[Lord Chrispin]

My first rant got in a little trouble so I shall hold back on this one lol.

I work for game stop and my store happens to be in a mall......Well to cut to the chase the day was quite busy w/ non-stop traffic.Well at the end of the night when it came to closing the store we had a few customers still in the store finalizing purchases so we let them stay in to finish but didn't let anybody els in.....but when the last person was finishing up a woman came to the entrance and asked if she could come in and buy a Nintendo DS.I told here that we have been closed for the past 15 min. and we were just finishing up.She continued to stand there and ask for a few min. till the last person left.I went to shut the gate and she just stood there looking sad as I counted the daily earnings.

Ok now......Im not trying to be a bast**d here but I stayed open 15-30 min. after closing to help people.This woman showed up AFTER we were closed.If there we no people in there to keep the gates open she be out of luck anyway.

In my opinion Christmas comes the same day every year and to he honest.....it dosent really sneak up on you lol.

Perhaps I could of stayed open a little longer to help out...perhaps I could of put my somebody else's holiday happiness before mine.But I really do think its just rubbish to do your shopping at the last min. ......not the mention the last last min. lol.

Anyway thats it.

[ScottRPriester]

Originally Posted by Lord Chrispin

My first rant got in a little trouble so I shall hold back on this one lol.

I work for game stop and my store happens to be in a mall......Well to cut to the chase the day was quite busy w/ non-stop traffic.Well at the end of the night when it came to closing the store we had a few customers still in the store finalizing purchases so we let them stay in to finish but didn't let anybody els in.....but when the last person was finishing up a woman came to the entrance and asked if she could come in and buy a Nintendo DS.I told here that we have been closed for the past 15 min. and we were just finishing up.She continued to stand there and ask for a few min. till the last person left.I went to shut the gate and she just stood there looking sad as I counted the daily earnings.

Ok now......Im not trying to be a bast**d here but I stayed open 15-30 min. after closing to help people.This woman showed up AFTER we were closed.If there we no people in there to keep the gates open she be out of luck anyway.

In my opinion Christmas comes the same day every year and to he honest.....it dosent really sneak up on you lol.

Perhaps I could of stayed open a little longer to help out...perhaps I could of put my somebody else's holiday happiness before mine.But I really do think its just rubbish to do your shopping at the last min. ......not the mention the last last min. lol.

Anyway thats it.

I say good for you, there's no reason she had to wait to the last minute. I've had plenty of encounters with people like that.

[rachamphetamine]

I frequently had to do that at my old job - continue to help people who came in after closing. It got to the point where I no longer felt guilty about powering off the automatic doors and shutting them in peoples' faces (oops). I had/have no sympathy for people who decide they HAVE to buy something right at closing time - I understand emergencies, but for something like Christmas.... man, there's plenty of time to prepare for that.

[Lord Chrispin]

Like I said......its the same day every year,and it doesn't sneek up on ya..You do know a full year in advance.

[JSanders]

You don't own a small business do you?

Yep, I'm just saying...

[Lord Chrispin]

lol no....I don't

[C17Driver]

Wirelessly posted

This is why the holidays disappoint me. You were disappointed that she had waited so long, she was sad that she didn't get there soon enough and now whoever she was buying it for would be disappointed come Christmas morning. Kind of sad.

[rpjohs]

Originally Posted by JSanders

You don't own a small business do you?

Yep, I'm just saying...

Ditto, its all about Customer Service, not many people in the business world even know what that term is anymore.

[JSanders]

Originally Posted by Lord Chrispin

lol no....I don't

I do. And because your salary doesn't depend on making that "next" sell, you would rather not allow an extra five to ten minutes for that lady.

The sell I make tomorrow oftentimes depends on the one I make today.

What's the saying... "Pay it forward"? You had a chance to make someone's Christmas "merrier". AND even perhaps that lady might have thanked you for going the extra mile for her. That in itself would have been enough for me to help her out.

The image of you standing there counting the "daily earnings" why she looks on asking and waiting really disheartens me.

So your rant is about people who show up late on Christmas Eve to purchase gifts when they have known all year when Christmas comes. I wonder if she had just gotten her paycheck, or if a waitress maybe she just got off work with her "daily earnings", just enough for her child's Christmas. You know what? THAT is real life for many many people, and you should pray that you never are forced to face that reality.

/my rant over.

In my opinion, the mere fact that you started this thread tells me that you feel a bit guilty over what you did. You know you could've helped that woman, and you chose not to.

Posting a thread about it a few days later is just indicative of your guilt building up to the point where you need to "apologize" to someone.

[CO_BBTechie]

Originally Posted by JSanders

...I wonder if she had just gotten her paycheck, or if a waitress maybe she just got off work with her "daily earnings", just enough for her child's Christmas.

That's just what I was thinking. Black and white logic is for computers, not for people. You have no idea or control over what set of circumstances brought her to your doorstep that evening. You had a chance to make a difference and you chose not to.

... and she already knew what she wanted. She wasn't going to waste your time browsing.

[juwaack68]

Do you charge by the hour, soup?

Actually, by the half hour.

[JSanders]

Can I get a quarter's worth?

Wait, no, I have 35¢ on me.

[juwaack68]

YOU need way more time on that couch, JS

[noethix]

Scrooge!

[Lord Chrispin]

I have said my piece.
/end

[ScottRPriester]

Originally Posted by rpjohs

Ditto, its all about Customer Service, not many people in the business world even know what that term is anymore.

Just curious, what's your definition of customer service these days?

I'm behind the original poster for not letting her in, you let her in, then its someone else, then someone else. Believe it or not, those people working the stores have a life too.

There's no reason someone needs to wait until the last minute to buy a gift, periiod. You have all year long to do so. If we didn't shut our gate right at closing time in our store, people would come in all night. I'm often asked to watch the door during the last few minutes we are open because I am stern about telling people when we close. There is no excuse or reason for someone coming in at the last minute, unless they truly didn't know when the store closed.

Customers have been spoiled pass the point of reality. People think they can waltz in and get whatever they want whenever they want. I can't tell you how many times in a week we get people thinking just because they have been a customer for so long they should get all of their equipment for free. When did this mindset start? Did these people ask for their gas for free when it approached 5 dollars a gallon?

Although most company's have campaigns to rate their customer service, and it continues to be the main focus, I am happy to at least see my company giving us the authority to stand up to those who are beligerent and almighty without fear of punishment. People are ridiculously demanding, and a line needs to be drawn.

And to the poster asking if anyone owned a small business. I have been in countless independant retail stores all across the country where closing times are strictly pointed out.

[Johnny909]

Happy New Year, one and all.

Maybe next Christmas everyone will do their Christmas shopping early, then again, maybe not.

Later gator

[JSanders]

Originally Posted by ScottRPriester

And to the poster asking if anyone owned a small business. I have been in countless independant retail stores all across the country where closing times are strictly pointed out.

There is a great difference in owning a small business (i.e., keeping the biz in the black and YOUR paycheck flowing) and working at a small independent retailer.

But if your boss tells you to close the gate, you close the gate.