Not So Closed Minded, Part 27

(I work in a craft store that also does framing orders. We often have customers unsure about our store hours on Sundays, because we open an hour later and close two hours earlier on those days. It is closing time, and we are just getting our last customers out the door, which always takes a little longer on Sundays because of the store closing earlier. I am pulling in our sidewalk displays when a car pulls into the empty parking lot. A young girl, no older than 13, jogs up to the door.)

Me: “I’m sorry. The store is closed now.”

Young Teen: *obviously distressed* “Oh, you’re closed?”

Me: “Yes, I’m so sorry. We open at nine am tomorrow.”

Young Teen: *more distressed now* “But, this framing order says it’s done today for pickup. Is there any way you can let me in?”

Me: “No, I’m really sorry. If it helps, it’s totally fine if you wait until tomorrow morning to pick it up. The order will still be there, since it was already paid for.”

(The teen nods her head, considers for a moment, then jogs back to the car. Not a minute later, we get a phone call. My manager answers and talks to the person on the line for quite a while, and I continue bringing in our sidewalk displays.)

Manager: *over the headset* “Hey, [Framer], I’m sorry, but can you bring this order to the front of the store?”

Framer: *sighs dramatically* “Yeah, I can.” *softer* “Even though we’re closed, and have been for ten minutes.”

(I noticed that the same teen was waiting out at the front of our store, looking nervous and a little upset. I smiled empathetically at her, and she smiled a bit back. It took two people and the young teen to get the massive, heavy frame into the car. Later, my manager told us over the headset that she did it because the mother who called the store — after her daughter told her that we were closed — was so unreasonable that she felt sorry for the teen, who was absolutely polite about the matter. The kicker? The rude mother managed to drive through a pothole, causing the hubcap of one of her tires to fall off.)