Store hours

My fiance is a manager at Kroger. His store closes at 6pm on Christmas
Eve. I can understand if you were upset with them closing over an hour
earlier then the sign said, I would be also. But why do people wait
until the last minute to do their dinner shopping. It is a holiday and
the employees want to be with their families. This past Christmas Eve
my fiance worked until closing. He had an employees stand at the doors
to make sure no one else would come in. There was a lady come up to
him and he said "im sorry mam we closed at 6" She said "well f*** you
then" and walked off! In my opinion that is ridiculous that someone
would act like that on a holiday when people are trying to get home
and spend time with their families. Also on holidays when he does work
he has people come up to him and say " I hate that you have to work on
a holiday". Well if people like them were not out shopping they would
not have to work.

The kroger I work at closes at 5 pm on thanksgiving and christmas eve
and its usually a madhouse during the holidays. so if you were feeling
rushed its because these people have also been working their asses off
and want to get the hell outta there. after dealing with mgmt,
customers, and other employees you just want to scream. I agree mgmt
shouldnt be ripping down signs, but are you sure it was mgmt?
blocking the door with carts? really?

I agree with you. There is no reason why they should have closed so
early. I think 7 is a resonable time to close anyway.

I hope you hear something back and they inform this manager that he
should remain open until the times posted. I do appreciate his concern
for his employees but I would love to know just WHICH employees he was
in a hurry to get home. My guess was it was himself.

I am thinking that next time you might want to shop a little earlier
though just to make sure something like this doesnt happen. I worked
retail for many, MANY years and I always made sure that my shopping
was done before the days got long and busy at work.

But this is a good letter.

If store sign said they should be open until 7, they should be open
until 7. I'm sure Kroger doesn't USUALLY close at 7, so those must
have been the holiday hours already. While I'm all for getting people
out early to spend Xmas eve with their families, they also have to
stick by their posted hours. That's completely out of line. I'm glad
ya'll stuck to your guns and made him reopen. I'm willing to bet
Kroger corporation did not know and would not approve of him closing
early on whim and losing sales. I hope you hear from Kroger. They'll
probably be glad to hear what the manager is doing. I bet it's not the
first time.

What is the matter with some of you?

If a store has a sign up saying their closed at a certain time THAT is
the time they close.

I've worked retail over 20 years now and have worked Christmas Eve and
other holidays. Would I like to leave early? Of course I would. But
too bad, the store doesn't close early just to suit me.

And to call her an ass?! Take a look in the mirror, lady.

I have to agree, Ethel. Like you said, if it were 10 minutes till 7,
it would be more understandable. But over an hour? That's ridiculous.

I liked Red's suggestion that stragglers who come in at 630 and 645p
should be politely but firmly notified that they need to be finished
at 7pm.

It's a fine line, because the public is generally quite rude and
unconcerned for people who work in retail, and tend to think only of
themselves. So, I commend a manager who is looking out for their
people. However, part of being a good manager is the ability to
balance that concern with business sense and customer service. Sounds
like he failed here.

I agree -- if Kroger's let shoppers/customers know that it would be
closing early at 7 p.m., then the doors should be open until 7 p.m.
(and stragglers coming in at 6:30, 6:45 should be told firmly: "You
have 15 minutes and that's it!"). Sounds like the manager wanted to
go home, and while I sympathize (as does anyone who's worked retail
over the holidays), the public had been notified that they had until 7
to get groceries. Kroger's should honor that.

I agree with Venice and with you. Closing times are posted for a
reason. 7pm does not mean that's what time employees go home. One of
the sacrifices of retail is that you work holiday type hours.
Employees (especially this manager) should know this going in.
Closing more than hour before the posted closing time is unacceptable.

I myself, a manager, worked till midnight on Christmas eve.

I disagree with the first two posts. I think you did plan ahead as
best you could. You depended on the store being open until 7:00 and
got there over an hour prior to closing. You had no way of knowing
that the manager was going to close the store early. No matter how
much I plan, I always end up needing something at the last minute, so
I make sure I know ahead of time when the supermarkets are closing on
holidays.

Now, I completely understand that everyone wants to get home on
Christmas eve. Back in the day, I worked on many holidays but never
complained because I understood that it goes with the territory. The
manager should have made a decision about the closing time long before
December 24th, and if he wanted to let his workers go at 5:30, that's
what should have been posted on the door.

As far as an apology is concerned, why not just be happy you were able
to buy the items you needed? That's really what matters.

You don't deserve an apology, you are an inconsiderate ass. You
should have shopped sooner. What makes YOU so much more important
that those working at Kroger?
If you're so damn disappointed, do us all a favor, don't ever shop
there again.
We closed our doors at 530, and everyone was out by 6 pm, on T-giving
and Xmas eve.

I think you need an attitude adjustment, along with the manager.
Retail is the seventh level of hades during the hols and on xmas eve
it's even worse. That manager was just trying to get his people home a
bit earlier, most likely the only 'holiday bonus' they got from work,
know what I mean?

I can sympathize with the manager and with the other employees. They
wanted to go home, but coudln't because some people decided to wait
until the last possible moment to shop.