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Oh how I hate leftover promotional/seasonal merchandise. This maybe ought to go into the Morons in Management section, but there was an SC involved.
Right now at my store we have a bunch of leftover Christmas junk, along with some unrelated promtional Crayola Crap. All of it has been pulled from the planograms, so most of it has gone onto a clearance table up front. The problem is that a lot of it hasn't been marked down. It hasn't been marked down because corporate didn't mark it down, and because the individual stores aren't allowed to change prices for ALL of any item We can mark down individual items if they are damaged, shelf worn, ripped open, etc, but we can't mark down all of something. The managers are specifically not allowed to do this, and could get into serious trouble for it.
Three times in the past two days I've had people get mad about this. Now on the one hand, I do see their point. Why is something in the Clearance section if it's still full price? But on the other hand, the stuff isn't in the planogram anymore and there literally is no where else to put it. It's either the clearance tables/section or it doesn't get put out, and we'd rather sell it.
Moreover, this is NOT. MY. FAULT. I do not set set planograms or prices. The home office does.
Incident #1 (not an SC)
Woman comes up with one each of the clearance but not clearance Crayola Crap.
NSC: These are the 50% off items.
Me: 50% off?
NSC: Yeah, they're on clearance, which means 50% off. (stated as if it were a fact)
Me: Um, actually, these items aren't on clearance. They're on the clearance table because we have nowhere else to put them. And even if they were, clearance doesn't autmatically mean 50% off. It's whatever corporate decides to price them at.
NSC: Well that stinks. Is there any way these could be marked down?
Me: I'd have to ask the manager.
The answer of course was no. Dan gave her the same explanation, and added the part about us not having the authority to mark stuff down on our own initiative. She was disappointed, but just decided to not buy it rather than make a scene.
She was only sucky insofar as she assumed that clearance meant an automatic 50% discount.
Incident #2 (not really an SC)
Not 5 minutes later, a guy goes to the next register with the same items. Upon finding out they weren't marked down, he just up and left the store, leaving all his merchandise on the counter. After that happened, I went ahead and printed up a bunch of price signs for these items on my own initiative and put them out in a vain attempt to curtail further problems.
Incident #3 (SC)
Between the time I left the store yesterday and the time I came in today, a whole bunch more artsy crap went onto that table. This time it was Nickelodeon stuff (Dora drawing books, etc). All stuff brought in for the holidays. None of it marked down.
So of course i had another woman assume that clearance meant an automatic huge savings and she was PISSED when they didn't ring up as such.
SC: Why isn't this stuff ringing up on clearance?
Me: Which items?
SC: These *waves at a pile of stuff I've already bagged*
Me: Ummm.......*scroll back up to those items; ah, more seasonal s---* that's all seasonal stuff and-
SC: *cuts me off* It's on the CLEARANCE TABLE.
Me: That's because there's no other home for it. Corporate just didn't mark it down. I apologize.
SC: Well then it shouldn't be there.
Me: I agree, but it has no other home
SC: Then put it on another table!
Me: If we had anywhere else to put it we would. We have no other place for it.
SC: *to other customers in line* Oh, they have no other place to put it! *to me* Do you think that's right? Do you? DO YOU think that's right?!?!
Me: I dont' make these decisions, ma'am.
SC: We'll that's ridiculous! It's on the CLEARANCE table
Me: *page* MOD to register 1 for customer assistance please!
SC: *to other customers* Don't you agree with me!?!
So then she proceeds to tear into the Office Supply Specialist (he was the acting MOD, since the regualr manager was on lunch), and it was all I could do not to laugh. the OSS has a certain tone of voice he uses when he just doesn't give a flying f*** but sounds genuine if you didn't know any better. I could tell he didn't mean a word he said.
OSS: Oh I'll take care of that right away. *heads off and makes a show of rearranging the table and moving stuff off it, then puts it back when she left*
I wanted to smack her upside the head and repeat to her: I DO NOT MAKE THESE DECISIONS!!!!!! DO NOT TAKE THIS PERSONALLY WITH ME!!!!!!!
