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So I work at the cash in a home furnishings store (we sell furniture in addition to small things like dishes, candles pictures for the wall, textiles, etc.)
We sometimes sell out of a product, leaving us with just the display model. When this happens, we can sometimes sell the display model as an as-is sale. In these situations, the customer needs to be given a sold from display form for me to fill out so we can keep our stock in check.
So this little gem happens when I'm working the self serve line. (keep in mind that each "pod"as we call them has 4 machine for customers to use)
additional info, or my thoughts are in italics.
The customer approaches the machine with a few items, including a stool that is obviously as is. She scans in her items, and then call me over because the stool has no barcode (obviously.)
SC: How do I scan this?
Me: That's a display model. You'll need to go to isle x bin xx to pick up one we have for sale.
SC: They told me in kitchens that this was the last one and that I could have it.
Me: OK, did they give you a form for it?
SC: No. Now this isn't all that unusual. Sometimes the coworker forgets to give them a form, especially if they are new to the job.
Me: OK, I'll just need to call the department to get permission to sell it.
So I call the department.
On the phone
Me: Hi. I have this display from your department. Do you have any more in stock?
Rep: No. We just have 2 displays left. You can sell that one.
Me: Thanks. Would you be able to bring up a sold from display from for me?
Rep: I'm pretty backed up here right now with customers. It would be fastest if they just came to get it themselves. Thanks.
Back to the customer. As I was on the phone, the customer had been looking over the stool
SC: I want another stool. This one's damaged. I look where she's pointing. Underneath the stool, the seem has started separating. Definately a valid complaint.)
Me: OK, well to be able to sell you a stool, I'd need to get a sold from display form. The kitchens department is pretty backed up, so it would be fastest if you went back there to get a form. While you're there, you can pick up the other stool.
SC: No, I'm in a hurry and I don't want to walk through the store and stand in line again.
Me: Well I can't sell it without the form, and it will take them longer to bring it up than for you to go get it. I'd be happy to hold on to your items and your place in line, so you can come straight back to me.
SC: Fine She obviously wasn't happy, but she seemed to get the idea that I wasn't selling her the stool without the form. She leaves in a huff to go get the form. She leaves her items, as I'd offered to hold on to them. I had a fairly lengthy line, so I void off her transaction to let the next customer in.
So after a few minutes she returns. Rather than holding a new stool and a form, she is holding a frying pan which comes from another department. She looks at the machine she was using and is pissed off when she sees other people on it.
Sc: Where's my machine? You said you'd hold on to it for me!
Me: I said I'd hold your place in line. I'm not holding a machine hostage while you're gone and I have a line. You get the first available machine. Even if I had held the actual machine for her, it would have timed out and voided the transaction on its own while she was gone.
SC: I can't believe this. I'm in a hurry and I don't want to be waiting.
as we are having this conversation, an machine opens up. It literally took less than 30 second from the time she came back.
Me: I can help you over here.
She stars rescanning her items, and then gets to the stool
SC: What about the stool?
Me: Did you get the form?
Sc: No. I'm in a hurry! to this day, I still can't remember why she didn't get the form when she went back. She actually had to walk past the kitchens department to pick up the frying pan, so I can't fathom a reason she wouldn't have the form.
Me: Well I can't sell it to you without the form.
SC: Fine!!!!
She scans the rest of her stuff and pays. As she's leaving, I hear this:
Sc: If you say you can sell me something, you should actually sell it:
Me: I'm happy to sell it to you. Just get me the form.
At that point she left in a huff.
But seriously lady, I'm not breaking the rules just for you to get a stool. And what are you doing at my store on a Saturday if you're in a rush? We're always busy, especially on Saturdays. And the store is big. We're not a drug store where you can be in and out in 5 minutes. Walking through the store alone is a half-kilometre trek, plus the time it takes you to actually find, get and pay for your items. You don't come here if you're already in a rush.
