I ordered an item from Best Buy on their web site. This went fine. I wished to pick it up in a store nearby. My nearest store had the item. I completed my order. I was told by their site that the store would confirm via email in the morning.
This morning I get an email that the store in fact does not have this item. Strike one! The inventory system is broken.
I am instructed to call a toll free number. I call, and get a moderately annoying telephone tree. I am asked to speak my order number into the phone. I do this, and I am told that my order requires that I speak with a human. The human answers, and immediately needs me to tell her my order number again. She claims that another store has the item. The cycle starts again.
1. Why was an item that was in stock after closing Sunday night not in stock Monday morning?
2. Why do all these systems require you to tell them your order number/customer number/prisoner number multiple times? Shouldn’t the rep see it on her screen when she gets the call?
3. Why did I need to talk to a human just to try to find the item at another store, when all she was doing was looking at the same information I’d see on the web site?
I wish our capitalists were better at capitalism.
Be My Blog 
I’ve been looking at laptops as a b-day present to myself. I keep wandering around BB looking at them. The things that are holding me back: 1) I need to do some research to find out precisely which one I want; 2) I don’t actualy want to buy one from BB.
I don’t actuall have a good reason why I think BB sucks, I just do.
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I have a couple of pretty good reasons why Best Buy sucks. The list starts with: standing in front of the GPS display, staring at a $500 GPS, with credit card in hand. The list then proceeds with:
* standing *ON* the glass GPS display, a good meter above everyone, with credit card in hand.
* same as last item, only flailing about arms with credit card in hand
* several other annoyed customers that were not yet annoyed enough to be standing on glass display cases
* a nearby store phone ringing off the hook
* the same nearby store phone being answered by another customer. “Sorry, I can’t help you. There’s nobody here.”
* an attempt to figure out which button on the phone is the PA
The list ends with a trip to Circuit City, the same GPS, a cheaper price, a rebate that was printed at the register along with the receipt, and a salesman who was responsive, but not pushy.
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“We’re sorry, the automated system that redirects your order number to our screens is not working. However, we can’t fix it because we don’t know why it’s not working. Furthermore, we don’t know how to disable the system option that requires you to enter the order number that we can’t use. If this addresses your complaint, please press 1. If this does not address your complaint, please say your account number and wait for the next available customer service representative. Thank you for calling. Your call is important to us.”
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“I’m sorry, I didn’t understand you. Please repeat your 42 digit account number now..”
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OO OO! I know!
At least for number 1: People steal shit. When shit gets stolen, it’s still in inventory although it’s not there. It’s not until a human needs to confirm this that things get updated. I leave the reasons by which I know this as an exercise to the reader.
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Re: OO OO! I know!
It’s called “shrinkage.”
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