Does **** have it?

[Department stores *sigh*]

Havent seen a thread about this so I felt this rant would be ok.

One question I cant stand from customer is 'Does **** have it?'

Yes sir I make it a daily job of mine to look at all the stock in my wal*mart-like department store and make sure to know the current stock of every store in the city limits.

My worst exchange went something like this...

Me: ^^
SC: get a clue :/

SC: Do you have x item in stock?
Me: No, sorry, all sold out of it.
SC well do you know if home depot carries it?
Me: Ummm sorry im not sure what their stock is.
SC: So they have it?
Me: Sir I have no idea what they have.
Sc: So they got it.
Me: No clue sir....

Anyone else get this all the time as well and have any interesting stories?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Actually, while there is someone in that conversation with "no clue", I'm pretty sure it ain't you.

[Hon'ya-chan]

Constantly. Bonus points if it's a store that you'd never be caught dead in.

I swear, people think I inhabit Christian Bookstores, Tourist Traps, and even Porn Shops. And I know that X store will have Y item.

[powerboy]

Oh yeah, we are always getting that at our store.

They always ask if Best Buy has it.

[uknz76]

I get this every week. As we have 3 big book stores in 3 blocks we just send the idiots to one of the other stores. Unfortunately the others do the same to us.
As a result we also get:

I was just in [other store] and they say you have xxxx.

Yeah right!

[GingerBiscuit]

I don't like it, but I don't really mind. If we don't havbe anything, there are two places within walking distance that might, so I tell them that, but I make it very clear to them that I am not certain of it. What I hate are people who were told by 'the other place' that we
1: have obscure item in stock
2: can tell them what not to take with their medication...
etc etc.

Example:
SC: Hi, I'm looking for an insomnia remedy suitable for diabetics. Preferably a drink or something (diabetes is a condition we are NOT allowed to reccomend for, it is against th law. We can sell diabetic-friendly foods, but are not allowed to tell them that a herbal remedy is ok)
Me: I'm sorry, but I can't reccomend anything for diabetes...
SC: But *chemists* SAID you would knoooow!
Me: I'm sorry, but things have to be checked with a doctor before you take any herbal remedy along with diabetes, and if we don't tell you that and sell you something....
Sc: *cuts in* THEN I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN TOLD TO COME HERE, SHOULD I!

[Broomjockey]

oooooooo yeah. I'd get this all the time at First Theatre.

Me: Sorry X is sold out.
SC: Oh, well is it playing anywhere else?
Me: I dunno. Probably Y Theatre on the other side of town. They usually get similar movies.
SC: What time are they playing it?
Me: I dunno. They're a different company. You can check the newspaper over there. It'd have a listing of all the theatres.
SC: Okay. Can I buy a ticket here for there?
Me: They. Are. A. Different. Company.
SC: Can you tell me if they're sold out?
Me: *head asplode*

[BookstoreEscapee]

I swear, people think I inhabit Christian Bookstores, Tourist Traps, and even Porn Shops. And I know that X store will have Y item.

Or XXX store will have Y item, as the case may be

B&N has a link on their system where you can see if a nearby store has an item in stock. Then we can offer to call and make sure it's there and ask them to hold it. We never ever ever tell a customer that <other> store has it, though. It's always "<other> store may have it, would you like me to call and check?" But you can only see the nearest 5 or so stores in most cases (well, my 2 stores have 5, anyway).

[RammsteinGirl]

WTF, these people actually think you're going to call competitors' stores to find out if they have an item?

[BookstoreEscapee]

WTF, these people actually think you're going to call competitors' stores to find out if they have an item?

I've been asked if we can call Waldenbooks in the mall across the street from Store1. B&N owns B. Dalton (which we used to be able to call, when they were still there), not Waldenbooks.

[Catwoman2965]

I get that, but while doing a store search, to see if any other of our stores have what the customer is looking for. First off, we generally search by district, as that's most of the stores in our area. It's a pain, since you have to search each item's color and size separately. So say a customer is looking for a pair of black pants, in size 10 - you punch in the item number, color and size, and voila, the computer tells you who MIGHT have it.

I will say to them "this store and that store might have it" - depending on how many they show. If its only 1, slim chance, as our inventory is only updated once every 24 hours. But I will still call for them, no problem.

The issue is when yous say "store a and b might have it - and they ask "well, what about the catalog or store c?" Um, if that was a possibilty, don't you think I would have mentioned it? and some of them will ask you several time, the same thing!

[greensinestro]

I like it when I'm on the phone telling a customer a certain service is not offered, such as DSL and Broadband. Or, the ones who say, "What? That price is outrageous!" All of this is followed up with "Can you tell me who has a better price?" or "Well, doesn't XYZ Service offer DSL?" How the hell would I know this stuff? Call them yourself!

[Shengirl]

Yeah, that's terrible. Usually customers just ask me things like, "do you know anyplace that might have it?" which is entirely understandable. There's no DEMAND that I know. And it's especially understandable when our Western Union or Money Order machine is broken.

I'm lucky, though. Different branches of our franchise are pretty close together, so I can call another one to see, for instance, if they have enough of the customer's assigned baby formula to fill her WIC voucher. People really appreciate that, at least the reasonable ones.

[Starlord]

When I got out of high school, I went to work for White Castle. I lost track of the number of people who would come in and ask for a Big Mac or a Whopper. Usually it went like this:
SC: I want a Big Mac, fries and coke.
ME: Sorry, this is White Castle, McDonald's is down the street.
SC: You mean you won't sell me a Big Mac?
ME: That's right, this is White Castle, home of the slider.
SC: Well, you should put up a sign then.
ME: Pardon me, a sign?
SC: Yes, a sign that you do not sell Big Macs here
ME: the white building shaped like a castle, the overpowering smell of cooking onions, and people carrying out sacks of little white boxes should be a clue.
SC:Well, the next time I want a Big Mac, I won't be coming back here, and I'll tell your manager you refused to serve me'
ME: Hey, I will sell you all the White Castles you want
SC: But I want a Big Mac
ME: Then for cryin' out loud, go to the McDonald's down the street

The guy stomps out in a huff, "Well, I won't be coming back here again. "Is that a promise?"

[digilight]

I get this from time to time but I dont mind it normaly. With the type of business I do, I have forged relationships with a few other area shops that do similar work but along slightly different lines. Theres a shop around the corner that specializes in anything film related. They do films and separations for printers (to make plates from), they also do photo restaration work as well as photo developing for professional photographers and can deal with pretty much anything picture/photo/film. I have another guy who has a local shop that is strictly color copies and also has a shop in the valley (about 50 miles east of here) that is a large press shop that does 4-color work.

We all send each other work that we dont do ourselves. The color copy guy has sent me thousands in referal work, and I do all my color work thru him as well as sending folks to him from time to time.

But there is a difference between what we do, and going into target and asking if kmart has any ps3's in stock.