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

[NK493efc93X1277dd3d6d4]

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?

Melj was it definitely an automatic shutdown as I've not heard of that before and it wasn't clear from the OP whether she just couldn't serve her from 6pm?

If it was automatic then she should have prewarned the customer that it was going to be tight when they first started speaking. How is a customer to know there's an automatic shut down?!

OP is asking if it is unreasonable if she completes her transaction IF SHE IS IN THE STORE AT CLOSING TIME

How would the sales assistant telling her that she couldn't serve her at closing time affected the OP?

And i agree that if she is AT THE TILL AT CLOSING TIME that she should have been served but if the till closes...it closes

'You have 1 minute to make your mind up'

wouldn't have changed the OP as far as i can see

The moral of the story is clearly shop online. Then you don't put anyone out

If it was automatic then she should have prewarned the customer that it was going to be tight when they first started speaking

If you go in picture shopping as the store is closing, like the OP, then you know time is tight and you keep an eye on it. It wouldn't have helped OP buy her picture but she might not have posted here about it all entitled astonishment. I wouldn't expect or take for granted that I would be able to make a purchase once the store has closed but obviously some people do.

But presumably she would have had time to buy it before closing time if the shop hadn't marked the item at the wrong price causing all the additional faff ?

Who knows! OP said the store items weren't marked down with online sales prices, that's why they took the picture over to the till to check. I'd have been watch checking and very apologetic by this time, the store being empty.

The moral of the story is clearly shop online.

No; the moral of the story is don't be a dick and go in right before closing time.

The moral of the story is that a customer is easily put off a shop if they get what they perceive to be bad customer service.

The moral of the story is that a customer is easily put off a shop if they get what they perceive to be bad customer service.

Yup, and customers often view ridiculous things (like being told the shop is closing now) as "bad customer service". No shop is going to suffer because of said bad customer not coming back, no matter how much customers think they have that power.

I would be so sure, they are far too many retailers chasing the same customer.

If someone's not happy working in retail then they might be better off in a different job.

If someone's not happy working in retail then they might be better off in a different job.

The majority of people I've worked with in retail have loved their jobs, but like with everything, there are some things that piss them off. Customers being dicks is one of them.

See, this is exactly the wrong attitude.

If many of the customers you have are dicks then you might want to look into your customer service skills and the company's training.

Being another failed Laura Ashley furniture purchaser and the reviews about LA's lack of service I'd say I agree with the op. It's not the employees that are letting the company down. They will ultimately suffer if they let all their customers down.

The op was by no means being a bad customer ..... all shops have different closing policies and in this case it sounds as if the staff would have been happy to finish serving her but they couldn't.

Crikey - well now I know what shop workers think of their customers. Things have certainly changed since I worked retail.

I often work way past my contracted hours (no I don't get overtime pay either but if I'm in the midst of dealing with a client then it's got to be finished).

Luckily 99% of my shopping is now done on line so I won't be inconveniencing any shop workers by actually setting foot on the premises. It's great actually. I spend much less as I'm not subject to impulse purchases. Bit hard on the retailer's bottom line though as I'm not going to be tempted to add a scarf or necklace to my purchase because it looks so nice on the display model.

No shop is going to suffer because of said bad customer not coming back, no matter how much customers think they have that power.

They are ultimately, you know, if or when enough customers make that decision. The shop is also going to be badly affected if it allows its staff to develop the mindset that customers are just a nuisance. The risk is particularly strong when the shop is in financial difficulties anyway, as appears to be the case with Laura Ashley.

Why do you think you're so special that a store should be open beyond its opening hours just for you?

We are all customers for goodness sake

Its not a them and us situation

And no one on here has said that customers are a nuisance

What they have said is that some customers doing some things can be a nuisance

I think you should have been warned of the tills closing automatically so yanbu. I work in retail and i would have done if this is how our shop worked. I would have found that situation really awkward and done my best to have avoided

Staff will be paid until 6.

If the tills are closed they're closed - if you want to query this further you could speak to head office.

When I worked in retail we were all cashed up at point of closing but could have quickly put a card payment through.

But ultimately you were in the shop at closing time trying to buy something - that's weird

No shop is going to suffer because of said bad customer not coming back, no matter how much customers think they have that power

But isn't that the whole point of shops. Without customers there is no need for them.

See, I'd just have said "oh that's a shame I'm probably not coming in tomorrow I'll check House of Fraser, Debenhams, insert name of competitor here."

And then I would have. But I can be bloody minded like that.

See, I'd just have said "oh that's a shame I'm probably not coming in tomorrow I'll check House of Fraser, Debenhams, insert name of competitor here.

An empty threat, as only LA sell that type of flowery tat.

But the op lives in LONDON. She is important because of that and things are different to the rest of the country where we still barter.

Empty threat or not - that type of thing is an impulse purchase. Once the decision to buy is made it has to be acted upon there and then. If the sale is frustrated then the chances of the customer returning the next day to buy are vanishingly small.

The sale is lost regardless.

Of course it's an empty threat and why would they even care...it would just make me feel better, plus there is the added bonus of having narrowly missed buying said flowery tat.

Seriously though...I would go and choose an entirely different picture...I wouldn't even have to like it that much...