Why do people feel the need to come into my store five minutes before closing? They know we are closing in five so why do they come in asking questions and talking on their cell phones? Just wait til the next day…I have a life, I need to get home to so by keeping me 15 minutes late you seriously mess with my schedule… just sayin’. —Makin’ Me Miss My Bus
This article appears in Mar 4-10, 2010.
perhaps you should post the closing time 15 minutes earlier then so you can get out on the hour (or half hour or whatever)
this is always going to be an issue anyways…. if you do post it 15 mins earlier, you’re going to bitch when people walk in just before that time.
the purpose of the business is to provide something to customers.
If you don’t want to do that, perhaps you shouldn’t be doing what you’re doing.
If you’re open until a certain time then you’re open until a certain time. That means you should expect people to assume they can come in until it is closing time, even if there are only 5 minutes left. You should also expect to do all of your closing duties AFTER you close. I have no sympathy for whiny shop keepers, tell us where you work so we can avoid it at ALL hours.
I’ll throw you a bone OP and agree as all these idiots are about to unleash the whole it’s your job blah blah blah. I never go into a store generally within 10mins of closing unless absolutely necessary. And no, I dont work retail… It’s simply because I understand your position. But I will say you might as well get used to it as not many will do the same. Most people are generally rude and feel entitiled so they will not sympathize with your position. My only advise is to get out of retail if an when possible. Only when people have no one willing to help them will they start showing a little respect to others who do the jobs they feel are beneath them…
I had to deal with this when I worked a drug store which was open ’till midnight each day. As much as I hated it when people would come in 5 or 10 to, I didn’t complain because we are OPEN ’till midnight. Maybe these people are just getting off their shitty night jobs as well and had to get something. Although there is a 24 hour sobeys right beside us but whateva. There was this one woman who took her sweet old time. It was midnight and she was asking the manager where certain things were. The manager showed her where it was and told her we would need to ring her in now because it was now after midnight. The lights were even turned off. I rang her shit in, then she started rifling through a massive wad of coupons, took 5 minutes to realise she didn’t have the one coupon for something, then asked for several lottery tickets. Now that is a dick move. All of the staff were standing and sitting around the cash, waiting to leave. She then asked me to call a cab for her; it was a Saturday night and it took me forever to get through. She finally left and kept knocking on the window asking when her cab was going to come, while we were busy counting ’tills and the safe. Bitch. I did it all with a smile though.
When I worked at a certain Lingerie store, bitches used to come in 5-10 minutes before close all the time. I had no issues following them around helping, just as long as they didn’t touch anything themselves. Those damn panty tables took FOREVER to clean because they have to be in a certain order and look. It did grind my gears though when they wanted to try things on 2 minutes before close and then take 30 minutes. I was there with a woman until an HOUR after close. She was told SEVERAL times the store was closed but wouldn’t leave. I was sooooo damn close to calling security but finally she left…. without buying anything.
Retail, never again.
restaurants are the worst, you’re cleaning up in the kitchen and customers come in at five minutes to closing…they never want anything simple, chateau briand well done, it’s the downside but you have to serve them
Try being in the military.
5 minutes before you’re supposed to home…BAM…war!
I hate that.
LMFAO @ ML
i agree that it sucks to have to stay when you’re anticipating going home but there’s a lot worse things than staying an extra 10-15 minutes after work. chill 🙂 don’t expect to go home exactly when you’re off and then when you do get to once in awhile it’ll be a treat.
We have a hard time getting patrons to leave the library at closing time too… some come in 5 minutes before we close and expect us to stay open longer so their kids can play while the parents throw books all over the floor.
hey ml, do you have lots of uniforms i love uniforms
it’s human nature, and a guy thing, to put off til the last possible minute. don’t like the way it works, then i guess you should be looking for work elsewhere. try the sqeezie kid on connaught ave., he might have an opening.
Put your clock ahead 5 or 10 minutes, that’ll fuck em’!
