Inventory is like, a thing

[Food Lady]

I went over to help one of the newer cashiers, S. Her customer had a popular back-to-college chair that comes in a lot of colors and didn't have a tag at all. We have always had a way to just punch in the price, but we're not allowed to right now because it happens so often that our A.P. dept. got reamed about shortage. We're a mall store; it's excessive. So we have to look through a nonsensical, completely disordered book for the dept. #, which would be easier to do if we knew the dept. #s for different items. But if we did, why would we need the book? So I was looking and looking in this not-organized tome when the woman sent her daughter to get another chair because it would be faster.

She was faster, and just as S went to scan the tag on it, I stopped her because I didn't want her using the wrong number. We are going to be searching for specific colors in a month when they start to sell out, and I don't want the inventory to be incorrect. When I told S "Don't scan that one" the SC said "Why not?? They're the same chair." <record scratch> Are you telling me how to do my job and impeding me from teaching her the correct way to do this, as told to us by A.P.? What I acually said was that every color is different and inventory needs to be kept straight. I then simply punched in the right digits for the beginning of the item number using the tag and used the last 4 we're supposed to use for a no-tag item. I didn't have any further conversation the woman, so I don't know what S had to go through after that, but later she said to me "Oh, that lady with the chair...." I guess she didn't need to finish the sentence.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

We would get this sometimes w/the 12 pack soft drinks b/c some folks didn't want to put all of them up on the belt.

"But they're all the same price," they'd invariable whine and cry

"We have to scan each variety b/c they all have different numbers and that's how our computer keeps track of our inventory so it knows what to order," would be the answer given.

If they still didn't want to put all of them (or at least one of each variety) up on the belt, then the cashier would have to walk around the checkstand and get the rest of the 12 packs. Or at least that's what I did . . . I have no patience for lazy or whiners.

Now it's easier since we have the handheld scanners. Just simply walk around and scan each item. It's gotten to where when we employees are purchasing stuff aftwr work, we'll ask for the scanner to save the cashier the trouble of walking around.

Or at least that's what I like to do - even if I'm in another Litter Box location - I'll simply ask for the hand scanner.

[Trixie]

I get that a lot with returns of certain items like makeup or diapers. You want to exchange it for the right thing, no problem but I still need to scan it. I actually did have a woman one time who was returning a stack of Easter baskets and had them separated by color since they all had different UPC's. And whoever decided that stupid plastic Easter baskets need separate UPC's really needs a smack in the head with said bucket.

[notalwaysright]

I get a lot of people who bring me fabric or trim without the bolt or roll it came on. This happens especially around Halloween when large amounts of non-sewers are shopping. Yet, the concept of inventory is universal, just because it's a fabric store doesn't mean we don't keep track of what we sell. I know many of you have been hearing craft store complaints for a while, so I apologize, but this seriously bugs me, and it's so common! The conversation goes about like this:

Noob: So I just want this whole piece of fabric.
Me: Sure, do you have the bolt it came on? *cue lost look* It's the cardboard.
Noob: Oh, it's back there, do you need it?

Alternatively, the SC who is angry that I have to charge for product...

SC: I'll take all of it.
Me: Okay, it's a yard and sixteen inches.
SC: So you'll just charge me for a yard, right?
Me: No, I have to charge for all of it. If you want one yard I can cut the rest off, or give the extra sixteen inches at half off.
SC: You mean you'll charge me for this end bit? I mean, no one will want the extra anyway, so you might as well just give it to me.
Me: I'm sorry, I can't give away fabric. If you don't want it I can cut it off. It goes in the remnant bin and someone else will buy it.

[Food Lady]

Fabric store noobs are annoying. I don't think they should try to sew unsupervised.

[Valentinian]

I was buying yarn at a craft shop last week and the cashier messed up after scanning it all in - she had to empty the bag and re-scan everything, apologising all the way.

Her: "I'm really sorry, I do have to scan all of them again--"
Me: "No, it's fine, I understand you need the right ones for inventory."
Her: *suppressed HNNNGH noise that came out as a squeak* "Yes! Thank you! We were training a new girl the other day and somebody started arguing with us when they bought a huge pile of embroidery threads and we had to explain she couldn't just count them all and then scan one multiple times!"

[Catwoman2965]

Ugh. that was the bane of my existence at my PT job. Company policy was, even if someone was exchanging for the identical size and color, due to a defect, so it had the identical SKU, we had to do an actual transaction. And then there were those who didn't get that the same item, but different size or color, had to be done as well, as the SKU wasn't the same. They thought since the item number was, they could just take it. Um no. Bonus points to those who were had to make sure they got it for the exact same price!

Which we did, even if whatever sale and promo they initially bought it at was over. IF they exchanged for size or color, they got the exact same price. But some would still ask repeatedly. And then there were those who thought if they returned a pair of pants they bought at 30% off, and exchanged for a shirt, they'd still get the 30 off. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

[wolfie]

We would get this sometimes w/the 12 pack soft drinks b/c some folks didn't want to put all of them up on the belt.

