Custy never worked in retail

[emax4]

A few nights ago before closing I had some 20-something kid and his friend come up in my line with three plumbing supplies and a ripped open bag of PVC 90-degree elbows. I explained to him that I couldn't sell him the bag of elbows since it was already opened. The loose pieces don't have a barcode meaning that they can't be sold individually out of the bag

SC: "I don't want the whole bag. Just the five pieces that are in there."
Me: "But sir, sir, I can't sell you those. The bag as sold as a whole."
SC: "But I don't want the whole bag, just the five."
Me: "But, like I said, I can't do that. We have single elbows for sale where these were at. If I ring any of these I have to charge you for the whole bag."
SC: "But someone else bought them."
Me: "Heh, yeah! They most likely stole them! Like I said, we have the individual pieces since most people may only need a few or less than ten."
SC: "I didn't see any individual pieces back there..."

By this time my line was getting longer and I was the only cashier. The head cashier comes over and backs me up, explains the same thing. I said, "How about this.. just go back to where these were at and find the loose ones, the PVC 90-degree 1/2" elbows" He begrudgingly agreed and I ring up the remaining customers. Then the guy comes back with no elbows and just a picture of the barcode.

Me: "Where are the pieces?"
SC: "They're in that bag."
Me: "SIR! I've already explained to you that i can't sell these since they're opened!!! You just... don't... get it do you?" (Yes, I said that. I wanted to also say, "You never worked a retail job, have you?", but I refrained...)

Finally I called a guy in plumbing asking about the pieces and the item number. Not only did he give me the item number but also offered to bring up five pieces so the customer wouldn't have to walk back there (You rock, plumbing guy!). So he comes up, explains it to the customer. I had already rang up the 5 loose pieces and the rest of his stuff, and he pays for it, but then...

...with the items in his bag, HE COMES AROUND TO MY SIDE AND TRIES TO GRAB THE LOOSE BAG OF ELBOWS!!!!

Me: "(SSIIIGHHHH) YOU'RE NOT GETTING THIS ALREADY!!! YOU GOT THE LOOSE PIECES..."

Defeated, the customer and his friend leaves. After they're out the door I say back at him, "You're welcome, and yes, I forgive you for your mistake.."

Serenity now... serenity now...

[Argabarga]

Brick wall customers.... Impervious to reason, logic, or even a patient explanation, and worst of all, they never learn.

$20 says he went home to his FB account and posted about the "rude" clerk at the store that "hassled me for NO reason! I was just trying to BUY something!!!"

[MelindaJoy77]

It didn't take me long to figure out that most customers know nothing about barcodes and inventory control. I get a kick out of watching a customer insist on searching for the barcode on something they're lifting up for me to scan when I could have found it in two seconds because I do this all day and I kind of know where they are

[strawbabies]

I bet he ripped that bag open himself.

[bainsidhe]

It didn't take me long to figure out that most customers know nothing about barcodes and inventory control.

*sigh* A lot of employees don't either. It always bothers me when I'm buying multiple flavors of something (like yogurt) and the cashier scans one, types a total quantity, then shoves everything into a bag. Maybe that's why the flavors I like never seem to be in stock.

[Firecrackers Not Included]

*sigh* A lot of employees don't either. That's why the flavors I like never seem to be in stock.

AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I Know Right?!?!
An endless corruption.
My own employees also. Sometimes I just want to take that 'Change Quantity' button away. But then I would HATE for my precious 'Change Quantity' button to be gone . Still, it won't help that certain kind of employee who will grab that first, closest yogurt and scan it seventeen times regardless of all six flavors you've placed before them.

[SimonF12009]

*sigh* A lot of employees don't either. It always bothers me when I'm buying multiple flavors of something (like yogurt) and the cashier scans one, types a total quantity, then shoves everything into a bag. Maybe that's why the flavors I like never seem to be in stock.

Yeah, before I moved to Tech Support, I was Stock Control and the number of times we had to tell cashiers to scan every item (yoghurt, soup, etc) because our stock counts were always off

[eltf177]

I bet he ripped that bag open himself.

