The Customer Is Always Inside
We’ve been having issues with customers getting into the store after closing. The doors are locked, but there’s a fire exit door on the side of the main entrance that some regular customers have figured out can be pushed open from the outside, so they use that. We don’t notice them coming in at first, as we’re all busy with our closing tasks, but inevitably, one will walk up to us demanding service.
This had led to us locking the doors a few minutes before closing and manning the fire exit door to ensure we could get out on time.
This time, instead of keeping customers out, we don’t notice one woman already in the store when we close. She went to use the restroom for a long time, and then, when trying to exit, came across the locked doors.
I was manning the fire exit door but had stepped away for a moment to do a small task when I could hear her shouting.
Customer: “Help! Help! I’m locked in! I’m being kidnapped!”
Me: *Rushing over.* “Ma’am, no one is kidnapping you. The main doors are locked because the store is closed. You can exit using this door.”
Customer: “Why did you lock the doors! I’m still in here! This is very disturbing!”
Me: ‘We lock the doors so we can finish our closing tasks without customers coming in and interrupting us. We have homes, families, and lives we would like to return to at some point in the next hour.”
Customer: “I have to wait an hour?!”
Me: “No, ma’am, we have to wait an hour AFTER you leave to close out the registers, do final checks, and get the bus home. You can leave right now.”
I open the fire exit door for her.
Me: “Here you go.”
Customer: “Hmm, well, now that I know I’m not locked in, can I just get one thing?”
Me: “Are you really asking that after I just told you we all want to leave?”
Customer: “Are you implying that I’m not welcome here?”
Me: “Oh, no, ma’am, I’m not implying anything. I’m outright telling you. Please get out.”
The customer walked out but seemed upset by it. The sudden shift from ‘kidnap!’ to ‘I’m here now, so let me shop’ was astounding. Just when you think customers can’t be any more entitled…
