I highly commend the store employee. He was doing his job.

From your description, I'd say the woman is a pompous, self righteous a$$.

That employee did the right thing.

If I were the owner of that store, I would have to value the safety of my employees above all else, even a demanding customer.

Procedures, like opening and closing at appointed hours, are in place to protect employees. From theft, from bodily harm, and they also protect the owners from the liability these problems would cause.

Only the owner (or maybe a manager) would have the authority to open under those circumstances, and only at their discretion. I feel that the employee, especially if they were alone in the store, did just the right thing.

I agree with the above. I know it is s very annoying to be waiting,especially if you are outside, but we all know when a store opens. My pet peeve is that when the employee does see you and the store still opens up a few minutes later than the appointed time.
TD Bank has (not actually sure if they still do as I am no longer a customer there) a policy of opening ten minutes early and staying ten minutes later. A nice touch when you arrive at the door a bit early.
As to the irate customer, maybe we should have her get to work twenty minutes before time or stay twenty minutes later and see how she feels about t.

How would I have behaved? I would have gone back to that store after it opened and told the employee that he/she did the right thing. Screaming "Do you know who I am?" Sheesh. Class act there.

I agree with all of the above. The store employees were correct in this case. Most retail stores are also forced to close/lock their doors later than the closing time in order for all of the wandering customers to finally leave.

Years ago, I worked part time at a fabric store. One morning the manager opened up and smelled smoke. She called the fire dept who came to check it out (this was about an hour before store opening time). A rather brash customer saw the doors open with the firemen inside, quickly parked her car, came in and demanded quick service since we were "open anyway" and her kids were waiting in the car. When she refused to take no for an answer, the firemen walked over, told her to get out of the store or they would have her fined for parking in a fire lane and leaving her kids in the car.

I see others have chimed in with what I believe. The employee did the right thing. First of all if 20 minutes early is okay today , what about 30 tomorrow? Where would the line be drawn?

What I was thinking though was that the employee may not have access to the cash register. The key holder may have run to the bank and the person left in the store may not have access to the safe, keys to unlock door, etc. The store may also have the policy of only being open with two employees in the store. Perhaps the second employee came in at opening time. I can see many reasons why the employee wouldn't open the door early especially with an irrational customer at the door.

The whole "do you know who I am" thing irks me. The close second is the "what is your last name" scare that people threaten employees with. Like the employee will back down in lieu of having a customer complaint filed against them.

The employee was right.

I love it when people say stupid stuff like "do you know who I am?" Get over yourself. I wonder how that customer would've felt if it were turned around.

A member of my book club told the funniest story I've ever heard on this topic:

She was working in NYC as a young woman, in I believe an ice cream shop, when a celebrity came in and demanded to be served before the other waiting customers. At one point celeb intoned 'do you know who I am?' and the manager shot back, 'oh dear we'd better call the police, there is someone here who doesn't even know his own name!'.

I chuckle every time I think of that.

Ann

Remember when the Hermes store in Paris wouldn't let Oprah and her entourage in outside of business hours? I guess even the wealthy and famous don't always get special treatment.

I agree with what the employee did, especially considering safety as a factor.

But the Oprah story reminds me of some of the very chichi stores that close during lunch hours to keep the "riff raff" out, like people who work for a living....

Oh, Annie, that is funny. I guess if you are making plenty of profit, you can do whatever you want. I remember visiting an upscale beach community one year and finding that some of the shops and galleries were closed from Memorial Day to Labor Day. I guess they were not interested in business from tourists, only locals.