Since when do we carry...

[fireheart]

Monopoly?

That was asked by a customer tonight...not to me. To my coworker.

OK, given that we're a semi-isolated store, I can understand being asked for DVDs, the odd toy, and even eskies and umbrellas (both of which we do carry, albeit in small sizes) but seriously....Board games?

We're a supermarket.

So...share your stories of the weirdest things you've been asked for at your store/company?

[Gerrinson]

Up until about 5 years ago, all of our local grocery stores had Toy departments that carried board games and such. Granted, I'm in the US, so maybe that's never been the case on your weird upside down continent.

But that's not really an odd question here.

[ShadowTiger]

Spices for food. We're a hardware store.

Although we do have candy snacks up front by the registers. D: And one of them is a bag of "spice drops." Huh.


Some guy once asked us if we sold cars. After some confusion, he apparently meant car keys. We were happy to oblige.

[fireheart]

Up until about 5 years ago, all of our local grocery stores had Toy departments that carried board games and such. Granted, I'm in the US, so maybe that's never been the case on your weird upside down continent.

But that's not really an odd question here.

We do have a toy section at work, but it is very very small. It only takes up about a third of one side of the aisle.

[Darkforge]

Quite a lot of supermarkets here in the Uk have small toy sections, I know last night I was passing through seasonal and they had loads of differen board games, operation, ker-plunk, hungry hippos etc, but I didn't see any monopoly.

[MadMike]

Spices for food. We're a hardware store.

I worked at a similar type of business, and someone asked where the dog food was. When I told them we didn't sell it, they insisted that we "used to." Since I was fairly new there, I didn't argue. I just told them that must have been before I worked there.

[infinitemonkies]

I work night shift in a hotel. I get a ton of people who assume hotel = convenience store. I don't mean guests who are staying in the hotel, I mean random people walking by who seem to believe if we're open, we must have in stock whatever the hell it is they're looking for.

I get asked all the time if we sell cigarettes, booze and/or serve food. Several times I've been asked if we sold umbrellas, enough in fact that we should probably consider it.

The oddest though, is I once had a guy who seemed completely sober, come in at about 5:30 in the morning, wanting to buy a jacket.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I think the strangest one was about 10 years ago when I had an older customer ask me if we carried boom boxes.

How the heck he mistook a Winn-Dixie grocery store for a RadioShack is beyond me . . .

[Android Kaeli]

Anything that has to do with curtains, bedroom sets, drills and drill bits, DVD's and other assorted electronics, kitchen appliances, and things for the bathroom. Even was asked if we sold computers.

And I work in a craft store.

[RxBoy]

Several years ago I was in the car with my grandmother. We were in line at the drive-thru at McDonald's. When it was our turn to order, she ordered our food like anyone would. Then she proceeded to ask if, by chance, they had clothespins for sale! The clerk laughed quite loudly and my grandma got mad at her.

Once we got our food and pulled away, I scolded my grandma for being mean to the clerk. I'm sure she thought it was a joke afterall. Why on earth would McDonald's sell clothespins??? When I asked this of my grandmother, she replied that she needed some and was hoping that maybe she could get them there and not have to drive several miles to Kmart to buy them. I felt bad that she got laughed at, but it really was kind of funny. She passed away several years ago and I still laugh when I think of that day.

[infinitemonkies]

Oh yeah! Android Kaeli's post reminded of one I'd forgotten about.

We had a woman call into the hotel one morning wanting to rent our photocopier for a month for her home business. Apparently she called us instead of an office supply store because she needed it right away and none of them would be open for another half hour or so. Also, she wanted us to deliver & set it up for her.

[sylvier]

Many years ago, we used to carry European "digestive aids" most of which were pretty high-octane. The LCB told us we couldn't sell these items anymore, which was too bad for some of our customers. When the neighbours are watching, it looks way better to be carrying in bags from the bakery rather than bags from the liquor store.

[Zippity Doo]

I wasn't working, but I was shopping in the comic book store when a customer came in and asked if they sold batteries. Now it was next door to a Radio Sack so that may have led to some confusion, but I would think it'd be obvious pretty quickly whether you were in a Radio Shack or a comic shop.

[Lots42]

Many years ago, we used to carry European "digestive aids" most of which were pretty high-octane. The LCB told us we couldn't sell these items anymore, which was too bad for some of our customers. When the neighbours are watching, it looks way better to be carrying in bags from the bakery rather than bags from the liquor store.

Dear neighbors. Save your bakery bags then. God, do I have to do everything around here?

[Shalom]

Weirdest thing I was ever asked for at Aid of Rite was an air conditioner. For all I know they might sell them now, I've seen them in the supermarket even, but they certainly didn't back in 2001. But that wasn't the weirdest part: they had a prescription for the fricking thing and wanted Medicaid to pay for it!

I told her no way, and she said But I neeed it! It's a medical necessity! (these types of customers always put at least 3 E's in "neeeed".)

I said, 1. We don't sell air conditioners here. 2. If we did, I couldn't fill a prescription for one because it's not in our computer. 3. If it was, we wouldn't be able to bill for it because it's not a pharmacy item. 4. Their best bet was to go to a DME (durable medical equipment) provider, who are set up to bill for non-pharmacy items, and see what they would say. (Of course I knew darn well what the DME provider would say, but at least they'd be saying it elsewhere.)