I’m often disappointed with the all too prompt closing times that stores and restaurants have.  I remember one time nearly two years ago when Ninja and I rushed down to a Japanese restaurant in Westwood, arriving 20 minutes before they close only to find they were turning in early for the night.  I understand that by that time, everyone is eager to call it a day and close up shop, but if you claim to be open until a certain time and don’t stick to it, that’s just poor customer service.  Sadly, this seems to be a common occurrence, as I found today when I showed up to a drug store just as they were supposed to be closing only to find the doors were locked and the people inside were just cashiers cleaning out.

Good service would be the restaurant that doesn’t close its doors and stop serving food until the very minute they claim they are open until.  Good service would be the store that allows that one last customer to sneak by and buy something at closing.  Good service is going that extra step to make sure that people who want to be a customer get to be.  Otherwise, you risk losing your customer base to your competitors, who may be treating them better by staying open longer or being more flexible with closing.  One thing’s for certain: I lose respect for companies that are so overly eager to close up shop each night, inconvenicing me after all my effort to get there on time.

They know how to do things right.

Once two summers ago, I even called a frozen yogurt store just before going and got there but two minutes too late.  Had they told me on the phone, don’t worry, we’ll wait a few minutes for you, they could have made one more big sale and kept me a happy returning customer.  I opt for their competitors now and that shop has closed down anyway.  There’s no better way to make a good impression than to stay open a little longer to make your customers happy.  It’s like Kohl’s sales – they say it lasts until 2 PM, then as the time nears, they make an announcement to prolong the sale until 4 PM if it’s still going strong, then again if they’re still getting a good response.  That makes customers feel valued and they get to enjoy more time to buy more things.  Win-win, isn’t it?

Quality (and satisfying) service. That's what I'm talking about!

You can really tell a good company by their willingness to keep their doors open and their registers on.  It’s also reflected in the employees’ attitudes, which is a major reason for whether or not you can sneak in the last purchase.  Panda and I had a great experience at Chick-fil-a on Labor Day, when we went in to get the free chicken burger offer for wearing our favorite team’s logo.  Arriving just past 7, we found the entire mall shutting down, much to our surprise.  We rushed to find the Chick-fil-a in the food court and saw that their lights had been turned off and it looked like they were closed.  Desperate, we decided to go check it out anyway, since we saw some people loitering by their registers and we didn’t drive all that way to leave empty-handed.  Thankfully, the ladies working there were still taking orders and serving customers, all of whom left with happy hearts.  Now that’s some great service!  They were still serving us after closing time even though all we were getting was free food!  Panda was telling me how they are a respectful company known for their good practices and I don’t doubt it.  I’ve definitely gained an appreciation for them, both because of their food quality and superb customer service.

So to all you out there who might work for or run a business that involves customers visiting, a word to the wise… keep your doors open at least until the time you say they will be!  You’ll build a much stronger customer base that way.