I’m sorry, but… no. Like, if you don’t know it’s closed and people do see you and just say nothing, that’s just… not nice. It takes three seconds to shake their head or say we’re closed something.
LONG EDIT: Trying to explain myself a bit as this got many negative comments. (I also said most of this in responses to people answering this).
I originally thought that they didn’t know the store is closed, and just tried to put myself in their shoes. In that case, it just doesn’t hurt to clarify by the staff and I can get the frustration of being ignored. I personally also had situations where I was confused because a store closed an hour earlier than it said on the door and online, and I was really grateful for the staff to clarify. Of course, if they know that the store is closed and just demanded some kind of personal acknowledgement, this is pretty ridiculous behaviour. And I personally definitely wouldn’t behave like that (or even write such a review).
I also think that it’s still good if the staff responds to someone knocking at the store. This doesn’t mean that they are an “asshole that demands to be served”. I personally also did this at one point because I lost my wallet inside the store. Luckily, the people there were really nice and opened it so I could search for it. I was really thankful, and the day would have been really horrible if they ignored me.
In the end, I think this also might be a cultural thing. Many people answered with stories of awful entitled customers that demanded ridiculous things. If this is your base experience, maybe you have other prejudices against someone knocking at the door.
As a customer, I always see a store worker as a human and engage respectfully, and most people I know do the same. I hope this is true for most people. Therefore, if someone knocks, it seems reasonable that they have a valid concern and / or are confused.
But of course, if someone would do that just to push a store worked and asking them to do something they can’t do, that would be absolutely awful behaviour.
Fuck that bullshit, she knew they were fucking closed. They shouldn’t have to explain it. I am sure there was a sign on the door. No this woman wanted them to waste time acknowledging her so she could spend 10 minutes explaining why they should service her after hours.
They were busy doing clean up after close so they could go home. Just by reading her review I can promise you she bitch if they had shaken their heads. I stare at dumb bitch too who was probably banging on the door trying get them to let her in.
They stated it was closed, not that they knew it beforehand. And while I personally wouldn’t behave that way and definitely wouldn’t make such a review, I just tried to put yourself in another person’s shoes. If they know that the store is closed, of course this is pretty ridiculous behaviour, but I originally thought about someone not knowing the store is closed and being confused, and then it just doesn’t hurt to clarify.
I personally also had situations where I was confused because a store closed an hour earlier than it said on the door and online.
The bigger deal is how many customers will react worse if you engage with them in any way. If that weren’t the case, pointing to the hours, shaking your head, etc, would be reasonable.
They stated it was closed, not that they knew it beforehand. And while I personally wouldn’t behave that way and definitely wouldn’t make such a review, I just tried to put yourself in another person’s shoes. If they know that the store is closed, of course this is pretty ridiculous behaviour, but I originally thought about someone not knowing the store is closed and being confused, and then it just doesn’t hurt to clarify.
I personally also had situations where I was confused because a store closed an hour earlier than it said on the door and online.
Are we sure the employees weren’t shaking their heads at the customer and they are just an idiot? I’m also assuming the doors were already locked, or they would have just walked in, and the hours are typically posted on the door. I feel that should be enough of an indication the store is closed. People don’t need to have their hands held through everything I life. Expecting a little independence from them isn’t being not nice.
Nope, you never engage. Never ever engage. That flaming asshole who’s too self centered and ignorant to read the hours posed on the door they’re banging on and refuses to accept that the store is closed for EVERYONE including them, isn’t going to be polite, honest, or responsible. If you engage, they will immediately punish you for it. Don’t ever make that mistake.
You don’t work for the customer, you work for the store. It’s not always a crime to go along with a customer, but it’s always a negative when they want to push you to violate policy, change prices, complain about Mike in sporting goods for having a mustache, or ‘‘I’ll be real quick I sware’’ shopping when the store is closed. They will always punish you.
