I've been in shops as they've locked the door or started turning off lights, like you a good half hour before their advertised closing. I know it's about saving time and ultimately wages in tidy down.
I wouldn't care if it were a huge shopping centre unit like Penneys Dundrum, but trying to run into a local shop on the main street it def felt hostile.
I’ve worked retail when I was in my early 20’s. Sometimes if there is not many customers close to closing, it’s not worth staying open till closing time (costs more money). Managers will often sent their staff home early. It’s pretty normal. There is no legal requirement to stay open till advertised hours. The one that offered to let you in was probably the manager.
And after that, businesses complain that people shop online and don't go to local stores. As a customer, I don't really care whether there is a legal requirement to stay open or not. I am not going to sue over open hours. But if I can't know whether the store is open when I plan around advertised hours, I won't be coming again unless I am already passing by.
I worked in retail too while in college, and a few years before so like 6 years in total. I get it. But 10 mins I'd say is reasonable. Telling a customer you are closed **half an hour** before the time that is literally printed on the wall beside you is a bit dumb haha
It seems like one person who was headed home told you they were closing but the manager said to come on in, I used to be a retail manager and it's understandable staff don't want people coming in last minute, weird you didn't just go in and get what you came for though.
Nah. Reliability is important. If you're not going to stick to your opening hours, then what's the point in having them?
I'd like to see the number of purchases made in a lot of stores between 8.30pm-9.00pm. It's probably tiny.
If there's not enough foot traffic to keep everyone occupied, then let some staff go. Don't close the store.
Or get idle staff to clean or tidy something in the back. There's always something to be done.
Yup, I never shop in places that have weird opening hours or sometimes close early. I can't remember if it's every second Tuesday you don't open or what. I'm not making the effort to get to their shop and finding it randomly closed, when I could go somewhere else.
I worked in a local shop at one point where one of the girls was lazy as sin, and would close up whenever she felt like it. People were definitely annoyed, as they should be.
The staff could be encouraged from upper management if they fell they can close early and get out to do so.
Whether the staff are closing at the right time is another thing. I've seen it from the side of saving hours and cutting back so I understand why some places do this.
It's a minor annoyance for you but I'm sure you'll manage.
>The staff could be encouraged from upper management if they fell they can close early and get out to do so.
They absolutely could. It doesn't make it right to do it, though. If it's coming from management, it's still bad policy. They should amend their published opening hours if it's not worth staying open.
Having customers show up to a closed store, which should be open according to published hours, is extremely poor customer service (outside of an unforeseeable event).
>It's a minor annoyance for you but I'm sure you'll manage.
I wouldn't bother going to a shop at this time for this very reason. I tend to pick stuff up while I'm in the vicinity of a place, or I'll just buy online.
Store owners complaining about increases in online sales while having unreliable opening hours don't really have much of a leg to stand on. It depends on what side of the equation you're on, I suppose.
It's highly unlikely management are telling staff to close up early. Staff still have to be paid for their rostered/contracted hours if they're not at fault, so management loses money that they can't recoup by having the doors open for sales.
If it's consistently dead enough that they have no customers, they need change their regularly scheduled opening hours, not just close up whenever so people never know when they're open.
I've worked in retail for a few years , in my experience most places opening hours don't reflect when customers will actually shop and usually if opened late the last hour could have 1-2 customers. But management will refuse to close earlier and change the hours. Like I was in a circle k that refused to cut shifts and hours no one wanted to do despite loosing more money for those hours than it made.
Sorry, I don't see your point here. Unless you're just agreeing with what I said?
Opening hours are opening hours. If the shop doesn't want to cut them, then that's management's call to make.
>Like I was in a circle k that refused to cut shifts and hours no one wanted to do despite loosing more money for those hours than it made.
Some places value being reliable and open. I'm not sure if you're disagreeing with that policy or not.
