When a store closes, that means they are no longer doing business and any customers have to leave.

What would you do if you were working at a dollar store and someone was shopping when it hit closing time?

That is what happened to the guy in this story, so he let the customer know that they were closing. The customer, however, said that because he was going to be spending money, they had to stay open for him.

This guy gave him a little more time, but the customer kept having a bad attitude, so he finally told him to leave and never come back.

I think he handled it well. Read through the full story and see if you agree.

“I’m spending money, you can’t close the store! You signed up for this!”

I’m a store manager at a dollar store and currently in the process of turning a location around.

This is going to be a long day at work.

Usually, this means I have to create a clientele shakedown. Friday was the 31st, so the 1st falls on a Saturday and the 3rd falls on a holiday: these are some of the worst types of weekends.

I chose to work a double if for no other reason than customer combat. We close at 10, and I was working the sales floor as I usually do right up to the border of time down the candy aisle when a customer comes in.

Finally, it is closing time.

We’ll call him UC for unintelligible customer.

Right as I finish unpacking what I was sure would be my last carton, I check the time to see that it is indeed 10 now.

No big deal, the customer should know they are closing soon.

I say to the customer, “It’s time for us to lock up.” I usually don’t elaborate because it’s universally understood: the store closes at a certain time, and the employees want to go home at some point too.

UC: Wasn’t locked when I came up, I’m spending money.

He won’t be spending money for long.

Me: I understand that, sir; it wasn’t time to lock it just yet. I’m not rushing you, I’m just making you aware that I’ll be locking the door and you don’t have much more time to shop.

As I walk way, UC continues to mutter something under his breath about spending money.

Sorry, they are closed now.

I lock the door, and just as I do another customer taps on the glass and tells me he only needs one thing.

Me: I’m sorry sir, we’re closed now. I can’t unlock it once it’s been locked.

Mind your own business.

Of course, since the customer was on the other side of the glass I had to say this with a little volume so that he could hear. As I’m stepping away from the door, UC comes to the front of the store.

UC: _What? What did you say?_

Me: I was talking to someone else, sir.

He is doing his job.

I could tell where this was going, so I continue to work the floor as my cashier rings him out; I know all too well not to be the one ringing him or even that close to him at the moment.

UC: Man, you got a JOB to do. You signed up for this!

Me: Yes sir, and I’m doing my job.

Good for him.

UC: You ain’t doin it good. Ain’t got no courtesy, no customer service from nobody in this store. Fuck I’m spending money.

As I unlock the door for him to leave, I asked him not to return to this store as I would not be treated this way nor would I have any of my employees treated that way.

Now this is a great manager.

It’s this kind of story I tell in every interview, because it never fails that every now and again you get that one customer who thinks the entirety of a retailer’s job is to lift the customer up so that they may walk on water, and it’s certainly the epitome of first of month sales.

Some customers will always think their $5 transactions pay the store employees week in and out.

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It is nice to see that this guy is protecting himself and his store first. This customer doesn’t deserve any type of special treatment.

Read on to see what the people in the comments have to say about this.

Here is someone who knows how to handle it.

How frustrating would this be?

This person hates when customers say this type of thing.

This is a wonderful way to manage.

I wish more managers were like this, too.

Finally, a manager who will stand up to stupid customers. He played this perfectly and the customer got himself banned from the store.

I just hope that they follow through and never let the guy shop there again. People need to learn how to behave in public.