Rockler lost the sale

[photobug]

This thread is making me giggle.

I grew up with motorcycle shops being closed on Sunday and Monday--all of them.  Mom and Pop shops, too.

Can't fault 'em for wanting time off.

My town has a hardware store open 7 days a week, lumber yards are closed weekends as are most all businesses.  Unless you work in retail or service industry nobody works weekends.

Home Depot and the Hardwood store is 2 hours away.  There is a Woodcraft store 5 hours away, if I don't like their hours when I get there, there is a Rockler eight hours from there, but I'd probably just wait till they opened.

[Chuck 80]

Needed some stuff for a project last Sunday. Made the 45 minute drive to West Allis WI Rockler only to find they don't open until 11:00 AM. Drove a few miles more to Woodcraft. They were open at 10:00AM. They got my business.

I'm Sure they missed your business and will probably have to close their doos because of their loss, BJT Thus is life I guess1

[RonL]

Diffinetly not religious but I try my best to not shop on Sunday. I hated working on Sunday’s!

[toolmiser]

Seems like the motorcycle stores are closed Monday's and Sunday's here also. I never knew that until a boss of mine asked me to stop on a Monday after work to check on something for him. I had never had any reason to do business there and it surprised me.

[EricU]

The worst are not those who show up on a Sunday before the door is open for a retail business; they are the ones who walk in the door T-minus 5 or less (likely with a cup of coffee in one hand) before the door is closed. Do you "big spender" really think your transaction can be satisfactorily served in a few minutes? 

that's bad, but the actual worst are the people that call you up just before closing and ask you to wait for them.  And then don't show up.  When I worked retail, my boss would give them a time limit.

When I showed up to the lumberyard and realized it was only 15 minutes before closing, I just left.  No point in making them tell me they were closing.  Maybe I'll go back tomorrow.

[Admiral]

I don't know, everybody's got their opinion, but I see it a bit differently. If you are in brick and mortar retail, you have to be a bit more customer centric, and if staying open a bit later satisfies a customer, that is a positive for the business' reputation for customer service. This is not just the owner's issue, it should be the employees' issue as well, and the employee should not be more interested in getting out the door at the crack of the hour of closing, but more interested in serving the customer, because that's where his/her paycheck ultimately comes from. And the employer/owner/manger should also recognize the employee who goes the extra mile. There's nothing wrong with locking the door at closing time and finishing up serving the customers in the store. When it is all said and done, a retail employee is there to serve the customer. Sure, you're going to get an a**hole customer here and there that is overly demanding, but that comes with the territory.

[photobug]

I don't know, everybody's got their opinion, but I see it a bit differently.  If you are in brick and mortar retail, you have to be a bit more customer centric, and if staying open a bit later satisfies a customer, that is a positive for the business' reputation for customer service.

I'm guessing you've never worked retail.  

You can go above and beyond in customer service without staying late for the customer that did not look at the open hours and want you to "stay open just 5 minutes late so they could come grab the one thing they need".  As often as not that person will show up 15 minutes after closing and then take the opportunity to browse once in the door.  Besides customer loyalty, employee moral is a factor, generally retail employees are not well compensated and at 5 o'clock want to go home.

[Admiral]

I'm guessing you've never worked retail.  

Plenty, albeit in my 20's.  I guess I've got a different work ethic.

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

A different work ethic? You mean one that puts the customer's wants over your needs?

[Admiral]

A different work ethic?  You mean one that puts the customer's wants over your needs?

Er, well, that's it exactly.  So I guess I'm old school in the respect that I have to earn the business.  And its not just retail, I do that in my current  job every day - like getting up at 3am for a conference call to close a deal in India.  I guess the work world has changed...... and I have not, so that makes me the fool.....