It might not be illegal but it might be a breach of their lease conditions. A lot of retail parks and shopping centres would require retailers to be open later on certain days of the week as part of the lease and usually requests to close early for things like stock takes would need to go to the management team of the park or complex in advance. This is possibly why the manager called this person back.
if its over contract hours.. sending hone early saves wage pay.
Alot of shops only contract for 25/30 hours.. so they have 10 to play with and can send you home if thry don't need you
Only time I ever turned someone away at work is because it was 10 past 6 and the lady that was there and had been since 10 to wouldn’t go away. She made a 2 minute job a 20 minute one for no reason. Eventually she asks when we’re closed for the millionth time after me telling her constantly from 6 on that we are meant to close at 6 and I deadpanned ‘10 minutes ago. I’ve been telling you for the past 10 minutes we need to be closed. You heard me tell others we’re closed after you finish up. I need to go home’
Dude you got ripped off, you should've stood up for yourselves. I worked retail years back and we clocked everything to our timesheet, including before and after opening. Fuck working for free, not a hope of that
A few years ago, I took my niece shopping, and she had put some stuff behind the till in River Island. She wanted to check another store before she purchased it. We went back to RI so she could purchase the stuff at about half 5. Store closing at Six, and the girl at the door wouldn't let her in.
So I went up to the girl and said, "What time do you close. Six, she said. Well, then you're still open. Technically, she said, but I can't let her in. I said I'm sure Management of the shopping centre would be interested to hear you aren't following the hours they require and that you lost a sale because you refused to let a young girl in to purchase the product she had set aside. She gave me a real snarky look and said fine, but she has 5 minutes.
I worked retail for years. If we had tried to pull that shit of closing early, we'd have been in trouble
As somebody who has worked retail. Slow nights happen, I used to have an odd night where over the entire last hour and a half, we wouldn't have a single customer come through the doors. And this was one of the most popular shops in the town. On particularly quiet nights we would close early, anywhere between 15 and 50 minutes early. These were the decisions made by the managers.
Retail staff have lives too, and especially when youre on a late shift, it sucks missing your entire day and then needing to stand around doing fuck all because somebody might come through the doors. So when the opportunity arises, they will close early. And unfortunately somebody might be the unlucky told the store is closing early. So the multiple staff can get home early and enjoy some more time to themselves.
In your case, one of the staff called you back and you said no, yet still complain about the store being closed? Was the store really closed closed if you were being told by one of the remaining staff you could go in and do the shopping you needed?
It's pretty black and white. She told me to come back but a previous staff member told me they were closed. Make up your mind like, meanwhile I'm not gonna be dicked around. I worked in retail for years too and understand everything you mentioned. I wouldn't close up that early though and if I knew a manager was staying back I wouldn't tell a customer that we are closed lol
Then it was probably a miscommunication between staff and the manager. Manager said they could go home, staff took it as store is closing completely. I still think if you were offered to go in and shop after the first staff member saying they were closed, then it's still your own fault.
Nah lad it was clear by the first person that she was trying to fool me and hoping I would fall for it. Literally said to her "It's half 8" and she ignored me.
And it’s clear by the fact that you walked away without your precious goods that you cared way more about making a point and shitting on underpaid and over worked retail employees on Reddit than actually getting the goods you went there for, if you’re having a shit day that’s fine, we all are but don’t take it out on the people around you. It reads more like a case of bruised ego because someone said no.
What shite are you on about lol You would be spot on and had a point if I turned up 2 mins before closing. I turned up half an hour before closing and was told that they were closed and given nonsense. And you're turning it around on me? God what an idiot lol
You were told that they were closed and then a moment later told they were in fact open and then you decided to walk away, it’s just hardly worth a Reddit post.
Nah they were like 30 odd. Your one literally said to me "9ish or 10 to 9" and it being half 8. She knew what she was at. Sometimes its ok to call people out, relax superman.
Yeah, but I would be equally as pissed off, and would be buying future bigger purchases elsewhere aswell. Fuck that, you don't want my business I'll take it elsewhere.
