Business Hours

[kenny]

Is it okay to enter a store or restaurant right before closing time?

 

[amc80]

I'd say it depends on what type of business and what you are buying. A gallon of milk from 7-11? Sure. Anything that takes time (due to browsing, having to try something on, etc.) is say no.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Is it okay to enter a store or restaurant right before closing time?

no,i wouldn't feel comfortable.

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

I agree with amc. Depends. Grab and go is ok. But walking into a sit down restaurant 10 minutes before closing is just plain rude.

 

[madelise]

I won't go to a restaurant an hour before they close. I used to wrk at a Cheesecake Factory. I wanted to punch people who came in 10 minutes before closing time.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Restaurants... NEVER! If we're going to eat there, 45 minutes before closing is cutting it close - Take out - 30 minutes.

Retail stores - 15 minutes if I know what I want. 30 minutes if I'm just browsing.

Grocery - I'll just go to the 24 hour places

 

[JewelFreak]

People did it all the time at Tiffany's. Drove us crazy -- somebody came in at 5:45 when we closed at 6, & start browsing. We were not allowed to start any closing procedures while customers were still there. Wander around, looking at cases, ask to see this, then that, sometimes send us running upstairs for tableware, try on jewelry, call friends on their cellphones to describe what they found, should I buy it? Meanwhile everyone who worked there stood around twiddling their thumbs & fretting about missing their trains, but the rules were "smile happily & look relaxed, NEVER mention we're about to close," ugh. Usually these numbskulls left with nothing; once in a while they bought a $100 item.

It took a solid hour to close cash registers & stow jewels in the safe after they deigned to let us start.

So, no, if it's not a quicky pick-up-a-newspaper type thing.

--- Laurie

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

You can easily ask if the kitchen is still open. I have found that restaurants will tell you if they want your business. I don't think its up to the waitress to decide the policy.

Thats part of doing business. Employees may want a quick closing but I don't think it looks good for the company if someone makes a customer feel uncomfortable because they came in near closing time.

Annette

 

[iheartscience]

People did it all the time at Tiffany's. Drove us crazy -- somebody came in at 5:45 when we closed at 6, & start browsing. We were not allowed to start any closing procedures while customers were still there. Wander around, looking at cases, ask to see this, then that, sometimes send us running upstairs for tableware, try on jewelry, call friends on their cellphones to describe what they found, should I buy it? Meanwhile everyone who worked there stood around twiddling their thumbs & fretting about missing their trains, but the rules were "smile happily & look relaxed, NEVER mention we're about to close," ugh. Usually these numbskulls left with nothing; once in a while they bought a $100 item.

It took a solid hour to close cash registers & stow jewels in the safe after they deigned to let us start.

So, no, if it's not a quicky pick-up-a-newspaper type thing.

--- Laurie

Yep, the people who do this almost NEVER buy anything. I worked at an independent boutique and we would give people 10-15 minutes past closing and then we would tell them we were closed so they needed to wrap it up. We also turned the music off at the closing time as a helpful hint. The owners didn't mind us telling them politely that we were closed.

 

[JewelFreak]

I don't see anything wrong with that, Thing2. It's pure thoughtlessness to keep store personnel hanging around, especially if you're not serious about buying something. We weren't allowed to turn off music or indicate in any way that we weren't just delighted to stand around for the entire evening. While it does give the luxury impression of good service, that shouldn't be allowed to go to extremes. Sometimes browsers kept us open 45 minutes after closing time.

To be fair, Tiff customers have no idea how long it takes to finish off the day after the doors shut, but should be considerate enough to beat it within 10 minutes, imo. Politeness, eh?

--- Laurie

 

[ruby59]

I agree that it depends upon the establishments.

At some restaurants, the "grill" is closed before the actual restaurant is. So while patrons might be finishing their meal, the kitchen will not start new orders after a certain time.

As far as retail stores, I guess it would depend on who owned it. Big chains - you would probably get the "skunkeye" from employees wanting to go home. Mom and pop stores would probably be glad to make a sale, no matter what time it is.

