Stores closing earlier than advertised time

aliaslotte

My Friday night shift was a classic, where I really wished we closed the doors early at work. We pulled the shutters part-way down at around 5.25pm [as we close at 5.30pm] but a couple of people still ducked under - that was fine, as they were quick and just picked up one thing. However, we had four customers milling around the place with multiple handbaskets. Various staff members approached them to say we were closing at 5.30pm and so could they please go to the till but they literally ignored them and carried on browsing. In the end, they didn't come anywhere near the till until 5.40pm! Whilst I was putting their goods through the till, a bloke ducked under the shutters and again ignored my manager when she said we were closed - she ended up following him down one of the aisles and insisting he left... In the end, I left at 5.50pm [having worked for 20 minutes unpaid] and it obviously had a knock on effect for the people in the cash office, who are meant to have everything counted and secured by 6pm.

Maybe if we created a retail standard it would ease things - eg, if people know that supermarkets close their doors 15 minutes before closing and that smaller stores like mine close around 5 minutes before. But, then again, with the customers we had in this Friday, I don't think anything would have quickened them up lol.

chopps

That's why it's so confusing to just say open until 5.30pm or we close at 5.30pm .
Does it imply (as different stores seem to interpret it) :

a) doors close at 5.30 pm so no customers will be allowed in after this time but those already inside can finish their shopping as the till(s) will stay open until they leave.

b) no-one's allowed in after 5.15pm as tills closed and lights out at 5.30pm

c)After 5.20 pm you'll need to convince the security doorman to let you in if you promise you only want to buy 1 item........

d) Manager's not here so we're closing up early at 5.10pm.
We don't care what head office stated in their adverts about open till 5.30pm

funnyguy

Good grief ,'Chopps'you ve been going on about this for almost a year now.Get a life and think of another new post to start.

aliaslotte

chopps wrote: »

That's why it's so confusing to just say open until 5.30pm or we close at 5.30pm .
Does it imply (as different stores seem to interpret it) :

a) doors close at 5.30 pm so no customers will be allowed in after this time but those already inside can finish their shopping as the till(s) will stay open until they leave.

b) no-one's allowed in after 5.15pm as tills closed and lights out at 5.30pm

c)After 5.20 pm you'll need to convince the security doorman to let you in if you promise you only want to buy 1 item........

d) Manager's not here so we're closing up early at 5.10pm.
We don't care what head office stated in their adverts about open till 5.30pm

I see it very simply. The shop shuts at 5.30pm. So, by 5.30pm, you should have brought your purchases to the till and be ready to leave the store. Simples lol.

janiebaby29

Our store shuts at 4 pm and we have regular tannoy accounments from 3 45 pm . I had my last customer at 4.14 and she asked if she could get a couple more bits , I replied and said , no madam the shop is shut and we have to process you and get you out .
She was a bit miffed but I'm really tired by then and want to go home , it's not easy working 6 .5 hours with just 20 mins break all day .
But that's the way Sunday trading is and it needs to be adhered to

chopps

funnyguy wrote: »

Good grief ,'Chopps'you ve been going on about this for almost a year now.Get a life and think of another new post to start.

Well I'm still getting email notifications that the topic is active and so is as relevant now as it was when it started. So if you've got nothing useful to contribute you know what you should do........

funnyguy

zzzzzzzzzzzz.

riptastic

Well, Having just popped in to my local Lidl for a few bits, I was in for 30 seconds before being TOLD by the security guard to hurry up as they were closing. ( I had no idea what time it was or what time they shut! as far as I'm concerned, if the door opens, they want my money) Within the next 5 minutes I had been told by another member of staff that they were waiting for me and another shopper who followed me in to leave. the same security guard then got quite abrupt, telling me he had already asked me to leave and then the same member of staff saying he too had told me to leave.
When I said I had only been in the shop about 5 minutes, they both told me that the doors stop opening at 8.55 and they close at 9.00.
Now correct me if I'm wrong here.
But, As a mountaineering instructor, I think I could get around that place with a basket pretty quickly and spending more time in Lidl than needed in not my bag.
That can not be said for someone with disabilities, be it: mobility, sight, hearing, or the various forms of mental illness that a huge part of society suffer from.

When you press a crossing to go over a busy road it stops the traffic for as long as it would take for a frail person to cross. Not a sprinter.

Shut the doors at a time that gives the shop time to empty. Simple.

Or, at the very least don't be rude when people do come in and try and spend their hard earned money. There were only two of us in the shop.

Or, even try closing the doors when its that close to closing and there are no customers in!! That way you don't get those pesky customers coming in when their not wanted

I think their actions were disgusting, I gave them my basket back and walked out. As I walked past all the staff were laughing at me through the window. - Very professional

I'm sure it took them longer to re-stack the stuff rather than just to be polite and put it through the till.

Middy

janiebaby29 wrote: »

thank goodness someone had the sense to say that , i too work on a sunday and customers really do not take a blind bit of notice of tannoy calls ,
i only get 20 mins break in a 10 to half four shift and i wanna go home ,
we too have familes and homes to get to

Its the same customers that swan in at 3:45pm every Sunday thinking they have all of the time in the world.

Some never learn.

Battybird

My son was working a night shift in a store last night, (not a supermarket) when it was noticed a customer was still walking round with a trolley full of goods, 10 mins after closing time.

When my son informed the man that the store was closed, but he could go to the checkout and pay, I believe the man got very bad tempered and said he hadn't finished his shopping. He chose not to buy the shopping and asked my son for his name. Son started writing his name down, asked the customer if he wanted his middle name, then customer slammed his fist down on son's hand!!!

I hope the cctv cameras caught it all, and the customer is banned for life.