I eventually figured out that when a customer gets shitty, more than half the time if I say ''I work for the store and I’m responsible for [the dumbass shit you want me to do], if I violate store policy I’ll be fired" they suddenly realize this isn’t a game, and stop acting like a can of smashed assholes.
I get it, but I’d also like to share an experience I had a couple years ago. I looked up the closing time online for a Taco Bell, or some such fast food place, that I don’t frequent. I then order online and head to the store to pick it up. I get there less than 10 minutes later. The store appears to be closed but there are people inside.
I was left confused because I didn’t know what the hell was going on. Also, I’m at the drive-thru which does not have posted hours. And to make it even better, they charged me for the order so I’m left having to deal with getting the money back on my own.
Yeah that’s not on you. New systems sometimes never really come online and customers just wise up and stop trying. It’s frustrating for workers too, because the only thing worse than a terrible customer, is losing a sale over nothing.
I think you shouldn’t just prejudge and categorize someone without knowing their thought process. Just because someone knocks on the door after the store is closed, it doesn’t mean they’re a “flaming asshole”. E.g. I also also knocked at a store at such a point because I lost my wallet inside the store. (Luckily, the people there were really nice and opened it so I could search for it.) Most customers are just… people. Maybe that’s a cultural difference (I’m not from the US), but as I customer, I always see a store worker as a human and engage respectfully, and at least most people I know do the same. Doing something like pushing them to do something they can’t do is awful behaviour, but I don’t see why you would expect that from a customer or think every customer is an asshole like that.
And about the original comment, I thought they weren’t aware that the store is closed and just confused, and then it doesn’t hurt to clarify. Of course if they wanted to be served after hours, this would be pretty ridiculous.
(And I personally also had situations where I was confused because a store closed an hour earlier than it said on the door and online.)
“but as I customer, I always see a store worker as a human and engage respectfully, and at least most people I know do the same”
Yeah, that’s a HUGE problem in US culture, people are fucking awful to anyone in customer service. They look down on you like there’s some class system and they are the lords and service people are the lowest peasant. I developed a nasty habit working in service of ‘‘never falling for their bullshit’’. Never show weakness, never give them an opportunity to fuck with you. It’s actually a terrible approch to social interactions, most of normal social interactions are built on mutual trust or understanding, if you never allow either to manifest, it’s a big communication breakdown.
People like you and the reviewer need to work a service job, at least once in your lives. “Closed”, I wonder what that means?? The registers are all shut down, there’s no cash. If it’s a food place, the grill is off. They are not serving customers. So no, just because there happens to be glass or bars you can see workers through, they are not required to acknowledge people on the street or “be nice”. They are trying to get home at a somewhat reasonable time!
PTSD from having to literally stop people from entering grocery stores after 11:00p in a previous job…
I originally thought about someone not knowing the store is closed and being confused, and then it just doesn’t hurt to clarify. Of course if they were aware that the place is closed, then this is pretty ridiculous (especially such a one star review is just awful). I personally also had situations where I was confused because a store closed an hour earlier than it said on the door and online, and I was thankful for the clarification.
Maybe this is also a cultural thing (I’m not from the US), but it seems like many customers there are… worse. I personally always see the service worker as a human and try to be as respectful and appreciating as possible, and would assume most do the same. If I were knocking (because I am confused or didn’t see the signs), I’d just say something like “Oh thanks, I’m sorry I didn’t know” (honestly, them doing nothing also tells it, I’d just find it a bit rude), but never in my mind think about trying to talk them into doing something for me. Apparently some here assume people in the US would do that.
But honestly, I still think that not acknowledging the customer is not the best idea, although for a different reason. I once lost a wallet in a restaurant and also had to knock. Luckily the staff there was really nice and they let me in to get it, but I’d felt pretty awful if they didn’t.
