For background, our store had display-only boxes for certain high-theft items. The premise was simple: put them on the shelf, the customer takes it off the shelf, finds a staff member/bring it to the front cashier, and we ask the shift manager to check the back.
The drugstore I worked at had these boxes for oral care (i.e., electric toothbrushes and their heads, and in this story’s case, whitening strips). Each of those items had one or two things that made them different from each other, and so people would look for them. Otherwise, if it was on sale, people would try to ask us if they could buy it.
A customer comes up to me with a huge order. No biggie; we were really slow at the time anyway. I scan his stuff, bag it, and ask how he would like to pay.
Customer: “Actually, I need to buy some whitening strips.”
Me: “Oh. Okay, that’s fine.”
We stare at each other uncomfortably.
Me: “Did… did you take the display box from the shelf?”
Customer: “No.”
Me: “Oh, it wasn’t there?”
Customer: “Well, I thought you guys would’ve had it behind the counter.”
Me: “We, uh, don’t.”
Customer: “Oh. Well, you guys would know what I need.”
Me: “Uh, dude, we have a bunch of whitening strips, and they have different uses. I can ask the manager to bring up the ones we have, and you can—”
Customer: “No, can you guys grab an empty box from the shelf for me instead?”
Me: “I mean, what I said is easier and—”
Customer: “Nah, you’ll know which one I need.”
I am honestly baffled by this customer’s… well, actually, I can’t even think of the best way to describe this. I try radioing a stocker; unfortunately, he was too busy flirting with one of the cosmeticians (indicated by him looking at me from the perfume department and mockingly shaking his head at me). Annoyed, I decided just to embark on this customer’s quest to… find a fitting whitening strip for him?
In the aisle, I’m looking at the display boxes and wondering to myself just what possessed this customer to assume that we would know which one we needed when something caught my eye. It was our store brand’s whitening strips.
Now, the other brands were on sale, while the store brand wasn’t. However, the other brand’s prices were roughly $30 to $34, while the store brand’s were $35. Not that much of a price difference, but still a higher price for generic quality-especially since the strips that were on sale were the higher-quality ones.
It’s at this point I knew what to do.
Me: “[Shift Manager], come in?”
Shift Manager: “What’s up?”
Me: “Can you see if we have store brand whitening strips in the back, and if we do, bring a pack to the front counter?”
Shift Manager: “Store brand? Are you sure?”
Me: “Yes, store brand, please. Also, can you check on [Stocker]; I radioed him earlier, and he hasn’t answered!”
Shift Manager: “Got it, I’ll meet you at the front.”
I head back to the front, where [Customer] was waiting.
Customer: “Is it coming?”
Me: “Sure is, he’s coming with them in a moment.”
No sooner had I said this, [Shift Manager] came up to me with a box of store-brand whitening strips. He handed them to me.
Shift Manager: “Here you go; luckily, we had a bunch in the back! Now if you’ll excuse me, I saw [Stocker] goofing off again and have something to ask of him.” *Turns to leave.*
I scan the whitening strips and throw them into a bag. At this point, [Customer] is looking at both the whitening strips and the price in confusion. He turns to me and is prepared to say something, but stops himself.
Me: “How would you like to pay today?”
The customer simply pays and leaves with his bags. He stops, takes his receipt and the whitening strips out, looks at both of them again, and slinks off in defeat.
I never saw the customer again, nor did I know if he ever bought any more whitening strips the more practical way, or if he returned the ones I figured would fit him. What I do know is that [Shift Manager] forced [Stocker] to stay in the perfume department, help any customer that came by, and put out the order of perfume and makeup that came in that day.
[Cosmetician], meanwhile, was mysteriously absent while [Stocker] was there, but always came back to cash out customers before disappearing again, to [Stocker]’s chagrin and [Cosmetician]’s and mine’s amusement.