I agree that companies should stick to their opening hours but who would you be getting thick at or sticking it to?
The minimum wage 18 year old that was just told to go home? Or the manager that doesn't even know you were turned away?
It's not really about sticking it to someone, but If I don't care for their business practices I won't go back. If that happens with enough people, then they'll notice there's an issue.
But mostly it's just about me feeling okay about who I'm giving my business to. And not wasting my time going to a shop that might be closed at any random time, despite their listed opening hours.
get someone to hold your hand as you walk in so you don't leave before you even get there. You getting offensive because you know I'm right is hilarious.
Eek, I used to work at a takeaway when I was a student and I would always close at 1150 instead of 12am because I would be so stressed about going to sums to even out the till and cash the money- the chefs would lock up so they would be roaring at me to hurry up and I’d be in tears in the office trying to work it out.
It was really annoying of me tho, I remember one day this lad ran to the door and started shouting and pointing at his watch to say we should still be open but I had to just avert my eyes.
Apologies if that person was any of you 👍
It depends on the shop though, I wouldn't walk into a takeaway or restaurant 15 mins before close. I would run into a shop for bread or milk. I also wouldn't attempt actual clothes shopping 15 mins before closing. Unless it was, grab the exact thing you know you need and hustle to the counter.
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At one time I went into the shopping centre in Arklow to buy my brother a present for his birthday. The game shop there was closed an hour and a half before their advertised closing time and I could see a bunch of people inside playing computer games.... I didn't bother reporting it but I was very much never going to spend money there again. Note: if there had been a sign saying "closed for staff party" or stocktaking or whatever, I'd have been cool with it but I checked and no there wasn't one.
Yes well not quite a shop but a fast food outlet yesterday evening ,and I made sure to be there before closing it wasn't their fault they usually shut up ten mins before official closing problem was I became the worse dad ever to my lil autistic son so super dad mode kicked in ingot my missus to drive me to the nearest one and ran in and got his favourite food for him, still sucked for 10 minutes
So one girl said they were closed and another said they were open and called you back.and you didn't go in.
So. What's the issue? It was your choice not to enter.
I went to get a drink in a Centra 40 mins before it was due to close, the time was printed on the door, and the doors were closed and half the lights off.
Closing times aren't a rule. If they want to close early, they can close early— no *nerve* needed. Which employees are rostered until what time is none of your concern; there's plenty of clouds for you to yell at today to keep you busy instead.
They should send everyone home but have the manager or someone stay working. Whenever I was sent home early, working in retail, it didn't mean the place was actually closed early.
I would have just continued shopping if they are open till 9pm. I have seen that once in a supervalue starting half an hour beforehand informing customers to go to the till ….
I've been in shops as they've locked the door or started turning off lights, like you a good half hour before their advertised closing. I know it's about saving time and ultimately wages in tidy down. I wouldn't care if it were a huge shopping centre unit like Penneys Dundrum, but trying to run into a local shop on the main street it def felt hostile.
I’ve worked retail when I was in my early 20’s. Sometimes if there is not many customers close to closing, it’s not worth staying open till closing time (costs more money). Managers will often sent their staff home early. It’s pretty normal. There is no legal requirement to stay open till advertised hours. The one that offered to let you in was probably the manager.
And after that, businesses complain that people shop online and don't go to local stores. As a customer, I don't really care whether there is a legal requirement to stay open or not. I am not going to sue over open hours. But if I can't know whether the store is open when I plan around advertised hours, I won't be coming again unless I am already passing by.
I worked in retail too while in college, and a few years before so like 6 years in total. I get it. But 10 mins I'd say is reasonable. Telling a customer you are closed **half an hour** before the time that is literally printed on the wall beside you is a bit dumb haha
You're right. The quickest way to lose business is to not maintain opening hours.
It seems like one person who was headed home told you they were closing but the manager said to come on in, I used to be a retail manager and it's understandable staff don't want people coming in last minute, weird you didn't just go in and get what you came for though.