So I told a co-worker and she completely backed me up on how I handled it.
We sometimes sell out of a product, leaving us with just the display model. When this happens, we can sometimes sell the display model as an as-is sale. In these situations, the customer needs to be given a sold from display form for me to fill out so we can keep our stock in check.
So this little gem happens when I'm working the self serve line. (keep in mind that each "pod"as we call them has 4 machine for customers to use)
additional info, or my thoughts are in italics.
The customer approaches the machine with a few items, including a stool that is obviously as is. She scans in her items, and then call me over because the stool has no barcode (obviously.)
SC: How do I scan this?
Me: That's a display model. You'll need to go to isle x bin xx to pick up one we have for sale.
SC: They told me in kitchens that this was the last one and that I could have it.
Me: OK, did they give you a form for it?
SC: No. Now this isn't all that unusual. Sometimes the coworker forgets to give them a form, especially if they are new to the job.
Me: OK, I'll just need to call the department to get permission to sell it.
So I call the department.
On the phone
Me: Hi. I have this display from your department. Do you have any more in stock?
Rep: No. We just have 2 displays left. You can sell that one.
Me: Thanks. Would you be able to bring up a sold from display from for me?
Rep: I'm pretty backed up here right now with customers. It would be fastest if they just came to get it themselves. Thanks.
Back to the customer. As I was on the phone, the customer had been looking over the stool
SC: I want another stool. This one's damaged. I look where she's pointing. Underneath the stool, the seem has started separating. Definately a valid complaint.)
Me: OK, well to be able to sell you a stool, I'd need to get a sold from display form. The kitchens department is pretty backed up, so it would be fastest if you went back there to get a form. While you're there, you can pick up the other stool.
SC: No, I'm in a hurry and I don't want to walk through the store and stand in line again.
Me: Well I can't sell it without the form, and it will take them longer to bring it up than for you to go get it. I'd be happy to hold on to your items and your place in line, so you can come straight back to me.
SC: Fine She obviously wasn't happy, but she seemed to get the idea that I wasn't selling her the stool without the form. She leaves in a huff to go get the form. She leaves her items, as I'd offered to hold on to them. I had a fairly lengthy line, so I void off her transaction to let the next customer in.
So after a few minutes she returns. Rather than holding a new stool and a form, she is holding a frying pan which comes from another department. She looks at the machine she was using and is pissed off when she sees other people on it.
Sc: Where's my machine? You said you'd hold on to it for me!
Me: I said I'd hold your place in line. I'm not holding a machine hostage while you're gone and I have a line. You get the first available machine. Even if I had held the actual machine for her, it would have timed out and voided the transaction on its own while she was gone.
SC: I can't believe this. I'm in a hurry and I don't want to be waiting.
as we are having this conversation, an machine opens up. It literally took less than 30 second from the time she came back.
Me: I can help you over here.
She stars rescanning her items, and then gets to the stool
SC: What about the stool?
Me: Did you get the form?
Sc: No. I'm in a hurry! to this day, I still can't remember why she didn't get the form when she went back. She actually had to walk past the kitchens department to pick up the frying pan, so I can't fathom a reason she wouldn't have the form.
Me: Well I can't sell it to you without the form.
SC: Fine!!!!
She scans the rest of her stuff and pays. As she's leaving, I hear this:
Sc: If you say you can sell me something, you should actually sell it:
Me: I'm happy to sell it to you. Just get me the form.
At that point she left in a huff.
But seriously lady, I'm not breaking the rules just for you to get a stool. And what are you doing at my store on a Saturday if you're in a rush? We're always busy, especially on Saturdays. And the store is big. We're not a drug store where you can be in and out in 5 minutes. Walking through the store alone is a half-kilometre trek, plus the time it takes you to actually find, get and pay for your items. You don't come here if you're already in a rush.
So I told a co-worker and she completely backed me up on how I handled it.
again.
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