Scenario 06
The Customer at Closing Time
READ
A small clothing store closed at six. At five fifty-five, Nina entered carrying a jacket she wanted to exchange. She explained to Leo, the employee near the door, that she had driven across town after work. The jacket was the wrong size, and she needed another one for a meeting the next morning.
Leo checked the receipt and found that the exchange was allowed. However, the size Nina wanted was in a storage area that had already been locked. His coworker, Beth, had the key and was finishing the closing paperwork. Retrieving the jacket and processing the exchange would take extra time.
Beth had arranged to pick up her nephew at six fifteen. Leo was scheduled to take the bus that left shortly after closing. The next bus would not arrive for forty minutes. Nina said she understood they wanted to leave, but she had entered before the store officially closed.
The manager was not there, and the written closing instructions did not mention this situation. Nina placed the jacket and receipt on the counter. Beth looked at the time and said that someone would need to search several boxes in storage. Leo could see his bus stop through the front window.
THINK AND RESPOND
What would you do?
If you could offer advice to one of the characters, who would it be and why?
