you prefer to spend an extra 10 minutes in work to get a sale or spent that time down the pub with you pockets a little lighter than that ought to be?

Perhaps the people who actually have jobs and hence have money to spend. I don't expect the moon on a stick but we are in a recession and to turn away paying customers because it's near/ just past closing time is plain stupid.

All the more reason to go out of your way to make that sale and improve the days take to help ensure that your shop doesn't have to let anymore staff go, it might very well be your neck on the chopping board next time so it's in your own best interest to increase sales as much as possible.

You are preaching to the converted my friend regarding safety of jobs. I will ask you to answer this;
Its 21:10 hours in your store. Yes, 21:10 as we let customers in at 21:00 when really, the doors were closed.Still, customers approach the doors and try to get in. We need sales and have to protect our jobs. You have one salesperson who will miss the last bus home, to an area where nobody else working passes, so no lift available if they miss it. That bus leaves at 20:20. The other salesperson has had her husband waiting in the car outside, since 21:00, with 2 young kids in the back. A needs/must situation as they can only afford to run 1 car now. So if you truly believe that hard working folk, should stay over to work, after hours, for nothing. What time would you consider reasonable?? to refuse customers after hours???

celj · 04-07-2011 05:36PM

Karsini wrote: »

I actually get phone calls from customers at closing time, asking me if I'll hang on a few minutes for them. I agreed once and ended up staying 20 minutes later. So I don't do it anymore.

Heck, on one other occasion I had locked up and was walking home when someone pulled up in a car beside me and asked me if I'd reopen the shop to let him buy a disk drive!

People will try anything!

MonaghanPenguin · 04-07-2011 05:49PM

My favourite time for this to happen is Christmas Eve. The "**** I spent all day in the pub and need to get presents/crackers/a turkey" brigade. The people who will plead that their Christmas will be ruined if you don't let them in. Never once thinking that the staff in the shop might want to start their Christmas too.

celj · 04-07-2011 06:00PM

MonaghanPenguin wrote: »

My favourite time for this to happen is Christmas Eve. The "**** I spent all day in the pub and need to get presents/crackers/a turkey" brigade. The people who will plead that their Christmas will be ruined if you don't let them in. Never once thinking that the staff in the shop might want to start their Christmas too.

Of all days that's the one day I would tell people to go f**k off.
As I said I work as a chef and we close Christmas day,closed after lunch at 3.00.
A group of about ten had booked in for lunch.
Spent the whole of lunch getting plastered in the bar and came into the restaurant at 3.15 looking to have lunch.
I wasn't long about telling the manager where to find all the food if he was cooking for them as I was going home.
They left hungry!

Do shops attract more customers with their doors closed?..

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