The Dress Is Pretty But Their Behavior Is Ugly

(I work at a small boutique that sells a large number of prom dresses in the spring. We close at 5:30 pm most nights. Three girls walk in at 5:27 pm.)

Coworker: “Hi, girls. What can we help you find?”

Girl: “We’re looking at prom dresses.”

Coworker: “Okay, just to let you know, we do close at 5:30, but if there’s anything you want to try on quickly that’s fine.”

(The girls continue trying on dresses for the next half hour. Finally, one comes out and decides she likes a dress. At 6:05…)

Girl: “So, we left our money in the car and it’s parked [two blocks away]. Can you stay open ten more minutes?”

Manager: “Well… I suppose, if you can hurry. The alarm is going to set soon since we closed at 5:30.”

Girl: “Oh, I figured you closed at six.”

(We figure waiting ten more minutes for an actual sale would at least make the extra half-hour worth it. The girls make it back fairly quickly, and she can only afford to put it on layaway at this time. She gives the minimum layaway deposit, and I hand her the receipt and thank her as nicely as possible.)

Girl: “So, I leave it here…?”

(Because we’re certainly going to let her just walk out with a prom dress after paying 20%. Also, can I point out the kicker here? They left their money in the car. They had every intention of wasting our time with three minutes until close.)