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  • #1

    Pointless Stupidity

    I'm still having trouble believing this one. I've stopped trying to understand it.

    Friday night I went in to work. I work in the computer department, but Friday night is truck night, so I was doing more stocking of product than selling.

    I saw a co-worker--I'll call him Dan--talking with a customer. The customer actually seemed very friendly, smiling and laughing and patient with Dan as he tried to help her with computer stuff when he normally works video games.

    The customer was looking for a mouse. She had a very specific mouse in mind. She knew the brand (or thought she did) and was convinced that we carried it. Dan couldn't find it on the shelves, so he got on one of the employee computer terminals to see if it was on our website.

    Dan: Well, it's not here in the store. It might be on our website, though. I'll see if I can find it.
    Sucky But Friendly Customer: But you must have it. I saw it online at Kenninton's website, and they said you carried their products.
    Me: We do carry some Kensington stuff, but I haven't seen a mouse like the one you described.
    Dan: I can't find anything on our site... Well, it might help if I spelled the name right... (He'd typed "Kenninton," just like the customer had pronounced it, which doesn't exist as far as we're aware. He searched for "Kensington" instead.)
    SBFC: It's a special mouse. It has a big ball in the middle.
    Me: I have two other trackballs here, if you'd like to see those.
    SBFC: No, it has to be that Kenninton one. I've seen those two on your shelf. The balls are too small.
    Dan: Nope. No Kensington trackballs online either.
    SBFC: But their site said you were a supplier!
    Dan: I found these Kensington mice, but not that one. We have some of their products, but apparently not all of them.

    At this point, I figured Dan could take care of himself and stepped away. I could still overhear most of the conversation, though.

    SBFC: Can you go to Kenninton's site?
    Dan: Sure.
    SBFC: No, Kenninton. There's no S in it.
    Dan: But there is no Kenninton computer company. It's Kensington.
    SBFC: Can you do a Google for them?
    Dan: Why?
    SBFC: So I can show you the mouse I want!
    Dan: But we don't carry that mouse. I can't get it for you. There's no point for me to see it.
    SBFC: Can you please just do a Google for Kennington mouses? I want to show it to you.
    Dan: (sigh!)

    I had to leave the area then, but I noticed Dan was at that terminal for another ten minutes or so, searching for some mouse that we didn't carry, just so the customer could show it to him. My only guess is that she hoped it would magically appear if he could just see it.

    I was just dumbfounded by that one. It's almost like if I had walked into a Ford dealership and told the salespeople, "Hey, I want to buy a Volkswagon. Oh, you don't have Volkswagons? Well, here, I need you to see a picture of the car I want. Look at it! Isn't that nice? Can I buy it here now?"
    I suspect that... inside every adult (sometimes not very far inside) is a bratty kid who wants everything his own way.
    - Bill Watterson
    My co-workers: They're there when they need me.
    - IPF
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  • #2
    It exists in her mind so it MUST exist in that store. Must be that "new science" that they're teaching in schools nowadays...lol.

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    • #3
      Quoth HawaiianShirts View Post
      It's almost like if I had walked into a Ford dealership and told the salespeople, "Hey, I want to buy a Volkswagon. Oh, you don't have Volkswagons? Well, here, I need you to see a picture of the car I want. Look at it! Isn't that nice? Can I buy it here now?"
      More like if you walked into a Ford dealership and insisted on buying a Vollswagon.

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      • #4
        Quoth justZu View Post
        More like if you walked into a Ford dealership and insisted on buying a Vollswagon.
        Bah, I was gonna say that!
        Pit bull-

        There is no breed of dog more in need of our compassion; in need of our call to arms on their behalf; and in need of what should be the full force of our enduring sanctuary.

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        • #5
          Funny coincidence... I was in "The New CompUSA" (what a disappointment) and looked for one of those today myself. They don't have them either, though I didn't argue with anyone to try to make one appear!

          Steve B.

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          • #6
            The NEW CompUSA ... is that kind of like the NEW K-Mart (or Big K or whatever failed marketing campaign they had that week)?
            "Always stand near the door." -- Doctor Who

            Kuya's Kitchen -- Cooking, Cooking Gadgets, and Food Related Blather from a Transplanted Foodie

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            • #7
              Maybe she was hoping Dan would see and say, 'Oh yes, we have one exactly like that!' Or maybe she just doubted her own descriptive abilities.

              Or more likely she should just have ordered it when she saw it on the net in the first place.
              "I can tell her you're all tied up in the projection room." Sunset Boulevard.

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              • #8
                I get that all the time at work but we're a nationwide florist and everyone calls in requesting flower arrangements carved out of fruit. Not the same thing, vaguely similar but we just don't have the sanitary facilities and trained staff at our retail outlets to provide just those arrangements. So every time freaking Oprah raves about flowers carved from fruit we get a gajillion phone calls requesting those. I finally just gave up, post the phone number and web addy for the one company that does make those up on the wall of my office and I give it out when someone calls looking for that.

                People! Google is your friend, use it!
                "No, I will not poop a shopping cart out for you." - Irving Patrick Freleigh

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                • #9
                  Many people convinced that we sell something that we don't at my store.
                  We have many people attempting to return stuff at our store (scammers) of brands that we have never, ever sold.. or even house brands from competitors. They just get laughed at these days, the other thing that I mentioned before is the fact that A LOT of people still associate my brand with Radioshack US (Which we have not been associated with US Radioshack since 1993, we stock about 5 of their products but thats about it), and come in with their catalogue numbers for random stuff we never, ever carry and is sometimes US specific. Its why my brand has its own website, we don't rely on anyone elses.

                  Then theirs the frustration that many brands have out of date information on our store, and list us as an official stockist of a certain brand, or rare product. The SC then bitches at us for not having said brand or product, just because the brand's/products website said we had it and we don't. Unfortunately we cannot force companies to update their website, or we can't get our names removed..
                  - Boochan

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                  • #10
                    You know... when I go to a store, and realize what I'm looking for isn't sold there or hell, is even out of stock, instead of forcing the employees to look at pictures of the things I want, I just say good day, walk out of the store and move on to the next. Oh my goodness. Does that make me weird for doing that? lol
                    "You're not gone five minutes, Agent Scully, and I'm already starting to feel like a stranger in my own office-"
                    -Agent Doggett

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