Not-Quite Sighting?

[manybellsdown]

Okay, this was one of the weirdest conversations I've ever had with any store.

It's raining here. A lot. And my backyard is flooding and it is seeping into the basement, so I wanted to buy some QuickDams (the name is going to be important).

I went online to a Orange Box store to see if I could get some right away. Oh hey, North Store has 62 in stock according to the site and I'm going to be in North Town tomorrow, so I'll order a few for pickup. An hour later, I get a call from North store. They had to cancel my order because "we got those in a year ago and we ... lost them. Sorry."

Okay, well, that is super weird. But, Mr. Bells is near East Store, so let me call and see if they actually have them in the store because I clearly can't trust the website. Now, online, this product is under Landscaping, so I ask to be connected to the garden department. And I get this guy.

Me: Hi, I was trying to see if you have Quick Dams in stock?
Garden Dept. Guy: ... quicksand?
Me: No, Quick DAMS. For flood control?
GDG: You want quicksand?
Me: DAMS. Dee Ayy Emm Ess.
GDG: ... quick ... saaaaand.
Me: D as in dog -
GDG: You want something for your DOG?!?
Me: ...

Mr. Bells then called a totally different, Not-Orange-Box hardware store who swore they had plenty in stock, no problem, come pick them up anytime before 9pm. He arrives and ... no one has any idea what he's talking about or will admit to speaking with him on the phone.

So yeah, I'm currently trying to keep water out of my basement with a few makeshift sandbags until my Amazon order arrives tomorrow.

[notalwaysright]

If they got them in a year ago and lost them, why not do an exception count, or whatever they call it when they go into the computer and manually fix their inventory count?? That store might never get that product in again if the computer thinks there's that many of them. And their inventory count will be way off, and probably count as shrink. So much fail there. The conversation you had on the phone makes my eye twitch. Plus, since the whole area is being flooded, you'd think other people would have asked for it also?

When someone calls the store to ask about an online product which I'm unfamiliar with, I ask for the item number. The website lists the number, and I can just pop it in my handheld, which helpfully shows me a picture of the product and gives me a location as long as it's not fabric. I do have people looking at the website, who swear up and down that there is no article number. I describe where it is on the page (upper right hand side) and everything. If that fails I type the product name into the search on the site, and that often works. However, sometimes people won't give me the number OR the correct name. Like, instead of giving me the name (for example "Little Falls Indigo"), they say "it's blue paisley fabric." Hey, you just said you are looking at the website, the name is right there. Anyway, you gave the actual name, so you were as helpful as you could be.

[Monterey Jack]

"I said I wanted FRENCH FRIES...!"

"Whasa...?! Do we serve...French...Fries...?"

[manybellsdown]

If they got them in a year ago and lost them, why not do an exception count, or whatever they call it when they go into the computer and manually fix their inventory count??.

I actually asked them this. I said "Are you aware the website shows you have 62 in stock?" She said "I guess they just haven't updated it yet." But, she was insistent that they'd come in a year ago and just ...vanished. I mean, 62? That's like an entire pallet? The other stores showed 3 or 4 in stock, if they had them at all, so maybe I should have realized something was amiss.

I should have had the item number or the SKU but I wasn't at home, and it's hard to look something up on your phone while you're calling from it.