Interviewer left me waiting outside for 45 minutes.

[CaptainSpauldin]

A few days ago I went for a job interview at a small independent business. It was scheduled for 6.30pm with the owner.
I arrived at 6.20pm and when walking up to the door I could see a man and a woman sat inside at a counter. I assumed these would be the people interviewing me so I tried the door but it was locked, so I knocked. The man came to the door and said he was still finishing up an interview with a different candidate and could I come back in 10 minutes.
It was freezing outside so I walked around the town for 10 minutes and then made my way back. Looked through the glass again and could still see them both sat there so stood to the side of the store for 5 minutes again but still they didn't come out.
So off I went walking through the town again trying to keep warm but after another 10 minutes of walking it was starting to rain so made my way back thinking that after 25 minutes they surely would have finished but no, they were still there chatting away.

At this point I was considering just going home but I really need the extra income from a job right now and had taken the time out to drive down and then walk the rest of the way to town so decided to wait thinking it wouldn't be much longer.

I waited in the rain and the cold on the doorstep trying to keep out of the rain for another 20 minutes until the woman being interviewed came out and said "we've finished now so its your turn, he says you can go in".

At this point I was freezing and my hands were feeling numb and I needed to use the toilet so was uncomfortable. I went in and sat at the counter with the owner but didn't take my coat off as I was so cold.

Received an email yesterday rejecting me for the position as apparently not taking my coat off when sitting down created a bad impression.

Really? So leaving me outside for 45 minutes in the rain isn't creating a bad impression.

sounds like you had a lucky escape!

I agree. Do you really want to work for someone like that?

I would definitely be emailing back my own feedback!!

Good job you didn't get it.
Imagine what working there would have been like!

I would reply briefly saying as above,he gave a very bad impression and you would not have been accepting an offer anyway.

You're better off. Terrible way to treat anyone and says a lot about them

I'd reply with a photo attached of their communication saying your interview was scheduled for 6.30, and explain that you had your coat on because you had got very cold waiting for nearly an hour! That way, if there was a mistake (maybe he thought you were there for 7.30?!) he can apologise. And you get to make your point.

I had this once many years ago. He was really rude to me when I walked in. Told me he was in the middle of interviewing someone else and to go and wait outside. I was very young at the time. I really did need a job but I have never regretted walking out and going home.

I think you should initially have come at the correct time, not interrupted the previous interview 10 mins early. But aside from that he was so rude! The others are right you had a lucky escape. Imagine working with that type of boss day in day out.

I say this most days but people really are unbelievable, how did they have no consideration that you were out in the rain ?!

It was definitely the right time as I checked my phone when waiting and also when I sat down with him I asked if I'd made a mistake with the scheduled time and he said "No, sorry I ran a bit over. We got talking and didn't realise the time."

I always thought it was good to arrive slightly early before an interview but maybe I was wrong with this.
I didn't know the layout of the shop so didn't think trying the door would be interrupting the previous interview as I thought maybe I would wait in the shop front and the interviews would be in the office or something.

Dodged a bullet there. I would definitely email and say you weren't happy about being left outside for so long?

6.30pm for a job interview? I don’t like the sound of that.

He has a bloody cheek!
Apart from anything else, I'd have been shitting myself with nerves by the time the interview eventually took place.
I wonder if perhaps the previous candidate(s) had been late, which made everything go tits-up.

Yes definitely a lucky escape! Wish I'd not waited and had left after the first 20 minutes.

Feels a bit pathetic to have stood there in the rain all that time but I was thinking about needing a job.

God I've no advise but like others have said, I think you dodged a bullet. As long as he has no connections to any other job you'd go for, I would have no problem politely replying that due to it raining and standing in the cold for 45 minutes , you were freezing and wet.

What an awful experience for you.

Unless there was a very good reason for the delay, or you desperately needed the job, I’d have gone home sooner. An interview is a two way street. Lucky escape.

Just in case it needs to be said again, you definitely dodged a bullet there!
He’d be a nightmare to work for, I can’t even imagine.
Sure, in retrospect you should have left but you gave him the benefit of the doubt by sticking around. So you gave yourself the best chance if there HAD actually been a decent job opportunity there. Sadly you found out that there definitely wasn’t but at least you know for sure!
I wouldn’t dignify his nonsense with a reply.

Make sure you give them some feedback. Job interviews work both ways.
’The reason I kept my coat on was because I’d been left waiting outside in the cold and rain for x minutes after the scheduled interview time.

But as others have said - lucky escape.

Dodged a bullet there.

Definitely email back some feedback for him-and don't mince your words with it, either. It's so disrespectful and unprofessional to leave someone waiting outside for nearly an hour and then to reject you because you left your coat on (because you were cold because of his actions).

Interviews are a two-way street and he absolutely should be told how unprofessional his behaviour was. And yes, it's perfectly fine and normal to show up 10 minutes early to an interview. It's pretty rare to find that someone walks in on the dot.

The two responses after mine have changed my mind- yes do reply, coolly stating the facts.
He won’t take it on board but that’s on him.

I would have left

It's encouraged to arrive early but complaining that you have to then wait until the time would be unacceptable.

Even a few minutes is too be expected

But 45 mins is taking the piss

I do wonder if the coat is an excuse though... sounds like he hit it right off with the other woman

This happened to me once. I actually got the job and needed the money so accepted the position.

Needless to say, they treated me (and all employees) like shit. They couldn't retain staff and as a result struggled making money. They also expected tonnes of unpaid overtime.

I hope everything works out for you OP. I expect this was a blessing in disguise.

That is completely awful of them. They left you until 7.15pm. You are very patient and clearly were interested in the job!

We had a candidate who was left waiting 7 minutes and in that time he had already exited the building and when we called him he stated he was waiting too long, inside at 10am.