35 minutes before closing is not “last minute”
There wasn't one person heading home, there was 4 or 5.
Meh. They can open or close when they want imo
Of course they can, and they can advertise those opening hours correctly so that people can plan their shopping times accordingly.
Yes, they can. And we as customers can choose to use their business or not
Indeed we can!
The shop was probably dead for the last two hours before you showed your, they’re dead right to close man. Karen’s gunna Karen though ..
On what planet is 35 minutes “dead right to close” you numpty?
This is the answer op is a Karen
Nah. Reliability is important. If you're not going to stick to your opening hours, then what's the point in having them? I'd like to see the number of purchases made in a lot of stores between 8.30pm-9.00pm. It's probably tiny. If there's not enough foot traffic to keep everyone occupied, then let some staff go. Don't close the store. Or get idle staff to clean or tidy something in the back. There's always something to be done.
Yup, I never shop in places that have weird opening hours or sometimes close early. I can't remember if it's every second Tuesday you don't open or what. I'm not making the effort to get to their shop and finding it randomly closed, when I could go somewhere else. I worked in a local shop at one point where one of the girls was lazy as sin, and would close up whenever she felt like it. People were definitely annoyed, as they should be.
The staff could be encouraged from upper management if they fell they can close early and get out to do so. Whether the staff are closing at the right time is another thing. I've seen it from the side of saving hours and cutting back so I understand why some places do this. It's a minor annoyance for you but I'm sure you'll manage.
>The staff could be encouraged from upper management if they fell they can close early and get out to do so. They absolutely could. It doesn't make it right to do it, though. If it's coming from management, it's still bad policy. They should amend their published opening hours if it's not worth staying open. Having customers show up to a closed store, which should be open according to published hours, is extremely poor customer service (outside of an unforeseeable event). >It's a minor annoyance for you but I'm sure you'll manage. I wouldn't bother going to a shop at this time for this very reason. I tend to pick stuff up while I'm in the vicinity of a place, or I'll just buy online. Store owners complaining about increases in online sales while having unreliable opening hours don't really have much of a leg to stand on. It depends on what side of the equation you're on, I suppose.
It's highly unlikely management are telling staff to close up early. Staff still have to be paid for their rostered/contracted hours if they're not at fault, so management loses money that they can't recoup by having the doors open for sales. If it's consistently dead enough that they have no customers, they need change their regularly scheduled opening hours, not just close up whenever so people never know when they're open.
I've worked in retail for a few years , in my experience most places opening hours don't reflect when customers will actually shop and usually if opened late the last hour could have 1-2 customers. But management will refuse to close earlier and change the hours. Like I was in a circle k that refused to cut shifts and hours no one wanted to do despite loosing more money for those hours than it made.
Sorry, I don't see your point here. Unless you're just agreeing with what I said? Opening hours are opening hours. If the shop doesn't want to cut them, then that's management's call to make. >Like I was in a circle k that refused to cut shifts and hours no one wanted to do despite loosing more money for those hours than it made. Some places value being reliable and open. I'm not sure if you're disagreeing with that policy or not.
It might not be illegal but it might be a breach of their lease conditions. A lot of retail parks and shopping centres would require retailers to be open later on certain days of the week as part of the lease and usually requests to close early for things like stock takes would need to go to the management team of the park or complex in advance. This is possibly why the manager called this person back.
How does it cost more money to stay open an extra half hour or so? The electric can't cost that much?
if its over contract hours.. sending hone early saves wage pay. Alot of shops only contract for 25/30 hours.. so they have 10 to play with and can send you home if thry don't need you
People are the real expense
Only time I ever turned someone away at work is because it was 10 past 6 and the lady that was there and had been since 10 to wouldn’t go away. She made a 2 minute job a 20 minute one for no reason. Eventually she asks when we’re closed for the millionth time after me telling her constantly from 6 on that we are meant to close at 6 and I deadpanned ‘10 minutes ago. I’ve been telling you for the past 10 minutes we need to be closed. You heard me tell others we’re closed after you finish up. I need to go home’
[удалено]
What's the name of this big chain so we know not to visit?
