Bill Doyle’s major pet peeve about business closing times

A story in Texas struck a chord with me because it is a pet peeve of mine: Employees who act like you don’t deserve the same service, merchandise, or products if you come in, or order, anywhere near closing time.

Many years ago, I called a New Jersey pizzeria at 9:45 pm to order a pie which was to be delivered, the employee who answered the phone was less than enthusiastic, pointing out, “We close at ten, man.” To which I replied, “That means you’re open now, right?” “Yeah, but we close at ten.” So I asked, “What time do you stop taking orders?” “Well, we take orders until ten.” “Then what’s the problem?”

The story in Texas is similar to mine, but in this case an employee of the pizzeria wrote on the pizza box, “We would appreciate it very much if you didn’t wait until five minutes before we close.” The nurse was miffed just like I was, but I didn’t turn it into a news story. They charge the same amount five minutes before closing as they do an hour before, don’t they?