Whiners and whitening strips

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Buy-one-get-one-free sale and a weekend two-day sale on top of it. *rubs temples*

Was this really necessary

First some guy came up to me today and asked if we had some kind of whitening strips. I took him over to the toothpaste aisle, where we discovered several different kinds of whitening strips, but lamentably not the ones this guy wanted.

So for the next five minutes, he tried to explain the kind of whitening strips he had been using, and did so as ineptly as he possibly could, because I couldn't figure out what the hell kind of whitening strips he used. I just knew we evidently didn't have the ones he wanted.

Finally, he said the ones he had been using dissolved in five minutes. Or something. He asked me if I knew what he meant and I told him "No, sorry, I've never used whitening strips before."

"Oh, well, you could use them. Thanks anyway."

I will admit I don't exactly have a megawatt smile, but my teeth certainly aren't disgusting. I brush and floss them like I should. Crap, now I feel like keeping my mouth tightly clamped shut for the rest of my life.

So glad you chose this special time to make an ass of yourself. Now create another memorable moment and hurl yourself in front of a cement mixer.

Brain hurt. Owie

Then I had some old fart ask for help with a certain kind of electric heater we have. It looks like a wood-burning stove and makes "realistic" flames while in use. We have only the display of this heater left, and it was on clearance, so we would've been able to sell the display.

First he asked me if I could plug it in someplace so he could see the "realistic" flames. Sorry, no can do. There are no electrical outlets on the salesfloor anymore. They have all been capped. Whenever we need electricity to power merchandise displays (particularly during Christmas), we have to run power poles down from the ceiling. The only available outlets are in the backroom, and you're not going back there. Not when the LP lady is prowling around back there.

Still, not a sucky request, and the guy seemed to understand. What he didn't come close to understanding was the concept of clearance markdowns and that we can't just lower prices whenever we feel like it. We have to wait for the corporate office to send down the new markdowns and we don't know they're coming until they're in our system.

But as I was trying to explain this to the Alzheimer's case-in-waiting, he kept interrupting me with "When is the price going down more? You don't know? Who would know that? Somebody should be able to tell me when the price will go down some more."

Finally he gave up and went over to Menards, with the threat that he'd be back if he didn't find a heater he liked there. He never returned.

Gah. I'm off to find more booze before I start weeping hysterically.

[bainsidhe]

All right, now I'm curious. Why are the outlets on the salesfloor capped? Is it a safety issue? Were people licking them? People were charging phones?

And at least the guy didn't tell you to discount it because he's willing to buy it NOW. Even though someone else will gladly fork over the higher amount.

[Mnemjian]

I never see people with that ridiculously white smile you see on the commercials so I have to assume that those whitening strips don't work nearly as well as they are advertised to But if your teeth are healthy then who even cares!

[SourRobot]

Just because your teeth aren't as white as snow doesn't mean they're not healthy. Don't listen to what that guy told you, he's a moron.

I get people like the second guy all the time. Always asking when prices are going to be lowered and if there's anything I can do to make the prices lower. I don't even know when our sale days are!

[mharbourgirl]

All right, now I'm curious. Why are the outlets on the salesfloor capped? Is it a safety issue? Were people licking them? People were charging phones?

They did that at the Wal-Mart I used to work at. Story was, someone had spilled a huge drink on and around one, and got mildly electrocuted because they mindlessly walked through the puddle.

But I like your theory about people licking them. That does sound VERY likely, based on my experience.

[fireheart]

But I like your theory about people licking them. That does sound VERY likely, based on my experience.

"Licking a power outlet does not turn you into a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger."

[mattm04]

At my store the power outlets on the sales floor are at the end of each aisle (at the front of asie 1 they are are the right, at the back on the left, from of aisle 2 on the left back of aisle 2 right, etc) in the toe kick of the asile, not in the floor. Their are a few in the floor protected by a brass screw n cover that were installed in Floral for them to set up Christmas trees at the edge of their department.

We use them for portable displays, cleaning, demos, etc.

If they were really worried about spillage, then it would be more efficient and easier to put those snap-close water proof covers normally used outside on them.

[eltf177]

Finally, he said the ones he had been using dissolved in five minutes.

But as I was trying to explain this to the Alzheimer's case-in-waiting...

If they dissolve in five minutes sounds more like breath fresheners than whitening strips.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR! May I borrow that?

[Dreamstalker]

If they were really worried about spillage, then it would be more efficient and easier to put those snap-close water proof covers normally used outside on them.

Butbutbut...that would actually make sense.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

If they dissolve in five minutes sounds more like breath fresheners than whitening strips.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR! May I borrow that?

Ah sure, go nuts.

[Midorikawa]

"Licking a power outlet does not turn you into a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger."

It doesn't? But! My brother told me it would! *runs off sobbing*

[Ironclad Alibi]

I never see people with that ridiculously white smile you see on the commercials so I have to assume that those whitening strips don't work nearly as well as they are advertised to But if your teeth are healthy then who even cares!

They now have the teeth whitening kiosks in all the malls. Several years ago one of the first ones I saw had a camera/computer setup to show how you would look with whiter teeth. The camera recorded you, the software picked out your teeth and made them very white. I tried it, but I have a gray mustache. I got to see how I would look with a very white mustache.