Just a little advice for the next time the grocery store is out of an
item and you want to know if they have any more "in The Back."
1.
The Back is not some mystical, magical place that, though smaller than
the main store, somehow holds all of everything on never-running-out
shelves. The Back consists of maybe 3 or 4 cases tops per
aisle of the items that can't go out because the shelf is already full.
Which means those aren't the items you would be asking for.
2.
When an employee says, "I'm not sure, let me check," there is a very
small chance that item will be there. If they are going to look for you,
it's probably because the item comes from an outside vendor, or they
recently had a delivery from their warehouse and they think that maybe
that item could have been missed. But mostly they're just being nice.
3.
When an employee says, "No, I'm sorry, we don't," trust them. Don't
just assume they are being lazy and/or unhelpful. They go back there a
lot more frequently than you do, and are therefore much more familiar
with how The Back works. Grocery stores can't keep back-stock of
everything they carry. Unless your desired item is on the store's Ad for
an amazing price, it wont be in The Back.
4. When an
employee says, "No, we don't," and you insist that they go back and look
anyway, they will: try to hide their sigh of frustration at your
wasting their time, walk to The Back, and then stand there for 30
seconds to a minute "fake checking." For real. They will then come out
to tell you that to your dismay, they were right, and there isn't any
[whatever] in The Back.
So basically, unless you have a
valid reason for disbelieving your friendly neighborhood grocer's
employees, trust them and believe them when they apologize and tell you
they don't have any of whatever it is you wanted in The Back. They have
no reason to lie to you- they want you to spend money!
But
don't think this means you can't ask- because sometimes that item is
back there. Asking is not the problem. Showing that you are annoyed that
they don't walk back there to "check," because you don't think there's
any way they could possibly know off the top of their head is the
problem.
And if you do ask, and the item is in The Back- consider yourself a lucky duck, 'cause you just beat the odds.
6 comments:
I used to work in a shoe store and "the back" was very similar. I was particularly puzzled when people would ask if we had more of a clearance shoe in the back...yeah, not too much extra close out merchandise waiting to be shelved.
Bahaha- especially number four! People would call looking for RIBBON of all things- trust me, I'm NOT digging through all of those over stock boxes. If it isn't in the first one I check, then no, it isn't in the Back or anywhere else.
Yay! Another grocery store rant! I LOVE these posts and wish listerine man would come back, just for entertainment's sake!
I love that The Back is capitalized!
I loved being asked that at Party City. The Back only holds costumes. Everything else is on the floor with very little stocked on the top shelf above the aisle.
AAAMMMMEEEENNNNNN!!!!!
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