Exterminate. *long*

[notalwaysright]

BG: So we've started to carry Dr Who fabric. Yay! I happen to like that show, and was happy to see the fabric come in. Was is the word here. So the online store will show if there is stock of an item in the whichever store you choose. I have found it to be terribly inaccurate. I have no idea when the stupid thing updates, but it very often says we have something which we don't. To make matters worse, when I scan something my handheld says a different amount than the online store does. Like my handheld says 2.25 yards, and the online store says 8 yards. My scanner is usually more accurate. Lovely! Thanks for making my job even harder, corporate. Oh, and we only receive freight on Monday's.

I've had various people ask for this fabric, not surprising as it's a fairly popular show. Being later in the week, I know that we're out of all but one bolt of fleece. I have looked for more for several people, most of which were perfectly satisfied that we were out, regardless of what the internet said. Then I get these people. They were quite dense, with a generous helping of condescension as well. Conversation goes like this:

Girl 1: Where's the Dr Who fabric?
Me: It's in the licensed section, right here. At the moment all we have is this bolt of fleece.
Girl 1: No, you have more. We're looking for a different print and you have 5 on hand. (The internet site says 5 but it means 5 yards, not bolts)
Me: I know, I don't think that number's been updated. I know that this is the only Dr Who fabric in the store right now.
Girl 1: Well it says 5.
Girl 2: There must be another section.
Me: I've looked for other bolts, and unfortunately this is it. We do get shipments on Monday's, and you can always call to confirm that we got the one you want, and have it put on hold.
Girl 1: We'll keep looking for it.
Girl 2: The website says 5.

*at this point I go back and cut for a while, and look up to see the girls peering at our go-back carts*

Girl 2: There's fabric back there.
Girl 1: Oh, that's where it is. I guess we just had to know where to look.

Now they snag a passing employee and get her to look through the carts, and of course there is no Dr Who fabric. Then they repeat that we have 5 of the fleece. Said employee dutifully goes off to look in licensed, then in back (this was just dumb, as our store never keeps fabric in the back except special orders), then she pages it over the radio. I reply that we don't have any. She replies that the website says we have 5 yards. I reply... You know, my brain can't face repeating the whole thing, but at the end a MANAGER had to go tell them that we didn't have any, regardless of what the internet said.

[MoonCat]

The sad fact is that people now believe what they read online rather than what a living, breathing human being tells them, even when that human being has reason to KNOW something.

Just because you read it online doesn't mean it's true

[gremcint]

People assume that website inventory levels are a strict representation of store stock, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... made up bullshit numbers.

[emax4]

They probably thought that the website was showing a live update rather than an end-of-day update. Perhaps that when they left, they saw the website had 5, but someone else had bought them between the time the store opened and the time they got to the store. Not all cashiers are entirely aware of how their system works either (and of course, they have to deal with incidents like this).

[MrSmiley]

Had the same issue (as a customer) with BestBuy a few weeks back. Website said "in stock" so I drive to the other end of the city to go get something. Employee tells me "out of stock. Website's wrong". So I get disappointed and wonder why they even have a number shown on the website.

/didn't get too angry about it though
//well maybe a little
///but not at the employee

[thehuckster]

They probably thought that the website was showing a live update rather than an end-of-day update. Perhaps that when they left, they saw the website had 5, but someone else had bought them between the time the store opened and the time they got to the store. Not all cashiers are entirely aware of how their system works either (and of course, they have to deal with incidents like this).

Ha, even if the website was perfectly up-to-date they'd still have unrealistic expectations. Why? Because they last checked the website a week ago and only today decided to check it out.

[Ophbalance]

How exactly can someone be licensed to drive and yet not have realized that online trackers are for estimation only? Oy vey.

[Kanalah]

Which is why I ordered my 5 tons of Who fabric online.

*sits on stockpile and cackles*

[RealUnimportant]

These are the same kind of people that look on Google Maps when they're at work and wonder why it shows their car as still being in the drive...

[sirwired]

Well, most (though certainly not all) store that offer "real time" inventory status also offer in-store pickup. I know that if I have any doubt at all about the in-stock status of an item, I'll either call the store and ask, or place an in-store pickup order and wait for the "ready for pickup" e-mail to arrive.

(Of course, that doesn't help with stores that do in-store pickup badly... I've had several stores send me the "ready for pickup" e-mail and I go to the store and find the order hasn't been pulled yet, and sometimes not in stock. Sears is the worst offender that's still in business.

[notalwaysright]

Had the same issue (as a customer) with BestBuy a few weeks back. Website said "in stock" so I drive to the other end of the city to go get something. Employee tells me "out of stock. Website's wrong". So I get disappointed and wonder why they even have a number shown on the website.

/didn't get too angry about it though
//well maybe a little
///but not at the employee

Our website, in my experience specifically regarding fabric, is really bad. It's never been right. None of the managers know when it's updated. The handheld number is better, but that is not what the customers see. They should not have an "available in-stock" amount, period. We had this issue a lot when people wanted Seahawks fabric. The website would say we had some stupid amount, like 30 yards, and we had NONE. And the site would say that for days.

So I could see being sad. I could see complaining to corporate. That's totally fair. But that doesn't change the fact that we didn't have any, it took three people to convince them, and if I hear "you have 5" one more time...

[Kanalah]

The website said that the only Dr Who fabric my local store had in stock was the fleece. I like to look at fleece before I buy it, so Shortie and I decided to go visit. They didn't have any Dr Who fabric at all, but I have a brain and use it, so I wasn't going to throw a fit. We just bought some fabric for Shortie's quilt project and I used the opportunity to remind Shortie how to use the take a number system. No need to throw a fit about it. (Only 2 people working in my local store on a Saturday?! for shame!)

[Trixie]

We get this a lot for the TV items. "The website said you had it." That's just so open-ended. Maybe my company carries the item but there's stuff that only on our website and not every location has the same stuff.

Lately we've had people coming in looking for something called Beanboozled. We don't have it. One kid came in with his mother who asked me then he turned around and asked me. I don't know where they see we carry it but we don't.

[Luna Baby]

I was able to upgrade oldest son's phone for Christmas, bought it and stored it away for a couple of weeks. Que Christmas Eve when at work I fell into almost enough bonus money to purchase the same phone for myself. Nope, store was out and stayed out for the next 2-3 weeks. Since my plan actually works off of another company's towers and uses their branded phones, I had the bright idea to purchase that and try it. It worked. Then youngest son wanted to upgrade and had the cash. Store on-line kept showing in stock and available for same day pickup with an online order. I do not like shopping online other than for price comparison so I headed down to the store. Finally got someone who took a chance and checked the handheld scanner. "That's odd," she said, "this shows we have 2 in stock. They're just in the back." Oddest moment for me ever, for not only the online stock availability to be correct but that someone offered (and succeeded) in checking "in the back" and found what I wanted..

[XCashier]

BG: So we've started to carry Dr Who fabric. Yay! I happen to like that show, and was happy to see the fabric come in.

Oh, yeah. I was on the cash register, a customer put her Dalek fabric down and I just went gaga. "Oh wow, the Daleks! This must've just come in, I haven't seen it yet." (Yes, the customer was quite amused at my reaction.)

Later on, another coworker and I went through the licensed character fabrics and totally nerded out over all the different Doctor Who prints. I need to get some and make throw pillows. We've had Star Trek and Star Wars fabrics for ages, now this completes the trifecta.

People assume that website inventory levels are a strict representation of store stock, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... made up bullshit numbers.

Perfect response! I can totally see the Doctor saying that to the customer, too.