"But I only want ONE!" (AARRGG!!!)

[Dave1982]

I am really.....REALLY getting sick of this.

I believe I mentioned recently that I've been getting more people than usual lately who want ONE of something that's only sold in multi-packs, typically pens.

Well, it's almost reaching a fever pitch. I've been off for the past two days, and this is still irritating me.

-A guy straight out of "Grumpy Old Men" wanted ONE green pen. Green is at least a common enough color that you can get the cheap, basic Bics in green, but you still can't buy just one. Most of the single-pack pens we sell are in the "Fine Writing" category that you pay $20 or more for. The rest are gimmicky and only come in blue and black. Well, this guy kept whining about only wanting one. DUDE! The 12 pack of Bics is $2. Two lousy bucks. Just buy it and get out of my hair. He left without buying anything, and could not understand why he couldn't "just buy ONE."

-Same day, and another casting reject from "Grumpy Old Men." This time he wants a PURPLE pen. Only two ways I can do that for you: the Pentel RSVP Violet 5 pack, or one of several 8 color multipacks that includes purple. Oh, you just want one? Well, tough.

-Cardstock. Seriously. Someone wanted just one piece of CARDSTOCK.....ie PAPER. Give me a friggin' break. At least I could send her to the copy center for that, but COME ON.

-Silver Sharpies.

-Highlighters

-Dry erase markers.

GOD!!!! This is not the freaking drug store stationery rack, OK? You can NOT buy things that way here. STOP ASKING!!!!!

[trailerparkmedic]

Who thinks they can go to an office supply store and only buy one item? You would never make enough money off single Bics to support the store.

I would have been mean and offered to sell them the one piece for the price of the whole package.

[Aethian]

I love purple pens...I love purple period.

I have seen silver sharpies however, but it was in a craft store that was asking about 15 bucks for it.

[Android Kaeli]

At Random Craft Store we do have, in fact, single pens for sale but they are more for scrapbooking then actual writing on normal paper. We do, in fact, carry single silver Sharpies, but they are like $3 a piece. o.o

Always seem to get the people who need X amount of something, but have to buy several packs of it to get what they want or just under/over it and don't understand/like it when they can't just take the paper out of one pack and buy it.

[MelodiousBubbles]

See, I HOARD pens. I'm very particular about my pens, so when I find them, I buy them. That, and the fact that I can buy a hundred freakin' pens and they'll all be gone within days, if not hours.

I like the Pilot Precise V5's, myself. At least I'm not picky about color?

[jjllbb]

What is this need for a SINGLE pen in an annoyingly specific color?

There must be some kind of scavenger hunt going on. Only thing i can think of.

[Patty28]

Same with birthday cake candles, bloke went mental because he wanted 13 and they are sold in packs of 12. Said they should be sold in age packs. I was leaving that job so said to him do you honestly think they are going to package candles in packs of one to 80, get real and buy 2 packs and next year you will only need to buy one pack.

I loved that job in my last week. CWs always got me to deal with the difficult customers
Patty

[jackfaire]

How to get a pen free from your boss

My company buys boxes of cheap BIC pens. I have a habit of chewing on my pens done it for years. My boss comes over to my desk to go over a file I am working on. I picked up the bic pen he brought without thinking about it. He freezes looks at me with a WTF look on his face,

"Did you just put my pen in your mouth?"

I was mortified. He told me to keep it and I was so glad that it was a cheap pen and not a really nice one.

[cinema guy]

Same with birthday cake candles, bloke went mental because he wanted 13 and they are sold in packs of 12. Said they should be sold in age packs. I was leaving that job so said to him do you honestly think they are going to package candles in packs of one to 80, get real and buy 2 packs and next year you will only need to buy one pack.

If the kid blows them out quick and you look after them, you will be sorted till he/she turns 24.

[Dreamstalker]

My all-time favorite pens are Japanese. Yes, they're $3/piece, but J-List does have a "bulk" discount. They're the only place I can find erasable pens, at least now.

[draftermatt]

Maybe they were hoping you'd just give them one since the Bics are so cheap?

Granted how do you sell an 11 pack but some people don't care.

[EricKei]

The only time I've seen single pens (aside from the "nice" pens) are for highlighters or Sharpies, and those are usually in a humongous bin...Anything else, suck it up and buy a pack.

[Andara Bledin]

Sure, you can buy a single one. It's the same price as the 12-pack, but at least you won't have extras to store/toss.

I like the Pilot Precise V5's, myself. At least I'm not picky about color?

Mm, my old boss loved those. But he'd usually go with the V7's instead, which baffles me, because he would kill the tips on them because he pressed so hard.

My company buys boxes of cheap BIC pens. I have a habit of chewing on my pens done it for years.

A co-irker does that. His manager once picked a pen up from her desk and a stream of saliva poured out the back of it.

she now puts cardstock cones on the back of her pens. It keeps him from chewing on them, and it keeps people from wandering off with them.

^-.-^

[CRXPanda]

Here's what I do.

Tell them you have singles and the price is $(same price as the multi pack), If their logic-quotient is low, they will accept. Enter the sku from the package, sell it to them, and if they pay you for it, remove the one they wanted, hand it to them, thank them and give them the receipt. If they have an epiphany before they pay for it, then give them the package. Sometimes you just give the customer what they want no matter how their perception leans to the idiotic. Remember, you can't fix stupid... but you can make them walk away happy in their invisible Imperial Clothing...

[Mr Hero]

Dave if I came to your store, what would you charge me for one m&m fron the checkout aisle? Could you also ring me up for one stick of gum?