One reason door close buttons don’t work is because many places have a minimum time the doors have to remain open under ADA guidelines.
Once that time has passed, the door close. So there is no window in which the button would be useful.
Once that time has passed, the door close. So there is no window in which the button would be useful.
What's the logic behind requiring this to happen every time? Why not just have a handicap button like doors do, and letting the elevator stay efficient the rest of the time?
"Car Control Height. Maximum height for control buttons and mechanisms is 54 inches (1370 mm). Minimum height is 35 inches (890 mm)."
https://www.ada-compliance.com/ada-compliance/ada-elevators....
And that's exactly the reason, i.e., to shoo away those with a good pair of legs, because otherwise people who do need elevators might end up waiting forever.
It is possible that there will be a default dwell time that is larger than the minimum, in which case the pressing the door close button would shorten the window to the minimum, but most elevators won't do that as the minimum is long enough already.
Similarly the door close button may have effect when the door open period was extended, such as by the door sensors, or pushing the door open button to prevent door closing, but the exact details will vary.
In other operating modes, especially firefighter mode, but also some maintenance modes, and some modes that expect a dedicated elevator operator (who can ensure the door remains open long enough for disabled people if present), the door close buttons do absolutely do have an impact, and can violate the normal dwell time rules.