Target stores are the absolute WORST...

[nile455]

when it comes to pressuring their customers at closing time. I don't mind a voice over loudspeakers reminding me at 30 mins till and 5 mins till, but the ones near me go "The time is now 9:55pm and all registers will be closed in 5 minutes". So tonight when 10:00pm arrived, an employee came up to me in my aisle and told me they were closed and that I needed to bring my stuff up to checkout now.

This really bugs me, especially for a company that prides itself on quality customer service. Most stores will lock their doors at 10pm, but at least give those already in the store a few extra minutes to finish up. Is that too much to ask Target?

 

[mommaU4]

Do you have a Super Walmart in your area? I heard they are open 24 hours. Of course who knows what horrors you'll encounter there in the middle of the night!

 

[georgina]

I don't usually shop near closing time, but if the store closes at 10, I guess the employees are eager to go home too.

 

[Terri C]

I'm sorry but I don't agree. I love Target. And when a store is closing I think the customers should go to the register to pay for their things. The employees want to go home.

Terri

 

[Ziva]

I've never been at closing time but now you're making we want to go just so I can mull about at 10pm. j/k

 

[Planogirl]

I agree that when it's time to close people should line up and check out. Those people are tired and want to go home.

 

[cstraub]

I think the customer should be curteous and leave before 9pm(or to clarify, closing time whatever that may be in your area). I'm always thinking that the employee's want to go home to be with their families or that they may have plans for that evening and need to leave at closing.

I guess the "do unto others" saying fits here.

 

[Servants of Evan]

I agree with making certain you're out before the scheduled closing. I won't go into a store or a restaurant if I think I won't be out before the posted close. I am amazed at those who will dash into a place 5 minutes before closing, and then will shop as if they have all the time in the world. If it's only five minutes, hustle in, grab the maximum two items you need and get the heck out! This is not the time to comparison shop!! I sometimes wonder if these are the same people who in their office jobs will complain that so-and-so called them at 4:55pm and carried on for fifteen minutes -- a full ten minutes after they should have gone home for the day -- oblivious that now the shoe is on the other foot.

 

[sha_lyn]

I think the customer should be curteous and leave before 9pm

WTH.... customers should leave an hr before closing.

 

[cstraub]

WTH.... customers should leave an hr before closing.

Nice, obviously I meant closing time......

Our Target closes at 9pm.

 

[va32h]

I used to work at Barnes & Noble, and we closed at 11PM, and that didn't mean we walked out the door at 11:01. We couldn't leave until the cash drawers were balanced, and all the closing reports done, and of course we couldn't close the last register until the last customer checked out. And we had to vaccuum the store, too, which we couldn't do until everyone left (although believe me, I wanted to vaccuum right over the toes of the lingerers!)

While I am all for customer service, it didn't seem right to leave the staff standing by, waiting, after the store's posted closing time, while one or two shoppers idle over their final purchases.

And if passersby saw people still in the store, they'd try to get in and were sometimes not so pleasant about being told "no".

 

[SandiH]

If the store closes at 10:00 p.m., then you should be at least in line by 10:00 if not walking out the door at 10:00 p.m. The employees want to get their closing procedures done so they can get off work. Think of it like this, if you are scheduled to get off work at 5:00 p.m. and you get a call at 5 till, I'm sure the last thing you would want is to be on the phone for 20 minutes. Why should retail be any different? They announce the times and what time it is and what time it closes so that people can adjust their shopping pace.

This is of course, just my humble opinion!

 

[ChristmasElf]

To the original poster, which SuperTarget were you shopping at?
There is one around here that the guy that makes the announcement of closing is hysterical.
AT 9:40 he starts with "the time is now 9:40 and your Orlando SuperTarget will be closing in 20 minutes, please bring your final purchases to the front of the store-

At 9:50 he will say something like there is 10 minutes left and that he will be passing out brooms to anyone that asks (or something like that) and that the store will be closing in 10 minutes

At 10 pm he will announce that the store is now closed and to please check out.

At 10:05 he says "the time is now 10:05 and the store is still closed" I can't remember exactly how he words it, but he says something about grabbing a few cleaning supplies on the way up to the front as he will be handing out the mop in 5 minutes. I'm surprised he can say what he says without laughing.

It must work though as several people are hustling to the front at 10 pm!

 

[Beth76]

I have no problem with them scooting the customers out at closing. The employees should not have to work late because someone can't get their shopping done on time. When I worked closing at a video store, I closed the register at midnight. I gave plenty of notice to whomever was in the store that the register would close. I think I only had to turn away 1 customer. Everyone else made their selection on time.

 

[TurboKitty]

I've worked retail and heavy customer service fields.

If the posted closing time isn't honored..i.e. a restaurant with popsted hours chases of potential customers up until the posted closing time...is in error.

If you have posred closing times, and you close early except in very near permanent closure situations...shame on you.

If you think there may be reasons to stay open late....do so for good custiomers....or close in the afternoon....and only open for those good afternoon custiomers.

 

[nile455]

I'm sorry but I don't agree. I love Target. And when a store is closing I think the customers should go to the register to pay for their things. The employees want to go home.

Terri

I know they are closing. It's just a sign of poor customer service when they send employees to sweep through every aisle telling people that they are closed the second the clock strikes 10pm. I think announcing it is fine, but having employees practically pushing me out of the aisle telling me I can no longer shop right at 10pm is a little excessive and definitely *not* something a quality store should do.

And to the person who compared it to a 9-5 desk job, I can't think of many where you clock out at 5 sharp if there are still people on hold waiting to speak to you. If they called in before 5pm, you are stuck there in your desk on the phone until the last person in call queue gets answered. This is how it was when I worked at Disney reservation center.

To my Orlando neighbor, I am talking about the Target on 436/434 in Altamonte Springs. It's not a Super Target. I can't say I ever heard them do their closing warnings like you described. That's pretty bad.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

I'm sorry but I don't agree. I love Target. And when a store is closing I think the customers should go to the register to pay for their things. The employees want to go home.

Terri

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I've worked retail and heavy customer service fields.

If the posted closing time isn't honored..i.e. a restaurant with popsted hours chases of potential customers up until the posted closing time...is in error.

If you have posred closing times, and you close early except in very near permanent closure situations...shame on you.

If you think there may be reasons to stay open late....do so for good custiomers....or close in the afternoon....and only open for those good afternoon custiomers.

The poster said the store closed at 10 and she got scooted to the front at 10. They didn't close early.

I don't understand your post.

 

[Beth76]

It's not their hours that angers me, it's the fact they send employees to sweep through every aisle telling people that they are closed the second the clock strikes 10pm. I think announcing it is fine, but having exmployees practically pushing me out of the aisle and to the checkout counter right at 10pm is a little excessive and definitely *not* something a quality store should do.

Maybe they tried that before and it didn't work. If you're ready to go, then it should be no problem. If you're not ready to go then, that's exactly why they have people to herd you to the front.

 

[Planogirl]

Maybe people kept on shopping and shopping and the store manager decided to be firm about the closing time.

As for not closing if there all calls waiting, that isn't always the case. At one finance company I worked for the call queues were closed at closing time no matter what. I think that if you're in the Target queues at closing time you're fine but it's too late to shop any more.