We Are NOT the Archives of Clothing

[RetailActress]

SC calls our retail store (can't be bothered to appear in person) because she wants "the maroon reversible jacket."

Immediately knowing we have no such item in current stock, I gently probe for more info. "Did you see it in one of our catalogs?" "NO." "Have you seen it in one of our retail stores?" "NO." "Can you describe it?" "It's got maroon in the print and it reverses to solid maroon."

Okay. A.) In the last 2 years, we've had NO reversible print jackets that have included the color maroon at all, and furthermore, B. ) Not one has ever has a SOLID lining. The linings are always small complementary prints.

I inquired politely of the SC: "Can you tell me where you saw this jacket?" (meaning --- in one of our catalogs? in one of our stores??)

She replied: "Oh, somebody had it on at a Christmas party I went to, and I asked her where she got it and she said [Our Store]."

I asked: "Do you happen to know WHEN she bought it from our store?"

SC: "No."

Well, our store's been in operation for over 50 years, but it's not a MUSEUM. It's CURRENT RETAIL! Stuff changes constantly! We are not a research institute for your archival requests!

Back to the SC, I suggested she check eBay, but - UH-OH! - she does not have a computer and is not computer literate.

Too bad, so sad. <eye roll>

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

She replied: "Oh, somebody had it on at a Christmas party I went to, and I asked her where she got it and she said [Our Store]."

I've noticed that whenever a person says a friend/relative/acquaintance says they found the esoteric/vaguely-described item the customer wants at my store, at least half the time the friend/relative/acquaintance was:

a) lying or
b) mistaken

Like, for example, today, when I had a customer come up to me asking if we carried North Face jackets. Apparently she had been admiring a friend's jacket and the friend told her she got the jacket at my store.

WRONG! Try again! We do not, never have, and probably never will, carry North Face items at my store.

[South Texan]

Well, our store's been in operation for over 50 years, but it's not a MUSEUM. It's CURRENT RETAIL! Stuff changes constantly! We are not a research institute for your archival requests!

You mean you don't have more of them in your store's back area???? Every SC knows there is a special storage area somewhere in the back of every store that houses extras of all stock that may appear to be sold out on the store's sales floor or was ever sold in the store - even if the item was discontinued and its manufacturer went out of business ten years ago.

[Kat33auS]

I'm afraid I can sympathize with her...

That must have been one heck of a pretty jacket.

[Slytovhand]

You mean you don't have more of them in your store's back area???? Every SC knows there is a special storage area somewhere in the back of every store that houses extras of all stock that may appear to be sold out on the store's sales floor or was ever sold in the store - even if the item was discontinued and its manufacturer went out of business ten years ago.

Yeah - true.. but only if the SC demands numerous times that you really do have it, and insists and gets rude.. and then threatens to have you fired for not helping them... It's only then that you let them know of the secret back area....

[Peppergirl]

Yeah - true.. but only if the SC demands numerous times that you really do have it, and insists and gets rude.. and then threatens to have you fired for not helping them... It's only then that you let them know of the secret back area....

Don't forget stomping of the foot and flailing of arms, for good measure.

Personally, I require at least one foot stomp and one arm flail before I resort to making the magical back room materialize.