My thought exactly!

[JustShootMe]

Yeah, before I moved to Tech Support, I was Stock Control and the number of times we had to tell cashiers to scan every item (yoghurt, soup, etc) because our stock counts were always off

Then you get the SC who says, "They're the same price. Just scan one. WHY DO I HAVE TO LIFT THAT HEAVY (WHATEVER) UP THERE?!?! I'm tired! That's why this takes so long! WAH!! WAH!!!

When I tell them it's for inventory control they usually shut up, but I've had the occasional one tell me "I don't CARE about inventory. I'm being inconveeeeeenienced." So I go around & lift it for them, scan & put it back on the cart. Then I hear, "No, I don't need help outside."

Let me get this straight: You got it in your cart. You can get it into the car without help. Apparently you can get it in your house. But you can't lift it onto the belt?!?! I'm not talking about cases of water. Those we can look up. I mean 12 packs of Cokes & the like.

Lazy MFer.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Yeah, before I moved to Tech Support, I was Stock Control and the number of times we had to tell cashiers to scan every item (yoghurt, soup, etc) because our stock counts were always off

We have this issue constantly with our cashiers over the multiple varieties. It got to the point where the Quantity key was disabled on the old keyboards to prevent that from happening.

Yet with our new system, there is a quantity key now on the screen (and handheld scanners, YAY!). So I wouldn't be surprised if the cashiers start using that again or use the handheld scanner to scan all the 12pk sodas as one flavor and really screw up our inventory numbers.

Bad enough they don't watch for folks who swap flavors on the 4 pack wine coolers or 6 pack flavored beverages (ie, Smirnoff Ice or Mike's Hard products.)

[Argabarga]

Once I had a cashier drag a 2ltr bottle of soda across the scanner, but it didn't register.

The cashier didn't notice until I pointed out it hadn't rung up.

They thanked me, but wanted to know why I was that insistent of fixing what was an 89 cent screwup (cheap house brand soda, on sale)

I looked right at them and said "I did inventory once, and the count will be off on next morning's report"

They just smiled.

[wolfie]

*sigh* A lot of employees don't either. It always bothers me when I'm buying multiple flavors of something (like yogurt) and the cashier scans one, types a total quantity, then shoves everything into a bag. Maybe that's why the flavors I like never seem to be in stock.

Buying packs of soda on sale, I had regular Coke and 7-up (the latter being a Pepsi-branded product). I put one pack of each on the belt and told the cashier I had 4 of each. She said I only needed to put up one, since they were the same price. Inventory at that store must be fun.

[emax4]

Inventory may be off, but has anyone ever gotten written up for it? If I have a different item that's the same kind, maybe just a different color, and three calls to the department of the item don't result in a phone being picked up, I'll just ring it as the other color. Why wait that long for something so miniscule that's only going to cause the line of customers to get longer?

[Catwoman2965]

I get that in my store - someone buys a size 8 pair of pants but needs to exchange for a 10 "but its an even exchange" yes, pricewise, but SKU no. Then I explain its a "different number" and they usually get it. But really?

The only time I'll do the "its all the same" is when I buy flavored seltzer. I will buy 15-20 bottles at a time, depending on what's on sale, and so on. But, i'll put one of each flavor up on the belt, and tell them specifically, I have 10 of this, and 10 of that, and so on. Never been an issue.

[Captain Trips]

Who gets the blame when the inventory is off? Not the cashier, they usually don't track who scanned 3 of one flavor instead of one of each three. No, it's the inventory company that is brought in quarterly/annually to reconcile the books - and if the sku counts don't match the store's records, sometimes many man-hours can be lost tracking down the discrepancy. And it's always the inventory company's fault, not the stockers/cashiers in the store.

I know, it was particularly bad at red-bullseye-stores. (I worked for the inventory company whose name sounds like either a northwest state, or a national capitol, but is actually headquartered here in Sandy Eggo.)