Next two weeks are going to suck

[Dark Psion]

We had a sneak preview with our last sale flyer. True Value did not order enough of several featured items and when we sold out, we could not get any more.

I had one lady that I had to tell "Sorry, we cannot get anymore of those Christmas Trees".

She was not happy.

Well, wednesday the next flyer goes out with the "12 items of Christmas", including a $49 Dremel tool set for $9.99.

We had one left on the shelf when I left today and when I checked the True Value warehouse, not only were they sold out, but all of the warehouses had negative numbers in the hundreds. One had -775, that means they have 775 orders for an item that they don't have. And that is just one warehouse, I did a quick check of several items and many of them had very few left.

People are going to be pissed! Regular customers are going to be upset! And we cannot do rainchecks because there are not going to be any more at that price.

I am glad I don't have to call True Value tomorrow (off till Friday ). When I called about the Christmas tree, they were "I guess you didn't order enough Huh?"

I think I will go hide in the Christmas Trees this weekend and not come out till Christmas.

[Reyneth]

I hate it when Corporates pull crap like that. If they're going to put something on sale like that and mega-advertise it, they better be ready to deal with the demmand they just created. Whenever a customer gets upset - I'd be calling corporate's customer service line and handing the customer the phone. Why should you take the slack that they created?

When I still worked at camera store, they had a promotion for Christmas that you could get a $XX gift card with various camera purchases. And it changed regularly, of course. Problem was on the voucher it said you'd get them in 2-3 weeks. After 7 weeks and my DM admitting they hadn't even processed all of the vouchers from the first two weeks because they hadn't expected the volume - YET they still printed the new vouchers with the same timeline on it - I started giving the CS number (with all of the prompts, so customers could get right through to the deparment they needed) to the customers. It didn't accomplish anything other than getting the customer off my back (which is a biggie) and piss off CS - but since THEY created the problem and refused to fix it, they couldn't bitch about anyone doing that, now could they?

*sigh* I am so sorry for you!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Well, this is what happens when retailers create their ads months in advance and fail to anticipate the demand for the ad items, and the supply they can ultimately get.

A few years ago there was a longshoreman's strike on West Coast and the managers and suits of my company were afraid they wouldn't be able to get a lot of the items that were going to be featured in Black Friday and other holiday ads. Turns out we didn't get the merchandise in time. That made for a lot of unhappy customers that year.

[Department stores *sigh*]

so you gusy mean to tell me this is not a weekly basis at your stores?

I kinda thought this happene to everyone in every department every week...

im completely seriouse here O.O

welcome to life at my store

[AFpheonix]

Heck, warehouse isn't sending us enough Plan B to keep up with demand, so I've been having to order it from our other supplier, and I STILL sell out over the weekend. This town must be full of hussies or something.

[Rapscallion]

What's Plan B?

Apart from 'run the other way!', I mean.

Rapscallion

[AFpheonix]

The "morning after" pill. It just went OTC here in the states (I believe you guys have had access to it w/o a prescription for several years now). It's essentially a super high dose of birth control to take if you had a whoopsie, such as forgetting to take your BC pills and having a night of passion, or the condom breaking, or perhaps having a night of passion against your will.....
It prevents you from ovulating if you take it within a certain time window, preventing a pregnancy.

[Demonoid Phenomenon]

Rapscallion, don't tell me you missed all of those news stories about pharmacists refusing to fill these prescriptions because of their 'beliefs'.

Imagine going into a bar, ordering a drink, and being told by the bartender that he can't give you one because of his 'beliefs'.
Time for a new job, dude.

[Rapscallion]

I'd heard of the stories, but didn't know what the drug in question was. It's something I'm very likely to need.

Now Sudafed, on the other hand... When sinuses strike, Sudafed is my bestest ever chum.

Rapscallion

[Wembley]

I'd heard of the stories, but didn't know what the drug in question was. It's something I'm very likely to need.

