Then I guess I'll have to try your competition!

[Dave1982]

After yesterday's SC marathon, today was better. Only got one scumbag.

This guy came in and dragged me off my register to try and find a Brother DR-510 drum unit that he needed TODAY to complete his print job that was VITAL to National Security (or so he'd like me to think, as if that makes any difference).

Since it wasn't busy at the moment, I went to help him. I actually did manage to find the drum unit SKU in the little flip chart over by the toner cartridges, and looked up the SKU in the inventory system. Nothing. Nobody has them; the SKU is on I (inactive) status. Other than that the screen is BLANK.

Me: Sorry sir, this item is going to be available online only. None of the stores have it.

SC: What the HELL?!?!?! That's ridiculous! And this isn't the first time I've had this problem with you people not carrying the things you need to be carrying!! I don't have time to order it online and wait until next week to get it! I need it TODAY. And I'm NOT buying a whole new goddamn printer just because you refuse to carry what I need!

Me: Well, if you order it by 4PM, it will be in tomorrow.

SC: I need it TODAY! Is there any way it can be in today? (said like he knows the answer)

Me: No.

SC:...........

Me:...........

SC *in a threatening tone*: Well then I guess I'll have to go to try your competition!

Me: Nothing I can do about that, sir.

*SC turns to leave, walks ten feet, then turns back*

SC: You tell your manager that he needs to get on this and get this stuff in!

Me: Sir, we can't carry EVERYTHING.

*SC gives me a "I can't help you if you can't help yourself" look*

SC *condescending tone*: That's what you're in business for!

*leaves*

Contrary to this guys wishes, I made a point of NOT mentioning this to the management. He can go pound sand. I very much doubt that the competition has it either. Much like whining/complaining/asking repeatedly, threatening to go to the competition will NOT cause an item to magically appear in stock somewhere.

Ass.

[AdamAnt316]

The perfect-other-than-getting-yourself-fired-in-thirty-seconds-or-less response:

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, sir. There is a way that you can get what you need here today. First, go behind that display there. A bit farther. Okay, that's far enough. Now, I need you to reach behind yourself with your arm, shove your hand into your ass, and start searching around in there for that drum unit, 'cause that's the only place you're gonna find one in this store!"
-Adam

[Knightmare]

I very much doubt that the competition has it either. Much like whining/complaining/asking repeatedly, threatening to go to the competition will NOT cause an item to magically appear in stock somewhere. Ass.

Ah, poor customer service on your part. Didn't you know to send that customer to the wonderful EVERYPLACE ELSE store down the street? Not only does that store have his drum unit, they also have it in 20 different colors. They would also give him a deep discount for his troubles.

So next time that happens, be sure to send your customer to EVERYPLACE ELSE, where they carry anything and everything a person could want, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

[Becks]

Contrary to this guys wishes, I made a point of NOT mentioning this to the management.

Good for you!!!!!!!!

[greensinestro]

Can't you just think and blink and make a printer magically appear? LOL

In any case, I feel the SC customer's pain in a way, but if it's only available on-line, then so be it. I recently bought my twin children each a Big Wheel for Christmas. You cannot find them in the stores, but you can get them on-line. Did I bitch and complain? Of course not. I accepted this information being getting upset and being an ass about it would not make a Big Wheel or two magically appear in the store for me. That's life.

"Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice. Zan, Jana, and Gleek are doing nothing but monitoring the Justice League computer being they are useless and annoying in any situation!"

[tenaciousb]

I love the "I need it today".

Ohhh, I thought you were just anybody, excuse meeeee.

Reminds me of a husband and wife who came in about a month ago. I forget what it is exactly the guy was looking for. I think it was a particular kind of pen. He was upset we could only order it for him. Wife seemed passive. He made so remark about wanting to speak to a manager about why they don't carry it. Obviously the managers at staples have no control over what they sell in the store. I never actually got the manager for that one, I always try not to bother them with stupid bs like that because I can take their crap most of the time.

All is well that ends well I say. That guy definetely wasn't gonna buy the service plan if he was pissed at you already. What's funny is those customers who make a scene like that don't realize if they aren't buying the plans, we don't care about their business anyway.

One time a guy got pissed cause we wouldn't take back his broken apart shredder from a year ago with no receipt or box. The department lead actually gave him directions to office depot when he asked where to go. That was awesome. I've never done that ever, you'll barely get me to acknowledge we have competition. The next time somebody asks like that, I should sent them to home depot. Or the country.

[Coconut]

The department lead actually gave him directions to office depot when he asked where to go.

That's hilarious!

This thread reminds me of a lady buying a greeting card. I mean, your overpriced, over-the-top $5.99 Hallmark brand card.

When it rang up and she actually saw the price, she yelled: "I don't want it then! I'll just go to your competition where I can get it for a dollar!" And stormed out.

Oh my goodness... I mean how dare I let her go to the competition. That means I'll lose so much money!! (sarcasm of course)

[simplyanother]

I love it when people tell me "I can get it cheaper at walmart". Because I totally care.

