When Customer Service Closes Before the Mall Does

For more than 30 years, this mall along Commonwealth Avenue has been a familiar destination for many families. It has been a place where people buy groceries, shop for appliances, eat with loved ones, and spend weekends together. Like many others, my family has visited the mall countless times over the years.

But while the mall has remained a part of many people's lives, one thing seems to have been left behind, customer service.

This is not about expecting luxury treatment or special attention. It's about simple acts of courtesy that can make a huge difference, especially when customers need help the most.

Over the years, we have experienced several disappointing moments whenever we stayed until the mall's closing time. It often felt like the moment the clock struck closing hour, some employees and even security personnel simply considered their responsibilities finished. Customers who were still inside or waiting outside suddenly became invisible.

One experience after another left us asking the same question: Has doing the extra mile for customers become too much of a hassle?

 

The situation becomes even more frustrating during rainy days.

Anyone living in Metro Manila knows how difficult it is to find transportation when it rains. Taxis become scarce, ride-hailing services are fully booked, and commuters are left waiting for long periods. During these moments, mall security personnel are usually the first people customers turn to for assistance.

Unfortunately, that was not what we experienced.

Instead of guiding people or helping organize the taxi queue, some guards simply watched as customers waited in uncertainty. No updates. No assistance. No reassurance. It was as if waiting passengers were no longer their concern.

This is where many larger malls have set themselves apart. Even security guards are trained to provide basic customer assistance. Sometimes all it takes is giving directions, informing customers about transportation options, or simply checking if anyone needs help. These small gestures do not cost anything, but they leave lasting impressions.

Our most disappointing experience happened just last weekend.

After finishing our grocery shopping, my family proceeded to the taxi bay 10 minutes after 9 p.m., just as the mall was closing. We patiently waited for our turn. As the line moved forward, something strange happened.

No taxis arrived.

At first, we assumed traffic was causing the delay. We continued waiting, believing more taxis would eventually enter the mall.

Minutes passed.

Then more minutes.

By around 9:40 p.m., after standing there for nearly 30 minutes, we finally decided to leave the taxi bay and walk toward Commonwealth Avenue in hopes of finding transportation ourselves.

That was when we discovered the real reason.

The mall's vehicle entrance had already been closed.

No taxis could enter anymore.

The realization hit hard. We had spent almost 40 minutes waiting for transportation that could never arrive because the entrance had already been shut.

I approached one of the security guards and asked why nobody informed the people waiting at the taxi bay.

A simple announcement would have been enough.

His response was brief.

"The mall is already closed."

That answer only made the situation more frustrating.

 

Closing the mall is understandable. Employees have schedules to follow, and everyone deserves to go home after work. But would it really have taken much effort to tell the people still waiting?

A simple, "Sir, Ma'am, the vehicle entrance is already closed. You may want to proceed to the highway to catch a taxi," could have saved families from wasting nearly an hour.

That is what customer service is all about.

It is not always about grand gestures or expensive programs. Sometimes it is simply about communicating, showing concern, and treating customers with respect until they safely leave the premises.

Going the extra mile is not an inconvenience.

It is part of the responsibility that comes with serving the public.

After all, customers do not stop becoming customers the moment the mall closes its doors.