What part of "24 hours" is confusing you?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Whenever we issue a customer a raincheck on a sale item, company policy is the customer has 24 hours to pick up their item(s), from the time they are contacted that the item is in stock and ready for them to purchase. If the customer does not pick up the item within 24 hours or contact us if they need a little more time, the item is made available for other customers to purchase.

Last Monday we had two bookcases in the backroom, tagged as raincheck items to be held for a customer. The service desk called the customer that day and got his answering machine or voicemail.

On Thursday the bookcases hadn't yet been picked up, and the service desk people told me they hadn't heard from the customer either, and gave me the OK to remove the tags and return the bookcases to stock.

On Friday, somebody bought up our remaining stock of those particular bookcases, including the two we had been holding. I know because I loaded them into the customer's vehicle.

On Saturday, the person with the raincheck came in to pick up his bookcases, which we did not have because we sold them after he didn't pick them up or tell us why he couldn't. Of course he did not take this well and screamed the service desk person working at the time a younger girl, into tears.

It's times like these where I sometimes wish I was working the service desk, so I could tell him off. "Sir, we called you on Monday about those bookcases, and you didn't call us back or pick them up so we assumed you were no longer interested in them. Company policy only allows us to hold raincheck items for 24 hours after we call you and tell them they're in. And frankly, I don't know why you're screaming about us ripping you off because you didn't even pay for any bookcases, so we don't owe you squat. Next customer please."

[gunsage]

Yeah...apparently 24 hours is some mythical demon we spout to confuse and bewilder customers. 7 - 10 business days is, in my opinion, but that's not important right now. I had this beauty the other day...

Me: "Right, well, it looks like your modem's been quarantined for 24 hours due to constant complaints of spam."
SC: "But...we're not doing it."
Me: "However, this is the third time we've notified you of it. That means you've had two prior attempts, without penalty, to clean your system up."
SC: "But, we did!"
Me: "Really?"
SC: "Well, I mean...our antivirus subscription is up to date...and, and we scanned a few days ago!"
Me: "The subscription is not what's important...the virus definition files are. You need to have that puppy updated about once a day. Further, given that you've had people tell you this already and to scan at least once a day, I'm not understanding the problem."
SC: "...Well, anyway...are you going to turn it back on?"
Me: "It was just reported today."
SC: "..."
Me: "And you're set for a 24 hour suspension."
SC: "..."
Me: "Call back tomorrow and we'll set you back up."
SC: "...FINE." *click*

I mean, really...I've heard other ISP's security policies are a helluva stricter than ours. And 24 hours is 24 hours...did I stutter? Jeez.

[mattm04]

I get that all the time. For special order sheet cakes or other items that we carry each day (ie muffins, pastries, breads) we require 24 hours notice. For special items that we normally do not carry, but have to order in we require 1 week.

We have one SC who will call at the last minute wanting like 8 dozen+ rolls, at least twice a month. We close at 9PM, meaning I walk out at 9 and if you want your rolls you need to call by 12 NOON or 3 at the latest so they can be prepared at night to be baked in the morning. Once this SC called me at 8:50 PM, and wanted to place an order for 18 dozen assorted rolls. Now, we had enough ready, but those were for the bin in the AM and the in-store customers are more important.

M: ME
SC: Well....

Me: I'm sorry but we need 24 hours for orders. They need to be called in before 12 NOON the day before. It is posted in the store, on the website, and on the order forms.
SC: I never knew that. So will I have my rolls.
Me: Since it is a large order, we will not have time to get them ready, so no.
SC: I will get you in trouble. I'm calling your manager. *click*

By now it is 8:55. I finish up writing my notes for the morning person and Dept Mgr. At 9 i shut off the lights, and head for the time clock. Just as I punch out i hear the automated PA announcement for a phone cal for my dept. I know it was the SC calling back. I'm off the clock, so I don't care anymore.

Before I leave I seem the MOD and ask if the SC called her. She told her that we will no longer accept orders from her if she continues to no give us the required time to prepare them, as this happens almost every time. So far she has called in way in advance, after we "ruined" her party because she can't plan.

[Imogene]

When I worked for Chesterfield, I was told, about two months before it closed, to not say, "We can hold that movie for you for one day."
No, it became, "We can hold that for twenty four hours."
What's the difference? Nothing, but how it's said.

[Fiyero]

Where I work we often have to ask people to call back in 48 hours (if there is a technical problem for example. I will always say what day that is (e.g. "please call back in 48 hours, that will be Wednesday). I am still shocked how many people ask if they can call back tomorrow (or just do anyway, like we won't know).

The most annoying thing is there is no real reason why it is 48 hours, it just is.

[going gaga]

We can hold items for customers, but I'm still amazed how often, even though their told we can only hold then for a couple of days some will still show up after this period and be outraged at the fact we haven't kept it longer than they were told.
(we give them the date when they reserve it, and keep a record of it)

I had one last week who showed up a week laterthan the pick up date, unimpressed that the item in question had been put back on the shop floor for sale.

[texasbelle5]

I think 24 hours is a very short time frame to pick up a raincheck, and would undoubtedly lead to even more customer suckiness, albeit justified in this case. And who ends up having to deal with said suckiness? Poor retail slave. your company's retail policy sucks. You guys pay the price.

[Cyphr]

ina furniture store 24 hours isnt so bad besides it sounds like so long as they don't get sopld off it might still be there. My opinion is if your furniture shopping you aren't about to go to disneyland...

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I think 24 hours is a very short time frame to pick up a raincheck, and would undoubtedly lead to even more customer suckiness, albeit justified in this case. And who ends up having to deal with said suckiness? Poor retail slave. your company's retail policy sucks. You guys pay the price.

I think it's fine. It's not even as if we enforce it that closely. If I see raincheck items in furniture I give them almost a week before yanking the raincheck.

Plus we also have no way of knowing whether the customer picked up a similar item someplace else and won't want ours anymore.

There's really no good reason why one needs to wait a week before picking up an item we're holding for them. Especially if it's something small like bookcases which don't require a truck or van to pick up.

Right now in our backroom we have a treadmill that we had to put together because the customer said they wouldn't buy it unless they got to try it out first. So we had to assemble the thing and hold it in the backroom for the customer--who still hasn't showed up. And that was weeks ago.

[Sliceanddice]

personaly i would say its enough time call and say "Im unable to pick it tomorrow cause i hjave work but can i pick it up on..... please?" most times they get a yeap we will hold it until ..... but please be aware no later. not that that would help much for SCs