I’ll voice the same as paingirl re. uniforms, but only if you are into guys ML 🙂
I once was in retail. It didn’t bother me all
the time, because people were buying
things. As long as we were getting more
money in the till, I was happy to stay open longer.
you do get paid for the time you’re there do you not?
if the store closes @ 10 pm and your shift is from 12-10 but you only leave @ 10:45 because of all your extra duties, you get paid the 45 mins of work, don’t you?
kinda like punching out and all?
I honestly don’t know as I’ve never had the distinct pleasure of working retail…
(I’ve had the more back-breaking manual labor jobs in the past…. the ones that post “must be able to lift 75 lbs”)
melectric, you my dear lady, are the one in a million that people talk about. kudos.
i cannot speak for ml but i don’t think he has any aversion for me or you mr. reason
Uniforms?
I got all types…
pictures please
LS it’s not just a guy thing, i’m sure there’s many girls like myself who also put everything to the last minute. i don’t see the point in rushing to get anything done, expect probably pissing off store emplyoees, sorry guys 🙂 there will always be a good percentage of procrastinators out there though.
here’s a gem
http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_nhl…
I don’t recommend clicking on this link
http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=11200
The library at MSVU locks its doors 15 minutes before closing. It’s still “open” to those inside, but security does do rounds to make sure everyone’s out by actual closing. I know it’s not ‘retail’ but an example of how stores should just schedule their employees 15 or 30 minutes after closing. When I worked at Superstore, they had one or two cashiers on 30 minutes past closing, so you’d expect to stay (and those who were scheduled until closing got to leave AT closing). Usually those scheduled past closing for 30 minutes would always get to leave 10 or 15 minutes early and still get paid for the time (since you don’t ‘punch in’ at superstore).
stop that zZz…you know i’m weak and can’t look away
zZz – some stores that use schedules only, no time clocks, will tell employees they don’t get paid for time getting ready for or finishing up their shift (ie. 8-4 yet it takes 7:45-4:45)
Problem is too many workers won’t stand up for their rights to be paid for work performed. The employers know there is someone who is even more hungry than the employee they’ve just fired for demanding their rights. The hungry employee will bend over and take it without lube just to get the 8 hours and ignore the prep-time issue.
🙂 I was counting on that PG.
VOR, that ain’t right… if retail, I’d be closing up the store @ 15 to then and unlocking, letting out, and locking again until closing so only those left in could be served. or like zellers announcing their closing in 10 mins and get to a register if you want the shit you’ve managed to already find.
though, I tend to work more than my 40 hrs a week… I don’t usually take lunch breaks…
but then again, I’m on here often enough so I don’t kick a fuss either.
Pretty Kitty, I’m curious as to who you are, because I went to the Mount. Do you?
Here’s what you do, just go right up to them and say, “Let me know if I can help you find what you’re looking for because we close in 5 minutes”
I have had people tell me in stores that they are about to close. Chapters actually does an announcement 15 minutes and 5 minutes before closing to bring all your items to the register now because they are closing. Doesn’t bother me a bit because sometimes I just didn’t realize the time or when the store closes
I once saw a woman wedge herself between the doors as a person was trying to close her store in the mall…she was saying, “but I’m in before closing” and couldn’t believe they weren’t going to let her in.
Maybe you need a bouncer from the Palace to start shuffling people out. 🙂
LZ — I used to…like…2-5 years ago.
I hated that place.
Get a career then, M-F 9-5 like most normal working people.
i think theyre coming in cause youre store is still open
your store probably requires some closing duties/clean up time after you close and before you clock out too, id imagine
cry about something reasonable
try working in a restaurant where the owner lets people in AFTER its closed and youre almost ready to leave and the people order lobster dinners
FUN!
Retail….it sucks but what are you going to do?
There are worst things in life to bitch about but hey if this really bothers you..quit!!!
PK, what program were you in??