# Cashier Asks: Did You Find Everything Satisfactory? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 29, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-asks-did-you-find-everything-satisfactory/711256 "2015-01-29T18:50:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-asks-did-you-find-everything-satisfactory/711256/21 "2015-01-30T02:21:37Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > They actually make a tool for left handed people to doodle on their wangs? What does it look like? Kinda sinister. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-asks-did-you-find-everything-satisfactory/711256/22 "2015-01-30T04:26:18Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > They actually make a tool for left handed people to doodle on their wangs? What does it look like? It has and extra flange. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-asks-did-you-find-everything-satisfactory/711256/23 "2015-01-30T11:34:21Z")
When I worked in computer systems for one of the big 3 wholesale grocers in the US, we suggested adding computer software to actually deal with this in a real manner. Taking advantage of the equipment & systems already in place. When a customer told the checker that they couldn’t find some item (most often, it’s an advertised special that outsold expectations), the checker would punch that item into her register as ‘unable-to-locate’. The computer would check the real-time inventory maintained by the system to see. If that indicated that there should be more in stock, the checker would ask the customer if they wanted a stockboy to bring one to the register (or would they prefer a rain-check for next time). And a message would be sent to the department to check the shelf to see if a restock was needed for that item. If the inventory indicated that it really was out of stock, the checker would be prompted to apologize to the customer, and tell them that the computer was printing on their receipt a rain-check for that item, so next time they were shopping they could get it at the sale price (even if the sale was over). And the computer would send a message to the department that they were out-of-stock on that item (or even automatically reorder it, if the item was set for auto-reorder. We thought that this would be a good customer service improvement, and pretty easy: only needed some programming work, and a bit of training for cashiers – no additional hardware costs or system changes involved. But we couldn’t get anyone in management interested in the idea. Some actually said that this would _'only lead to more customers getting items at our sale price!_’ – which was the idea, we thought. I still think it would be a good use of the existing store technology. ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-asks-did-you-find-everything-satisfactory/711256/24 "2015-01-30T13:19:40Z")
At most department stores the cashiers are the lowest paid and highest turnover out of all the positions at that store. They’re also chained to the register all shift, so their ability to do anything to help you is usually limited to calling their manager over and asking them to help you. If you want to know if something not on the shelf is back in the stock room the best thing to do is find someone who works in that department and ask them. If you have a general complaint, find a manager (they usually wear ties or otherwise dress nicer) and talk to them. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-asks-did-you-find-everything-satisfactory/711256/25 "2015-01-30T13:29:06Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > At a Publix I said I could not find Kahns Liverwurst. The cashier dispatched the bagger to get some. The shelves were out but he got some from the back. good store. That’s Publix for ya. Love them! Sometimes when my husband talks about moving to Alaska, I have to remind him that it’s too far from Publix. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-asks-did-you-find-everything-satisfactory/711256/26 "2015-01-30T13:32:44Z")
I usually find things but if I didn’t I’ll say something. Most of the time they’ll send a stock boy to track it down for me, which they usually do (I hate grocery shopping. I’ll spend ten minutes to get most of my items but forty to find the last two). ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-asks-did-you-find-everything-satisfactory/711256/27 "2015-01-30T19:46:49Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > They actually make a tool for left handed people to doodle on their wangs? What does it look like? I wouldn’t know, because they were out of them. ---
**Author:** ![Grotonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c2a13f/32.png) [@Grotonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grotonian)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-asks-did-you-find-everything-satisfactory/711256/28 "2015-01-31T01:06:36Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Do cashiers ever attempt to resolve the problem or at least keep track of and notify management of the problem or is this simply rhetoric that is supposed to suggest the company cares about its customers? It serves a more manipulative purpose. People are far more likely to internalize a position they’ve stated, especially publicly. The goal is to get you to say, essentially, that you’re leaving happy. That’s why some businesses are even more leading, using phrases like, “I hope we met or exceeded your expectations?” said as an interrogative. Most Americans will reflexively say, “yes,” or, “totally,” or something else polite. My hardware store does this. I know it’s a script because ALL the clerks say it, and always with the same intonation. I never say, “Of course you met my expectations; the sign says ‘Hardware Store’ and I needed nails. Do you think I’m a moron who goes to the bakery for nails?” As irritated as I think I get, it might work because I keep going back. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-asks-did-you-find-everything-satisfactory/711256/29 "2015-01-31T01:23:55Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > Cashiers at one of our local grocery stores are trained to ask this inane question. Once I did reply that I couldn’t find a particular advertised special. > > It was as if I had personally insulted the cashier who did not want me to leave until all efforts had been exhausted to find the product. She left the register to go check. Uh, thanks but I already checked the shelf. I know where the product is stocked. You’re out. I need you here, oh cashier-woman, to ring up my sale so I can go. > > She then called a stock boy who headed to the back on some sort of snipe hunt. No luck. > > The cashier offered to have a manager check the stock at another store. > > Uh. No thanks. I need to leave. I’ll stop by in a few days to see if it is in stock. Really. Just let me pay for my other items so I can go. Won’t someone please forget I mentioned it and just take my payment! STOP trying to help me. You’re starting to piss me off. > > I no longer mention any problems. Waded through a broken jelly jar in aisle 2? Say nothing. So gee, you mentioned that you couldn’t find something, and she actually went to try and help you? Wow, how dare she!!! :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cashier-asks-did-you-find-everything-satisfactory/711256.md?page=1)