 

[CJ2008]

I don't think it's up to the customer to think through exactly how long something will take.

I understand that on the business end they want to appear polite / giving good service - but it isn't fair to the customer to be sat down for dinner, for example, and then make them feel rushed or annoyed if they're taking too long. Businesses need to find a way to politely say "were you looking for just a bite/appetizers or a full meal? I'm asking because the kitchen will close in 30 minutes and we don't want you to feel rushed."

Or something to that effect...

As far as stores like Tiffany's, I think it's a Company problem with what they expect their employees to do (do they even get paid extra for staying late? That would be even more infuriating - aside from missing a train/plans, etc.) rather than a client/customer problem. The client may not even realize the store has closed or is about to close in 15 minutes.

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

Our restaurants has a sit down policy. We only do takeout 30 minutes before we close. So, if you come before 30 minutes, you can be sat and we will serve you with no rush.

I think implementing a standard makes it easier for the customer and for us.

 

[distracts]

People did it all the time at Tiffany's. Drove us crazy -- somebody came in at 5:45 when we closed at 6, & start browsing. We were not allowed to start any closing procedures while customers were still there. Wander around, looking at cases, ask to see this, then that, sometimes send us running upstairs for tableware, try on jewelry, call friends on their cellphones to describe what they found, should I buy it? Meanwhile everyone who worked there stood around twiddling their thumbs & fretting about missing their trains, but the rules were "smile happily & look relaxed, NEVER mention we're about to close," ugh. Usually these numbskulls left with nothing; once in a while they bought a $100 item.

It took a solid hour to close cash registers & stow jewels in the safe after they deigned to let us start.

So, no, if it's not a quicky pick-up-a-newspaper type thing.

--- Laurie

To be fair, the Tiffany's near me closes INSANELY EARLY. Like three to five hours before all the other mall stores depending on what day it is. So depending on where it is, people may not have any clue that it was about to close. (Especially with the mall, because it says in big bold letters on their website that all the stores are open all the hours the mall is open every day it is open. Yet when you go there, Tiffany's and Chik-fil-A seem open randomly with no connection to what is going on with the rest of the mall.)

I agree with no on restaurants and yes on stores - as long as you're out within a reasonable amount of time from closing and you are DEFINITELY buying something. When I worked at the swimsuit store it was sooooo annoying to have people come in five minutes before closing and stay for the next HOUR and then not buy anything but leave a pile of every swimsuit in the store to be hung back up, when I was the only employee working, and when I would be threatened about being fired for having the store open an hour past closing time. I was supposed to be out by 9:05 if the store closed at 9, so all the cleaning, straightening, putting away, turning off of all the things occurred before official closing time (closing processes usually took about an hour on their own, with the last thing to go being the computer which took five minutes to shut down, so I had to email the report at 9 sharp and turn it off). Being out even a minute late would get a rant from the district manager about costing the store money. Being out an hour late would get ALL the employees, even ones not working on that day, subjected to a rant. And "because there was a customer in here" is not a reason for not being closed - we were supposed to get them OUT. And believe me there were plenty of people who were completely immune to they "hey we're closing, you need to finish up" comments. Or even the "hey, we've been closed for an hour, we are risking getting fired if we let you stay here any longer" comments.

eta: I actually suspect what they WANTED us to do was clock out and take care of the customer and all of the closing processes on our own time. They never explicitly said this, but there was a LOT of "figure out how to do this, I'm not going to tell you" that went on. I WAS explicitly told I should come back in the morning and not clock in and hang up suits if someone was there late. Yeah, sorry, no, I'm not doing work without getting paid.

