The stupidest stock keeping issue!

[Locut0s]

Ok so the stock tracking system we have is by and large amazingly good!! Every product is traced down to the mm be it in the warehouse in transit or in store. We know where everything is at all times and everything runs like a well oiled machine. We even track things down to the individuual shelf level. However there is one big exception we dont distinguish between sales floor stock and backroom / warehouse stock. Much of our business is done through our website and you can choose to pickup an order at any one of our 4 stores. Problem is all the stock is one big pool so you could order a product online and have it picked up in store which reserves one of the products that's at the store. But that product might be on the sales floor. This means there are things on the sales floor that customers can bring to the till that we can't sell because someone has already purchased it but not picked it up yet!! Understandably customers get upset about this

 

[olds]

Is that anything like an exception?

 

[schneiderguy]

stupidest
acception

Do we need to invade Canada just to teach you guys how to speak American properly?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

So, daily purchases sometimes exceed store par stock levels? Increase par stocks. Does it take more than one day to transfer stock from warehouse to store? You might have a bigger problem that the software.

 

[Bignate603]

Do we need to invade Canada just to teach you guys how to speak American properly?

Yeah, and we'll be able to teach them that their "Canadian" bacon is inferior to the real deal too.

 

[IronWing]

Add a field

 

[olds]

Do we need to invade Canada just to teach you guys how to speak American properly?

Do the Canucks use the word "keeping" for "inventory"?

 

[LTC8K6]

Acception - acceptance of your own shortcomings...

 

[DrPizza]

"How come the advertised price online is $30 cheaper than in the store?"
"Well, sometimes they have specials when they have too much in stock, or end of the season."
"I'll still be able to purchase it at that price, won't I? You do price match your online prices?"
"No, we don't."
"So, I could order it online and have it shipped to the store, and pick it up here & I'd pay the online price, but if I just pick it up here without telling them online that I want it, I have to pay $30 more?"
"Well, it's cheaper for us when you order it online."
"How's that?"
"Well, it's shipped directly from the warehouse to the store, so that cuts our expenses."
"So, the stuff you have in inventory, you shipped that indirectly to the store? You shipped it to, I don't know, Egypt by way of the moon, and then back to the store? You told the driver to just drive around on vacation for a couple weeks, then take the stuff to random stores? If I order it online, they take the main roads, but the stuff in the store, the drivers drove on side streets?"
"Sorry, you have to order it online to get that price."
"Well, how about if I order it online now, and then pick it up in 10 minutes from the back of the store."
"We can't sell those ones that way, it takes a week to come in when you order it from the warehouse."
"I thought it was shipped directly. Do they get lost for 6 days? What's the difference? You have 30 of them in the back of the store, they're not selling too quickly it appears. I order one, pick one up now, when the order comes in, you stick it back in stock in that department."
"But, there are labor costs involved with restocking, that's why we can't do it."
"Well, see this full shopping cart right here, enjoy the labor costs of restocking everything. I'm shopping elsewhere."

 

[Locut0s]

So, daily purchases sometimes exceed store par stock levels? Increase par stocks. Does it take more than one day to transfer stock from warehouse to store? You might have a bigger problem that the software.

Umm no not quite. The issue is we have physical products on the sales flore that customers can pick up and bring to the counter that we can't sell to them because someone else has already backordered that item on our web site or from one of our other sales staff but they haven't picked up the item yet. But the item is actually on the sales flore for the customer to pick up. So you could bring me a copy of a game say from the shelf and I would have to tell you sorry you can't buy this one it's already sold.

 

[dfuze]

"How come the advertised price online is $30 cheaper than in the store?"
"Well, sometimes they have specials when they have too much in stock, or end of the season."
"I'll still be able to purchase it at that price, won't I? You do price match your online prices?"
"No, we don't."
"So, I could order it online and have it shipped to the store, and pick it up here & I'd pay the online price, but if I just pick it up here without telling them online that I want it, I have to pay $30 more?"
"Well, it's cheaper for us when you order it online."
"How's that?"
"Well, it's shipped directly from the warehouse to the store, so that cuts our expenses."
"So, the stuff you have in inventory, you shipped that indirectly to the store? You shipped it to, I don't know, Egypt by way of the moon, and then back to the store? You told the driver to just drive around on vacation for a couple weeks, then take the stuff to random stores? If I order it online, they take the main roads, but the stuff in the store, the drivers drove on side streets?"
"Sorry, you have to order it online to get that price."
"Well, how about if I order it online now, and then pick it up in 10 minutes from the back of the store."
"We can't sell those ones that way, it takes a week to come in when you order it from the warehouse."
"I thought it was shipped directly. Do they get lost for 6 days? What's the difference? You have 30 of them in the back of the store, they're not selling too quickly it appears. I order one, pick one up now, when the order comes in, you stick it back in stock in that department."
"But, there are labor costs involved with restocking, that's why we can't do it."
"Well, see this full shopping cart right here, enjoy the labor costs of restocking everything. I'm shopping elsewhere."

So you've been to Best Buy and Walmart huh? :sneaky:

 

[kevbot]

Umm no not quite. The issue is we have physical products on the sales flore that customers can pick up and bring to the counter that we can't sell to them because someone else has already backordered that item on our web site or from one of our other sales staff but they haven't picked up the item yet. But the item is actually on the sales flore for the customer to pick up. So you could bring me a copy of a game say from the shelf and I would have to tell you sorry you can't buy this one it's already sold.

