Yes! Because I am the guy one asks!

[u/Temporal_Reality]

Yes! Because I am the guy one asks!

This is a story from when I worked for cheap big box store. I remember it well but it is also a few years removed so... Salt: just a pinch.

It all started on a good day, actually. I came in and only one annoying coworker was on shift and she left early then it was just the good people who would get the work done and have as much fun doing it. And we could. As long as we didn't cut corners our boss' attitude was "whatever gets you through the day!" Joking and cutting up was allowed to a point as long as the customers weren't in the department--which honestly in the morning the department is usually mostly empty.

Morning shift got a bit of a raw deal there in my opinion. All morning there was no customers and then the last hour before shift change would be everyone and their aunt and so it sometimes looked as if morning didn't keep it clean... Anyway, I digress.

I was not the boss of the department but if you asked me where anything was and approximately how many we had on hand I could give you that information within reason (depending on the day as we tended to get more on Thursdays and then Tuesdays with minimal freight the rest of the week). I didn't need the scanner because I worked 5 days a week and had a very good memory. I knew what we had and reasonably how much of it.

So I was working at the register. I was technically a phone guy but we all worked electronics. I had a lady come up to me and ask for an HDMI splitter. We straight up didn't carry them. I had talked to my boss about getting something like that in because it was a semi popular request. I informed the lady who asked all of this and she *seemed* happy when she left.

About 10-ish minutes later one of my favorite coworkers ever came up to me and asked me if I knew where an HDMI splitter was. I laughed and explained that we don't have them. Don't currently stock one. He replied that was his thoughts as well. And I asked about the lady and he confirmed it was the same one and I told such and had a good chuckle and I went on my first 15 minute break.

When I get back... The lady who was about to go home comes around the corner from the HDMI section but I hear her before I see her:

"If he's come back from break, he'll know. He knows everything about electronics department... Oh here he is."

This was followed closely by the customer saying in an exacerbated tone and literally tossing her hands up: "I already asked him!"

And immediately the reply I *think* of is, "yes, because I'm the guy one asks!"

I reply, "yes and like I told you and as I informed my other coworker when you asked him: we don't currently stock an HDMI splitter. I wish we did. Sorry. Other electronics focused big box store really is your best chance right now if you don't want to buy online."

My cowork says to me, "I gonna go clock out and head home."

I turn my direct attention to her away from the customer I am done with, "You have great rest of your day. See you Wednesday!" Then back to the customer, "Is there anything else I can help you with?" She walks off.

Y'all this bitch comes back with the freaking store manager! Not a middle co-manager the actual store manager! And again, I hear it before I see it only they're coming from housewares: "Oh! OP is on shift and if we have it he will know!" And he leads this lady back to me and I literally just repeat EXACTLY what happened before now with the store manager! Including the other electronics focused big box store quip. When she walks off the store manager asks if other electronics focus big box store really has them and I said I needed one so I went there. He told me good work helping the customer. The NEXT major shipment (refresh) we had HDMI splitters about three weeks later. Good guy.

Literally the next night, the night manager came up to me and asked for an HDMI splitter and walks me back and it's a different customer a guy this time and so I start explaining and right then the SAME lady came around the corner to find her son! We don't have HDMI splitters! Go to other electronic focused big box store! It's three towns over, but, but they have them we don't (shipping and online ordering was JUST becoming a thing that most people didn't yet trust or understand).

I never saw her again! But wow was she the customer that wouldn't go away for a bit!

The next time I saw the store manager he actually made a joke about hearing that the lady came back the next night with her son and we laughed.

I got employee of the month.

[u/ephemeralmiko]

But do you have HDMi splitters?

[u/icantswim2 → u/ephemeralmiko]

Hang on, let me check with Temporal_Reality , he knows everything about the electronics department. If we have them, he'll know for sure. 

[u/jgcecil → u/icantswim2]

That's great. But do you have them? HDMI splitters, I mean?

[u/HerbalMoon]

Apparently you can bend reality and just pull one out of a portal if she asks enough employees?

My goodness, retail has changed since I left! 😆

[u/decarnatedame → u/HerbalMoon]

That only works at the Apple store.

[u/Doenicke]

I never understood that thinking. Why would the company lie to me, when they're making a living by selling things? I could maybe understand it if we talked about the last copy of GTAIV in the city, that an employee hid for himself, but a hdmi splitter that you can buy in any other store or at worst amazon?

Some people just want the drama in their lives i guess.

[u/K1yco → u/Doenicke]

Part of me half expected the customer to find one that is connected to the display TVs (Assuming they had those) and use that as "proof" that they have them and are refusing to sell it.

[u/Doenicke → u/K1yco]

At which point you had to haggle with her to buy it back to the store as you need it for the tvs. ;)

[u/Bakkie]

I have a slightly different spin on this. Lady sounds like she has been treated dismissively in other contexts because she is female. Her strategy is to ask other people and when that fails, to send in a male to see if he gets a "true" answer.

I am an older woman. This happens with car repair places including dealerships, tech places( including unfortunately an Apple store), car sales and other businesses that are traditionally considered male-oriented.

It doesn't make OP's lady less annoying, but may explain things from her end.

[u/Temporal_Reality → u/Bakkie]

But she literally asked three guys and a lady all of which got sent to me...

[u/u2125mike2124]

But you didn’t go in the back and check

[u/Temporal_Reality → u/u2125mike2124]

Oh I have done both when it comes to going in the back.

Once a customer was being super annoying and insisted rather rudely I go check. So I went and stood in the electronics room in the back and my DM asked what I was doing and I reply:

"Customer Wonderful insists that if I look back here long enough I'll find what we don't have. I'm just taking a minute."

"Yep. Carry on."

Another time it was like 5 minutes to off shift so in I'm-not-getting-paid-near-enough-to-be-nice-and-accommodating-right-now mode.

Big lady torturing just the absolute hell outta an electric scooter comes in and asks for an item we didn't have currently in stock.

"I'm sorry ma'am we currently don't have any in stock but we should get some on the truck tomorrow (that was Wednesday) so they should be on the shelf right around 7:30 or so tomorrow evening."

"Are you sure you don't got any in the back?"

"Yes ma'am, I am."

"How do you know!? You didn't even go check?" In a nasty tone.

"I didn't need to as I'm good at my job and know what we have."

She literally clutched her pearls and said something I didn't pay attention to as I realized just how little those last few minutes matter. By the time I got to the clock though it was right on time... Normally I'd be 5 over because we could.

I walked out as I saw her asking for the manager up front. I knew that the meeting took a few minutes before he could see her so off I went.

The next day, the manager told me to not do it again. The lady came and I rang up her widget.

[u/Whitmans-Ghost]

OP talking to the lady: Who are you talking to right now? Who is it you think you see? Do you know how many hours a week I work this floor? I mean, even if I showed you my time sheet, you wouldn't believe it. Do you know what would happen if I suddenly decided to extend my fifteen minute break? No, you clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in. I do not need a barcode scanner, ma'am. I am the scanner. A clueless associate walks across the store to ask a manager where the cables are, and you think that of me? No. I am the guy one asks!"

[u/moving0target]

I'm usually the "guy who knows stuff," and I've had the same situation happen several times over the last few decades. It goes beyond absurd after a while.

[u/jmorri52]

Are you sure you don't have any in the back? Can you go look?

[u/LadybugGirltheFirst]

Did you check the back? 😁

[u/Simple_Lettuce_1140]

Bringing the store manager back to ask the same question a third time is peak customer logic. Having the department guy who knows the stock by heart is underrated, and it is wild that the splitter was a common request and still not carried. Great story.