 

[madelise]

For you people who have never worked in a mall store or restaurant: They don't get overtime. Yes, technically at 10:59, they are still open if they close at 11. But these workers usually work short shifts without lunch breaks (<6 hours) and just a short of FT hours per week so that the company doesn't need to pay them insurance or overtime. When you stay over, they are not just "getting paid"-- they are SUFFERING, tired, most of the time without a lunch break, not getting paid OT, missing their bus/train schedules, missing their families whom they're supposed to return to…… It's not just an innocent "well they're getting paid anyway". In fact, many smaller places pay their employees by written time cards, where you just write "4" for a 4 hour shift… and get paid for exactly 4 hours regardless of staying 15 or 30 minutes after closing time. And no, these employees won't argue with their bosses for fear of losing their jobs.. I worked a job like this for 4 years!

I worked at restaurants and in retail mall stores. The people who enter before closing are almost always the type to browse forever for no reason, or the types to sit and eat forever. Yes, it's "bad business" to turn anyone away, so by the rules of the establishment, they cannot turn you away. But that's for the sake of the Company, not for the sake of the poor employee who is probably making really low wages to begin with, exhausted, and has to wait an hour for the next bus to run around.

I'm sorta surprised at the poll results. Please please, be mindful to your waitstaff and to your sales associates! It's not easy finding jobs nowadays, and many people are supplementing their incomes with these types of low paying jobs. Please, if you must enter the restaurant before closing, tip them well! Don't dawdle and talk on your cellphone, extending what would have been a half hour eating time to a full hour and a half. I know I can't tell anyone what to do, and it's not like anyone listens or cares… but for every moment I heard someone's family/friend say, "They're almost closing!" and the other partner say, "They get paid anyway!".. oh how much I wanted to tell them it's not necessarily true!


So…. /end lecture

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

Madelise is right. We only pay our employees the set amount that their schedule was made up for. If their shift is 4 hours long, they only get paid 4 hours. If a table is still eating and it's past their shift, they can choose to stay and keep the tip or they can leave and have someone else cover their table. But no overtime and no getting paid extra. But they do have the option of staying or leaving.

 

[monarch64]

I work in retail and I can tell you that if you walk in right before the store closes, you will receive less than exceptional customer service. If you also walk in and say, "what time do you close?" and we say "in two minutes" and you continue to take your time (and ours) browsing, we are probably going to ignore you. If you say, "great, I just need to grab two things and I'll be out the door," then we will HAPPILY help you find whatever you need and get your transaction completed as quickly as possible.

I have a family I like to get home to after work. I really don't feel like standing around watching you try on all the North Face jackets for 30 minutes and then have you tell me, "thanks, I'm gonna see if I can find this cheaper online."

I saw the "rudest customer" thread last week but the question was too broad for me to respond. I have so many stories of people who must have been born in a barn that I could write a book. I have just as many great experiences, though, and that is why most of the time I don't mind working with the public.

 

[monarch64]

I agree that it depends upon the establishments.

At some restaurants, the "grill" is closed before the actual restaurant is. So while patrons might be finishing their meal, the kitchen will not start new orders after a certain time.

As far as retail stores, I guess it would depend on who owned it. Big chains - you would probably get the "skunkeye" from employees wanting to go home. Mom and pop stores would probably be glad to make a sale, no matter what time it is.

I work for a mom and pop (we refer to it as an "independent retailer"), and by 8 p.m. I can tell you, you are going to get the skunkeye if you wander in, ask what time we close, and stay. If you need to be outfitted for a trip suddenly at 8 o'clock in the evening, the night before your flight leaves, you should've made time in YOUR schedule to do so. Sorry, taking up someone else's time because of poor planning on your part is not ok. I'm speaking in general, here, Ruby59, this is not directed at you. I did want to use your example, though, because it's a really common misconception. Of course everyone wants to make a sale. But people who are working for less than $10 an hour (the owner usually isn't the one to stay from open to close) are probably not too concerned with the store's bottom line and just want to GO HOME.

 

[princesss]

I work in retail and I can tell you that if you walk in right before the store closes, you will receive less than exceptional customer service. If you also walk in and say, "what time do you close?" and we say "in two minutes" and you continue to take your time (and ours) browsing, we are probably going to ignore you. If you say, "great, I just need to grab two things and I'll be out the door," then we will HAPPILY help you find whatever you need and get your transaction completed as quickly as possible.
I have a family I like to get home to after work. I really don't feel like standing around watching you try on all the North Face jackets for 30 minutes and then have you tell me, "thanks, I'm gonna see if I can find this cheaper online."