Thank you for the different perspective and clarification. I’ve only visited outside the US, never lived, but I think you’re correct: customers here are worse. Entitlement practically surrounds them… I once had a couple with some minor issue as I rung up their order. They looked me in the eye, then the husband later submitted a complaint and straight-up lied about the interaction trying to get me fired. Luckily I don’t do that job any more…
But you make a good point about forgetting a wallet, or an emergency! I guess workers shouldn’t completely ignore people banging on the locked door…
The best solution I have seen to this was the guy I worked with, sick of people shaking the doors repeatedly while we were redoing signage after close exclaimed at some door shakers: “what the fuck you doing bro?!” Those of us in the store lost it and the customers walked away embarrassed. From your comment, I can tell you have not had a job that works with the general population directly like retail. You lose patience pretty quickly with others trying to complain to get their way, push boundaries, and sometimes just be assholes. You should try it sometime. It is quite enlightening.
I personally wouldn’t behave that way and definitely wouldn’t make a review, but it just takes a bit of empathy to try to put yourself in another person’s shoes. Especially when I thought about someone not knowing the store is closed and being confused, it would be good to just clarify (I personally also had situations where I was confused because a store closed an hour earlier than it said on the door and online).
And even if that’s not the case here, there’s no reason to directly villainify and insult me without knowing any of my thought process.
My initial instinct is to agree with you, actually, but according to the rest of the thread that’s a bad idea, because most people aren’t as nice as us. I’ve never had the displeasure of that kind of job.
I responded to every other comment with a clarification, maybe read one of those. Summarized, I originally thought they weren’t aware of it and it doesn’t hurt to clarify, and just tried to put myself in their shoes. But if they know that the store is closed, of course this is ridiculous behaviour.
Although I generally think it’s still better for the staff to acknowledge such a customer, e.g. I lost a wallet in the store before and luckily they helped me get it.
It also seems that a lot of customers in the US(?) are pretty awful which means that a person behaving like that might probably be respectless or even order the staff to still serve them, which of course is not okay. In my experience, if someone is knocking, they usually have a valid reason, why is also why I might see this differently than other people.
I actually don’t mind being downvoted. I think this kind of groupthink where everyone cheer each other on and the whole group gets to one strong opinion (that might not be that good) is really bad. And I take some kind of pride in resisting that and just posting an unpopular opinion I think is right. On Reddit I once had -200 for being against torture and death penalty (context: child rapist). The only thing that actually hurts me is being personally insulted (like by @butwhyishischinabook@lemmy.world). I don’t know why someone would just do that and not try to understand me first :/
On Reddit I once had -200 for being against torture and death penalty (context: child rapist).
Yep, that tracks. I got trashed for criticising (a probably fake story about) a high school kid that beat an 11-year old into unconciousness for hitting his 11-year-old sister after being rejected. Reddit loves a good keyboard lynching. I treasure those downvotes. I sincerely hope it was just a bubble of rage-jerking people, and that’s not actually seen as acceptable or proportionate for a (very very naughty) kid.
It’s not just the US, I’ve heard stories about people bugging closed businesses semi-regularly here in Canada too. That said, I have noticed staff south of the border are surprised when I pick up products I knock over, which is interesting.
I’ve worked retail and food service and I would go to the door and let people know we’re closed.
(a) I have no problem saying no to people, and (b) sometimes there’s an emergency or something and they need help, or they’re trying to notify us of a problem we can’t see.
I haven’t found my time saturated by this basic courtesy. Maybe I’ve lived in nicer areas, but in all my years of service experience I haven’t seen the waves of assholes people talk about.
Thanks for the nice answer. I see it the same. I can imagine this is a cultural thing, and if you have that many bad experiences with customers, I can get why you have a prejudice of someone knocking at the door, but as you said, there still are important reasons why someone might do this, and you never know their true intentions.
However, I originally didn’t think that they were aware that the store is closed (I experienced the same when a store closed earlier than stated on the sign and online), in which case it’s just nice to explain them. But if they knew about it and just wanted some personal acknowledgement or even trying to still get served, of course that’s really awful.
They mad because they wouldn’t acknowledge them or service them after the placed closed? What fucking Karen.
