Why do you insist I look for this?

[Trixie]

Just as I came on duty today I had this young lady wanting to know if we had green chilies. I said no, because we don't. They she wanted me to "check the computer" to see if we did. I really tried not to because we don't. If there's no spot on the shelf, we don't have it. I did search for it on the computer and my company does carry it with tomatoes. Not what she was looking for. I told her we didn't and she went on her way. I ended up checking her out and she was buying stuff for tacos.

We have a decent grocery/frozen section for what we are but we don't have a huge selection of stuff. And I'm sorry, I'm not wasting my time calling other stores looking for something that can easily be found at a grocery store. Don't want to go to a grocery store? Fine, make do with what we do have.

Then later in the evening had some bonus crazy. Guy comes in probably under the influence of something. Asking if we had candy, as he's already down our Halloween aisle with, ya know candy. He kept asking and looking around. So not really being very nice I said "Behind you and the next aisle over."

I went back to photo and the front cashier came over to ask something. Candyman comes over to the counter with some candy and says "Thanks for not being any help. I had to walk all over the store." The cashier took his stuff over to the front counter to ring him up and he continued about how unhelpful we were and we're lucky he bought anything. Yeah, that five buck candy purchase is going to break us. Then he said he's going to call the manager. She offered to call the manager on duty up front but he said that he's going to call the manager and complain. So after he left, we told the manager what douchebag said just in case he remembers after he sobers up.

And that was how my sixth day in a row ended. So happy to be off two, work two and off two again. Almost like a vacation!

[Sparklyturtle]

Not too long ago I was in a drugstore. A woman at the cash register was fussing about the fact that the drugstore didn't stock fresh vegetables. Her point was that the drugstore stocked milk and ice cream (a very limited selection) so she couldn't see why they also didn't have fresh vegetables. This might have been a valid point...except that there was a large grocery store less than 300 feet away in the same plaza, and it was the middle of the afternoon so it was still open. Once I got to the pharmacy the clerk there told me, "You wouldn't believe how often we hear things like that."

[Trixie]

We used to have a selection of fresh food. Mostly some veggies, lemons and bananas along with sandwiches and salads. It just didn't sell. The stuff was a little too gourmet for my area and it seems like they couldn't decide what the really wanted to do with it. Right now we still have the cooler and get sandwiches but it's not as good as what we had. We haven't had the larger selection in about 2-3 years and every so often we still get people asking if we have something from it. Mostly bananas.

One Christmas I actually got a phone call from someone asking if we had canned asparagus. And that's pretty much set the bar for stupid things we've been asked if we carry.

[MadMike]

You didn't check in the back?

[MoonCat]

Who the f**k goes to a drugstore to buy fresh veggies anyway?? Especially with a grocery store nearby? Ugh, some people...!

[drjonah]

My stand-by explanation when people would complain about not having produce "You need a separate license to carry produce and are held to stricter health department standards"

[Trixie]

You didn't check in the back?

Funny thing about that is I think checking the computer is the new checking in the back. It's something the bosses are starting to push, to see if other stores have inventory or if it can be ordered online.

Normally I wouldn't care but it's a can of food. Not that hard to find. Except in my store.

[notalwaysright]

People assume that all stores are giant "one stop shop" stores. We've had people genuinely confused that a fabric and craft store doesn't sell cheap all purpose printer paper and inkjet printer cartridges. This is doubly stupid because our store literally shares a parking lot with an office supply store. When you park, it is nearly exactly the same walking distance to either our store, or the office supply store.

These people aren't even shopping for craft items... I mean, it's not like they have a cart full of yarn and glitter, so they can't even say "well, I was already here so I thought I'd ask..." They came in to the fabric and craft store for the sole purpose of buying a replacement ink cartridge.

[Dreamstalker]

Maybe in their minds crafts=rubber stamps=ink=cartridges.

Or something. That's how some of my customers' minds seem to work anyway.

[wolfie]

That's how some of my customers' minds seem to work anyway.

That doesn't sound right - could you please let us know what evidence you have that points to customers' minds working? Thanks.

[Silent-Hunter]

Maybe in their minds crafts=rubber stamps=ink=cartridges.

Or something. That's how some of my customers' minds seem to work anyway.

Following that to its logical conclusion, all stores should carry everything in existence. Oh, you sell transistors? Well obviously you should have a nuclear warhead since the controller inside one contains those.

[notalwaysright]

I think the problem is the vagueness of the idea of crafts and DIY in general. Just because something can be used to make something else doesn't mean a craft store will sell it. A person sees a tutorial and assumes all the materials will be in one convenient location, but the fact is they might need to hit several stores. In addition to a craft store they might need to go to a hardware store, or the tutorial might be using found items like empty beer bottles.

This is why I dislike Pintrest. I feel like for many people (not everyone, don't get mad) it actually takes away creativity. I get so many people showing me some pic from Pintrest wanting me to show them that exact pattern of fabric, or explain what the tutorial means when they don't understand. They don't want to pay for a class, but they want me to essentially teach them how to do their "free" project. They just want some kind of kit like we're IKEA.

[Trixie]

I think the projects on Pintrest are like looking at fashion magazines. It's all an illusion that you too can make fabulous things in your own home. Nope, probably not.

One time I had a guy complain about our "art supplies". The sign in the aisle said we had "art supplies" but we didn't have "art supplies". Not sure what Picasso was looking for but our selection is good enough for parents who come in at 9 pm on a Sunday night because their kid has a project due first thing in the morning.

[Minflick]

Art supplies vs. artsy fartsy supplies?!

[laborcat]

canned asparagus .

That stuff is vile and shouldn't be allowed to be manufactured. Blech.