Attention Shoppers: Goodbye

I make the five-minute-to-close announcement from the customer service desk.

Me: “Attention shoppers. The store is closing in five minutes. You have five minutes to get your items to a checkout.”

My manager, passing by, says to me:

Manager: “That’s not the standard script. It’s meant to be: “Good evening, shoppers! Just a reminder that we’ll be closing in five minutes. Please bring your final selections to the checkout. Thank you for shopping with us today!” It’s much friendlier.”

Me: “I don’t want to be friendly. I don’t want them to feel like we’re friends. If they feel like we’re friends, they will stay. Ever since we’ve moved to this version, they get the hint.”

Manager: “But we still want the customers to feel welcome.”

Me: “They are welcome! Welcome to leave!”

Five minutes later, every customer in the store was in the process of checking out, whereas in the past we’d had issues with stragglers. My manager let the more ‘direct’ announcement stay.