During the summer, some retail outlets intentionally extend their working hours to serve customers who stay out longer, but due to the behavior of the hired staff, they do not always succeed. This was stated on the air of the Bulgarian National Radio by Gabriela Rumenova - founder of the online platform “We, the Consumers“.
“A lady told me that she had been to the gym at the mall and after her workout she had planned to get a coffee – exactly 15 minutes before the announced end of the establishment's working hours. The staff refused to make her coffee. This practically means for this lady that the commercial establishment is not working because she cannot receive the service she hoped for and should receive within the announced working hours“, said Rumenova.
“It seems small, but it is not at all. The Consumer Protection Act explicitly states that every commercial establishment shall announce its working hours in a prominent place and that compliance with them is mandatory“, pointed out the expert. And she informed that the fine is from 300 to 1000 leva, and the property penalty can reach up to 3000 leva.
Gabriela Rumenova explained that compliance with working hours is important because consumers take it into account when planning visits to the establishment and their purchases. “If it turns out that the store closed earlier, the consumer spent time and money to get there, and was unable to do their job“, she added.
According to her, closing even 15 minutes early can create a problem that could damage the retailer's image. And she argues as follows:
“The lady in the story objected to the staff, and after being refused, she called the store's designated phone number. The scandalous thing is that the same employees, since the phone was picked up by them, put her on speakerphone and mocked the signal. That's why she took the next step – a written complaint to the retailer through his platform, which she managed to send 10 minutes before the end of business hours.“