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?

So the posters saying Goodbye retail jobs. Plenty of time to pick your kids up from school now taking delight in telling people they'll be unemployed? Nice bit of smug twattery which smacks of the good old arrogant customer saying "you'll get your books my girl" actually once said to me by an arse of a customer as I couldn't leave the area I was working in to get her something from another stockist -only one on as was lunch (department store).

YABVU. It may have one been one item/a couple of minutes to you, but when it happens every single fucking day because people think the same as you it's taking the fucking piss.

Especially so when customers seem to think that if they're in the shop browsing when the shop is closing, they're in and can stay as long as they like so it's fine. It's not fine. You don't get paid overtime due to having to stay back late for inconsiderate customers.

Good on Laura Ashley for valuing their staffs time.

The basic customer service thing to do would have been to go over to her and warn her that the tills were about to automatically close in a few minutes, could you help her complete any purchases.

Ive worked in retail for uears. Its the rude and abusive customers i have a problem with. If someone wants to quickly purchase something at 6.01 it doesnt bother me.

What bothers me is the people who think they can talk to retail workers like crap just because they can. We kick those people out.

We once had a guy who wanted to return something he bought over 2 years ago and when we explained that the returns policy was 30 days and refused to return it he went outside, started shouting about how crap the company was and shat on tje item and threw it back in store. (Im not joking!!)

Had one lady that thought just because she had come in 1 minute before closing we jad to sort out a very lengthy query that would have taken over half an hour to sort out. When we explained that this wasnt possible and offered to book an appointment for her with us the following day she started swearing and shouting and refused to leave. We got the police to escort her out in the end.

Its those customers i have an issue with.

The basic customer service thing to do would have been to go over to her and warn her that the tills were about to automatically close in a few minutes, could you help her complete any purchases.

But if they're doing the loudspeaker calls, as my store does, isn't that then kind of overkill and bordering on hassling the customer? Is that what you want us to do? Because my managers frown on that, and our customers get a little antsy about it too.

And if you're the kind of person who can blithely ignore multiple loudspeaker calls, what are the chances you're going to listen to the staff member who can't tell you to get out, and has to phrase the "we're closing" message in the most polite, mild way possible, and can't really enforce it without "being rude"?

Besides which, it's a little... you either ignored the posted opening hours or didn't bother looking or DID look and just don't care, but instead of that being on you, you're basically asking the retail staff to come Oliver Twisting up to you, cap in hand, all "please ma'am, can I go home now?"

It doesn't matter what we do. Loudspeaker calls, you'll ignore them. Personalized speaking to you, we're harassing you. Telling you the till closes down, we're either liars or unreasonable for not warning you... the bottom line is, we can't win, especially because we're in uniform and can't really "play" in this game anyway! We just have to take it. When if you just came in ten minutes earlier, this entire thread could have been avoided, but you can't even do that much and it's MY fault because I didn't gently remind you sixteen times that we do in fact close at some point?

Good on Laura Ashley for valuing their staffs time.

I doubt that. Retailers will stick to their opening times because they could be in breach of their lease, planning permission, trading license etc. There have been cases where rival retailers have reported shops that have served customers after hours, hence head office will cover their arse by making the tills shut down at a particular hour.

OP's complaint was with Laura Ashley, I expect if she contacted them she'd get some sort of mealy-mouthed apology and perhaps a small gift token, but they'll care as much about her as an individual customer as they do about a low-paid shop worker.

Peng - read the bloody OP, the assistant WAS serving her already!

Due to their item being incorrectly priced, the assistant was checking the correct price. OP confirmed she wanted to buy and was told no.

No, it's not "hassling the customer". It's Laura Ashley, not Asda. You expect personal service, not tannoy announcements.

When I worked in a shop we used to lock the doors to stop anyone else coming in and just let customers in the shop complete their purchases (and let them out!)

It seems easily resolved.

So places actually have tills that shut down on the dot, do they? Only I've had a few old colleagues use that line but never heard of till systems that really do it.

And 'personalised service'? Ha ha. It's Laura Ashley, not Harrods.

I think that says it all really. What an attitude.

I work in a banking type enviroment...if i get a customer one minute before i close by the time ive rebalanced my till etc i can be 20 mins late out...............
Customers must think i just lock the door and leave....whereas i have a whole ton of stuff that has to be done to get out and will have to be redone if i get a late customer.
People are selfish and im often screamed at for taking by required by law lunch break !!!!

I suspect the 'tills close at 6' is a fib. IME closing time is when the doors shut. Not when every transaction should be completed.

I work in a bank. We shut the doors at 1pm on a Saturday but finish off serving whoever is there. Even the PITA who decided to bring in their body weight in change .

It's annoying but it should be on the employer's conscience that they only pay for actual shop opening hours, not for the necessary setting everything up and cashing up at the end of the day.

It's annoying but it should be on the employer's conscience that they only pay for actual shop opening hours, not for the necessary setting everything up and cashing up at the end of the day.

They do pay employees for that; usually 15 minutes either way. Which customers like the OP eat into when they expect service dead on or after closing.

It's not being "too good for them" you numpty, it's about the characteristics of the shop.

LA shops have about two or three customers in at any one time when I've been in. The assistants always come and speak to you and ask if you need any help with sizes and so on.

People choose to go into bricks and mortar shops over online because of 1) Convenience. It's nearby and you can get the item there and then. Or 2) Customer service, personal interaction. You can find out about products, look at them, touch them, try stuff on, get more infotmation.

If shops offer neither of these benefits, people will just go online. As people have already, in droves.

I don't think you're being unreasonable OP.

The assistant could have said "I'll have to hurry you up, the tills shut at 6pm" but she didn't warn you at all.

Some people are so precious about retail workers, but thats their own issue with the employer and not one the customer needs to concern themselves with.

I get that staff want to go home but really that doesn't seem like it should have to be the customers' consideration. How long before closing is it inconsiderate to staff to enter?

Sigh. OP, the shop won't stop you entering the store before six pm because those are their opening hours.

However, they are allowed to refuse to put a transaction through at six pm as that is when they have closed.

It seems like LS value their staff and want them to finish up as soon as possible.

It won't help closing the store fifteen minutes later because you will just expect them to serve you at six fifteen.

The customer should consider staff. Why wouldn't you now that you know they rarely get paid overtime.

It's irrelevant that some shops let you pay at closing time, that's up to them. It's no reason to boycott Laura Ashley. That's petty and childish.

But surely if the staff member hadn't gone to check you'd have had time to buy it?

Shops I've been in have always had a policy of a warning fifteen minutes before and to make your way to the tills but they've always closed the door at say 17:45 but served people who are already in the shop.

But then I'd be an arse with this kind of thing and refuse to go back and give them any of my money on principle.

YANBU OP. There's a lot of projecting going on on this thread. Taking your post at face value, you were not at fault. The sales assistant should have politely told you as you came in, we close at 6 and I can't serve after that point. You may have decided to come back another day or hurried yourself along. It's not difficult or harassing a customer to let them know that they have a very limited amount of time to make their purchase.

Lots of stories on here of awful customers. Op was not one of them. If the tills shut automatically at 6 on the dot then they should stop letting people in at say 5.50 and make it clear to anyone inside that they need to pay quickly. All those saying they applaud Laura Ashley for looking after their employees. Do you really think that having a policy that allows people in to the shop at 5.59 but not allowing them to pay is good for the employee? No. Because they are the ones who will have to deal with the annoyed customers who "just" want to buy this or that. Looking after their staff would be to allow them to close the doors early enough or to pay them overtime if they have to spend longer serving customers after closing.