Yay, this crap again! Or why I despise system launches

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I've been through it with the Wii (twice), I've been through it with the Playstation 3, now I am going through it again...



Earlier this month, Microsoft announced a new Xbox model and they showed up in stores only three days following this announcment. I think three days is way too short a time period between announcment and release and I have good reason for thinking so.

The arrival of the new systems caused the following chain of events:

- Corporate decides we aren't going to take deposits on the systems, then changes their mind AFTER we sell through our first shipment.

- Corporate announces a trade up program that doesn't work at first, then does work only to get changed again two days later.

- As a result of the trade up program NOT working at first, we had to manually change the trade values item by item (not fun on a 10 piece trade), causing longer lines and waits.

- The documents we have about the deposit program from corporate contain THREE different anticipated delivery dates for the systems, causing confusion both for us and the customers.

I also have to put with the following every day:

- A constant deluge of phone calls from customers asking if we have any systems in or when we might be getting them.

- Customers who accuse me and my coworkers of hoarding systems for ourselves or making sure our friends and family are at the top of the list.

- Customers upset at ME for not getting more 360s in my store, because of course I secretly work for Microsoft and have a direct satellite link to their factory.

- Complaints from customers about trade values being inaccurate. I don't blame them for this, the confusion over the program has made it nearly impossible for us to get it right consistently.

- Complaints about inaccurate info regarding shipping. We don't have any official dates aside from the THREE different ones corporate gave us. If you're pissed, call the 800 number, I can't do anything about it.

Interestingly, a lot of these came together in the form of one series of interactions with the same SC.

As always, it started off innocently enough. The SC calls to find out when she might get her Xbox, I check the computer and it's here our tale begins...

Me: Ok, I see you're number 5 in line, that means you should probably have your system by the end of the week, if not earlier.
SC: Well then we have a problem here because I should be number 2.
Me: I have the list in front of me and It shows-
SC: No! I am number two! When I called about putting the deposit down the guy told me I would be number two!

I do some investigating and discover that between when she called and when she actually came in to pay, three other people had paid, thus ending up ahead of her in line. I explain this to her...

SC: Let me say this again. I am NUMBER two, NOT five and I will be furious if you sell *my* xbox to someone else.
Me: The computer will not let me change the order of-
SC: Then I need to speak to a manager. NOW.
Me: I don't think even a manager can-
SC: I said get me a manager!

So I do and she argues back and forth with the SC for about 10 minutes before eventually deciding to...*sigh*...move the customer to the second spot in the line. (I know, I know, I don't know why she did it...)

So a little later on that night the SC comes into pick up her console and who do you think had the pleasure of dealing with her?

If you said me, congratulations you in a cookie.

She brings a bunch of 360 stuff and lays it on the counter.

SC: I have the system and these three extra controllers for bonus credit.
Me: Actually you'll only get extra credit for two of the controllers, the other is taken in as part of the system trade.
SC: (in a tone that made it sound like I insulted her mother) No it's not.
Me: Actually it -
SC: (she just LOVES cutting me off!) No! I got an email from you people that said ALL the controllers are taken in for extra!
(I seriously doubt this as we ALWAYS require a controller for a system trade, but I wouldn't put it past corporate to send out an email that could be misinterpreted)
Me: Ok, do you have a copy of this email?
SC: No, I do not (of course, how silly of me to think you'd come prepared), but it SPECIFICALLY stated the controllers were all extra.
Me: Well I'm sorry they're not.
SC: Yes they are! That's what the email said and that's what I expect you to honor.
Me: Well the thing is ma'am--
SC: The controllers are EXTRA!! I know what I read, you obviously don't know how this is supposed to work.
Me: Ma'am, I WORK here, I think I DO know how this is supposed to work.

She says nothing for a moment, I think I surprised a bit by my response...

So I go and gather up the three documents we have regarding the system trade ins and all of them clearly the state the console MUST be taken in with a controller. This satisfies her to where she drops the issue, aside from complaining about the confusing email she supposedly received.

So I tally everything up and give her a total.

SC: No that's wrong.

I look everything over again to make sure I got it right, since there have been issues with this lately, but everything seems in order.

Me: I don't see any problems.
SC: The system is showing as trading in for $XXX, it should be $YYY.
Me: The promotion was for $XXX, that's what you got.
SC: A friend of mine did this last week and told me he got $YYY for his.
Me: That's possible, due to a system problem we had to manually boost the trade credit on the systems and that caused another promotion to stack with the 360 trade up deal when it shouldn't have since promotions cannot be combined, so yes some people got a little more than they should have but as you can see *points to sheet* the trade in on the system should be $XXX which is what you got.
SC: But not what I deserve! I can't believe you people are making this so difficult.
Me: (Oh, WE are the difficult ones?? Really?) As I just said the extra credit last week was due to an error, you can see on our sales flyers for the promotion that you should be getting $XXX which you are.
SC: No I should be getting $YYY, which I'm NOT! Am I going to need to speak to a manager again?
Me: I'm the manager on duty right now ma'am and I say this is being handled correctly.
SC: Well, we'll see about that.

She whips out her cellphone and calls the corporate number, who direct me to give her our Regional manager's office number. She calls and gets a voicemail. Not good enough. So she calls corporate again and chews them out again. They offer to send her a gift card for the trade difference but she refuses, so coroprate directs me to get in contact with my store manager to find a resolution.

I call him and I'll give you ONE guess how this all turned out...