[B&NGoddess]

I love it when people tell me "I can get it cheaper at walmart". Because I totally care.

lol exactly. this is my personal favorite, though:

me: im sorry, its out of print.
sc: <staring at me, waiting for me to wave my magic bookseller wand>
me: you might be able to find it online or at a used bookstore.
sc: will borders have it?
me: maybe. but its out of print so probably not.
sc: i need it today for the party tonight.
me: sorry.
sc: what am i supposed to do now?
me: plan ahead?

[Drakstern]

me: plan ahead?

What, you expect an SC to plan ahead? That'd require effort on their part!

Why plan ahead when you can just go to that wonderful EVERYPLACE ELSE store Knightmare mentioned! Or you can act like a spoiled child and throw a hissy fit in hopes of causing it to appear magically in the backroom!

Why, I bet that no SC even needs to think of that nasty word planning. They probably can't even pronounce it correctly. Puh-laning? What's that.

[Channard]

I get this quite often, but it's not because we're out of stock of a product. It's 'Well, Company X will throw in product Y and Z' expecting me to match it. And they're usually dumbfounded when I don't - something that is backed up by the managers themselves. Bottom line is, it's not how much you spend, it's what you buy. Computers and their ilk don't make a massive amount of profit, it's the extras such as bags, antivirus and so forth. So I'm sure as hell not going to throw in fifty quids worth of free stuff, offsetting the profit we'll make on the main item.

[Dave1982]

Back for Round 2!

The SAME GUY came back in to the store today. And he pulled a very similar stunt. He came up to the Service Desk register while I was helping another customer place a staples.com order. Now I didn't notice him until I finished the order and saw the the girl covering the register for me wasn't there. Just as I'm starting to wonder "where the hell did she go?" I heard her come out of our lock up and tell the guy that she couldn't find what he wanted.

This time he wanted the Business edition of TurboTax. It's a $90 software package, so the vendor provided empty display boxes and the software is kept in the lockup. Except that they screwed up and billed us for 15 copies without actually shipping them. This was last week, and they still aren't in. I personally put OUT OF STOCK tags on all of the facings for this version of the software. There are four; two on each side of the display.

Mary (girl on register): I couldn't find this, sir.

SC: Well keep looking!

Me: Sir, that's out of stock. There should have been tags on the dis..... (I looked over at the display and the tags on the side I coud see gone. Damn).....well there WERE tags over there. I'm pretty sure it's still out of stock. I'll take another quick look.

SC: There's THREE of them over there!

Me: Those are just empty display boxes sir. *I head to lockup*

SC: *sighs angrily* You people are getting WORSE AND WORSE!!!!!!!! [the rest of his tirade was muffled after I went into lockup.]

Of course, the software wasn't there, but this guy was gone by the time I got back out, having not purchased any of the other items he'd brought up to the register. Turns out he'd given Mary the same rant he gave me the first time, then offered her insincere, half-assed apology.

Mary: He said "I know it's not your fault."

And it was all I could do to not shout right then and there "IF YOU KNOW IT'S NOT OUR FAULT, THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU YELLING AT US YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!"

So here's the real kicker. I grabbed some more out of stock tags to replace the ones that were missing. Guess what? He'd taken his display box from the far side of the display, which STILL HAD OUT OF STOCK TAGS ON IT! Hello! It says OUT OF STOCK and the box is EMPTY. Can you not put two and two together, you IDIOT!!!!!

[chainedbarista]

next time, tell him it's in back, waaay in the back, as in at the main warehouse type back, then hand him the address for a self pickup.

ugh; there are idiots, then there's this particular type of idiot. oh noes, you'll take your business elsewhere? (ha ha! please do, because there isn't a place that has that... )

[Imogene]

I get this quite often, but it's not because we're out of stock of a product. It's 'Well, Company X will throw in product Y and Z' expecting me to match it. And they're usually dumbfounded when I don't - something that is backed up by the managers themselves.

I loved the people who would come into Chesterfield, peruse my stuff, and throw a DVD at me, just before they say, "I can get this cheaper at WalMart!"
My usual response was to just stare at them, mouth open. I shoulda started throwing confetti. "Wow, you can buy a rare movie at WalMart! A movie, might I add, with graphic nudity, and extreme violence. Sure, it won't be censored at all, cause we all know how WalMart has to purify everything they sell!"

[tenaciousb]

I love the old school people that think you have the authority to just throw in stuff because they are buying big stuff like a computer. Bahahaha, because your the first one to ever come in to buy something we sell...

I laughed my ass of the night before black friday when a customer came in 10 minutes before closing and asked the manager if he bought "like a hundred dollars worth of stuff" if he could be wrung out for the sale items tomorrow right then...

I also laughed my ass off today when some guy was pissed and stormed out when I broke the news to him that we couldn't break open a package on some expensive cross pen, and swap out the ink refills with the ones we sell on the wall -- inventory means nothing to them though

or the annoying ass hat that asked me 50 different questions on 2 different items -- the kind you know isn't even listening to you anyway because he is already asking the next question before you finish the last --- then comes up wanting to open up a digital camera box to try it out and make sure it really works --- when we have one on display that you were just using 2 seconds ago --- fuck off --- but buy a plan first --- then you find an information sheet on another product he asked you to print out sitting on a random shelf an hour later, thanks a lot

ultimately customers just want cheap shit

quality, the correct answer, naw, they are really running out of time -- why am I holding them up with that

cheap deals and coupons and their all over your nuts