I’m sorry, but… no. Like, if you don’t know it’s closed and people do see you and just say nothing, that’s just… not nice. It takes three seconds to shake their head or say we’re closed something.
LONG EDIT: Trying to explain myself a bit as this got many negative comments. (I also said most of this in responses to people answering this).
I originally thought that they didn’t know the store is closed, and just tried to put myself in their shoes. In that case, it just doesn’t hurt to clarify by the staff and I can get the frustration of being ignored. I personally also had situations where I was confused because a store closed an hour earlier than it said on the door and online, and I was really grateful for the staff to clarify. Of course, if they know that the store is closed and just demanded some kind of personal acknowledgement, this is pretty ridiculous behaviour. And I personally definitely wouldn’t behave like that (or even write such a review).
I also think that it’s still good if the staff responds to someone knocking at the store. This doesn’t mean that they are an “asshole that demands to be served”. I personally also did this at one point because I lost my wallet inside the store. Luckily, the people there were really nice and opened it so I could search for it. I was really thankful, and the day would have been really horrible if they ignored me.
In the end, I think this also might be a cultural thing. Many people answered with stories of awful entitled customers that demanded ridiculous things. If this is your base experience, maybe you have other prejudices against someone knocking at the door.
As a customer, I always see a store worker as a human and engage respectfully, and most people I know do the same. I hope this is true for most people. Therefore, if someone knocks, it seems reasonable that they have a valid concern and / or are confused. But of course, if someone would do that just to push a store worked and asking them to do something they can’t do, that would be absolutely awful behaviour.
Fuck that bullshit, she knew they were fucking closed. They shouldn’t have to explain it. I am sure there was a sign on the door. No this woman wanted them to waste time acknowledging her so she could spend 10 minutes explaining why they should service her after hours.
They were busy doing clean up after close so they could go home. Just by reading her review I can promise you she bitch if they had shaken their heads. I stare at dumb bitch too who was probably banging on the door trying get them to let her in.
I’m jut copy pasting my other comment:
They literally stated that they knew it was closed
The signage on the door explains the hours of operation, and the door is locked. Why should that have to be explained?
The bigger deal is how many customers will react worse if you engage with them in any way. If that weren’t the case, pointing to the hours, shaking your head, etc, would be reasonable.
Karens don’t have to follow the rules, they’re special! If you don’t understand that, get your manager and I can tell them…
They stated it was closed, not that they knew it beforehand. And while I personally wouldn’t behave that way and definitely wouldn’t make such a review, I just tried to put yourself in another person’s shoes. If they know that the store is closed, of course this is pretty ridiculous behaviour, but I originally thought about someone not knowing the store is closed and being confused, and then it just doesn’t hurt to clarify.
I personally also had situations where I was confused because a store closed an hour earlier than it said on the door and online.
It isn’t stated that they knew it was closed when they arrived. They might have figured it out after the fact.
“Just kept tossing their hair and looking at me.”
Are we sure the employees weren’t shaking their heads at the customer and they are just an idiot? I’m also assuming the doors were already locked, or they would have just walked in, and the hours are typically posted on the door. I feel that should be enough of an indication the store is closed. People don’t need to have their hands held through everything I life. Expecting a little independence from them isn’t being not nice.
It’s hard to ascertain, because the reviewer *is" in fact, an idiot.
Nope, you never engage. Never ever engage. That flaming asshole who’s too self centered and ignorant to read the hours posed on the door they’re banging on and refuses to accept that the store is closed for EVERYONE including them, isn’t going to be polite, honest, or responsible. If you engage, they will immediately punish you for it. Don’t ever make that mistake.
You don’t work for the customer, you work for the store. It’s not always a crime to go along with a customer, but it’s always a negative when they want to push you to violate policy, change prices, complain about Mike in sporting goods for having a mustache, or ‘‘I’ll be real quick I sware’’ shopping when the store is closed. They will always punish you.
I eventually figured out that when a customer gets shitty, more than half the time if I say ''I work for the store and I’m responsible for [the dumbass shit you want me to do], if I violate store policy I’ll be fired" they suddenly realize this isn’t a game, and stop acting like a can of smashed assholes.
