This keyring says what every small retail business owner is really thinking
"Sorry for being human" ... the unspoken apology behind every closed door
I came across this keyring while visiting California last month:
The familiar door sign styling made me laugh because it's literally something I considered hanging during my Shopkeeper days.
I instantly recalled the times I worked alone at my store and had to close shop. I'd close up for five to fifteen minutes to pee, pump for breast milk, or grab lunch. I'd also be tempted to close mid-day just to write an email (IYKYK).
We've all come across "back in five minutes" signs at independent stores, often manned by a single person. As a customer, it's incredibly annoying to walk up to a shop, determined as you can be, only to be told you can't enter during regular business hours.
Even worse, you're met with a handwritten "back in 20" sign on a post-it note or torn piece of notepaper. It's brutal — when does the twenty minutes start?! Will I have to wait two more minutes or eighteen?!
I was much kinder to would-be-disappointed customers. I used a sign with a clock on it so people always knew when the re-opening time would be. That way, they could decide whether to stick around or bail.
Most people weren't too deterred, but for some, the jolt of a locked door was enough to make them say "forget it," no matter where the hands on the clock lay.
I always felt bad for closing up because in our case, my store wasn't exactly convenient. Yes, it was in a downtown neighborhood, but it wasn't near anything else, and parking was hit or miss — except for those willing to illegally park in the lot across the street.
So when the "will return at blank o'clock" sign went up, I often thought "sorry for the inconvenience".
Sorry for the inconvenience of not being open just as you got here. I know you made an effort to be here.
But also …
Sorry for the inconvenience of taking an unhurried bathroom break after I've been holding it for hours between customers.
Sorry for the inconvenience of needing to pump breast milk in the back room, so I have a chance of making this work for my baby.
Sorry for the inconvenience of needing to go out to buy lunch because I couldn't get it together in the morning — entrepreneurship + new mom life, I tell ya.
Sorry for the inconvenience of not having enough money (yet) to hire someone to be here with me so I can do all of the above without having to close.
Sorry, our timing was so inconvenient.
Please wait or come back soon.
We appreciate your business.
I've since looked up the keyring brand, The Inconvenience Store. Check it out here and Hightide Store DTLA, where I saw it, here.
And if you're curious, I shared some of the stores I visited in and around LA over on Instagram.
If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy my book:
OPEN: Big Lessons in Small Retail and Living the Shopkeeper Dream
“As a fellow boutique shop owner, I believe this book is a gift to those who plan to start a retail shop. Ana Maria honestly reveals her experience as a shopkeeper. It’s a case study full of lessons learned and great tips for running a shop. She also describes the evolution of the business as it grows from sole owner to a business with staff and a community that embraces them.”
— Kelly Wohlgenant Owner Retro Modern Furnishings