What part of NOT in stock do you fail to comprehend??

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

No real background needed on this one, guy came into buy a game that we didn't have in stock. The exchange went like this.

SC: Yeah I need a Rock Band Kit for the Wii
Me: I'm sorry were sold out of those right now.
SC: You ain't got any in the back?
Me: No sir, we are sold out.

So he goes and looks at other games for a few minutes, then returns to check out.

SC: Oh yeah and I want that RocK Band game too.
Me: I told you earlier sir, we are sold out of that game, we don't have it.
SC; None at all?
Me: (headdesk) NO sir, none. Completely out of them.

Then he asked if another in the area had one. I managed to find one but he expected us to drive the 20 mile round trip to go get it for him. I told him we couldn't do that and at that point he gave up.

[elsporko]

I wouldn't get mad at somebody for asking if something is in the back since sometimes things are in the back but not the front. I've had that happen to me. I actually got peeved at a Walmart worker who told me they weren't allowed to check if anything was in the back (oddly enough no other worker there has ever had that problem) What is dumb is that he kept asking after you checked.

This is similar to something that happened this morning. I came in and there was a message from somebody looking for services. I call them back and their story sounds familiar. After the call I checked the files and it somebody who had called five days earlier. We couldn't help them because they don't live in the right county. We couldn't help them today either, since they still don't live in the right county.

I wonder if I'll get a call from them next week.

[Zoom]

Sometimes it IS in the Back!

I remember the Super Nintendo days. I once called a Kay*Bee store and found out they *just* got a shipment of Clay Fighter in, so I went to the mall and told them, "I'd like to buy Clay Fighter please." "We're out of stock," was the interesting reply.

"No, you're not; it's in the back!"

Sure enough, it was; for once the guy on the phone had told the truth! But it hadn't been removed out of the shipment box, and encoded into the system, so they were going to charge me $300 until someone who knew how to fix the encoding came in.

I was so pleased with their service (mainly because they hadn't lied to me like the Funcolands usually did, and they were willing to admit and correct a mistake) that I also bought Super Bomberman.

[Broomjockey]

This is one of those areas I'm pretty jaded over.

On one hand, when I say sold out, you can be darn sure that I mean sold out.

On the other, I know the game store here keeps the majority of their stock in the back, and a lot of times I've not seen something on their shelves, asked, and they've got 50 bajillion copies in the back, a big box store lied to me about having a game in stock because they were saving it for a promotion the next day, the same store forgot to put out a game, so they had to dig through the back to get it, and a couple other examples.

I think it's a case of "the filthy liars amongst the retail ranks ruined it for the responsible ones amongst us." So the few times customers can't find something, and it turns out to be in the back reinforces the fact they need to ask.

[casey13]

Did they mean the game and not the kit? Plus the walmart employee may not be allowed to remove backstock.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

We have little "out of stock" tags we can stick to the shelves. They print right from our portable thermal printers.

They are only supposed to be printed and put up after you've scanned an item's label, found it is not located in backstock, printed up an out of stock report, and verified the item is nowhere in the store. This way, when an item has an out of stock tag in its spot, that item is truly out of stock.

But if you are familiar with my co-workers, it should not surprise you to learn this often isn't the case. They'll sometimes skip the out of stock report and slap up the tag when it turns out the item was in the backroom, not located. Or it was located in the backroom and they didn't feel like pulling it (This makes me especially homicidal, since items with out of stock tags get their on-hands manually adjusted to zero, and that triggers an order from the DC). Or the item came in on the truck, and the person assigned to fill it just sent it back for backstock. Or they scanned the empty facing, put up the tag, and completely missed the full facing above or below it.

I used to think it was stupid when customers would ask if we had something with an out of stock tag in its place. Now, not so much.

[Kristev]

We don't have too much 'in the back' bit, though we often get asked if we have anything more in the back. The answer is that we have no reserve space in our store, so almost everything is put out as soon as it's unloaded and properly scanned in.

[Shironu-Akaineko]

The backroom is as big as my hand AND I'm also in charge of reception so yeah, when I say out of stock, I mean out of stock.
EXCEPT with CDs. If the pc says one, It really means 50/50 chance. That's where I go with the customer and we search. It's either stolen (rare) or misplaced (WAY too often).

But games, rock Band/guitar Hero/Band Hero/DJ Hero/consoles, what you see in front is what we got. Trust me.

[depechemodefan]

Then he asked if another in the area had one. I managed to find one but he expected us to drive the 20 mile round trip to go get it for him. I told him we couldn't do that and at that point he gave up.

He wanted you to go get it for him 20miles away? I would have said, "I'm sorry, I cna't leave the store. But you can drive/take a bus/take a taxi to that store. Here's the address."

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I know the game store here keeps the majority of their stock in the back

Not where I'm at. 90% of our stock is on the sales floor most of the time and the only items that should be in the back are extras of items we already have displayed up front. Of course, every store does it differently.

[Calud]

Can.... not.... re....sist....

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/11/27/

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Back from my Auto Parts Store experience...

I don't mind too much asking if someone comes to me and asks "You don't have any of [item] on the shelves. Do you have any in back?". There are times where our store hasn't had the time to unpack a delivery and so while it's in the system, it may not be on the shelf.

Now if I go to the computer to check and the computer doesn't have it listed as being in stock, then we do not have it. Plain and simple.

The people who whine "Are you sure?" after I check the nationally connected and networked inventory tracking system which tells me where a part is or when it is due in and even what fricking state the truck carrying the gorram thing is in at the time...those honk me off.

[elsporko]

Did they mean the game and not the kit? Plus the walmart employee may not be allowed to remove backstock.

I think its perfectly acceptable that an employee may not have the authority or ability to do something like that, however in every job I've ever had when I'm in that position I would make an effort to get somebody who could fulfill the request and at least let them know what the customer wants. She didn't even scan anything like the nice person in the pet section does when I ask if they have any more timothy hay, she just looked at the empty shelf.

[Broomjockey]

Not where I'm at.

And I get that. Like I said, it's the other places that screw things up for those like us who tell the truth. Also, unless they've been in your back rooms, they don't know. Too much variant in store procedure. It's a crappy and annoying situation all around.

[Summerfly413]

The day before some holiday I was told not to sell certain items(in electronics) and they were put under the counter and locked up. I had to do what I was told but luckily I didn't have anyone that night asking about the items, so it worked out ok and I didn't have to lie to anyone.

Otherwise I try to do all I can to find something for a customer. Unless they aren't so nice. In which case I'll still look, but not as throughly as I could have.