I have recently had annoying experience when looking for stuff instore and there is like none left cept for the display and i ask do u have any instock and they say "What's ever there is there?".But sometimes they bother to check and they are instock so kudos to those people.
COmment on ur annoying experiences
I agree.
I asked at Harvey Norman if they had stock of a hard drive, she said "we don't have any more sorry".
Then I mentioned how I really needed it and if she could go and check.
And surprise, there was another one.
I think they are just lazy.
for every customer that thinks theyre lazy, there is a staff member with a customer who insists they go look, so they stand there for a minute before returning to tell you there is no stock
that's premium service at premium prices for ya!
Most people who work in retail actually DO know what they have in stock.
So the majority don't need to "go and look"…
Yeah, a good employee should know what stock levels are like and what types of stock come straight from the freight and onto the sales floor. In saying that, it's the sales assistants that put the stock on the floor and do fills.
So yeah…. sales assistants spend a lot of time in the excess stock reserve and can see what stuff is out back. Also, if an item is on sale, there is no mucking about with half of the stock on the floor and half in the reserves, it's got to go, even if we have to take down some none-sale stuff temporarily.
So if they say 'what's there is there', it's highly likely that they are telling the truth.
But a tip of the trade… After four years of working at Target, I've picked up that if it's a non-catalogue electrical item, toy, manchester or sporting good, it is likely that there 'could' be a very limited supply in the reserve. We can't possibly put all the stuff on the shelves and there should be one or two out back and we can't monitor what is excess because there is so much. If it's A/V, there is a near certain probability that 'what's there is there.'
Haha, I hate contextualising stuff to Target, but I know it so well :)
Problem is…some of the staff actually know what they're talking about (either they're very familiar with stock levels, or they've been queried about that particular item before) when they say there's no more stock left. Others are just lazy. As a customer you never know which you're getting…
That being said some customers are just stupid. I had one person insist I go look out the back for stock even after I showed them that our system showed there were none in the entire country
Thats because they go to other shops and find the system is wrong.
I've had Dick Smith, Umart and MSY all show incorrect information on their system, and once they looked at the back they had stock.
How am I meant to know which shops have 100% accurate systems and which don't?
I can vouch for that, online dicksmith website said my local ran out of stock, walk into the shop, lo and behold what do I see the exact item that's meant to be out of stock! Asked if there were anymore out back, and bam they had some as well.
when its been on ozbargain
around 1000000 people have already asked or called up
they'll know the stock levels after being asked that many times!
true true
I was with a friend who was wanting to get a Tivo from a retravision type store and the sales guy started bagging it like it was cancer then 8 minutes later after my friend was walking around thinking about it, a sales guy comes back from lunch and then the original sales guy says if you want a TiVo I will go get you one. Turns out he was trying to switch products as the manager was out to lunch and he had the strong room key for where they store it.
We were in shock.. When the guy came clean !!!. So never trust them as they will say anything to get commission.
I think he was bagging out Tivo because Australian Tivo is nothing like American Tivo. He was right in warning you, and most likely couldnt make the same honest comment when his manager came back.
When it comes to set top boxes that are available here though, the crappier australian Tivo is probably the best available.
Agreed, there are both lazy & stupid customers and staff! I did have a particularly funny one once though when wanted a phone once at a particular store that I won't mention was Target. :p
One in the glass case when I looked, great; went to counter, asked for phone, following Monty Python sketch ensues:
Girl: Sorry we don't have any
Me: There's one in the glass display case there
Girl: Hang on, I'll check the computer for stock…sorry we don't have any
Me: It's alright, I can see one in the display case
Girl: But the computer's telling me we don't have any!
Me: [I decide visual cues are in order here] Come with me luv, [we walk the 3 metres to the display case & I point to a sealed box] I'll have that thanks
Girl: umm, erm, ahh…ok
By the same token, I have walked straight past stuff that I've wanted on shelves after looking myself; and fully deserved the 'well duh' looks from staff. Moral of the story: Look yourself, don't trust computer stock levels; if you can't find, then ask the staff; be conciliatory if you've walked straight past it…that's the only way to save face! ;)
oh girls who work in retail just LOVE being called 'love'.
Yeah, I thought it was suitably patronising for the situation! ;)
Issues that lead to this are caused by crap stocktake procedures, ultimately ending up with incorrect values shown by stock levels on the computer.
or shoplifters…
not in this context
Shoplifters would result in a positive stock level while the staff member would be unable to locate the physical stock.
This would cause the staff member to search without effect and create a fake illusion of customer service, that could result in the customer being unsatisified in terms of customer service because the customer could think the staff member is "just being lazy hence they can't find it"
See how crap it is for the shop assistants?
You try to find it, it's not there the customer gets frustrated.
You don't try to find it, the customer gets frustrated.
I think, Either Australian retailers are having a hard time to get good employees or Staff is having less training for customer satisfaction. Garry's Harvey Norman is a big example, where I have never got an positive answer from most of the employees. They are sure to say, We have what we have in shelves. They dont bother to check or see the stock.
I have found Kmart staff members being more aggressive to find out the stock and item from the big stores.
Then ask them could you go check to make sure if there is stock and follow then too see if they are really looking :D ???