I wish that some competitor would come and blow this place out of the water because they are solely successful based on lack of other options.
My husband went to purchase water 20 minutes before they closed this last Friday and the lights were off and some guy kept shouting at him that they "were closed". He tried repeatedly asking him if there were other places open in the area and all he said was "we're closed. Come back at 6am." When he related the story to me I chalked it up as a quirky, vacation town grocery store and thought nothing more.
However when I got in to town on Saturday and we found ourselves needing to make another run to the market we chose the same location. This time 30 minutes before they closed. We gathered our goods and stood in a check out line 6 people deep while THREE, count them THREE other cashiers closed out tills, wiped down conveyor belts and CLOSED DOWN ALL OF THE SELF CHECKOUT MACHINES. Now, I don't know about you, but when I'm on vacation, and haven't seen my husband in a couple of days, the LAST place I want to be is waiting in line so that all workers can leave EXACTLY when they store is supposed to close. Now, before you decide that I am an irrational, inpatient brat that doesn't realize that workers like to get home to their families, please consider this: I worked retail for 15+years and I have maintained a job working with the public where I too would like to leave right when business hours are exhausted. But guess what? YOU DONT GET TO. Ever. Like, never. Even when you're really hoping you might, or your friends are hoping you can catch the tail end of the party their throwing. Closing shifts SUCK because they are unpredictable. To the extent that you would like to stay in business, to a certain degree, customers dictate when you leave.
That being said, we weren't even in there after hours! I made a comment to one of two gentlemen who were counting tills and cleaning conveyor belts that there was a long line and asked if he could help. He let me know that the now 8 people deep line was the only option. Great. I stepped back in to line and griped to my husband about their wonderful customer service skills because they wouldn't open another register, to which (and this is when it gets so good...) a tall skinny lady with flour all down her pants glares at me unapologetically. I realize she is wearing the same hideous brown shirt as the workers and I instantaneously understand that she works there. She continues her glare and dares to say to me, "well maybe they aren't cashiers." At this point it's on and I say,"I would have thought that as well except for the fact that the man I spoke to said HIS LINE WAS CLOSED." She wouldn't drop it. She said, "I sure am glad I don't have such little patience, especially on my vacation." To be quite honest, I'm not usually at a loss for words, (obviously. ;)) but this chick had me floored. To be so brazen while wearing a uniform, in the store that you work for, talking to the customers that ultimately pay your paycheck had me frozen. I laughed sarcastically and said,"wow." You'd think she would have let it go, but no. She waited for two people to get rung up, then herself, before she started engaging the cashier and trying to pull him in to it saying things like,"there's one shitty person in every group." Mike, the cashier wasn't having it. He was a genuinely happy guy and it didn't seem to faze him. When it was our turn to be rung up we exchanged witty banter and pleasantries. He was the breath of fresh air in that weird-ass anomaly of business.
It's been two days since our exchange and I honestly can not stop thinking about it. The level of unprofessionalism at this place is unparalleled. My wish is that a manager sees this review and is able to train his/her closing team on what I would sincerely hope would be the proper set of store policy and procedure. And if something isn't in place...maybe Mike can dream up a training program for this store. He seems to be their only hope.
Bottom line, be sure to call the store and ask when THEY would prefer that you shop to save THEM the hassle of your business. read more