Archived Phone Shopping

[babytrees]

@Retail Girl -1 is a liar especially in infant hardlines and other parts that have display items

 

[Retail Girl]

Yes, and even if I can figure out if that item has a display, I cannot figure out the rhyme or reason that sometimes the display is counted in the on hands and other times it isn't.

 

[sher]

When i first started working at target the worst was when you would get a call and they would ask one question at a time

"Do you have...." - Guest
(I'd go and check)

"Yes we do"- Me

"Okay, can you see how much it is?" - Guest

(I'd go and check)

"it is 15.99"- Me

"Can you see if you have a Green one?" - Guest

"I'd go and check"

Now I always ask, "were you looking for something specific?"

I guess this isn't a company wide policy, but we don't give prices out over the phone at my store. Well, we're not supposed to, but I know some people do.

Calling to see if we have something is fine, but these people have to realize that sometimes we're too busy with the people who got off their ass to do their own shopping and naturally, those people are gonna be priority. You can't say "oh sorry person right in front of me, I have to answer the phone to help someone who may not even choose to buy an item in this store." Knowing ahead of time if something available is great, but be understanding that there are people here, now. The phone shoppers are always impatient too. I usually try to ask quickly over walkie though. Sometimes the tm knows off hand whether we have Elsa dolls or ps4s.

 

[Barcode]

@Barcode , of course I'll call for them, but I'm always wondering in my head why they just don't do it themselves. And your store clearly has a higher rate of hold pick ups than my store. If I'm being generous, at least 75% of the stuff is never picked up, no matter how desperate the guest claims to be for the item....it's probably closer to 90% of the stuff is never picked up. So don't put too much stock in those calls driving sales. They do, a bit, but more times than not, even when you find the item and put it on hold, it is going to be a complete waste of time at my store (and others, too, I would bet).

I know what you're saying, but if we didn't hold something and they asked us why when they came to pickup and we said "oh we didn't think you'd come for it anyway", sparks will fly lol.

@nolongerspecial Agreed.. The internet shoppers are annoying when they get mad at me because the website is wrong. I usually try find another store for them though since they came all the way in thinking we had it, but also try remind them to always call us to double check if we have it 🙂 Sure its another phone call, but its one less angry guest to deal with.

The worst is when a nearby store tells them "we have it" without calling us first.... Only happened once or twice in my time back in Electronics though, thank god.

 

[paidtosmile]

@Barcode , of course I'll call for them, but I'm always wondering in my head why they just don't do it themselves. And your store clearly has a higher rate of hold pick ups than my store. If I'm being generous, at least 75% of the stuff is never picked up, no matter how desperate the guest claims to be for the item....it's probably closer to 90% of the stuff is never picked up. So don't put too much stock in those calls driving sales. They do, a bit, but more times than not, even when you find the item and put it on hold, it is going to be a complete waste of time at my store (and others, too, I would bet).

Or you could work at my store where the person comes in about a week later and is infuriated by the fact that her item is no longer on hold. Seriously, there have been a few instances where I was worried I'd get some kind of upper-class-mom mocha-chai coffee thing from starbucks dumped on my head.

 

[Bosch]

@Barcode , of course I'll call for them, but I'm always wondering in my head why they just don't do it themselves. And your store clearly has a higher rate of hold pick ups than my store. If I'm being generous, at least 75% of the stuff is never picked up, no matter how desperate the guest claims to be for the item....it's probably closer to 90% of the stuff is never picked up. So don't put too much stock in those calls driving sales. They do, a bit, but more times than not, even when you find the item and put it on hold, it is going to be a complete waste of time at my store (and others, too, I would bet).

Or you could work at my store where the person comes in about a week later and is infuriated by the fact that her item is no longer on hold. Seriously, there have been a few instances where I was worried I'd get some kind of upper-class-mom mocha-chai coffee thing from starbucks dumped on my head.

Yep seen that one, or the ones that we "Vibed" it and held stuff extra days since they were desperate or so they said and got angry when they waltzed in two later than they asked for and wondered where it went.. You desperate - You would have been here!

 

[Retail Girl]

Yep, we get the ones who come in a week later and don't get why it isn't there anymore. Or, they will beg us to put it on hold for a week, they are coming from a super long distance, blah, blah, blah. Those who beg for a hold longer than 24 hours are pretty well guaranteed not to show up. If they really wanted it that badly, they would find a way to get it sooner.

 

[mrknownothing]

The worst is when a nearby store tells them "we have it" without calling us first.... Only happened once or twice in my time back in Electronics though, thank god.

Whenever I check another store for a guest, if I see an OH count greater than zero, I always make sure to emphasize that they should call the store first. Considering my store's instocks issues (in particular, the tendency of guests to pull items off the shelf but not buy them - instead dumping them at the opposite end of the store - unbeknownst to us until we finally get a chance to zone two weeks later), I don't trust that the OHs would be any more accurate at the other stores.

 

[CrazyAzianTM]

I had a guest call and ask what TVs we had on sale. When I tried to get some general details to narrow down the search (size, LCD/LED, etc.), he didn't know and asked me to go through all of them.