I get it, but I’d also like to share an experience I had a couple years ago. I looked up the closing time online for a Taco Bell, or some such fast food place, that I don’t frequent. I then order online and head to the store to pick it up. I get there less than 10 minutes later. The store appears to be closed but there are people inside.
I was left confused because I didn’t know what the hell was going on. Also, I’m at the drive-thru which does not have posted hours. And to make it even better, they charged me for the order so I’m left having to deal with getting the money back on my own.
Yeah that’s not on you. New systems sometimes never really come online and customers just wise up and stop trying. It’s frustrating for workers too, because the only thing worse than a terrible customer, is losing a sale over nothing.
I think you shouldn’t just prejudge and categorize someone without knowing their thought process. Just because someone knocks on the door after the store is closed, it doesn’t mean they’re a “flaming asshole”. E.g. I also also knocked at a store at such a point because I lost my wallet inside the store. (Luckily, the people there were really nice and opened it so I could search for it.) Most customers are just… people. Maybe that’s a cultural difference (I’m not from the US), but as I customer, I always see a store worker as a human and engage respectfully, and at least most people I know do the same. Doing something like pushing them to do something they can’t do is awful behaviour, but I don’t see why you would expect that from a customer or think every customer is an asshole like that.
And about the original comment, I thought they weren’t aware that the store is closed and just confused, and then it doesn’t hurt to clarify. Of course if they wanted to be served after hours, this would be pretty ridiculous.
(And I personally also had situations where I was confused because a store closed an hour earlier than it said on the door and online.)
“but as I customer, I always see a store worker as a human and engage respectfully, and at least most people I know do the same”
Yeah, that’s a HUGE problem in US culture, people are fucking awful to anyone in customer service. They look down on you like there’s some class system and they are the lords and service people are the lowest peasant. I developed a nasty habit working in service of ‘‘never falling for their bullshit’’. Never show weakness, never give them an opportunity to fuck with you. It’s actually a terrible approch to social interactions, most of normal social interactions are built on mutual trust or understanding, if you never allow either to manifest, it’s a big communication breakdown.
People like you and the reviewer need to work a service job, at least once in your lives. “Closed”, I wonder what that means?? The registers are all shut down, there’s no cash. If it’s a food place, the grill is off. They are not serving customers. So no, just because there happens to be glass or bars you can see workers through, they are not required to acknowledge people on the street or “be nice”. They are trying to get home at a somewhat reasonable time!
PTSD from having to literally stop people from entering grocery stores after 11:00p in a previous job…
It’s literally PTSD. No it’s not as bad as being in a war but damn it sure feels like it sometimes.
I originally thought about someone not knowing the store is closed and being confused, and then it just doesn’t hurt to clarify. Of course if they were aware that the place is closed, then this is pretty ridiculous (especially such a one star review is just awful). I personally also had situations where I was confused because a store closed an hour earlier than it said on the door and online, and I was thankful for the clarification.
Maybe this is also a cultural thing (I’m not from the US), but it seems like many customers there are… worse. I personally always see the service worker as a human and try to be as respectful and appreciating as possible, and would assume most do the same. If I were knocking (because I am confused or didn’t see the signs), I’d just say something like “Oh thanks, I’m sorry I didn’t know” (honestly, them doing nothing also tells it, I’d just find it a bit rude), but never in my mind think about trying to talk them into doing something for me. Apparently some here assume people in the US would do that.
But honestly, I still think that not acknowledging the customer is not the best idea, although for a different reason. I once lost a wallet in a restaurant and also had to knock. Luckily the staff there was really nice and they let me in to get it, but I’d felt pretty awful if they didn’t.
