I can tell that my customers have ever only been shoppers. The nice ones make comments when you are trying to close such as, ‘Ooh I’ll let you get closed dear, I bet you’re wanting to get home’. One day I will have to ask them whether or not they think that new tills can actually cash themselves up. I may tell them, ‘Yes, I am, we have special carpets in here which magically absorb the dirt that you mucky lot have trodden into it and then turn it into air freshener’. The nasty ones huff because they expect you to stand there all evening and then make dinner for them. They make sarcastic comments when you turn the lights down and start to rattle your keys. ‘Excuse me! I think your lights have gone in here..!’
Once I remember turning all the lights and music off, and displaying a large sign on the door, stating: ‘CLOSED FOR LUNCH 12.30-1.00’. I had managed to remove everybody from the shop and only left the door unlocked so that Gloria could get back in after popping to the bakery. I nipped to the toilet, and came back to find the shop completely full of people, shopping in near total darkness. I overheard a couple of them commenting, ‘bit dark in here in’it Wend…’
I have even made a special sign for the door for the end of day closing. Locking the doors and turning out the lights simply isn’t effective enough. People just knock. I suppose this supports the theory that we stock the shelves over night. I wonder how many people just stand there bashing on the door long after we’ve gone home, assuming that if they shout for long enough someone will eventually appear from the backroom carrying an oil lamp. The sign for this purpose states; ‘WE ARE CLOSED. IF YOU COME IN NOW YOU WILL HAVE TO STAY ALL NIGHT’.
I am nearly out of reasonable ideas to ensure the shop appears closed, short from boarding up the windows and chaining the door shut.
It appears to be a charity shop thing, so if you have not yet worked in retail and feel that now you do not want to, do not be put off. I have never encountered any of this type of behaviour in any other retail outlet. I suppose it all comes down to those dirt gobbling self cleaning carpets that we have. If one does not get in quick, the stock may have completely disappeared by morning.
Geogger 