Due to current events, people are freaking out and buying hand sanitizer and ear-loop face masks in droves. As far as I can tell, the entire state of Virginia seems to be sold out of the masks and hand sanitizer. My manager has ordered more, but they are on backorder and we don’t know when we’re supposed to get more.
As a personal shopper, I have lost count of the number of people ordering nothing but hand sanitizer and/or the masks in some desperate attempt to get them. Usually, once we explain that we’re out, they understand and look elsewhere. This one customer takes the cake, though. The only thing I can think of in his defense is that English is not his first language, but that’s still a bit of a stretch.
Sunday, he places an order for several bottles of hand sanitizer and nothing else. A coworker calls him and says that we are out and he shouldn’t come to the store. A few hours later, he shows up looking for his order. We tell him again that we are out, we are sorry, and if he really needs some, he should try looking at other stores in the area. Monday, the exact same thing happens. He orders hand sanitizer, we have none, we tell him not to come, and he shows up anyway. Tuesday, yet again, he places an order for hand sanitizer. I draw the short straw this time and call him.
Me: “Hi, Mr. [Customer]. This is [My Name] with [Store] online shopping. I was just calling to let you know that we are still out of hand sanitizer.”
Customer: “You finish shopping?”
Me: “No, because we do not have hand sanitizer.”
Customer: “Okay, I come later to pick it up.”
Me: “No, please don’t come. We do not have your order.”
Customer: “You don’t have it?”
Me: “No. We are sold out of hand sanitizer.”
Customer: “Okay, I come tomorrow.”
Me: “No, don’t come tomorrow. We won’t have any then, either.”
Customer: “How about Thursday?”
Me: “No. We have absolutely no idea when we will get more in, and when we do, it will sell out very quickly.”
Customer: “So don’t come?”
Me: “No.”
(He hangs up on me, but I think he finally understood that we do not have any hand sanitizer. That is, until an hour later when his wife shows up looking for the order. I head outside to talk to her.)
Me: “Hello. So, I don’t know if your husband told you, but we do not have your order. I’m sorry.”
Customer’s Wife: “You don’t have it?”
Me: “No. We are completely sold out of hand sanitizer at the moment.”
Customer’s Wife: “When will you have more in?”
Me: “I don’t know. It’s back-ordered.”
Customer’s Wife: “I need hand sanitizer!”
Me: “Well, there’s a drug store right across the street. You could look there, but I highly doubt they’ll have any. All I can say is to check every store in the area if you really need some that bad.”
Customer’s Wife: “You don’t have any?”
Me: “No. I told your husband the same thing when I called him earlier.”
Customer’s Wife: “Oh. He said the order was ready.”
Me: “I’m sorry.”
(Seriously, people, soap and hot water are better than hand sanitizer! Wash your hands, cover your cough, and stay home if you’re sick! A message from a former preschool teacher.)