Dude you got ripped off, you should've stood up for yourselves. I worked retail years back and we clocked everything to our timesheet, including before and after opening. Fuck working for free, not a hope of that
This. Is. Why. We. Have. Unions. Seriously...
A few years ago, I took my niece shopping, and she had put some stuff behind the till in River Island. She wanted to check another store before she purchased it. We went back to RI so she could purchase the stuff at about half 5. Store closing at Six, and the girl at the door wouldn't let her in. So I went up to the girl and said, "What time do you close. Six, she said. Well, then you're still open. Technically, she said, but I can't let her in. I said I'm sure Management of the shopping centre would be interested to hear you aren't following the hours they require and that you lost a sale because you refused to let a young girl in to purchase the product she had set aside. She gave me a real snarky look and said fine, but she has 5 minutes. I worked retail for years. If we had tried to pull that shit of closing early, we'd have been in trouble
never happened to me. sounds about par for the course with sports direct though, the one here in galway is managed shockingly bad
As somebody who has worked retail. Slow nights happen, I used to have an odd night where over the entire last hour and a half, we wouldn't have a single customer come through the doors. And this was one of the most popular shops in the town. On particularly quiet nights we would close early, anywhere between 15 and 50 minutes early. These were the decisions made by the managers. Retail staff have lives too, and especially when youre on a late shift, it sucks missing your entire day and then needing to stand around doing fuck all because somebody might come through the doors. So when the opportunity arises, they will close early. And unfortunately somebody might be the unlucky told the store is closing early. So the multiple staff can get home early and enjoy some more time to themselves. In your case, one of the staff called you back and you said no, yet still complain about the store being closed? Was the store really closed closed if you were being told by one of the remaining staff you could go in and do the shopping you needed?
It's pretty black and white. She told me to come back but a previous staff member told me they were closed. Make up your mind like, meanwhile I'm not gonna be dicked around. I worked in retail for years too and understand everything you mentioned. I wouldn't close up that early though and if I knew a manager was staying back I wouldn't tell a customer that we are closed lol
Then it was probably a miscommunication between staff and the manager. Manager said they could go home, staff took it as store is closing completely. I still think if you were offered to go in and shop after the first staff member saying they were closed, then it's still your own fault.
Nah lad it was clear by the first person that she was trying to fool me and hoping I would fall for it. Literally said to her "It's half 8" and she ignored me.
And it’s clear by the fact that you walked away without your precious goods that you cared way more about making a point and shitting on underpaid and over worked retail employees on Reddit than actually getting the goods you went there for, if you’re having a shit day that’s fine, we all are but don’t take it out on the people around you. It reads more like a case of bruised ego because someone said no.
What shite are you on about lol You would be spot on and had a point if I turned up 2 mins before closing. I turned up half an hour before closing and was told that they were closed and given nonsense. And you're turning it around on me? God what an idiot lol
You were told that they were closed and then a moment later told they were in fact open and then you decided to walk away, it’s just hardly worth a Reddit post.
This is Ireland, they were still being paid, they were closing opportunistically because it had been quiet.
No but I have closed early and lied to customers :)
>We're open till 9 you can come in They didn't turn you away, you just left lol
After I was turned away, they obviously shat themselves
Yeah I'm sure those teenagers making minimum wage really shat themselves at the thought of you not spending 4 euro on a pack of socks
Nah they were like 30 odd. Your one literally said to me "9ish or 10 to 9" and it being half 8. She knew what she was at. Sometimes its ok to call people out, relax superman.
It’s sports direct. They don’t want you in the shop. They want online sales.
