What? You're out of stock?!

[Rine]

Well, yesterday we had a sale on an impact screwdriver that was going 75% off and we had 15 of these in stock. We opened at 9 AM. All of them were gone at 9:30 AM. We had a half off sale on a drill/drive kit and had 9 of those in stock and they sold out in 15 minutes.

Well, I got chewed out all day by customers because we were out of stock and they didn't want a substitute, they wanted the item in the ad and they wanted it now!

Maybe we didn't have enough of these items in stock; I don't know or care. But don't yell at me because of it.

I told people that we keep these items regularly stocked and we'll get more in and five people told me straight up "You are a liar!"

We got six more of those impact screwdrivers yesterday and are expecting more on Saturday. Morons. I know what I'm talking about. We carry these items all the time and ran out because people were buying them presale and coming in later for the discount. I can't control it.

We actually ran out of rainchecks and had to start writing them on scrap pieces of paper. I heard that around 4 pm someone came in wanting that impact screwdriver and got so angry that he was asked to leave the store and not come back. I still haven't heard the whole story on that one.

---

Got one more story...this happened a little while ago..

I was assisted a customer in bedding and I was taking him over to the mattress pads when I suddenly heard "Hey, you! I need help here!" She said it like I was supposed to drop everything right then and there and help here. I sort of look at her strangely, baffled as why she butted into my conversation with a customer and my customer patiently waits...Keep in mind that my department is actually tools and I was helping this customer because he asked nicely.

Me: Yes?
SC: Do you have any flanel sheets besides these? (two whole tubs of Winter/Xmas themed flannel sheets are in front of her)
Me: Um...I don't know...I think--
SC: I don't like these! Do you have anymore!
Me: (it took me a moment to find my voice) We don't carry flannel year round.
SC: Well, didn't you hear me? I don't like these!
My customer: Well, go somewhere else then, lady!
SC: WHAT?!
Co-worker who had been watching: Lemme get someone from the department to help you! *fake smile*

Then I go on my way with my customer and he cheers me up (because I was all "WTF?") and we joke about stupid customers.

Turns out that I was right and we don't have any other flannel sheets and I heard the lady saying AGAIN--"I don't like these! Are you sure you don't have any more?!"

What a weirdo.

[AKWalMartCartGuy]

you could have told her she could check the roof if she promised to jump off

[freaktard]

One of my most annoying memories from my Sears days was the Mother's Day Throw Incident.

The whole first page of the Mother's Day ad was devoted to a pink throw blanket with a gloppily sentimental Mother's Day poem into it. That kind of thing makes me gag, personally, but a lot of people love it, and we all knew that there would be a lot of demand for it.

So guess how many we were sent?

Two!

That's right. Exactly two! Both of which were sold literally within one minute of opening.

But it gets worse. Every store in the country got the same number we did! That's right, apparently some corporate bigwig decided that two per store would be enough to satisfy all possible demand for the entire USA. Of course, every other store was sold out as quickly as we were, and since they were a special one-time purchase, there was no possibility of ordering more stock.

Any guesses what I did all that week?

[Imogene]

Any guesses what I did all that week?

Ooo! Had a nervous breakdown? Rehab? I loves those places!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

One of my most annoying memories from my Sears days was the Mother's Day Throw Incident.

The whole first page of the Mother's Day ad was devoted to a pink throw blanket with a gloppily sentimental Mother's Day poem into it. That kind of thing makes me gag, personally, but a lot of people love it, and we all knew that there would be a lot of demand for it.

So guess how many we were sent?

Two!

That's right. Exactly two! Both of which were sold literally within one minute of opening.

But it gets worse. Every store in the country got the same number we did! That's right, apparently some corporate bigwig decided that two per store would be enough to satisfy all possible demand for the entire USA. Of course, every other store was sold out as quickly as we were, and since they were a special one-time purchase, there was no possibility of ordering more stock.

Any guesses what I did all that week?

And I thought my company's marketing and purchasing people were bad. How can you feature an item on the front page of an ad and send only 2 of that item to each store?

Either there was a big-time SNAFU and that was all Sears could get their hands on, or it was bait and switch (yeah, I know how overused that term is)

[Rine]

You know, freaktard, I think the mother's day incident was before my time, but sometimes I've heard tales of something like that...and nobody in bedding really likes to talk about it. (Apparently bad incident with manager and customer; I was going to share, but eh, it's just a typical customer yelling at manager story.)

Honestly...why do people think that store associates have any real control (outside of management, maybe) over what gets sent to the store. We can ask for items to be sent and order them...but the items never seem to show up and we get crap we don't need instead of the items we need...UGH--it's a neverending circle. It sucks.

[lordlundar]

Ooo! Had a nervous breakdown? Rehab? I loves those places!

My guess would be contemplating homicide on whoever thought this up.

[edible_hat]

My contribution - a woman who became known as Whiny the Shit. This happened before my time in retail, and was probably embellished by the manager who told me about it. It happened at a big chain, not the small family-owned place I work for now.

The corporate big knobs (yes that is what this manager called them) decided to give away Winnie the Pooh coffee cups with any purchase over $20. There were 4 designs over 4 weeks (one per week), and each store got two boxes of each design. Each design went on sale on the Monday of the week, and sold out by the Friday.

Whiny the Shit apparently went in on the first Saturday demanding the first mug. When no mug was forthcoming, she demanded the store manager call all the other stores in the chain and ask if they had any. No joy there. So Whiny demanded a week 2 mug (not available until Monday). When told no, she stormed out in a huff.

Not only did she visit all the other stores of that chain in town and try the exact same thing, she did it every Saturday of the promotional period.

[Peppergirl]

I feel for you. I've never understood why people equate an item being sold out of stock as the equivalent of a clerk killing their puppy or something.

I feel the same way when, especially this time of year, the airlines delay and cancel flights due to bad weather. I get called all sorts of adjectives by the passengers, as if I have some control over the weather.

Thank God for the mute button! I feel for all of you who have do deal with these asshats face-to-face and can't hide.

[Auto]

One of my most annoying memories from my Sears days was the Mother's Day Throw Incident.

The whole first page of the Mother's Day ad was devoted to a pink throw blanket with a gloppily sentimental Mother's Day poem into it. That kind of thing makes me gag, personally, but a lot of people love it, and we all knew that there would be a lot of demand for it.

So guess how many we were sent?

Two!

That's right. Exactly two! Both of which were sold literally within one minute of opening.

But it gets worse. Every store in the country got the same number we did! That's right, apparently some corporate bigwig decided that two per store would be enough to satisfy all possible demand for the entire USA. Of course, every other store was sold out as quickly as we were, and since they were a special one-time purchase, there was no possibility of ordering more stock.

Any guesses what I did all that week?

sounds like sears senior management has good taste and failed to anticipate that their customers have shitty taste.

"gloppily" -- great word, by the way. must work it into my conversations.

[Jack T. Chance]

The Ultimate OOS Situation...

Here's the Ultimate Xmas-time Out Of Stock Situation, courtesy of the comic strip Retail:

CLICK HERE!

Sad but true!