GOD I hate it when they act like it's MY fault
EDIT: I just wanted to emphasize that in this case, I agree fully with their complaints. There's just nothing I can do about it
Right now at my store we have a bunch of leftover Christmas junk, along with some unrelated promtional Crayola Crap. All of it has been pulled from the planograms, so most of it has gone onto a clearance table up front. The problem is that a lot of it hasn't been marked down. It hasn't been marked down because corporate didn't mark it down, and because the individual stores aren't allowed to change prices for ALL of any item We can mark down individual items if they are damaged, shelf worn, ripped open, etc, but we can't mark down all of something. The managers are specifically not allowed to do this, and could get into serious trouble for it.
Three times in the past two days I've had people get mad about this. Now on the one hand, I do see their point. Why is something in the Clearance section if it's still full price? But on the other hand, the stuff isn't in the planogram anymore and there literally is no where else to put it. It's either the clearance tables/section or it doesn't get put out, and we'd rather sell it.
Moreover, this is NOT. MY. FAULT. I do not set set planograms or prices. The home office does.
Incident #1 (not an SC)
Woman comes up with one each of the clearance but not clearance Crayola Crap.
NSC: These are the 50% off items.
Me: 50% off?
NSC: Yeah, they're on clearance, which means 50% off. (stated as if it were a fact)
Me: Um, actually, these items aren't on clearance. They're on the clearance table because we have nowhere else to put them. And even if they were, clearance doesn't autmatically mean 50% off. It's whatever corporate decides to price them at.
NSC: Well that stinks. Is there any way these could be marked down?
Me: I'd have to ask the manager.
The answer of course was no. Dan gave her the same explanation, and added the part about us not having the authority to mark stuff down on our own initiative. She was disappointed, but just decided to not buy it rather than make a scene.
She was only sucky insofar as she assumed that clearance meant an automatic 50% discount.
Incident #2 (not really an SC)
Not 5 minutes later, a guy goes to the next register with the same items. Upon finding out they weren't marked down, he just up and left the store, leaving all his merchandise on the counter. After that happened, I went ahead and printed up a bunch of price signs for these items on my own initiative and put them out in a vain attempt to curtail further problems.
Incident #3 (SC)
Between the time I left the store yesterday and the time I came in today, a whole bunch more artsy crap went onto that table. This time it was Nickelodeon stuff (Dora drawing books, etc). All stuff brought in for the holidays. None of it marked down.
So of course i had another woman assume that clearance meant an automatic huge savings and she was PISSED when they didn't ring up as such.
SC: Why isn't this stuff ringing up on clearance?
Me: Which items?
SC: These *waves at a pile of stuff I've already bagged*
Me: Ummm.......*scroll back up to those items; ah, more seasonal s---* that's all seasonal stuff and-
SC: *cuts me off* It's on the CLEARANCE TABLE.
Me: That's because there's no other home for it. Corporate just didn't mark it down. I apologize.
SC: Well then it shouldn't be there.
Me: I agree, but it has no other home
SC: Then put it on another table!
Me: If we had anywhere else to put it we would. We have no other place for it.
SC: *to other customers in line* Oh, they have no other place to put it! *to me* Do you think that's right? Do you? DO YOU think that's right?!?!
Me: I dont' make these decisions, ma'am.
SC: We'll that's ridiculous! It's on the CLEARANCE table
Me: *page* MOD to register 1 for customer assistance please!
SC: *to other customers* Don't you agree with me!?!
So then she proceeds to tear into the Office Supply Specialist (he was the acting MOD, since the regualr manager was on lunch), and it was all I could do not to laugh. the OSS has a certain tone of voice he uses when he just doesn't give a flying f*** but sounds genuine if you didn't know any better. I could tell he didn't mean a word he said.
OSS: Oh I'll take care of that right away. *heads off and makes a show of rearranging the table and moving stuff off it, then puts it back when she left*
I wanted to smack her upside the head and repeat to her: I DO NOT MAKE THESE DECISIONS!!!!!! DO NOT TAKE THIS PERSONALLY WITH ME!!!!!!!
GOD I hate it when they act like it's MY fault
EDIT: I just wanted to emphasize that in this case, I agree fully with their complaints. There's just nothing I can do about it
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