Magazines...

[k386trl]

So a few years back I had the job of merchandising magazines. Basically you go around the store, Walmart or Stop & Shop, remove all of the old magazines and put new ones up. You are an independent contractor (so you don't work for the store) but the money is pretty good. Anyways, doing this in the early morning leads to a lot of senior SCs. I'll give you guys a few decent stories as people are WEIRD about their magazines.

Tv Guides
Lets just say a lot of the older crowd LOVE their TV Guides (If anyone doesn't know, its a magazine that you buy that lists whats on TV). This is fine until TV Guide decided to change their distribution day, which meant we had to rearrange our distribution schedule,what a mess. First week this happened:
OL:Old Lady
Me:
OL: Are the TV Guides out yet?
Me: I apologize but they have changed their distribution day and we haven't conformed to their new schedule yet. They will be in the stores tomorrow and will be here on Thursdays from now on.
OL: No, I need a TV Guide, where are they?
Me: I'm sorry ma'am but I don't have any right now, you may get one tomorrow.
OL: No, you don't understand, I NEED my TV guide, go get me one.
Me: Ma'am I've explained this, I don't have any, have a nice day.
OL: But I NEEEEDD it, today! Aren't there any in back?
Me: No!
I then walk to the back and start doing some paperwork. She harassed the store manager saying I was rude (nothing they can do, I don't work for them) Then she flips out and leaves.

Hope you all enjoyed, I'll have a few more stories for you later, magazines are a weird business...

[chops]

OL: But I NEEEEDD it, today! Aren't there any in back?

*facepalm*

I've never seen any place that ever keeps magazines "in back."

Then again, I know that makes sense, and we all know about things that make sense...

[marasbaras]

What is it with some people .. when was the last time ANY store had ANYTHING "in back"?

[CorDarei]

so tv guide is essentially her crack?

[Gurndigarn]

so tv guide is essentially her crack?

No, the TV is her crack. The TV guide is her pusher.

I think Bill Watterson summed it up perfectly:
Calvin: "Marx said that religion was the opiate of the masses. I wonder what that means?"
TV: "It means he hadn't seen anything yet."

[crazylegs]

What is it with some people .. when was the last time ANY store had ANYTHING "in back"?

At the chemist I worked at we had around a thrid of our stock 'out back', for some lines it was the only way not a run out was to have such a huge amount of over stock so you could replenish during the day, it wasn't just drugs but random stuff like water filter cartridges and certain large bulky items.

[Slytovhand]

OL: No, you don't understand, I NEED my TV guide, go get me one.

Summon TV Guide I... "here you go".

Why are people so idiotic to not understand the concept that "But I need" doesn't actually change localised reality???

[smileyeagle1021]

my equivilant to the "out back" question is the "don't you have any spare rooms"... or my personal favorite "if you were doing your job well you would keep a few rooms unsold just for this reason" um, no, my job is to sell every room if possible.
and back to the op... clearly this lady had no idea that she could get the exact same thing online for FREE at tvguide.com... for the life of me I don't know why people still buy the paper version

[Hotfoot]

What is it with some people .. when was the last time ANY store had ANYTHING "in back"?

Video Game stores sometimes have things in the back that were not put in the front for various reasons. Back before they had proper computer inventories that the staff would check, sometimes people would check the back room for various things and actually get them.

A limited example, but it can happen.

[friendofjimmyk]

What is it with some people .. when was the last time ANY store had ANYTHING "in back"?

That would be in San Francisco during the summer of love. At one time, a grocery chain existed that only put out one of every item that they offered...thereby keeping the majority of their inventory "in back". The purpose of this practice was to make employees feel as if they are doing extra special customer service tasks by fetching needed items from the back of the store thereby also making the customer feel valued - as if they were holding the item specifically for them! -

However, some local hippies decided that wouldn't do - everyone should feel valued and everyone, should, like have a choice man! So, they staged like a groovy sit-in, blocking the store entrance untill all available merchandise was placed out making it accesible for everyone. Oh - and they handed out flowers - oh - and hits of LSD. Ever since then, stores across this great nation have put all merchandise out for everyone!!!

However, you'll still get the few old biddies that believe the backroom is a magical fantasy land where its a "bottomless" warehouse of inventory and nothing ever runs out!!!



Now, if you believe all that, I have some prime land in the Florida Everglades I'd like to sell ya!

[powerboy]

What is it with some people .. when was the last time ANY store had ANYTHING "in back"?

When I worked for Walmart, things were in the back. When I worked for Office Max, things are in the back. Hell, where I work at now, gasp, things are in the back.

[TNT]

Not long ago, my sister went to buy a DVD player. There were none of the one she wanted on display, but the salesman said, "I've got some in the back." Sister is now a True Believer in the "in the back" theory of life.

[Andara Bledin]

What is it with some people .. when was the last time ANY store had ANYTHING "in back"?

When I was a kid, we had a local supermarket with somewhat lazy stock people. Nearly everything would be put out on the shelves, except for the heavy stuff. So any time I was sent to fetch some bottled water, I'd have to hunt down a clerk and make them get me one from the back.

^-.-^

[k386trl]

so tv guide is essentially her crack?

Exactly! With some of the older crowd, TV Guide is worse than crack. Its just a magazine with show times in it, the same information is on the internet, in the newspaper, and on the TV if you have digital! I never understood why they loved it so much.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Now, if you believe all that, I have some prime land in the Florida Everglades I'd like to sell ya!

I'll raise ya a bubble for a spirit level! XD

When I worked in the pet section and people asked me the dreaded question, I'd reply, "Hold on, I'll go check," walk out to the staff area, chill for a few minutes then go back and say, "No, sorry." Well, when I told the truth, ie that we had no back room, they didn't believe me!