“I’m from the UK, and over here we have bank holidays, which is basically an extended weekend (Saturday, Sunday, Monday). Because of this, we closed at Sunday time on Monday (6 pm instead of 8 pm). It’s the middle of summer, I and my coworkers were almost closed down, and the store was virtually empty. So far so good.
Ten minutes before closing, as I’m bringing in the outside furniture that wasn’t being used (there was one couple sat outside on one of the tables) a middle-aged lady came up to me and asked if we’re still open. I explained that yes we were, but we close in 10 minutes’ time. She then asked ‘Have I got enough time for a coffee?’ to which I say ‘It depends on how fast you can drink and how fast the drink is made’ – how else was I supposed to answer?
A customer entered the store and started ordering her drink with the barista on the coffee machine, who was also the supervisor on shift that day. She took a few minutes deciding what she wanted, then ordered her drink – an extra hot latte with extra hot milk. Again, my supervisor explained that we close in 10 minutes, and recommended making it in a takeaway cup so that she won’t have to rush (also, so we can turn off the potwash as fast as possible).
The customer refuses, says she wants a glass. Okay, maybe she can drink piping hot coffee like a superhuman. The customer got her coffee, sat down and started reading. It was 5 minutes until closing at this point, so everyone was just about to finish up their drinks and starting to leave. One minute until closing and the customer still hadn’t touched her drink. Turns out that she had been waiting for the couple sat outside to leave in hopes that as soon as they leave, she can take their seat and stay longer.
It’s now 6:10 pm, and the customer is sat outside, coffee still untouched, so I go outside and politely let her know that we are closed and that she’ll have to finish her drink and leave. She. Went. Insane. She started screaming at me about how both I and my supervisor said that she had PLENTY of time to finish her coffee and that it’s not her fault that we couldn’t make a coffee fast enough. I tried to explain that we both told her that we closed at 6pm, and that I’d given her extra time (even though it was only 10 minutes, our company has strict rules on making sure everyone is out by closing time) to finish her drink. She said, ‘Well I was told that I had enough time, so I’m going to sit here and finish my drink in my own time.’
Whatever lady. I went back inside and explained what the customer had said to me to my supervisor. The supervisor ends up marching outside with a takeaway cup, pouring the coffee into the cup, walking back inside with the glass, and locking the doors. The customer was TICKED OFF. The next day, she came marching in and demanded to speak to my store manager. She then started yelling at my manager about what happened the night before.
My manager, being the most awesome woman she is, just said ‘Well, we were closed, and since we asked you repeatedly to leave and reminded you that we closed at that specific time, my staff did nothing wrong’ before walking away. The customer just stood there, gobsmacked, before turning heel and stomping out of the store. Needless to say, we never saw her again, and I absolutely adore my manager.”
