Apalling behavior by customers in COVID queues

So shortly after a Covid 19 announcement in my country yesterday, I noticed the queue outside the store (non essential business) gradually become very large. This was because they new a shut down was due. The two managers that were on were very junior and the security guard (myself) was new. It was only 20 customers that were allowed to be inside the store at any given point in time, and most of these seemed to be somewhat slow moving. The store was meant to close at 6 pm, and at 5:30 I asked the person at the front of the line how long they'd been waiting there. Thirty minutes they said. I didn't know the best way to handle this and I feared things were about to get messy.

I tried to tell the people at the back of the queue that they most likely wouldn't get in so as they wouldn't waste their time. As soon as I did this, the people they started complaining. "Why did you say that to me and not the person in front of me?". But his plan to make sure that customers weren't disappointed later on, only seemed to backfire. The mistake I seemed to make was that I seemed to have sympathy for customers that had pre-ordered, over regular customers. A few of the customers were understanding, and left. But I was surprised at how selfish a lot of them were considering everything that's going on with this pandemic. At 10 minutes to closing I shut the doors and told customers that we needed to re-evaluate. I then pretended to get a phone call from someone important, and then came back out to leave in another 10 final customers (way too many). Then the people in the line behind these 10 throw a tantrum.

Later I saw one of these customers inside taking her time looking all over the store, even though earlier she had told me she that knew exactly what she wanted to get. She started chatting to me as I was walking along the aisle and I made the mistake of saying "I regret leaving you in". I was sort of saying it in a joking way and she didn't seem to think much of it, but a few moments later she started shouting repeatedly at me "what's your name". When I refused to answer, she started asking staff who also refused to answer.

Later on when we shut the doors at 6 pm, there were about 10 of them outside arguing with myself and another staff member through the gap in the door. Bear in mind this was the same door that we leaving customers out, so we were constantly opening it and shutting it. Lots of raised voices at close distance of course! Just when the situation seemed under control, one of them managed to call a manager... who had been hiding from them all along. The manager couldn't take the pressure and let them in after a few seconds interacting. Another one of these customers wanted to make complaints about the me even though I was officially off! And in spite of the fact that they "knew exactly" what they were going to get, they weren't all out until 6:25 pm.

Can't believe people are behaving this way in a time of a global crisis. I fear that in situations like this, that I'll give the customer who throws the biggest tantrum their way, over and a level headed and fair person. But I'll know better in future. Like the guard on my course said - "when you're in charge, be in charge". I didn't realise it then but the people in the line probably weren't even expecting me to listen to their excuses! One customer could see that I was trying to be fair, and he very cleverly exploited that. I didn't actually give him his way, but because I didn't end the discussion sooner, it made a scene and the manager got waved over.

 

This crisis is bringing a lot of kindness and thoughtfulness out of a lot of people.
Unfortunately it is bringing a lot of nastiness and selfishness out of some.

I wouldn't wish to have been in your shoes there, and well done anyway.
People such as you are stars!