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Beyond Belief: Out of Stock
Yesterday was mostly a good day. I sold several computers to really nice people who listened to what I had to say and at least considered it before making their decisions. But there were two customers...
This week, my store is running some pretty good sales. We got most of the sale stuff last week, but one shipment ran late. It's coming in today. Customers were usually understanding of this situation and had no problem coming in later in the week to get what they want.
Then there was the foreign student couple. I'm fairly sure they're going to the university here in town. Accent sounds like Eastern Europe. They came in, looked around for a few minutes, and found me. Pointing to a picture in the weekly ad, Girl Student tells me she wants to buy a sale laptop.
Me: I'm sorry. I'm sold out. We sold the last two yesterday night, and we sold the display this morning.
GS: What?
Me: I'm sold out.
(Now she's stunned. She doesn't say another word. She just stares at me.)
Boyfriend: You don't have any?
Me: I did, but they have all been sold.
BF: You have more in back?
Me: No. We're sold out. (Checking inventory just to be sure what I'm about to tell him is accurate) But I have several more coming in on tomorrow afternoon's delivery truck.
BF: But, we need this computer.
Me: I have several others similar to it, if you'd like to look at those. Otherwise, you'll have to come back tomorrow afternoon. I'll have more then.
BF: Oh. Okay. We come back tomorrow.
They turn to leave, and, as they're stepping out of the department, I see Boyfriend put his arm around Girl Student's shoulders. I think nothing of it. Moments later, the department supervisor came up to me and asked if I had talked to that couple that just left. When I told him I had, he asked, "What did you say to them? She was crying!"
Crying. Tears and sobbing. Over waiting one more day to get her computer. I can sympathize with the inconvenience, but I don't think it's worth crying over.
Skip ahead two hours.
A lady comes in wearing a freshly pressed business suit. Guess she thought it made her look more important. She glanced at the row of display laptops and asked me, "Where are your 17-inch laptops."
Me: I'm sold out at the moment.
Business Woman: (Trying to look down her nose at me, which is difficult because I'm about 6 inches taller) What?
Me: I usually carry them. Two different models, in fact. But I'm sold out right now.
BW: Don't lie to me!
Me:
Seriously. I usually have them, just not right now. The manufacturer is in the middle of replacing some older models with newer ones. We sold out of the old ones early last week. We had four of the new models come in late last week, but those sold out as well. We're expecting more tomorrow.
BW: Ha! You think you can fool me? Don't play games. Where are your 17-inch laptops?!
Me: (Flatly) On a truck. It's probably just pulling out of the warehouse in California where our shipments come from.
BW: Listen, you. I don't know what kind of trick you're trying to pull. All I want to know is where your 17-inch laptops are, and you're giving me the run-around. Either you have them, or you don't. Don't give me these lines about "just not right now." Now tell me truthfully: Where? Are? They?
Me: On a truck. In California. They'll be here tomorrow.
BW: (Harumphs) Oh! I don't believe this. I'm leaving. If I come back next week and you don't have those 17-inch laptops, I'll have your job!
She was just annoying. Right at that moment, though, I had some other customer poke his head out of the networking aisle and ask, "What the hell was that all about?" A nice conversation with him, both of us mocking Business Woman, got me calmed down quickly.
This week, my store is running some pretty good sales. We got most of the sale stuff last week, but one shipment ran late. It's coming in today. Customers were usually understanding of this situation and had no problem coming in later in the week to get what they want.
Then there was the foreign student couple. I'm fairly sure they're going to the university here in town. Accent sounds like Eastern Europe. They came in, looked around for a few minutes, and found me. Pointing to a picture in the weekly ad, Girl Student tells me she wants to buy a sale laptop.
Me: I'm sorry. I'm sold out. We sold the last two yesterday night, and we sold the display this morning.
GS: What?
Me: I'm sold out.
(Now she's stunned. She doesn't say another word. She just stares at me.)
Boyfriend: You don't have any?
Me: I did, but they have all been sold.
BF: You have more in back?
Me: No. We're sold out. (Checking inventory just to be sure what I'm about to tell him is accurate) But I have several more coming in on tomorrow afternoon's delivery truck.
BF: But, we need this computer.
Me: I have several others similar to it, if you'd like to look at those. Otherwise, you'll have to come back tomorrow afternoon. I'll have more then.
BF: Oh. Okay. We come back tomorrow.
They turn to leave, and, as they're stepping out of the department, I see Boyfriend put his arm around Girl Student's shoulders. I think nothing of it. Moments later, the department supervisor came up to me and asked if I had talked to that couple that just left. When I told him I had, he asked, "What did you say to them? She was crying!"
Crying. Tears and sobbing. Over waiting one more day to get her computer. I can sympathize with the inconvenience, but I don't think it's worth crying over.
Skip ahead two hours.
A lady comes in wearing a freshly pressed business suit. Guess she thought it made her look more important. She glanced at the row of display laptops and asked me, "Where are your 17-inch laptops."
Me: I'm sold out at the moment.
Business Woman: (Trying to look down her nose at me, which is difficult because I'm about 6 inches taller) What?
Me: I usually carry them. Two different models, in fact. But I'm sold out right now.
BW: Don't lie to me!
Me:
Seriously. I usually have them, just not right now. The manufacturer is in the middle of replacing some older models with newer ones. We sold out of the old ones early last week. We had four of the new models come in late last week, but those sold out as well. We're expecting more tomorrow.BW: Ha! You think you can fool me? Don't play games. Where are your 17-inch laptops?!
Me: (Flatly) On a truck. It's probably just pulling out of the warehouse in California where our shipments come from.
BW: Listen, you. I don't know what kind of trick you're trying to pull. All I want to know is where your 17-inch laptops are, and you're giving me the run-around. Either you have them, or you don't. Don't give me these lines about "just not right now." Now tell me truthfully: Where? Are? They?
Me: On a truck. In California. They'll be here tomorrow.
BW: (Harumphs) Oh! I don't believe this. I'm leaving. If I come back next week and you don't have those 17-inch laptops, I'll have your job!
She was just annoying. Right at that moment, though, I had some other customer poke his head out of the networking aisle and ask, "What the hell was that all about?" A nice conversation with him, both of us mocking Business Woman, got me calmed down quickly.
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