To expect to be able to make a purchase at closing time.

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I was in Laura Ashley today just before closing looking to buy a picture, The assistant showed me the display item which was still marked up at full price and then went over to the tills to check the sale price for me.

Yes I'd like to buy it I replied - only to be told that sorry you can't do that today as the tills are closed now. I checked my phone, bang on 6pm, closing time. I queried this as I have never come across this before. I have been in plenty of shops that advise customers to go to the tills at closing time, but none who refuse to make a sale on the dot of closing.

I said as much to the assistant who looked apologetic and consulted senior assistant. The tills close themselves down at 6pm she advised me. if you want to buy it you'll have to come back in the morning. Don't worry the sale is on until Monday.

Is it unreasonable to expect to complete a purchase when I am already in the shop at closing time?

If a shop is open till 6, it's unreasonable to think you can go in to buy something at 6.01. However, it is perfectly reasonable to think you can go in to buy something at 5.45.

It would probably have been quicker to put her purchase through the till than to spend time explaining to her that the tills had closed.

Not when the system shuts off and it is physically impossible for the assistant to put the purchase through.

Does it occur to you that customer may have to shop near to closing time for all sorts of reasons, not just because they're all selfish entitled wankers?

A failure to prepare on your part does not make it an emergency on mine. There's a difference between a necessary purchase and a discretionary one and it's that distinction that determines whether or not it's acceptable to walk into a store a few minutes before closing and know that your transaction wont be completed before the official closing time.

Rushing in for baby milk powder at 23:58 when the store closes at midnight because you went to make up a bottle for the baby, knocked the tin over and it spilled everywhere and you have nothing to feed your screaming child with and being apologetic about it? Sure, I will do everything I can to help you out (even scanning something through the checkout to "hold" the transaction so the system doesn't shut off at 00:00)

Strolling in at 17:58 when the store closes at 18:00 to buy a picture frame, asking questions and enquiring about prices for five minutes before choosing to purchase the item? None of that is "necessary" nor is it an emergency. Come back when you have time to complete your purchase within the store's opening hours.

Oh ffs. Why the heck some of you are complaining about retail workers, I don't know. Even the OP didn't say the assistant had been rude, unprofessional or annoyed - in fact, she said the assistant was sympathetic.

Are there bad retail assistants? Of course. Just as there are any other profession. If you've had one, feel free to come complain here. This assistant didn't do anything wrong aside from maybe not tell the OP the time? The issue itself was out of her hands, so complaining about retail workers doesn't make sense.

In regards to other professions work overtime for free -as a nurse, yes I do. I still don't like it, but the difference is a) My staying is necessary, often. Life or death necessary. And b) I get paid a lot more than I did as a retail girl.

I think a bit more respect from everyone on both sides would be great. If an assistant can complete your transaction, they should. If a customer can make it a little before closing, you should.

Not even touching the classist bullshit about retail workers not being good enough for anything else so should be greatful for being treated like dirt for fear of being unemployed

Ortensia - out of the shop assistant (who knew the tills closed at 6 on the dot) and the customer (who didn't know) you think the customer is incredibly dim?

If you really want me to explain and clarify for you I will, but in the first instance you can go back and read again.

So what about directing your complaints at the people who are responsible for your predicament, not the customers who reasonably think that a shop that is open for business wants their custom? And who maybe don't have a choice about when they shop?
Because those kinds of comments can and do lead to being "managed out".

But OP wasn't lingering. She wanted to pay. It would probably have been quicker to put her purchase through the till than to spend time explaining to her that the tills had closed.
No, it wouldn't, if the tills were inoperable.

What is it with some customers and being told no?

Does it occur to you that customer may have to shop near to closing time for all sorts of reasons, not just because they're all selfish entitled wankers?
I work in a department store. There is literally nothing, not one single product that we sell, that could be considered an emergency. So, while I thank you for your anecdata, no one ever died for the want of a Merino wool jumper, and no one ever died for the want of a Laura Ashley picture.

