August 18, 2009
An old man comes in looking for typewriter ribbon.
Man: I need the tape for my Smith Corona machine.
Me: Which model do you have?
Man: A Smith Corona.
Me: But which model?
Man: I dunno.
Me: Well, we have the H and K series ribbons.
Man: No, I bought that last time, I want the official Smith Corona ribbons, these generic ones didn't print nice.
Me: I don't have the official ones in store. I may be able to order it for you online.
I go and check our website to see if I can order it.
Me: Sir, the only one we carry online for the printing ribbon is the K series.
Man: I don't know which one I need.
Me: Well, if you bought this one last time, that's a different shape then what I have online.
Man: What do you have online?
Me: A square one.
Man: Mine is square.
Me: Okay...well, here's what it looks like.
Man: Yeah, mine looks just like that, but it has a curved top.
Me: So it's not square.
Man: No.
Me: Well, that's the only one I can order.
Man: Can I go ahead and get that one and see if it works?
Me: If that is the wrong shape, it won't work.
Man: Well, let's go ahead and order it. I can cancel the order if I get home and find out it isn't what I need right?
Me: Nope.
Man: You mean Staples can't cancel my order? Staples can do anything.
Me: Except cancel an order after someone has already paid for it and having been sent out.
Man: So how do I get it?
Me: You'd probably have to order it through Smith Corona themselves. I can get you the website.
Man: Okay, do that.
I check the internet and write down smithcorona.com and give him the paper. He buys all 3 of the correctable tapes that we had in stock and leaves.
Later in the day...
Manager: Did you speak to someone about typewriter ribbon earlier today?
Me: Tell him I died and can't talk to him.
Manager: He's one park 1.
Me: Goody.
I pick up the phone.
Me: Hi, how can I help you.
Man: I was looking on the back of the tape I bought and it says what I need for the tape.
He starts rambling off some numbers.
Me: Sir, the only one I can order for you is that square one.
Man: Just look on the back of the box, it's right there.
Me: Sir, I don't carry that one. All I have is that square one I showed you.
Man: Go and get one of the boxes and look at the back.
Me: I can't. You bought the last 3 boxes we had in stock.
Man: Well, it's on the back. Here's the number.
Me: Sir. I can not order that ribbon for you. All I can get is that square one.
Man: Are you positive?
Me: Yes.
Man: How do you know?
Me: Because only 6 results came up when I searched, and 5 of them were correctable tape. So I only have that 1.
Man: Well then, how am I supposed to get it?
Me: You will need to order it from Smith Corona. I gave you the website on that paper.
Man: If you can't order it, how can I order it.
Me: From Smith Corona.
Man: But you said you couldn't order it.
Me: We can only order items from staples.com. No where else.
Man: You're telling me Staples can't order direct from a manufacturer?
Me: Yes.
Man: Is that what your manager says?
Me: Yes.
Man: Let me speak to your manager.
I hand the phone over to the manager who then proceeds to tell him the same things I said.
An old man comes in looking for typewriter ribbon.
Man: I need the tape for my Smith Corona machine.
Me: Which model do you have?
Man: A Smith Corona.
Me: But which model?
Man: I dunno.
Me: Well, we have the H and K series ribbons.
Man: No, I bought that last time, I want the official Smith Corona ribbons, these generic ones didn't print nice.
Me: I don't have the official ones in store. I may be able to order it for you online.
I go and check our website to see if I can order it.
Me: Sir, the only one we carry online for the printing ribbon is the K series.
Man: I don't know which one I need.
Me: Well, if you bought this one last time, that's a different shape then what I have online.
Man: What do you have online?
Me: A square one.
Man: Mine is square.
Me: Okay...well, here's what it looks like.
Man: Yeah, mine looks just like that, but it has a curved top.
Me: So it's not square.
Man: No.
Me: Well, that's the only one I can order.
Man: Can I go ahead and get that one and see if it works?
Me: If that is the wrong shape, it won't work.
Man: Well, let's go ahead and order it. I can cancel the order if I get home and find out it isn't what I need right?
Me: Nope.
Man: You mean Staples can't cancel my order? Staples can do anything.
Me: Except cancel an order after someone has already paid for it and having been sent out.
Man: So how do I get it?
Me: You'd probably have to order it through Smith Corona themselves. I can get you the website.
Man: Okay, do that.
I check the internet and write down smithcorona.com and give him the paper. He buys all 3 of the correctable tapes that we had in stock and leaves.
Later in the day...
Manager: Did you speak to someone about typewriter ribbon earlier today?
Me: Tell him I died and can't talk to him.
Manager: He's one park 1.
Me: Goody.
I pick up the phone.
Me: Hi, how can I help you.
Man: I was looking on the back of the tape I bought and it says what I need for the tape.
He starts rambling off some numbers.
Me: Sir, the only one I can order for you is that square one.
Man: Just look on the back of the box, it's right there.
Me: Sir, I don't carry that one. All I have is that square one I showed you.
Man: Go and get one of the boxes and look at the back.
Me: I can't. You bought the last 3 boxes we had in stock.
Man: Well, it's on the back. Here's the number.
Me: Sir. I can not order that ribbon for you. All I can get is that square one.
Man: Are you positive?
Me: Yes.
Man: How do you know?
Me: Because only 6 results came up when I searched, and 5 of them were correctable tape. So I only have that 1.
Man: Well then, how am I supposed to get it?
Me: You will need to order it from Smith Corona. I gave you the website on that paper.
Man: If you can't order it, how can I order it.
Me: From Smith Corona.
Man: But you said you couldn't order it.
Me: We can only order items from staples.com. No where else.
Man: You're telling me Staples can't order direct from a manufacturer?
Me: Yes.
Man: Is that what your manager says?
Me: Yes.
Man: Let me speak to your manager.
I hand the phone over to the manager who then proceeds to tell him the same things I said.
