Rockler lost the sale
#35
I understand that ethic.

Today's ethic? It's BS. Especially in retail. The company that hires you generally doesn't care about you, but more about those few pennies of profit they can squeeze out of you. In this setting, the employee would be best looking out for his own needs.

I may be jaded. I spent too many years in retail serving shitty customers to place their wants over my needs.
Semper fi,
Brad

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#36
(03-01-2018, 10:11 AM)photobug Wrote: I'm guessing you've never worked retail.  

It doesn't matter whether one has worked or never worked retail.

I know some retail people who are nasty customers themselves when it is their turn to be on the other side of the counter. And our discussion has nothing to do with ethics either. If I am paid to work from 9 to 5 and I dislike working beyond, my ethic is fine as I fulfill my contract. If a business wants to serve customers after 5pm, set the business hours to 5pm but schedule people to work until 5:15pm or whatever the hour should be. Those who are scheduled to work till 5:15pm would not feel despair when a customer walks in at 4:59pm. I know businesses which do that kind of scheduling so both customers an staff's needs are satisfied.

Some businesses would post cut-off times for certain transactions, meaning you will have to come back the next business day if you are past the cut-off times. Some transactions are only done by appointment.

If a store is open till 10pm, considerate customers would try to finish their business before 10pm, not starting their shopping business at 9:59pm. Of course, we all know there are inconsiderate customers. Again, all they think about is themselves.

Yes, customer service can still excel without accommodating the few inconsiderate people who call in so they can shop after your business hours.

Simon
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#37
we used to let people in the door at closing all the time if they needed something or were going to pick something up they bought earlier. The difference being if they were there before closing or not.  OTOH, the people that come in at closing and are "just looking" need to come back and look another day.
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#38
(03-01-2018, 10:30 PM)Handplanesandmore Wrote: Yes, customer service can still excel without accommodating the few inconsiderate people who call in so they can shop after your business hours.

Simon

Simon,
Your post made the exact argument I was making, you elaborated on my feelings about it better.

Having spent 20 years in either retail or restaurant industry.  Before I got a real job at middle age, I had worked in both ski and mountaineering shops so I consider the industry very similar to a woodworking store, people are there for the passion of the product they sale.  I like going into woodworking shops but have yet to see one with what I consider good customer service.  Not that it is always bad but I feel the companies don't do much about employee training on the product knowledge or customer service.  To me it feels like the companies rely on their employees prior woodworking experience to give them the working knowledge needed to man the store, if the guy who is not a woodturner is not in that day, you are not going to get good advice, when you visit.

With my experience in retail and restaurants, I am conscious of being on the other side of the fence.  When trying on clothes in a store, I will refold it or hang it back up if I don't buy it.  I will not go into a restaurant if it is closing in an hour.  I know I like to enjoy my meal and don't want to be "that guy" that keeps the staff late.  I have a nightmare story about being kept late one night at a restaurant by a really inconsiderate celebrity that was let in after hours.

My wife was in retail management for over a decade for a large high end retail grocery chain where product knowledge and customer service was center to their business model.  Through her I understand more of the behind the scenes pressures.  Making quotas and labor to sales figures can affect your career trajectory.  The company analyzes shopping patterns and customer preferences to choose hours and staff needs to optimize profits but will also stay open hours that weren't profitable to retain customer service.  I don't think wood working retail is nearly as sophisticate but they still need to make a profit as shown by another thread where poorly run Woodcraft stores have shut down.
A carpenter's house is never done.
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