Starbucks store "closed until further notice," but customers still try to get in

Nothing can stop some Starbucks customers from getting their caffeine fix -- not even a sign that says "closed until further notice." Here's a light little piece for those of you sick of the alleged homophobia saga at the Long Island Starbucks (see the post below). || Read "Starbucks closed, people attempt to walk in anyway"

Comments

[frapatte]

One of our neighbor stores was renovated recently and it took about a week. Near the end of the week it was mostly done but there were still boxes, plywood, construction tools, blah blah piled everywhere, all of that heavy dust everywhere and the walls half painted, basically it was very obviously still mid-renovation. The SM and a few shifts gathered inside for a few minutes to look things over and talk to the builders. A woman came in (they couldn't see her come in over all the construction crap), crawled over boxes and dodged her way through all the tools, and came up to the counter and said she wanted a drink. They told her they were quite obviously closed and that she should try one of the many nearby Sbuxs or even the Einstein's next door if she didn't want to travel. She got pretty angry/huffy at them saying things like "Gawd I just want a tall coffee, you can't give me that?!" Craziness.

[rawr]

My store had a flooding problem, and often had to close until facilities could come and fix it. I can't tell you how many people would still try to come in, despite the giant sign saying closed. They would then go around to the side door and try that one as well.
My favorite though was the woman who came in (a barista forgot to lock the door), waded through the water pooling on the floor (while everyone was busy mopping and cleaning up the mess and the plumber had the floor drain open and was snaking the pipe) and tried to purchase a gift card, stating "well it's not like you need the water to buy a gift card!".

[drive]

Well, our building had a water problem one day during construction upstairs and the management decided to STAY OPEN. With no water! It was disgusting and I am sure it violated even the most lax of health regulations.

[promotedtocustomer]

Ha ha ha!!! My store had the floor replaced, including the restrooms. The toilets were put outside for the renos, and when the floor near the front door was done, the toilets were put right in front of the doors. We came in to do some cleaning the day before we reopened, and the plumber had not yet come to do the toilets. Despite toilets being right at the front door, people were walking into the store (we had the front doors unlocked to go in and out) and asking if we were open. TOILETS AT THE FRONT DOOR!!!

[drive]

I neglected to mention that during this construction upstairs, raw sewage from the bathroom upstairs was raining down on one of our two bar areas. They covered the bar area with a plastic tarp and used the other bar area. GROSS!

[Worknexttoaboosterjuice]

Oh man, 2 years ago a car went right threw the wall at the side of my store and we had to do an emergency evacuation. As were locking the door a woman comes up to me and asks if I can make her a tall latte. When I told her no i cant because theres a car sticking through the wall she proceeded to tell me that I'm "not doing my job" I them pointed to the car and told her to get out of my face.

[hipsterdufus]

before I left sbux my store was rennovated. The audacity of the customers is unbelievable.

The door was unlocked so the contractors could go in and out, but we had no lobby tables and chairs, not condiment bar, the lights were all out. There was a white plastic sheet hanging from the ceiling around the bar area and heavy power tools (including a HUGE circular saw on a table) between the door and the register area. Yet customer after customer would walk in and be shocked when they were told the store was closed (never mind the huge sings on the doors and windows and the sign that had been up warning of impending closure the two weeks previous). Several women walked all the way from the door to the counter with no qualms about the mess and obvious work being done . Oh, and no employees in dress code or aprons.

People can be so oblivious. While I was always tactful in pointing out that the store was closed and under construction, the contractors weren't an I loved it! "hey lady, are you blind! the store is closed! go down the street!" hahaha

When the door was locked, one customer BROKE the door trying to open it repeatedly.

[Yes, this happened]

We had a shooting in our parking lot and cops came in and told us to leave, drive West and lock up & run. We didn't even have time to take our headsets off!?! When the incident was over, customers kept calling to yell at us for being closed and not posting a sign. I'm sorry I didn't have time to write you a sign when I heard gun shots!!

[Ricardo McJiggis]

Most people are a combo of stupid and egocentric. I have a small business and, even an hour after closing with lights off, if someone manages to get in they expect service.

[mnmsr4me]

We had no water (someone stole the copper piping outside the store, but they did have the decency to turn off the water main so hey) and had to close. I had two signs on each door, for a total of 8 signs saying we had no water and were closed. I used the time to do some training while we waited for facilities to come fix it and customers would try every single door, then look at us like we were the idiots just sitting around being lazy.

[Coffee Drinker]

Take it all as a compliment! Your customers are so used to you being there for them they cannot imagine anything would keep you from legendary service.

I'm not one to try a "closed" door (though I did look in once, when they'd closed during a snow, and I did see baristas sitting around--I learned later they had just been told to close, but they had no way to get home!)

Probably many of us are guilty of ignoring or being oblivious to signs, especially at a place that "looks" open inside.

Come on, laugh at it all!

FWIW I used to work in an antiques store and Mondays were the worst. I'd go in early to arrange things and people deliberately came early, knowing we didn't open until 10, to get a jump on the weekend finds. They'd bang on the door! "can I just come in a minute, I promise I won't bother anything..." I quickly learned to to let even regulars do this. Same thing after closing--customers see lights and activity they think it means "open."

[Coffee Drinker]

"I quickly learned NOT to let even regulars do this."

Having worked retail many years I purposely leave SB before they close, give them time to finish and get out, and don't show up before they open (but I sometimes cut it close,)