Now Sudafed, on the other hand... When sinuses strike, Sudafed is my bestest ever chum.

Rapscallion

Here in the states, they passed a new law that requires you to provide ID when you buy the "real" sudafed, or anything containing the active ingredient pseudoephedrine (not sure if I spelled that right). It seems that people can use those pills to make Methamphetamines (speed) with that ingredient.

The idea is that the government will look over the sales, and look into unusual buying habits -- someone buys a box of sudafed once every three months, no problem... someone buys three cases a week, well, thats gonna throw some red flags.

It's a good idea, but, I remember reading somewhere that most of the meth here in the states comes from Mexico.

Now they have this new product "Sudafed PE" which I guess you can't make meth out of. I'm not sure how well it works compared to the normal stuff.....

-Rick

[AFpheonix]

The phenylephrine products do not tend to work as well as psuedoephedrine. However, the nasal sprays like afrin work BETTER than sudafed, but use is limited to 3 days. (or else you may cause worse congestion)

In my state and one other, it is now prescription only, and it's been interesting, to say the least. They've only now made it so we can get ahold of a liquid version, and we've been unable to get anything other than the 30mg psuedoephedrine or a 24 hour claritin-D generic. I'm still amazed at how many people STILL don't know this. It was all over the news for months! What rock were you hiding under? I tell them to hop over the river to Vancouver. Washington can still sell under the federal rules.

Although the most quantity of meth does come from mexico, the bonus of restricting sudafed sales is that cutting down on home meth labs frees up local police to work on the people who are importing, as well as cutting down on the number of toxic waste cleanups that meth labs become. It also cuts down on the number of neighborhood explosions from meth labs gone wrong. When Oregon instituted it's logbook system (about 6 months or more before the federal guidelines became active), our methlab busts went down by a LOT.

As for pharmacists who don't want to dispense something that they don't agree with, fine, whatever, but do it in your OWN pharmacy. You don't get the luxury of moral objections if you've already sold your soul to corporate.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Here in the states, they passed a new law that requires you to provide ID when you buy the "real" sudafed, or anything containing the active ingredient pseudoephedrine (not sure if I spelled that right). It seems that people can use those pills to make Methamphetamines (speed) with that ingredient.

The idea is that the government will look over the sales, and look into unusual buying habits -- someone buys a box of sudafed once every three months, no problem... someone buys three cases a week, well, thats gonna throw some red flags.

It's a good idea, but, I remember reading somewhere that most of the meth here in the states comes from Mexico.

Now they have this new product "Sudafed PE" which I guess you can't make meth out of. I'm not sure how well it works compared to the normal stuff.....

-Rick

As someone who uses Sudafed religiously for fall sinus issues (and winter sinus/spring - ah, Hell, anytime my sinuses act up) the new PE formula is not as fast acting as the original w/PSE (pseuphedrine.)

I just took some Cough/cold formula that I had stashed in my office that I bought last winter (date still good though.) I felt relief w/in 45 minutes.

I had bought some right after the changeover to the PE formula and had taken all of it. Doesn't seem to last as long or kick in as soon.

Damn meth addicts.

[Dark Psion]

Well back to work and yes, we have no sale items today and are not going to get any more.

And of course, I was ready for angry customers and the stupid ones caught me from surprise.

The first one called and asked for "A Christmas tree with the bulbs you can plant."



After a few more questions I realized she wanted Live tree with the roots bagged & burlaped. She thought since tulip roots were called bulbs, all roots were. I was tempted to blow her mind with the botanical knowledge of Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes, Tubers, etc..

The other wanted that drywall mud you put on with a roller. Sorry never seen that one. It turned out that what he actually wanted was a bucket of mud his friend left out in the rain and was so runny, well,...yes you could put it on with a roller.

The last one wanted to know if we had got our spring plants in yet because she needed a new Boston Ivy.

She seemed surprised when mentioned it was November and we just got in the Christmas trees. I have on occasion lost a hour, but never half a year.