Are you the boss or the employee?
Today, like usual, I went to buy a bento box to take home. I typically call ahead to order so I can grab it right away, and sometimes they even throw in extra vegetables. But today the bento shop seemed unusually busy, so I rushed to get there before 7 PM closing to make sure I could get a delicious and affordable dinner.
When I arrived, sure enough there were less than four bento boxes left. The owner handed me mine, and seeing the heavy rain pouring outside, figuring no one else would come, happily told the employee "turn off the lights." But wouldn't you know it, before they could even get them off, a rain-drenched customer rushed right in.
The owner informed them there were two types of bento available. The customer looked exhausted and bedraggled, chose the cheapest option, and asked "Can I eat here?" The owner warmly replied "Of course!" To anyone who didn't know better, you couldn't tell that just a minute before they'd been calling out to turn off the lights and close. But right then, the employee standing in front of me made a face, eyes rolling upward, seemingly saying "This person has no sense of timing, making us stay late."
From that first reaction alone, you could clearly see the difference between the boss and the employee. The boss's mind was on the customer, putting their service and attitude first. The employee was thinking about getting off work quickly, not wanting to stay late. Of course, after a busy day, that's only human.
That said, closing doesn't mean lights off and you leave immediately. From my experience working part-time at a restaurant, there's still sweeping the floor, turning off the stoves and gas, cleaning the environment, washing dishes and equipment, handling various cooling tasks. Really, one more dine-in customer wouldn't actually delay closing time much. Perhaps some shops do turn off the lights as part of their process, but giving a little space to long-time, loyal customers isn't excessive or a bad thing. Maybe afterward they'll keep bringing their family, bringing coworkers, thinking of the restaurant when planning events or needing delivery services — opportunities are everywhere. Why not seize them?
