An SCs steady descent into madness

[thehuckster]

Time: Sometime in December, 2003
Location: The Gap at the "MegaMall" somewhere in Southern New England

Something went awry with our prior shipment and we got no jeans to replace. This meant the wall looked much more empty than usual, and there were many sizes missing from both mens and womens. Customers were generally understanding when asking for a specific size and we couldn't fulfill them. Afterall, it was December and the whole store was getting rushed by last minute Christmas shoppers. Oh, and we were also out of giftboxes and corporate said no more would be shipped to us until after New Years. Oh joy. Gap, at this time, had a big training thing about "being positive." You know, instead of saying "we can't do that" say "here's what we can do." or "We'd really like to help you out, so I'm going to do X." Like many well-intentioned customer service plans from corporate, this didn't always work.

It's a packed Saturday afternoon as customers from all corners of the earth seem to be attracted to this location to do their last minute shopping. Cue hissy bitch (HB)...

HB: Excuse me, do you have these in a size 10 tall?
Me: *checking the wall real quick* I'm afraid not. I can--
HB: You're not even going to CHECK the back?!
Me: All of our jeans are on this wall, we have no--
HB: CHECK FOR ME ANYWAY! EVERY TIME SOMEONE TELLS ME THERE'S NOTHING IN THE BACK THEY'RE WRONG!

There were 6 other customers nearby who were startled and quickly looked back at the commotion. Well, I guess it's time for a few minutes alone and off my feet, as I go to Narnia the back of the store and "check". I come back...

Me: There are no jeans back there.
HB: Ugh, absolutely ridiculous. How about in size 10 medium?
Me: There are no jeans back there. They are all on this wall.
HB: Wait, you mean to tell me you checked back there for ALL sized jeans? No wonder you took so long!
Me: Ma'am, the shelves are bare back there. Here's what I can do--

At this point I'm interrupted by another customer.

Customer: Excuse me, I'm really sorry to interrupt but do you have a restroom I can use? My son really has to go.
Me: I'm sorry, we don't. The nearest one is over in Sears on this floor, all the way in the back.
Customer: Okay. *leaves*

Me: Sorry--
HB: Why did you help her? You're helping ME right now.
Me: *trying hard to keep myself from doing something I'd definitely regret later on* I'm sorry about that. As I was saying, I can check other nearby stores to see if they have jeans. Would you like me to check Millville, Bigalow, Metro City, or Suburban Paradise Mall?
HB: Whatever, I don't have time for this. Check Metro City.

First, I go to the register and query the inventory in Metro City.

Me: Okay, according to this, the Metro City Place Mall has 5 jeans in this size and color. Would you like me to call them to hold them for you?
HB: Yes. Make sure they know I will be there today.

I'm not sure of the relevance, but it's a good thing she will be there that day, as we're not allowed to hold customers' stuff overnight. I go on the phone and dial the location...

CSR: This is Gap, Metro City Place, Gary speaking. How may I help you?
Me: Hi, Gary. This is TheHuckster from the Emera--
CSR: *click*

This was a common, frustrating, occurrence in Metro City back in those days. From what I was told, the manager there actually tells their employees to hang up on other stores who call in. It's pretty much a 50/50 chance you'll actually get help from anyone there. What we're told to do when this happens is simply let the customer know the line between our location and Metro City tends to drop; after all, it's quite pathetic to have to tell a customer that someone who works for your employer is inconsiderate and rude. As I said the next sentence you could see the customer's face slowly turn from a deep red to an near-purple tint, while crevaces and folds were forming all over her face as she distorted her grimace to something that makes a CBF look cheerful.

Me: I'm sorry, our line to Metro City is experiencing difficulties right now, but I can still try Millville or Suburban Paradise, if you'd like. I'm really sorry about this, and would really like to help you out. Alternately, we can order this item online for you, with a guarantee it will arrive in 5 business days, well before Christmas.
HB: I WANT A MANAGER. RIGHT NOW!

I can't say I was startled. As I was watching her face distort, I was internally preparing for the bomb to go off right in my face as it did. Nearby people, one of which had already been startled from her prior outburst, jumped nearly out of their shoes. Another person who was clearly startled was the very manager she was demanding. She excused herself from the conversation she was having with another colleague and came to the customer.

Manager: *forced cheerful* Hi! What seems to be the problem?
HB: *shrieking* This young man is no good. He is clearly lazy, incompetent, and useless! I asked for a pair of these jeans in a size 10-tall, and he said he checked the back, but I'm quite sure he just went in there to grab a smoke or something, because he was in there for a full minute before he came back out to tell me the shelves were bare. Then he interrupted me to help another customer! Next, he claims to have called another employee at another store, and then tried to tell me that the phones are faulty, which I think is just bullcrap! I think he just doesn't want to help! I want to know what the hell is going on!
Manager: Ma'am, I can assure you our stockroom has no jeans in it. Our shipment is late and we won't be getting any new jeans until next Tuesday, when the next shipment is due. I was partially listening to your conversation while TheHuckster here was checking inventory at the other location, and from what I can tell he did everything right. The phones in Metro City have a tendency to lose calls, and that is exactly what happened in this case. There are other nearby locations we can check, or we can order them online. That's honestly the best we can do at this point.

The customer's face returned to a crimson red, and some of the malformed wrinkles flattened, giving her a more youthful, although still angry, look.

HB: Well, you can be sure that I'm going to send a letter of complaint to someone above you. You're all incompetent.