Thank you for the different perspective and clarification. I’ve only visited outside the US, never lived, but I think you’re correct: customers here are worse. Entitlement practically surrounds them… I once had a couple with some minor issue as I rung up their order. They looked me in the eye, then the husband later submitted a complaint and straight-up lied about the interaction trying to get me fired. Luckily I don’t do that job any more…
But you make a good point about forgetting a wallet, or an emergency! I guess workers shouldn’t completely ignore people banging on the locked door…
The best solution I have seen to this was the guy I worked with, sick of people shaking the doors repeatedly while we were redoing signage after close exclaimed at some door shakers: “what the fuck you doing bro?!” Those of us in the store lost it and the customers walked away embarrassed. From your comment, I can tell you have not had a job that works with the general population directly like retail. You lose patience pretty quickly with others trying to complain to get their way, push boundaries, and sometimes just be assholes. You should try it sometime. It is quite enlightening.
It takes fewer seconds for assholes like you to fuck off though, sooooooo…
Do you really need to personally insult me -.-
I personally wouldn’t behave that way and definitely wouldn’t make a review, but it just takes a bit of empathy to try to put yourself in another person’s shoes. Especially when I thought about someone not knowing the store is closed and being confused, it would be good to just clarify (I personally also had situations where I was confused because a store closed an hour earlier than it said on the door and online).
And even if that’s not the case here, there’s no reason to directly villainify and insult me without knowing any of my thought process.
My initial instinct is to agree with you, actually, but according to the rest of the thread that’s a bad idea, because most people aren’t as nice as us. I’ve never had the displeasure of that kind of job.
I’m impressed with how downvoted this is. RIP.
I responded to every other comment with a clarification, maybe read one of those. Summarized, I originally thought they weren’t aware of it and it doesn’t hurt to clarify, and just tried to put myself in their shoes. But if they know that the store is closed, of course this is ridiculous behaviour.
Although I generally think it’s still better for the staff to acknowledge such a customer, e.g. I lost a wallet in the store before and luckily they helped me get it.
It also seems that a lot of customers in the US(?) are pretty awful which means that a person behaving like that might probably be respectless or even order the staff to still serve them, which of course is not okay. In my experience, if someone is knocking, they usually have a valid reason, why is also why I might see this differently than other people.
I actually don’t mind being downvoted. I think this kind of groupthink where everyone cheer each other on and the whole group gets to one strong opinion (that might not be that good) is really bad. And I take some kind of pride in resisting that and just posting an unpopular opinion I think is right. On Reddit I once had -200 for being against torture and death penalty (context: child rapist). The only thing that actually hurts me is being personally insulted (like by @butwhyishischinabook@lemmy.world). I don’t know why someone would just do that and not try to understand me first :/
Yep, that tracks. I got trashed for criticising (a probably fake story about) a high school kid that beat an 11-year old into unconciousness for hitting his 11-year-old sister after being rejected. Reddit loves a good keyboard lynching. I treasure those downvotes. I sincerely hope it was just a bubble of rage-jerking people, and that’s not actually seen as acceptable or proportionate for a (very very naughty) kid.
It’s not just the US, I’ve heard stories about people bugging closed businesses semi-regularly here in Canada too. That said, I have noticed staff south of the border are surprised when I pick up products I knock over, which is interesting.
I’ve worked retail and food service and I would go to the door and let people know we’re closed.
(a) I have no problem saying no to people, and (b) sometimes there’s an emergency or something and they need help, or they’re trying to notify us of a problem we can’t see.
I haven’t found my time saturated by this basic courtesy. Maybe I’ve lived in nicer areas, but in all my years of service experience I haven’t seen the waves of assholes people talk about.
Thanks for the nice answer. I see it the same. I can imagine this is a cultural thing, and if you have that many bad experiences with customers, I can get why you have a prejudice of someone knocking at the door, but as you said, there still are important reasons why someone might do this, and you never know their true intentions.
However, I originally didn’t think that they were aware that the store is closed (I experienced the same when a store closed earlier than stated on the sign and online), in which case it’s just nice to explain them. But if they knew about it and just wanted some personal acknowledgement or even trying to still get served, of course that’s really awful.
(I also edited my post to make this more clear).