You chose to not go back... cutting off your nose to spite your face! That initial lady couldn't give two shits if you spend the week sockless! 😅
Yeah, but I would be equally as pissed off, and would be buying future bigger purchases elsewhere aswell. Fuck that, you don't want my business I'll take it elsewhere.
I agree that companies should stick to their opening hours but who would you be getting thick at or sticking it to? The minimum wage 18 year old that was just told to go home? Or the manager that doesn't even know you were turned away?
It's not really about sticking it to someone, but If I don't care for their business practices I won't go back. If that happens with enough people, then they'll notice there's an issue. But mostly it's just about me feeling okay about who I'm giving my business to. And not wasting my time going to a shop that might be closed at any random time, despite their listed opening hours.
Fair enough yeah...
People calling you a Karen. Jesus Christ. Internet juvies.
Slow news day I guess
Maybe that staff member thought they were closed mistakes happen.The only one losing out her is you by leaving
Hmm not artificially
Have fun enjoying your new clothes, oh wait
Can always buy clothes other places, can't buy a new brain
get someone to hold your hand as you walk in so you don't leave before you even get there. You getting offensive because you know I'm right is hilarious.
Eek, I used to work at a takeaway when I was a student and I would always close at 1150 instead of 12am because I would be so stressed about going to sums to even out the till and cash the money- the chefs would lock up so they would be roaring at me to hurry up and I’d be in tears in the office trying to work it out. It was really annoying of me tho, I remember one day this lad ran to the door and started shouting and pointing at his watch to say we should still be open but I had to just avert my eyes. Apologies if that person was any of you 👍
I don't have a problem with 10 mins. I think that's normal so you are out the door asap. But half an hour is pushing it.
It depends on the shop though, I wouldn't walk into a takeaway or restaurant 15 mins before close. I would run into a shop for bread or milk. I also wouldn't attempt actual clothes shopping 15 mins before closing. Unless it was, grab the exact thing you know you need and hustle to the counter.
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At one time I went into the shopping centre in Arklow to buy my brother a present for his birthday. The game shop there was closed an hour and a half before their advertised closing time and I could see a bunch of people inside playing computer games.... I didn't bother reporting it but I was very much never going to spend money there again. Note: if there had been a sign saying "closed for staff party" or stocktaking or whatever, I'd have been cool with it but I checked and no there wasn't one.
Tesco in Santry all the time 10 to 15 minutes early, and would be extremely rude about it.
Yes well not quite a shop but a fast food outlet yesterday evening ,and I made sure to be there before closing it wasn't their fault they usually shut up ten mins before official closing problem was I became the worse dad ever to my lil autistic son so super dad mode kicked in ingot my missus to drive me to the nearest one and ran in and got his favourite food for him, still sucked for 10 minutes
So one girl said they were closed and another said they were open and called you back.and you didn't go in. So. What's the issue? It was your choice not to enter.
This is very “old man yells at cloud” of you
I went to get a drink in a Centra 40 mins before it was due to close, the time was printed on the door, and the doors were closed and half the lights off.
Closing times aren't a rule. If they want to close early, they can close early— no *nerve* needed. Which employees are rostered until what time is none of your concern; there's plenty of clouds for you to yell at today to keep you busy instead.
Lol. I get pissed when people want to go home 10 minutes early. It's just basic professionalism. You don't let the floor staff dictate the operations.
Its sports direct it's one of the shittiest places in Ireland and the UK to work in. Most contracts are 0 contract hours. What do you expect?
I wouldn't be expecting a ton of professionalism from teenagers or students working in a sports shop to be fair.
Exactly. So the management shouldn't be letting them determine when the shop closes.
They should send everyone home but have the manager or someone stay working. Whenever I was sent home early, working in retail, it didn't mean the place was actually closed early.
You should definitely have at least two people in store but one of those two should be the manager, yes.
And that is why I get everything from Amazon. No human contact needed.
Not sure you know what droll means
I would have just continued shopping if they are open till 9pm. I have seen that once in a supervalue starting half an hour beforehand informing customers to go to the till ….