You rightly point out that getting another job isn't easy. It will be even less easy if more shops go out of business for treating their customers as a nuisance.
If you're there at the right time, then actually, I don't treat you as a nuisance. If you're there on/after closing, expecting me to wait while you meander around, then all bets are off.

But I think we'll be okay. For every person who treats me like dirt, or like I don't matter, there are at least twenty who are neutral, and another few who are actually super nice, good for the banter, and funny to boot - and they leave on time. So I'm good, thanks, with the customers who treat me well, even if the nuisances flounce. I think we'll be okay.

They tend to have a member of staff preventing people from entering as it gets closer to closing time, also

Precisely my point, ortensia. So if they don't choose to do this, they can hardly complain that people who are allowed in to the shop want to buy things.

Not every shop can afford to have one shop assistant play security guard for the last 15 minutes of their opening hours. I work in a supermarket where there is always someone available to stand at the door 10 minutes before closing, but I have also worked in smaller stores where I have been the only member of staff in the store for the last hour or so.

If I am helping a customer complete a purchase at 17:57, I can't also be at the door stopping people from entering the shop before closing time ... that doesn't mean I won't still be closing the store at 18:00 nor does it mean that the customer who walked in at 17:56 can just browse for 5 minutes before wanting to make a purchase.

Maybe Andy Benard is the hero we need.

Not every shop can afford to have one shop assistant play security guard for the last 15 minutes of their opening hours. I work in a supermarket where there is always someone available to stand at the door 10 minutes before closing, but I have also worked in smaller stores where I have been the only member of staff in the store for the last hour or so.

That's right not all do, of course.

How do you account for the fact that many shops do in fact have a policy of allowing customers already in the shop to complete their transactions without having to raise their prices to a point that puts said customers off?

Tbh I think they piss off their staff. You say you'd pay a few pence extra, great. I'm not so sure that most people would though. Look how popular cheap shops are these days. Aldi, primark etc.

Whatever happened to doing everything you can to please the customer? Within reason of course, and I for one don't see the OP's demands as unreasonable.

I have never heard of this tills closing down malarkey, very odd. I remember working in next and we weren't allowed to 'clock off' on the system and sign ourselves out until all customers had gone/been served at the till for their purchases.

I haven't worked in retail since being in education and I'm thankful and it's tough, but I always knew my next retail job was shite before I even took the interview... It's retail.

*as it's tough.

So thankful I'm have my stressy PA job to two demanding Drs instead... People can be really shitty to you in retail.

The

Ortensia - please do clarify. I can't wait to hear it.

The point is the customer was already being served. The shop assistants were helping her, so it is not (imo) "incredibly dim" to expect the serving by assistants to conclude by a sale.

If assistants knew they were running close to till shut-down they should have forewarned the OP.

I am happy to clarify further if that's incomprehensible to you.

Well I've just read the whole thread. Just to clarify a couple of things. I knew exactly what I wanted when I entered the store. It was a bit of an impulse as I'd looked online at this for a while. The additional 20% off posters in the window were the draw.
I asked a member of staff where it was on display who then showed me.
I queried the price as it was marked up at full price and I knew it was reduced online.
I stood at the till whilst he checked it. I heard the price said it was fine and then was told sorry come back tomorrow.
Needless to say I will not be returning. I am over the impulse now and they have lost the sale. No skin off their nose has been pointed out to me numerous times on here.
I have been put off buying LA furniture as a result of online reviews and now I have been put off of the smaller items too.
It's online all the way for me now.

What is it with some customers and being told no? Nothing wrong with it, when all the high st shops close down as people shop online rather than get treated like an inconvenience by shop staff I hope you won't be moaning about being out of a job.

Lol at all those who throw toys out of the pram, and will 'only shop online' from now on.
No you won't.

