Don't ask me if you already know!

[Cyanocobalamin]

So this lady is looking for pink envelopes to match the letterhead she picked out. We have one kind of pink envelope, but of course it is the wrong shade and size. I take her over to where the business envelopes are kept and sure enough, no pink envelopes.

Her: Well where CAN I find pink envelopes?
Me: Um, well Store X might have them or Store Y across town. They have a great selection of specialty papers.
Her: Forget it, I'm not driving all the way over there. *sigh* That new stationery store carries them, I'll just go there.

People, I work HERE! I know what we do and do not have!! It isn't my responsibility to know exactly what ANOTHER store has. I'm happy to make suggestions but I don't guarantee a customer will find what they want if they don't find it here.

[AmericanZero8503]

It's even better because we have 3 other stores in town, I work for a grocery store chain. People will call and ask me for something, if we're out they're like "Do you think the one on morgan has some in?" Sure let me just use my magical cross town teleporter and do a check. I agree, I know what we have...I don't know about all the stores. DAMN!

[Imogene]

I remember, vaguely, one night at Chesterfield, I'm working with the new SM, and a lady walks into the store, looks at the SM, then at me, and asks, "Do you guys know when Halo 2 is coming out?"
M: "Uh, we're a movie store..."
H: "Yes, but you both looked like you play video games."
M: *to myself* "Damnit, am I projecting again? Or not enough time in the tanning booth?"
SM: "August whatever-th... but GameStop could help you better than we can."

[Cyanocobalamin]

Quoth AmericanZero8503

my magical cross town teleporter and do a check.

Yes indeed. As if I can miraculously log onto a different company's inventory system. I can check inventory on any of MY company's store in the nation but unfortunately, that is the extent of my stock-checking ability.

Or, if my store (in Bellevue) doesn't carry an item, does the one in Redmond/ Issaquah/(insert other Seattle-area location) have it?

*grunt* It RARELY happens, like once every 5 years that a one store will get in something and another won't. All our stores carry the same items but on-hand quantities vary greatly, depending on store size and volume.