I saw the "rudest customer" thread last week but the question was too broad for me to respond. I have so many stories of people who must have been born in a barn that I could write a book. I have just as many great experiences, though, and that is why most of the time I don't mind working with the public.

As a former retail worker, that's exactly how I feel and why I'll only go into a store in the 15 minutes before clothing if I know exactly what I need and don't need to try anything on (at least, nothing that would require a fitting room). I have a life and I assume they do, too, and I want us all to be able to continue on our merry ways. I worked in a clothing store and we had one woman come in 5 minutes before closing and literally try on everything in the store (which she left in a big pile in the room and wouldn't let us take anything away and hang it up because she "wasn't sure what she was going to get" and wanted to try things on a few times) purely so she could flirt with my manager without his girlfriend around and she left an hour and a half later without buying a thing.

 

[Ximena]

Restaurants- Never, my parents had a breakfast type of restaurants for 31 years, if the kitchen is closing the sanitizing process is starting. The cook/owner decides when to stop production not the waitress. They all want your business; calling ahead is always a better/safer option. Cleaning will start after you have been served. Madelise is right on the money
Retail-maybe, if I know what I want.
Grocery-probably not, it's hard to save money when you are in a rush.

 

[Missy]

No, it's not OK. People who do this (who aren't just running in and picking up something quickly) think they are the center of the universe and that no one else matters. That is *not* OK in my book. And these are precisely the type of people who get on my nerves. Little mini rant here: I have been noticing more and more that there are so many people like this. You know, the ones who think they are the end all, be all, center of the universe, no one else matters, type of person. Ugh. No thanks and that is why I could never, would never, work in customer service. I would end up killing someone probably and that wouldn't be good.

 

[ruby59]

I agree that it depends upon the establishments.

At some restaurants, the "grill" is closed before the actual restaurant is. So while patrons might be finishing their meal, the kitchen will not start new orders after a certain time.

As far as retail stores, I guess it would depend on who owned it. Big chains - you would probably get the "skunkeye" from employees wanting to go home. Mom and pop stores would probably be glad to make a sale, no matter what time it is.

I work for a mom and pop (we refer to it as an "independent retailer"), and by 8 p.m. I can tell you, you are going to get the skunkeye if you wander in, ask what time we close, and stay. If you need to be outfitted for a trip suddenly at 8 o'clock in the evening, the night before your flight leaves, you should've made time in YOUR schedule to do so. Sorry, taking up someone else's time because of poor planning on your part is not ok. I'm speaking in general, here, Ruby59, this is not directed at you. I did want to use your example, though, because it's a really common misconception. Of course everyone wants to make a sale. But people who are working for less than $10 an hour (the owner usually isn't the one to stay from open to close) are probably not too concerned with the store's bottom line and just want to GO HOME.

I should have been more specific. When I said "mom and pop" I was referring to a small store where the employees were family members. Another sale meant more share of the profit. I remember my grandfather's clothing store. We were all family members working there. My grandfather kept the store open until the last person left. No one was rushed out no matter how long it took. But I would imagine salaried employees would feel quite different

You want "skunkeye," try visiting a restaurant on Christmas eve. We were stared down the entire time and had to practically hold on to our plates until we were done eating, so the waitress would not take them away. We got our appetizer, meal, desert, and check at the same time.

 

[Gothgrrl]

I cant tell you how many times I had customers come in 1 minute til we close. "I just need a quick haircut...it won't take long." Yeah, sure. I'll give you a quick haircut! Where's my clippers?!@#

What's even worse was we had some that knocked on our window, pleading with us that they need our services now.

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

I also don't understand people that know that a restaurant is closed but will continue to sit and talk and talk and talk. It's an hour past closing and they are making no effort to leave or pay.