If the tills close down the can't physically do anything about it. Also, I sure I remember reading somewhere that trading times are legally binding. Therefore you can't trade and make transactions outside of the hours you stipulate. I worked in retail too. And it is the most irritating thing. Along side folk who want to try stuff on at 5 mins to closing time.

I just hope all these people that demend to be served after closing time are forced to work beyond there working hours even if that means they miss there caring comments etc

Normally people like this are the very same people who work to the exact time of their contract as there time is more important and why should they work for free

Normally people like this are the very same people who work to the exact time of their contract as there time is more important and why should they work for free

Utter rubbish. How do you know what all these 'people' do for a living?

I work in a demanding job and wouldn't get paid for staying at extra 10 minutes. I still do if need be, heck, I often spend additional hours per month unpaid!

Childcare arrangements work around this as i would never leave it 5 minutes from finishing work to having to pick DC up

Our tills go offline and start uploading figures at one minute past closing. If you are halfway through a transaction, tough shit, nothing I can do but put your stuff aside for tomorrow. What did you expect her to do? The staff aren't responsible for the policy nor the computer systems. Most shops are open for a minimum of 9 hours per day. If you cannot manage your time effectively enough to shop during those 9 hours then that is really not anybody else's problem.

Also who cares what other shops do? Every company has different ways of doing things. They have opening hours posted, you weren't done before they closed and their tills went off so they couldn't serve you. Period. Besides your watch could have been a minute or two out. it may well have not been bang on closing but actually a few minutes later.

Haven't read the whole thread as it's got pretty long but I don't think OP is being unreasonable actually.

In this case it's neither here nor there as it was the till closing down itself and the assistant didn't actively make a decision not to serve her but put this in a normal till situation and I'd be shocked if someone refused to serve a customer at 6pm. I can't say it's ever happened to me or even just after 6pm that they've refused to take the transaction.

And, for information, I've about 8 or 9 years of shop floor work behind me. When customers wanted to buy something at 6pm or 6.05pm it never occurred to me to refuse to serve them as the clock had struck 6. When it got to 6.15 on occasion and people were still finishing their shopping, I felt they were taking the xyz but a few minutes after 6 no issue.

People might stamp their foot about it but I was always in mind that they are bringing custom to the business that I work for without which I would not be employed.

All that needed to happen in this situation is the shop worker to tell the customer that 'we might be pushed price checking and getting the transaction through before the till auto shuts off. If we run out of time I can arrange for it to be reserved if that's convenient'

Literally, just tell the customer if you've got a till policy that shuts as soon as the shop doors do. That's it.

I don't buy this idea that we shouldn't nip to a shop quickly 15-20 mins before it closes because it might piss somebody off.

Obvious point here is that if the item had been correctly priced to start with then the OP would have managed to buy it in time. But the stores poor pricing and odd company policy has created a situation that didn't need to happen.

YANBU

Every shop I have ever been to near closing time tells you to head to the till about 15 minutes before they close. I have never been to a shop that didn't do that and would be very surprised if I saw that happen.

I don't actually buy anything near closing time as I can't be arsed with the queues that always mount up when people get told to head to the tills.

I just hope all these people that demend to be served after closing time are forced to work beyond there working hours even if that means they miss there caring comments etc
Most people in most lines of work have had situations where they go a couple of minutes late.

I used to work in retail but the way some people are carrying on on this thread it's like retail workers are all going to miss their bus home, and their child care and all these other things because non retail work people are arses. It just feels very 'poor us'.

There are many things to be pissed off about retail work, terms and conditions etc. But actually serving a customer who has been delayed because the store hadn't priced something properly in the first place is hardly issue of the century.

And, for information, I've about 8 or 9 years of shop floor work behind me. When customers wanted to buy something at 6pm or 6.05pm it never occurred to me to refuse to serve them as the clock had struck 6.

I dont think anyone on this thread has said this should hapoen

Sorry user

I know you know that