Not In The Register, Not In Existence

(I have placed an online order from a department store, and I requested that the order be shipped to a local branch. After receiving the email that my order has arrived at the store, I head in to pick it up.)

Me: “Hello, I’m here to pick up an order for [My Name].”

Employee: “I’m sorry. Our Internet has been down today, so we haven’t been able to process any online orders yet. If you stop by tomorrow, we should have everything ready.”

Me: “Well, it’s kind of a long drive for me to come to the store, so I was hoping to only make the drive once. Can you call me to let me know when you process the order, so I know I won’t be wasting a trip?”

(The employee agrees to call me, and I drive back home. After two days with no call, I finally call the store myself to ask about my order. I’m told that my order still hasn’t arrived in the store, and to try again later. After a week of this, I finally drive back to the store. The same employee is working at the pick-up desk.)

Me: “Hello, I’m here to pick up an order for [My Name]. I got the email over a week ago saying that the order has been delivered to the store, but every time I call to ask if it’s here, I’m told that it hasn’t been delivered yet.”

Employee: *types something on her register* “Well, I’m sorry, sir, but it still doesn’t show the order as delivered. If you don’t want to drive to the store every day, you can just call us to confirm that we have it.”

Me: “That’s what I’ve been trying to do, every day for the last week. I know that you were having Internet problems the first time I came in, and weren’t able to scan in orders. Could you please check the delivery room to make sure it’s not sitting back there and someone just forgot to scan it into the system?”

Employee: *very snotty* “Well, my register doesn’t show it as delivered, so that means it hasn’t been delivered. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

(I tell her no, walk out to my car in the parking lot, and call the department store’s corporate customer service number. The employee on the phone confirms that according to the corporate records, my order was delivered to the store nearly two weeks ago. I walk back into the store and up to the pick-up desk and the same employee.)

Me: “I just got off the phone with your corporate customer service department. The employee there said that my order has definitely been delivered, so could you please check and make sure that it’s not sitting back there?”

Employee: *still very snotty* “If my register tells me it’s not there, then it’s not there. But if it really makes you happy, I’ll go look.”

Me: *doing everything I can to contain my frustration* “Yes, please.”

(She finally walked back to the delivery room. About five minutes later, she came back out carrying a package and looking very embarrassed. She threw the package on the counter and practically sprinted back to the delivery room before I could even sign the register saying I received the package. I had to go down to the regular customer service desk to sign for it.)