SC vs. Phone Number (long)

[elysia]

At my job, we look up customers in our system by phone number. We ask them for it first thing and when we type it in and hit enter, hey presto, it brings up their information. If they are a new customer, we still enter their phone number first, hit enter, and a screen for creating a new customer will appear.
Simple, right? Right? ...

Me: "May I have your phone number please?"
SC: "I haven't been here before."
Me: "Thats ok, I can create a new profile for you but I need your..."
SC: "Oh wait, maybe I have! I think I have."
Me: "Ok."
SC: "No, it was your store in Rocklin. Are your computers connected?"
Me: "If you have been there, yes, I should be able to pull up your information by phone..."
SC: "Great! My name is XXX XXXXX."
Me: "May I have your phone number?"
SC: "You cant look me up by name?"

And now here, I face a dilema. The short, sweet answer is yes, I can.
But the way our system is set up, it takes about 2 mins to do it. I would have to click through a bunch of pages until I found the customers name, and, since it was a common name, I'd have to go through those one by one until I found his. Meanwhile, the customer is usually starting at my face and subconsciously I'm wondering if I have a zit or a booger or my makeup is smeared. Stupid, I know. So, do I explain this to the customer and ask for a phone number... again... or just begin the search by name? Which option would require the least number of milliseconds, in which my soul is beginning to wilt at an increasingly alarming rate?

Me: "No, its set up to find you by phone number, I'm sorry."
SC: **looks thoughtful** "This information is private, right?"
Me: "Correct, we use it for our purposes only."
SC: "Now whats that? I'm not going to be getting sales calls from you, am I?"
Me: "No."
SC: "Ok, I can't remember which one I gave you last time. Try xxx-xxxx."
I begin to enter the number.
SC: "No, I changed that number, it was probably xxx-xxxx."
I begin to enter the new number.
SC: "Hang on! Thats my wife's cell phone number, not mine. Mine is xxx-xxxx.
I re-enter the number.
Me: "Hmm. There is no record of that number in here."
SC: "Huh. Ok, well try the first one again."
Me: "Ok, can you repeat it for me please?"
SC: **sighs** "xxx-xxxx."
I enter the number and every cell in my body yearns to be drenched in gasoline and set on fire.
Me: "I'm sorry, there doesnt seem to be a record of you in here. Let me just make a new customer profile for you, I think that would be quickest."
SC: "Quickest? Whats the hurry? You looked pretty bored until I got here! Ho ho!"
And now I just look suicidal.

Let me just tell you, this customer broke a record number for feats of suckyness. A normally 3 minute process took 20 mins. Its too long to put all of it here. Repeat same process with all of his information; name, address, etc. Then he answered his cell phone as I was ringing him up. Then he paid in change. If SCness was a sport, this person would be a medal-winning Olympian. Some version of phone number boxing match happens to me on a near daily-basis.

[Gerrinson]

And now I just look suicidal.

Are you sure you meant suicidal? Personally, I'd have been leaning towards homicide.

[Dips]

If SCness was a sport, this person would be a medal-winning Olympian.

Hee. I'm trying to picture that...

"Drew Jones of the US is trying to pick up some points and catch up with the leader in the No Receipt Return event. Ah! He's going to add to the difficulty level by attempting to return a product the store doesn't even sell.

It's a risky move, but could put him in the lead if he gets a perfect score. Let's watch.

Ooooooooooo! That's too bad. Let's analyze in slow motion to see what happened.

Here's the start. It's looking strong. He approaches the counter, slams the product down and starts huffing and tapping his foot.

It's going along...going along. Oh, wait! There it is! He called for a manager too early and it threw off the rhythym completely. The employee became suspicious and inspected the package too closely while waiting for the manager. There's just no way to save your landing after that.

And the scores are in. It looks like Drew fell to fourth place, but there's still tomorrow's events: Paying for a Small Purchase with a Large Bill, Shopping after Closing and the SC Freestyle Event."

[scroob]

you forgot 2 more events: breaking something and not telling anyone about it, and having an accident somewhere in the store.
i would definitely watch the cs olympics.

[MinimaMagistra]

Hee. I'm trying to picture that...

Beauty, sheer music in words. You make me giggle.

[Soulstealer]

Are you sure you meant suicidal? Personally, I'd have been leaning towards homicide.

Yeah, why should you be the one to jump into a woodchipper?

[Snowbird]

Hee. I'm trying to picture that...

Hilarious on so many levels!

It did put a crazy idea in my head though. I'm not a fan of reality shows in the least, but I think I would sit and watch one that was based on the different sides of retail (customers vs. employees, customers vs. management, management vs. employees, etc.), that might be worth a look. Maybe. Or it could be traumatic all around.

Unless there is one already... I don't watch much television.

[daleduke17]

Hilarious on so many levels!

It did put a crazy idea in my head though. I'm not a fan of reality shows in the least, but I think I would sit and watch one that was based on the different sides of retail (customers vs. employees, customers vs. management, management vs. employees, etc.), that might be worth a look. Maybe. Or it could be traumatic all around.

Unless there is one already... I don't watch much television.

Snowbird, I had an idea one time of getting different CEOs/Presidents of companies and putting them in the trenches (so to speak). They would do the daily assignments and follow ALL of the rules (such as a regular employee would). The judges would be the people they replace for the week. So, let's say a Hy-Vee bagger, Jewel-Osco cashier, Kroger deli clerk and Schnucks grocery clerk are replaced by their respective CEOs, they are the judges for the episode. Each week it would be a different field of work. One week grocery, another clothing (mall setting), and then an office setting. At the end of each episode the judges would score the "employee" and they'd be given "Employee of the Week".

Now, only if I could get this idea implemented.

[Snowbird]

Snowbird, I had an idea one time of getting different CEOs/Presidents of companies and putting them in the trenches (so to speak). They would do the daily assignments and follow ALL of the rules (such as a regular employee would). The judges would be the people they replace for the week. So, let's say a Hy-Vee bagger, Jewel-Osco cashier, Kroger deli clerk and Schnucks grocery clerk are replaced by their respective CEOs, they are the judges for the episode. Each week it would be a different field of work. One week grocery, another clothing (mall setting), and then an office setting. At the end of each episode the judges would score the "employee" and they'd be given "Employee of the Week".

Now, only if I could get this idea implemented.

That is such a good idea! So, Companies that read this message board, what do you say? Up to walking a mile in retailers shoes?