By the time my last day rolled around, I had had it up to here with people asking when our last day was, what the percentage off things were, if we had this item or that, and customers still not being satisfied with the current discount. "Do you think the percentage will go lower?"

Honestly, I had no idea.

My managers did not tell us when the price changes were happening until we had to make the signs. And even if we did know, we weren't allowed to tell the customers that.

I was a seasonal cashier and customer service representative at the local Babies R Us. So, I dealt with a ton of customer issues and did everything I could to resolve them. But when I came back for the summer, that all changed. We could no longer take returns, exchanges, gift cards, merchandise credits, ships from store, online orders, price adjustments, and registries. My job became so much easier. And as the days were ticking down to the final day, the store got more and more depressing. Customers were still giving me and my co-workers lip, and the running joke was "What are they gonna do, fire us?" We wouldn't do anything bad, just the idea incited this thought.

Every day the store looked completely different. This store had been my home for three years, and many more for so many of my co-workers. It was our second home. And I don't think people realized that being rude to us didn't change the fact that the store was closing. "No wonder you guys are closing." One lady told me one day when our price for a pair of Converse was higher than the suggested price. Her daughters apologized for her and I only smiled because I didn't want to make matters worse by replying with a snappy comment. Other customers saying "This is why I don't online shop" meant nothing to me after the fiftieth time said. Yes, every person helps, but with huge companies like Walmart and Amazon as competitors, it was hard for the R Us brand to keep up.

It didn't help that every time a floor model of a stroller or car seat was purchased, the guest would ask if there was an additional discount off. Normally, yes there would have been. But with the liquidation, we were no longer in charge, so no there was not an additional percentage off. Which of course angered customers and made them reconsider their original choice. Asking for coupons was also stale. We haven't sent out any emails with coupons for months. So, no, you did not leave the coupon on your counter.

"Can you scan my rewards card?" Sure, but at this point, it's not going to do anything.

"Can you look up this registry?" Yes, but it doesn't matter because they can't return anything.

"Can I still purchase things off your website?" No, our website is stocked with items in our warehouses, and those have been empty for months.

Receiving dumb questions like this on a daily basis really drove me and my co-workers up the wall. Every phone call we answered were the same three questions: When is your last day, What is your current percentage off, and Do you have this item in stock. As the merchandise dwindled down to the first fifty feet of the store, it got easier and easier to tell customers what we do and do not have. But it also got closer to the sad reality: the 'R' Us brand was dead.