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Just because an store closes at an certain hour doesn't mean that the employees will leave at exactly that same-time, I mean sure there's always the lower level employees who clock-out right in time but then you have the manager, cashiers/stocker who has to make sure the store is presentable for the next day. They aren't going anywhere so the way i see it, If you were the store owner would you rather lose an client or give your store an bad name by forcing someone out of the store 5-mins before closing or just continue to do your work until they're ready to checkout but make them aware that it is past store business hours.
As a business owner, I can answer this for you...No, we don't want to turn away a customer. It's all about customer service and yes, making a sale.
If a customer show up to my place 10 mins before closing and needs some work done, he's going to get that work done. If that means that my employee stays for 30 mins to get done what needs to get done, so be it. That's what they are paid to do, take care of the customer.
We don't advertise...we don't have to, our customers do all our advertising for us.
I said it once and I'll say it again, as long as those store doors are open and unlocked, a customer is free to come in and shop. If employees don't like it, they can find another job. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who'd love to have their job.
That law has existed for numerous decades. The law that changed was for the definition of exempt versus non-exempt employees. It changed the meaning of anyone who was in an supervisory role and was being paid salary versus hourly. Basically it changed the work week for many from a 50 (or more) hour workweek to a 42.5 (or 45) hour workweek (lunches included) and how many hours were required to be classified as FT (which is now 33-40). Depending on the state, numerous people were able to sue (ex)employers for unpaid and overtime payroll from the past (some states set time limits). It fixed a problem and created new loopholes (explaining it would require a new thread).
Okay... but it doesn't change the fact that it DID happen back when I was working retail.
Glad it won't happen (at least as easily!) now.
I agree with you..labor laws have changed things for the better. I don't doubt what you're saying at all. About 8 yrs ago when my dd got her first job, they wanted her to train for two weeks ( 80hrs) it was all well and good until they said it's UNPAID training. Hell to the no...not only did she not work there, but we reported him to the state labor board. This guy got his ass in a sling.
You know, every business is different, made extremely obvious by his thread.
I work for a fortune 50 retailer. After we lock our front doors we have 30 minutes to finish everything and be out of the store.
The employees have 30 minutes to sweep and vacuum, take out the trash, clean the restrooms, replenish supplies for their stations, and straighten the entire store while I do the office closing procedures.
If I don't have the last register closed out by 5 minutes after the stated closing time I'm not going to make that 30 minute time frame. Your lollygagging around means I have to pay 3-6 employees to stay over while I finish the closing procedures in the office.
It can mean having to send an email to the district office to explain why the store went over budgeted hours for the week (because they are THAT tight and that focused on using the bare minimum budget possible)
It's a lot to get done in a short amount of time and 10 or 15 minutes makes a big difference.
For the folks who think it's not a big deal to expect the staff to stay a few extra minutes, would you feel the same way if your employers repeatedly asked you to stay 15 minutes late day after day after day? Because it's not just an occasional thing, this entitlement attitude of expecting stores to stay open late just for you. It happens almost nightly.
I don't like to be rude, but I have taken to reminding the last minute shoppers that the REGISTERS will be closing, not just the store. It's amazing how many of them are surprised at the idea that the registers will be closing when the store does. Some people just don't get it.
You know, I see a lot of justification (presumably self-justification from the sound of it) on this thread for coming to a store right before closing and hanging out for however long you want, making the employees of the store have to work late (whether paid or not) to cater to your whim of shopping whenever the heck you feel like it.
I find it interesting that these same people seem to be clueless as to what they are broadcasting loud and clear about themselves and their attitude towards their fellow man. Might as well put it in bright flashing neon lights on a Goodyear blimp - "I think the world revolves around me and I'm ENTITLED and everyone should give me whatever my little whim desires and wait on me because I'm IMPORTANT."
My biggest beef isn't so much people coming in 5 mins before closing, it's what they do when they are in there at any time. My 2 biggest beefs are people tearing up the workers straightening of the aisles late in the evening to the point that it looks like Chuck E. Cheese at peak time, and customers who expect employees to break company policies for them in the name of "customer service".
Perfect example of this is a certain retailer does not allow it's employees to replace or really touch watches or batteries, as well as most electronics items due to the risk of the employee breaking the item and the store being therefore liable. It's just not a part of their training anymore to do that sort of thing. I heard some raging b**** berate 2 employees for not "helping" her install freaking batteries into a clock radio and set the time and date, all the while literally throwing the batteries at them, telling them "That's what's wrong with this country today. No customer service", along with some choice curse words and treating these guys like they were absolutely stupid. These guys tried telling her over and over that company policy forbade them from handling this type of stuff, and she literally threw the instructions at them and told them "Well, you are going to learn about breaking the rules today".
Yeah, that's "customer service". Break the rules for me! Me! ME!
People are inconsiderate. I remember working at a restaurant and people would come in five minutes before closing and order a full course meal. The poor waitress had to stay until they left even though she would be getting no more customers and was only being paid 2 bucks an hour (+tips). ALSO the cooks would often have started their clean up routine which they would have to do over (clean the grill ect....).
These people could have gone to a 24 hour diner and had the same food BUT.....
A well run and managed retail operation will always account for late shoppers. They will assume the store closes and start ushering shoppers out at a reasonable time after the posted closing hour. My neighbor manages a retail operation for a european clothing retailer. The posted closing time is the time they close their doors to incoming shoppers, it is not the time the store actually closes. They allocate at least another half hour to assist remaining shoppers. Although they do announce the store is closed and do ask customers to complete their shopping, they do not begin to have them leave until another half hour. She said they never really have to kick anyone out as that half hour is enough to service the remaining customers. Even with that, the employees end time is an hour after the posted closing time so they have time to assist stragglers and complete their closing procedures.
If a store and its employees are scheduled so that the posted closing time is the time they need every customer out and the employees expect to go home, they should have locked the doors earlier. It's not the customers fault the doors are open (invitation to enter and shop) and they were let in just to expect them to high tail it out the door the second the clock strikes closing time. That is just poor management.
Would any of you in retail who are upset at customers still shopping at the closing time be so accepting if you’re on the phone with a company seeking assistance and right at the end of their normal business hours they tell you they have to go? You would think that poor customer service and a poorly run operation, so why do you feel when you do it that it should be accepted? Don’t be upset with the customers who entered before closing time, be upset with management who created the bad scheduling.
I agree with this too. The last customer should be assisted as well as the first one was.
I feel there are times when it is the fault of management that there is vacuuming going on or closed registers, etc. They may be getting pressure to reduce employee hours, so that they make the employees attend to closing procedures while the store is still open.
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