She threw her jeans on the counter and stormed out of the store. I was worried the smoke coming out of her ears would set off the sprinklers, but thankfully that didn't happen. The manager took me to the back to assure me nothing would come of this, and she had my back. A year with a good track record helped me out there. I never heard anything of this since that day, so I'm not sure if there was an angry letter reported. The only thing that I regret is I didn't hear the SC say I ruined Christmas for her... but I'm sure on the back of her tiny mind she thought we did everything we could to do just that.

[Food Lady]

So she called you a liar, called you incompetent, and blamed you for something you had no control over? I'd love to lose a "customer" like her.

[Lachrymose]

"Here's what we can do: not that!"

[Draco]

The manager's face returned to a crimson red, and some of the malformed wrinkles flattened, giving her a more youthful, although still angry, look.

You meant customer, right? Otherwise I'm confused.

[thehuckster]

You meant customer, right? Otherwise I'm confused.

Sorry, you're right. It's been corrected.

[Aurora]

I have to wonder if any of these SC's have ever worked in customer service related jobs?

Having worked mostly in customer based areas, I know from experience that the first sign of suckiness does NOT make anyone want to help you. I never wanted to go out of my way for someone that had called me stupid (just because I wasn't telling them what they wanted to hear).

To quote someone or other 'You catch more flies with honey than you ever can with vinegar'

[MoonCat]

*sigh* Why are there so many crazy people wandering around loose? I mean seriously, a store could not survive if they actually HAD merchandise and didn't, ya know, put it out there for people to buy! I actually saw a cashier at Aldi's tell someone this when asked if they had more of something "in the back."... "No, ma'am, we couldn't sell it if it wasn't out here." People are stupid.

[Andara Bledin]

I mean seriously, a store could not survive if they actually HAD merchandise and didn't, ya know, put it out there for people to buy!

Unfortunately, some stores are staffed with the lazy and the inept and the stupid and there ends up being product that is, indeed, stuck in the back and not on the shelves where it belonged.

There was a Lucky supermarket near where I lived when I was a kdi, and they would never have their Arrowhead water on the shelves. I cannot remember a time when I was in there that I didn't have to flag down a clerk to get it out of the back so I could buy it.

I think I actually said something about how they'd sell more of it if they ever put it out.... and I was only 8. >_>

^-.-^

[scruff]

To be honest, I'm a plus sized feline, and tall (according to clothes manufacturers, one or the other is fine, _both_ is a major crime.) So last weekend I visted the local department store to try to wide and tall jeans. The only large shop in the county (Evans) rents space in BHS, so I wander around the Evans racks and spot jeans my width and wider, but they are all 'regular' and 'petite'. There is no long.

There is no floor staff, so I end up talking to the cashiers. Note, they are less than 5 foot from the Evans racks, and do not have name badges, let alone name badges that list their company.

So I ask for 'flaming wide and long' jeans. oh no, said lass at the till, we only go up to 'wide' size (several sizes below my width) I point out that's bollox, there's sizes over there that are far wider than their 'wide' size... "Oh, that's Evans, we're a totally different company.". So yes, some people will lie about what gear they have in stock and on the shelves.

[thehuckster]

To be honest, I'm a plus sized feline

Please forgive me.

[Sapphire Silk]

Dear God. That's one fat cat.

[ZombieDeterrent]

Unfortunately, some stores are staffed with the lazy and the inept and the stupid and there ends up being product that is, indeed, stuck in the back and not on the shelves where it belonged.

also, some stores are perma-rammed with both good and bad customers, shoplifters etc. whilst simultaneously being woefully under staffed, resulting in gaps appearing very quickly and going unfilled for much longer than you'd like

[manybellsdown]

*sigh* Why are there so many crazy people wandering around loose? I mean seriously, a store could not survive if they actually HAD merchandise and didn't, ya know, put it out there for people to buy! I actually saw a cashier at Aldi's tell someone this when asked if they had more of something "in the back."... "No, ma'am, we couldn't sell it if it wasn't out here." People are stupid.

It's funny, because I read sites like this often enough that I almost never ask if there's "something in the back" anymore. But yesterday I was at Bullseye looking at luggage, and a lady stocking asked if I was looking for anything. "Well," I said, " I was looking for this in the teal but it seems you're out." And she said "Oh, let me see if there's some in the back!"

(There wasn't, but there were other colors.)

[thehuckster]

It's funny, because I read sites like this often enough that I almost never ask if there's "something in the back" anymore. But yesterday I was at Bullseye looking at luggage, and a lady stocking asked if I was looking for anything. "Well," I said, " I was looking for this in the teal but it seems you're out." And she said "Oh, let me see if there's some in the back!"

It really depends on the season. Typically GAP does in fact stock a lot of clothes in the back during November and December, and it's usually untypical sizes that simply can't fit in the front with the more popular sizes. There are often so many shoppers during the day that by 6pm a lot of the shelves and walls are bare and staff is busy helping other customers than keeping the front stocked. What I would often do is, if a customer asked if more was in the back, I'd go back there, find his/her size, and along with it bring a handful more just to stock the shelves while I was there.

I say there's nothing wrong with asking if there's more stock in the back, especially with something like luggage, where it's large merchandise and they typically only have one aisle or even half an aisle devoted to it, and they simply have no choice but to keep a lot of it in the back.

The key difference between a "good customer" who asks if something is in the back and an SC is, when you say there's nothing in the back just accept the news and move on. Badgering the employee and accusing them of lying or being knowledgeable is sucky.

[scruff]

Please forgive me.

You're forgiven.