That's now how this works...

[Trixie]

I'm not really sure what was up with yesterday. People just didn't seem to connect with things. Myself included. But there were just two incidents that just pushed it to 10.

Little old lady comes up with a box of vitamins. One box that has two bottles. A two pack if you will. But even though it has two bottles it is only one box. Just one but twice has much as just the bottle on the shelf but still only one item. Got it? Good.

I ring it up and it's $60. Her reply..."Isn't that buy one get one free?" Hmm, haven't had this one in awhile.

Me: "This is one item. And blah blah. <points up to explain>
Her:
Me: Explains again.
Her:

Third time was the charm. She went back to get something. A few minutes later I saw her walk out without buying anything.


For the last few years my company has been marking our seasonal stuff down to 90% when it's time to put the next one out. Well, this must be going out over the airwaves because we have people coming in and filling carts, going store to store buying the stuff. Nothing wrong with that but it's not always so smooth. Some stores don't have the same stuff marked the same way. Sucks but it is what it is.

Lady comes up with three lunch bags wanting to check the price. Manager says they're marked $3. And there it started...

Savvy Shopper: I just bought them at the other store for 99 cents.
Manager: Ours are $3.
SS: But...blah blah.

Little while later she brings up her cart to pay with the lunch bags.

Me: They're $3.
SS: But at the other store...
Me: THREE. DOLLARS.

She finishes her purchase, lunch bags go back on the shelf. Fast forward five minutes, she comes up to the counter with the same three lunch bags and her receipt from the other store. Nothing I can do. She finally leaves.

I'm happy to report that all three lunch bags when to good homes on my shift. And in my alternate ending a price change prints today marking down the now sold bags for 50 cents. A girl can dream, right?

I'm off today to recover from that and to brace myself for a stretch of five days under the influence of a full moon and last shot of summer heat/humidity.

I can do this. I am a professional.

[Pixelated]

I'm off today to recover from that and to brace myself for a stretch of five days under the influence of a full moon and last shot of summer heat/humidity.

I can do this. I am a professional.

Store called me today to ask if I want a shift tomorrow. Friday the 13th AND a full moon?? Oh hell no ...

We're getting a lot of those too. "It's 2 for $5."

"Yes, but you're only buying one ..."

Read the small print, folks. It will tell you "2 for $5" but one is $3.50. Also, such products (at least in my store) have bright yellow tags in front of them TELLING you that this is a "multiples" purchase.

[Smapti]

Around holidays, the Store usually does a promo on 12-packs of Coke products - $2.49 for the first four, $3.99 for additional ones.

Every time we do this promo, we get at least one wiseguy who thinks that he can get four Cokes, four Diet Cokes, four Sprites, four Mr. Pibb, etc. and only pay $2.49 for all however many of them.

[telecom_goddess]

I get to work on Friday the 13th, and a full moon, which is today! Yay me

[Trixie]

My shift was relatively quiet today. Hopefully my two weekend night shifts go just as smooth.

[Nunavut Pants]

We're getting a lot of those too. "It's 2 for $5."

"Yes, but you're only buying one ..."

Interesting. In my area, "2 for $5" means that you can buy them for $2.50 each. Though in the past couple of years I have been seeing more "MUST BUY 2" or similar.

I wonder if it's a regional thing (SF Bay Area here), or maybe a per-chain or per-store thing (mostly Safeways for me)?

[Ironclad Alibi]

Interesting. In my area, "2 for $5" means that you can buy them for $2.50 each. Though in the past couple of years I have been seeing more "MUST BUY 2" or similar.

I wonder if it's a regional thing (SF Bay Area here), or maybe a per-chain or per-store thing (mostly Safeways for me)?

Same thing here on the east coast with Safeway. 2 for $5 means $2.50 each (I think maybe with the store card). Buy one get one free means full price for the first one, which I had to do a few times for reasons. (Buying a lunch item, can't eat two of them, and it doesn't keep.)

[Trixie]

In our store you have to buy 2 or whatever to the lower price for each but after that they all ring up at the lower price.

[csquared]

Here in the USA, the Uniform Commercial Code states that if a price is displayed as X for $Y, then the price for a single item is $Y/X, unless OTHERWISE STATED. So, yes, you can say 2 for $5, $3.50 each. If you only say 2 for $5, then you are required to sell a single for $2.50.

[KuariKaydrith]

Store called me today to ask if I want a shift tomorrow. Friday the 13th AND a full moon?? Oh hell no ...

We're getting a lot of those too. "It's 2 for $5."

"Yes, but you're only buying one ..."

Read the small print, folks. It will tell you "2 for $5" but one is $3.50. Also, such products (at least in my store) have bright yellow tags in front of them TELLING you that this is a "multiples" purchase.

I'm the lucky one who gets to put the sale tags up in HABA (health and beauty) for my store, and I just know that people will not bother reading the small print showing the non-multiple price. When I was training during the day I lost count over how many times I had to explain to people that if they only bought one item that they wouldn't get it for half price. "But <competitor> does it!" Yeah, we aren't them.

[earl colby pottinger]

The other store

Customers always claim the other store is cheaper, however when they are telling the truth they run into some little problems.

If the other store is cheaper, then often it sells out it's product in no time (especially if it is a loss-leader with limited stock). I remember more than once a customer complaining that our store was too expensive, then when told that they should get the bargain they claimed was available go:

"But they are out of stock there, you should sell me the same item at the same price of [competitor].".

More funny is if they leave to go to the other store, only to find they read the price wrong (more expensive than us) or the the store is out of stock, and they have to come back to us to get the item they wanted.

[Trixie]

I worked last night and it was strangely quiet for a Saturday. Only one customer trying to get the new sale that hadn't started yet and was okay to come back today. My coworker had one couponer that seemed to go smoothly. Then about 10 minutes before we closed my coworker we just kinda standing around since there wasn't much to do when I car pulled into the lot. So as one would do I started telling them to do away and they were not wanted here. The person got out of the car and then turned right around and pulled away. My coworker and I just looked at each other and started laughing.

Just to be clear, there was nobody in the store and the person never made it to the door. Obviously, I have untamed super powers.

[Seanette]

Something like that has happened to me a couple of times. Where I work, you get a beep, a robo-voice announces the queue the call is from, then a second beep gets you the actual caller. I frequently respond to the first beep (well before I can be heard by the caller) with something like "go away". Sometimes, I never get that second beep. (giggle)

[Nunavut Pants]

More funny is if they leave to go to the other store, only to find they read the price wrong (more expensive than us) or the the store is out of stock, and they have to come back to us to get the item they wanted.

Even more funny is when they come back, the item is sold out at your store too!

Even more funny is when you're the one who bought the remaining units from your store. (Read a great story once about someone who did that with Christmas ornaments. EDIT: Found it!