"But they're all the same price," they'd invariable whine and cry

"We have to scan each variety b/c they all have different numbers and that's how our computer keeps track of our inventory so it knows what to order," would be the answer given.

I've had the opposite side of this once. Was buying some Coke and 7-UP (6-packs of 710 ml bottles), and put one of each on the belt. Cashier's reaction? "I only need one - they're the same price". Cashier was replaced before she could do my transaction (don't know why), and replacement cashier scanned each pack and entered the quantity.

What makes the first cashier's reaction especially stupid - 7-UP is a Pepsi product (both Coke and Pepsi products were on sale that week).

[Dreamstalker]

It's worse with the scan-as-you-shop things. Say someone gets 20 yogurts, 5 each of four flavors. Each flavor has a different PLU...genius just scans one 20 times. Last year that resulted in a literal truckload of blueberry yogurt (and running out of everything else) because the inventory system would see that only blueberry was selling thus that was the only one that needed to be ordered. Even more fun on an audit; the gun only sees that blueberry yogurts were scanned, so anything else comes up as "Add Item? Y/N" Procedure is that anything that pops up as not scanned gets added to the order, and if SC notices they flip out...there's no way to void an item once the order is dumped to the register

[manybellsdown]

I know many of you have been hearing craft store complaints for a while, so I apologize, but this seriously bugs me, and it's so common!

I love the craft store complaints, because I sew, and I seriously do not understand how psychotic people get in craft stores. Like, if you have the patience to quilt or decoupage or make jewelry how do you not have the patience to wait in line for 5 whole minutes??

[MadMike]

SC: You mean you'll charge me for this end bit? I mean, no one will want the extra anyway, so you might as well just give it to me.

I had one of those at my last job. We sold carpet by the foot, and someone came in asking for three feet. I unrolled what was left, and found out there was four feet left on the roll. The customer said, "I'll take that last foot too."

I was happy with that, because it would save me the trouble of measuring and cutting it. The customer, however, was not happy when he noticed me writing up a price tag for four feet. He went though the same argument as your customer -- no one's going to buy just one foot, I should just give it to him, etc. I told him it wasn't up to me, and that he was welcome to talk to the manager.

I called the department manager over, and he said the same thing I did, almost word for word. So he told the customer he'd have to speak to the store manager about it.

I can't remember if he ended up having me cut that last foot off, or if he did talk to the manager, but I'm almost certain he didn't get an extra foot for free like he wanted.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

It's worse with the scan-as-you-shop things. Say someone gets 20 yogurts, 5 each of four flavors. Each flavor has a different PLU...genius just scans one 20 times. Last year that resulted in a literal truckload of blueberry yogurt (and running out of everything else) because the inventory system would see that only blueberry was selling thus that was the only one that needed to be ordered. Even more fun on an audit; the gun only sees that blueberry yogurts were scanned, so anything else comes up as "Add Item? Y/N" Procedure is that anything that pops up as not scanned gets added to the order, and if SC notices they flip out...there's no way to void an item once the order is dumped to the register

Yup, there's a derptastic, not well thought out idea right there.

We're ordering, shipping and stocking dicktons of unnecessary product which, because it's perishable, goes bad and leaves the store via the trash compactor instead of the cash register. But convenience, amirite?

[XCashier]

SC: You mean you'll charge me for this end bit? I mean, no one will want the extra anyway, so you might as well just give it to me.

Not a day goes by that some SC isn't asking for something for free. Sure, we make our money by giving our inventory away. And you'd be amazed at what people make with those little remnants: pillows, stuffed toys, doll clothing, fabric flowers, quilts, baby clothes, etc. If you know what you're doing, a sixteen inch remnant can go a long way.

I love the craft store complaints, because I sew, and I seriously do not understand how psychotic people get in craft stores. Like, if you have the patience to quilt or decoupage or make jewelry how do you not have the patience to wait in line for 5 whole minutes??

My coworkers and I have all asked ourselves that question many, many times.

[Catwoman2965]

It's worse with the scan-as-you-shop things. Say someone gets 20 yogurts, 5 each of four flavors. Each flavor has a different PLU...genius just scans one 20 times. Last year that resulted in a literal truckload of blueberry yogurt (and running out of everything else) because the inventory system would see that only blueberry was selling thus that was the only one that needed to be ordered. Even more fun on an audit; the gun only sees that blueberry yogurts were scanned, so anything else comes up as "Add Item? Y/N" Procedure is that anything that pops up as not scanned gets added to the order, and if SC notices they flip out...there's no way to void an item once the order is dumped to the register

This is why, when I buy multiple bottles of flavored seltzer, i count how many of each flavor I have, put one of each on the belt, and let the cashier know i have "6 orange, 6 lime, 4 raspberry etc." so they can ring them up properly, and not screw up inventory.

[Dreamstalker]

Yup, there's a derptastic, not well thought out idea right there.

But convenience, amirite?

Yup. So many things wrong with that system...