“Sir, We’re Closing In Five Minutes”: Entitled Customer Demands Store Be Kept Open, So Worker Maliciously Complies
Interview With Author
Customer-facing jobs often are that unholy mix of underpaid and simultaneously hard, stressful, and downright depressing. One has to deal with entitled people, often making complaints about things that you have no control over. Retail workers also have to open, close, clean, and stock items all while dealing with people.
TikToker and Youtuber Benjaman Harre shared his retail experience with customers that seemed to think store closing hours were just guidelines and seemed to love exerting every tiny bit of power over workers. We got in touch to find out more.
More info: TikTok | Youtube
Entitled customers are the worst
Image credits: roningt
A TikToker and former retail worker shared his experiences with people who did not care at all about a worker’s time
Some of y’all gonna be mad about this one and that’s okay. But you see I’ve worked retail most of my adult life and there’s one thing in retail that I absolutely hate it’s when a customer comes in right before you close if you’ve worked in retail too and you don’t like when a customer comes into the last minute make sure you follow or subscribe but this one night we had a guy come into our store about five minutes before we close and I walked up to him in my best customer service voice very polite and said Sir, we’re closing in five minutes so just so you know.
Image credits: Meruyert Gonullu (not the actual photo)
Yeah, I’m not joking with you one bit. This dude looked at me straight in my face and said you will close when I’m done shopping. Okay, Boo Boo. You know what, after all the customer’s always right, you are correct. I will close after you’re done shopping. So I went about my business that all my clothes and routines this man shops for an additional 35 minutes after we close and then rolls up to my register with his smug grin on his face. He goes I’m ready to checkout now.
Image credits: Marjan Blan (not the actual photo)
And I said Well, it sucks to be you because we closed 35 minutes ago and I’ve already shut down all the registers. He was big mad, but I’m petty enough to waste your time and my time. I love you. Stay petty.
You can watch the full video here
@roningt Why Working in Retail Sucks: Last-Minute Customers #retaillife #customerservice #nolatecomers #workerrights #justsayno #pettysquad ♬ original sound – Benjaman (RoninGT) Harre
Some businesses for their employees to go along with whatever horrible customers ask
Bored Panda got in touch with Benjaman Harre, aka RoninGT to learn more. We wanted to know what he thought actually causes these sorts of customers to exist. “I think that the entitlement some customers have comes down to how they were raised. Some of the rudest customers I’ve encountered have had their young children right next to them reinforcing this bad behavior.”
Naturally, this could be the result of some managers pushing “the customer is always right” onto their workers, so we wanted to get his take on this concept. “The customer is rarely right, I mean I get why the phrase is used but it has given customers this sense that they can do what they want and treat people however they want. The company’s corporate teams do not believe that the customer is always right either because if they did customers would be getting $500 TVs for a few bucks.”
Retail work is hard, so never forget basic, common decency
“I have worked retail in some form for the last 20+ years and my social media platforms have story after story but one I have never told was one of my first encounters with an entitled customer, I had just started working for Walmart, and I was a cashier and as a cashier I barely had control of when I went to the bathroom and definitely no control over what we sold, but a customer came through my line, and became belligerent with me and called me every name you can think of because the store didn’t have purple socks for her to buy and she needed purple socks…” He added when we asked about further retail horror stories.
Finally, we asked if he had any final thoughts. “If I could say anything to your readers who have never worked retail it would be. Be patient with your retail workers and any employee in the service field. Understand that we deal with a lot of people, some nice, some not. Everyone in retail are human beings too who are just trying to make a living and none of them signed up to be a punching bag.” You can find Benjaman’s TikTok and Youtube channel here and here.
Viewers shared their thoughts and similar stories
Just last week I went to a shop. Very specialist, in connection with my sport. It would normally be a one hour drive but I was in the most terrible traffic jam. Arrived 5 minutes before the shop was closing. I did not even ask to be helped.Just told him I would be back the next day. I did ask to use the bathroom. When I came back the man in the store asked me If he could help me quickly. He could, I just needed a few little things. He did help me and i was very greatfull. Saved me another trip the next day. The moral of the story: don't be a Karen, be kind!
People are kind and helpful to those who are too. Newton's 2nd law can be applied surprisingly well to human nature
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I had just gotten a new job and the note from my supervisor was that I needed more professional clothing. So that night 45 minutes before Ann Taylor Loft closed I slid in and I said I need help and if they could put together outfits for me that'd be great. I was rushing because I knew that I didn't have much time, about 30 minutes in I told them I take the outfits that I had, and if they could put the rest on hold for me, I will come back tomorrow and try them on. The manager asked me why I was in a rush? I said the store closes in 15 minutes and you need to clean up(yes I have worked retail). The manager smiled and patted my hand. She said " Thank you for thinking about us, it's been a slow day, with you we are going to hit our daily goal. We can stay open a little longer." She kept the store open for me another hour. I dropped like $5000.(most money I'd ever spent in one shopping trip at one store) They were amazing.
Pretty sure the saying is actually " The customer is always right IN MATTERS OF TASTE".
That is the whole saying. I like to think of it as, "I'll sell you plaid and stripes to wear together if you want it. But we will be making fun of you after you leave."
Load More Replies...
Just last week I went to a shop. Very specialist, in connection with my sport. It would normally be a one hour drive but I was in the most terrible traffic jam. Arrived 5 minutes before the shop was closing. I did not even ask to be helped.Just told him I would be back the next day. I did ask to use the bathroom. When I came back the man in the store asked me If he could help me quickly. He could, I just needed a few little things. He did help me and i was very greatfull. Saved me another trip the next day. The moral of the story: don't be a Karen, be kind!
People are kind and helpful to those who are too. Newton's 2nd law can be applied surprisingly well to human nature
Load More Replies... I had just gotten a new job and the note from my supervisor was that I needed more professional clothing. So that night 45 minutes before Ann Taylor Loft closed I slid in and I said I need help and if they could put together outfits for me that'd be great. I was rushing because I knew that I didn't have much time, about 30 minutes in I told them I take the outfits that I had, and if they could put the rest on hold for me, I will come back tomorrow and try them on. The manager asked me why I was in a rush? I said the store closes in 15 minutes and you need to clean up(yes I have worked retail). The manager smiled and patted my hand. She said " Thank you for thinking about us, it's been a slow day, with you we are going to hit our daily goal. We can stay open a little longer." She kept the store open for me another hour. I dropped like $5000.(most money I'd ever spent in one shopping trip at one store) They were amazing.
Pretty sure the saying is actually " The customer is always right IN MATTERS OF TASTE".
That is the whole saying. I like to think of it as, "I'll sell you plaid and stripes to wear together if you want it. But we will be making fun of you after you leave."
Load More Replies...
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