Yep, after all the complaints and bitching and rudeness....she GOT the credit boost she didn't deserve!

Yay for system launches!

[Mystic]

Couldn't you have just not sold it to her at all? Shops reserve the right to not sell things to people. I'm sure her sale would have gladly been taken by another person. ehehe

[Despina83]

WHY do managers contnue to give in to people like this??! My God, grow a backbone, people!

[JustaCashier]

SC: No! I am number two!

Well, I certainly can't argue with that, ma'am!

SC: No I should be getting $YYY......

Actually, you should be getting this:

....and this:

Mike

[mattm04]

WHY do managers contnue to give in to people like this??! My God, grow a backbone, people!

Except the Corporate overlords seem to think that bending over to please SCs is good for business. Yet the people who follow the rune get screwed because Corp/managers what to please the SC's.

We have one SC who will complain that the sale prices are wrong when they use a old flier. Store mgmt refuses to give them, but thye always call Corp and get gift cards for the difference.

[Hyndis]

A lot of it depends on the margins. For some things the margins are razor thin. Food and electronics tend to have razor thin margins. This means that giving the person discounts like that is actually selling things below cost!

And yes, sometimes electronics actually are sold below cost. A lot of those sales are like that, such as on Newegg? Below manufacturing costs. For one of the items we make, it costs about $90 to make one. You can buy it for $85 on Newegg if its on sale, and yet people will still bitch and moan about the price.

For other things that have a larger margin there is more room to haggle if need be, but for many, many items the price is the price because the margins are so thin. Its being sold for barely above cost anyways.

Why would I want to lose money selling something?

[KabeRinnaul]

WHY do managers contnue to give in to people like this??! My God, grow a backbone, people!

In theory, giving in on the discount now means they'll stay on as regular customers and eventually the store comes out ahead as the SC continues to do business with the store. Look at it this way:

Scenario 1: Customer demands a $20 discount on an item, taking it below cost. Manager gives in to the demand. Over the next month, customer keeps coming back and spends enough in the store to generate $30 profit. Store's ahead $10.

Scenario 2: Customer demands a $20 discount on an item, taking it below cost. Manager refuses the discount, and customer quits shopping at the store. The customer would have spend enough to generate $30 profit over the next month, but now those sales have been lost. Store's (effectively) down $30.

However, that's just the idea. We're all more used to...

Scenario 3 (Reality): Customer demands a $20 discount on an item, taking it below cost. Manager gives in to the demand. Over the next month, customer keeps coming back and, emboldened by their previous success, keeps demanding more discounts. Through tenacity and precedent, keeps getting items below cost. Store winds up down $50-$100.

[Mike Taylor]

I consider myself fortunate that my console customers are reasonably sane people. Even the wanna-be scammers I deal with don't go as apeshit as CrazedClerk the 2nd's legit customers do.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Couldn't you have just not sold it to her at all? Shops reserve the right to not sell things to people. I'm sure her sale would have gladly been taken by another person. ehehe

Unfortunately since my assistant manager (who outranks me) said we would sell it to her I was obligated to sell it when she came in. If I hadn't I probably would have gotten in trouble for not following the managers directive.

[Dreamstalker]

Why would I want to lose money selling something?

You'll see this repeated ad nauseum on the Ebay boards when buyers message sellers with "You have this priced at $70 and I know it's rare but I want it for $20, it didn't cost you that much you probably got it at a yard sale"...I also know it's rare, so no thanks. If I was taking offers the listing would say so. It does but your crap offer was rejected? There's probably a reason for that.

You also hear this on Amazon, although buyers there seem to understand the seller-fee structure a bit better.

[EvilEmpryss]

Scenario 3 (Reality): Customer demands a $20 discount on an item, taking it below cost. Manager gives in to the demand. Over the next month, customer keeps coming back and, emboldened by their previous success, keeps demanding more discounts. Through tenacity and precedent, keeps getting items below cost. Store winds up down $50-$100.

Quoted for truth! I've seen this over and over and over....

[EricKei]

GAH. Hit wrong key. comp ate post. Now you get the short, SHORT version...

Was there for 360 and Halo 3 launches. 3 days after store reopened after Katrina. I sympathize.

Tired of joke, or are you giving it out: -- "The new 360: No More RROD! ... Why...? They removed the red LED..."

[Fire_on_High]

A lot of it depends on the margins. For some things the margins are razor thin. Food and electronics tend to have razor thin margins. This means that giving the person discounts like that is actually selling things below cost!

Truth. Few weeks ago I had to obtain a new computer unexpectedly and QUICKLY, since it was a replacement for the firewall, NAT, and a few other crucial things.

Rather than buying some boxed piece of crap I went to a local shop and got one ordered since I wanted to run a specific OS on it and *needed* a few specific capabilites. The lady ordered in the parts overnight and set up the mobo for me, while I did the rest of the assembly and setup. No labor charge, just the parts.

Frankly I have no idea how they keep the lights on with the prices she gave me on everything....knowing what things cost, she made $5 on the cpu, BEFORE the cost of any shipping, let alone overnight, and that was the biggest take of the lot.

[mikoyan29]

WHY do managers contnue to give in to people like this??! My God, grow a backbone, people!

Because they can pass along all the "savings" to the people that don't bitch and whine about every price.

[Oser Prillan]

I could see why people got the Xbox 360 Slim model, if their previous console broke on them, but seriously, if it ain't broke, then stick with what you have (I still have the old Elite model, and it's going strong)