Simple solution. remove the sold item from the sales "flore". I would be pissed and probably not return. Even sleazy car dealerships don't let this happen very often.

 

[schneiderguy]

flore

:hmm:






























D:

 

[Locut0s]

"How come the advertised price online is $30 cheaper than in the store?"
"Well, sometimes they have specials when they have too much in stock, or end of the season."
"I'll still be able to purchase it at that price, won't I? You do price match your online prices?"
"No, we don't."
"So, I could order it online and have it shipped to the store, and pick it up here & I'd pay the online price, but if I just pick it up here without telling them online that I want it, I have to pay $30 more?"
"Well, it's cheaper for us when you order it online."
"How's that?"
"Well, it's shipped directly from the warehouse to the store, so that cuts our expenses."
"So, the stuff you have in inventory, you shipped that indirectly to the store? You shipped it to, I don't know, Egypt by way of the moon, and then back to the store? You told the driver to just drive around on vacation for a couple weeks, then take the stuff to random stores? If I order it online, they take the main roads, but the stuff in the store, the drivers drove on side streets?"
"Sorry, you have to order it online to get that price."
"Well, how about if I order it online now, and then pick it up in 10 minutes from the back of the store."
"We can't sell those ones that way, it takes a week to come in when you order it from the warehouse."
"I thought it was shipped directly. Do they get lost for 6 days? What's the difference? You have 30 of them in the back of the store, they're not selling too quickly it appears. I order one, pick one up now, when the order comes in, you stick it back in stock in that department."
"But, there are labor costs involved with restocking, that's why we can't do it."
"Well, see this full shopping cart right here, enjoy the labor costs of restocking everything. I'm shopping elsewhere."

Lol, I'm assuming this was you?

Yeah it's extremely frustrating for our customers but unlike that example it's actually exlpainable. It's because our system doesn't have a way for us to keep track of sales floor stock seperate from backroom stock. Your example, sounds like the saleas guy didn't have any good explanation at all (yeah not that this example is a good one but it's the right one). They need to update the stock keeping system and add the ability to keep track of sales floor stock seperately, though my guess is they won't be doing this any time soon.

 

[Locut0s]

About the spelling I was posting from work and didn't proof read.

 

[kevbot]

About the spelling I was posting from work and didn't proof read.

Speaking for myself, I just couldn't resist giving you some crap, mainly because of your sig.

Still, the stock issue seems like something a "technology" company could figure out. And seriously, good luck with the job and your future. I highly recommend finishing school if at all possible because it will only increase your self esteem and lower your anxiety.

 

[BoomerD]

"How come the advertised price online is $30 cheaper than in the store?"
"Well, sometimes they have specials when they have too much in stock, or end of the season."
"I'll still be able to purchase it at that price, won't I? You do price match your online prices?"
"No, we don't."
"So, I could order it online and have it shipped to the store, and pick it up here & I'd pay the online price, but if I just pick it up here without telling them online that I want it, I have to pay $30 more?"
"Well, it's cheaper for us when you order it online."
"How's that?"
"Well, it's shipped directly from the warehouse to the store, so that cuts our expenses."
"So, the stuff you have in inventory, you shipped that indirectly to the store? You shipped it to, I don't know, Egypt by way of the moon, and then back to the store? You told the driver to just drive around on vacation for a couple weeks, then take the stuff to random stores? If I order it online, they take the main roads, but the stuff in the store, the drivers drove on side streets?"
"Sorry, you have to order it online to get that price."
"Well, how about if I order it online now, and then pick it up in 10 minutes from the back of the store."
"We can't sell those ones that way, it takes a week to come in when you order it from the warehouse."
"I thought it was shipped directly. Do they get lost for 6 days? What's the difference? You have 30 of them in the back of the store, they're not selling too quickly it appears. I order one, pick one up now, when the order comes in, you stick it back in stock in that department."
"But, there are labor costs involved with restocking, that's why we can't do it."
"Well, see this full shopping cart right here, enjoy the labor costs of restocking everything. I'm shopping elsewhere."

I went through this same thing at Office Depot a couple of years back on ink cartridges...they wouldn't match their own on-line price...so I went to the computer in the "Ink Depot" department, placed the order for store pick-up...then took my order sheet to the counter and got my ink at the on-line price...then proceeded to give the store manager an earful about the stupidity of the policy...and about his employees. (they fixed that policy...it was only supposed to be that they didn't match anyone else's on-line prices...

About the spelling I was posting from work and didn't proof read.

That's a convenient excuse..."Oh, I'm at work, so I'm not allowed to use proper spelling."

 

[olds]

...That's a convenient excuse..."Oh, I'm at work, so I'm not allowed to use proper spelling."

Two bee fare the sun wuz in his ayes.

 

[Locut0s]

I went through this same thing at Office Depot a couple of years back on ink cartridges...they wouldn't match their own on-line price...so I went to the computer in the "Ink Depot" department, placed the order for store pick-up...then took my order sheet to the counter and got my ink at the on-line price...then proceeded to give the store manager an earful about the stupidity of the policy...and about his employees. (they fixed that policy...it was only supposed to be that they didn't match anyone else's on-line prices...

Yeah wish this was as simple as a policy change. To fix this they need to edit the inventory tracking software we use to add a new feature. Typically companies are VERY slow to play with any critical piece of internal software. I know that it's a known issue within the company and they are looking into it but I'm not holding my breath. For now I just have to be very very apologetic toward customers when this issue comes up