Customers expect us to know if other shops in the area sell certain items

The only shop I used to get annoyed at was Lloyds pharmacy (now changed hands) two branches in town, they wouldn't have your medication in stock despite them having it for 2 weeks (yes I know ) and you would say, do the other branch have it and they had no way of checking apart from calling and they never answered the phone. At least the new owners have an integrated computer system but even worse at preparing the prescriptions sent by the gp weeks ahead

It really IS bad business to send customers to another store to spend

No it's not. Not helping a customer with alternatives doesnt mean they are going to go without that item for the rest of their life - they'll simply go to another store anyway!

A good business owner would take notice if lots of people are asking for the same thing and they'd start to stock it. If you dont listen to what your customers want they will leave. Why on earth would I continue to shop in a store that is often out of the things I regularly want?

a few customers have flipped

What exactly did they do?

I was in the "Extra" version of a large supermarket last year,

Me: Excuse me, you used to sell XXX but I can't find it now. Do you still stock it
Him: No, I'm sorry we don't stock that now
Me: That's a shame as I really need one now. Any suggestion who might stock one here in town YYY
Him: What about (Other high street retailer)?
Me: That's a good idea, they do sell things like XXX. I'll go and look there, Thank you for you help.
Him: You are welcome

Seems reasonable on all sides to me, everyone was pleasant and helpful, everyone had a nice day....

Why would they know though? What makes you think just because they work in a shop they would know where an item they don’t stock is else where?

Like all service employees have a downloaded data base of other retailers and their stock in their brain 😂

Honestly what is the difference between asking an employee and an another random shopper?

’Do you know where they sell coconut sugar?’

‘errrrr no hun’

Maybe the employees should just simply start saying ‘computer says no ‘ 😂😂

I had a friend who worked on health care and they told people that they worked at a sti clinic. End of conversation.

When we say we don’t know, a few customers have flipped
This happens because a few customers are very stupid.

Pretty sure the definition of being a customer, and therefore getting customer service, hinges on actually being a customer as in buying stuff, demanding that staff know what others sell and then getting shitty about it if they don't, is quite entitled and being an arse for the sake of it. As well as taking them away from actual customers.

And sounds to me like the OP is approaching being burned out working with the public, I really do feel the same way some days because people are rude, entitled and sometimes abusive and it's socially acceptable because you're in a service job, celebrated almost. Some people get a real kick out of it because they know (or think) that you can't answer back, they have carte blanche to do and say whatever they like with zero concequences - take out their frustrations of the day on someone else instead of dealing with their own emotions, and expect an apology and something free for being an arsehole.

I don't think customer service is shit in general, I just think those in customer facing roles, since covid and the way people behaved, are not taking as much shit and refusing to be treated badly and people really don't like having their whipping boy answering back - it's not shit customer service to insist you're treated with respect as a fellow human being - I don't have issues with people in customer service, I find I'm treated normally and with respect, but maybe that's because I don't expect the snivelling servitude some people do, they're there to give me goods and services in return for money, not massage my ego or for me to take out my frustrations on. I don't need an 'experience' when buying a pint of milk, I just need a pint of milk and if I get it, well job done really and as I'm a grown up, if the shop I go into doesn't sell milk, it's up to me to find one that does, not throw a tantrum if the shop assistant doesn't know because I can't be arsed to think for myself.

This is why retail is dying and Amazon/Temu/Shein will take over despite all controversies.

The convenience of just typing in what you need and having it delivered to your door outweighs not finding it in a shop, asking a human working in the industry in hopes they know, and then having that person make an anonymous thread online bitching about your behaviour to millions of strangers.

My experience, which is just as valid as yours, is that it takes about ten seconds.

I'm curious about what your business is, if it takes ten minutes to reply to "do you know of anywhere that sells it?"

You shouldn't be in public!

Yes 🤯

As a business owner I disagree. The employee should be offering an alternative first off.

You only worked there - maybe the owner would have a different opinion 😂

Sorry but its mainly costumers entitled attitude that's the problem for example 'sandwiches' I'm sorry Sir did you ask me for something is my response 50 odd times a day! It becomes a little wearing.

It really IS bad business to send customers to another store to spend.

Of course it's not - especially when you don't even stock what they're after in the first place 😂

I worked retail for years and regularly sent customers elsewhere because we didn't have what they were after - and I would say that the vast majority came back - either to say thank you for the help or to buy something that we did stock instead.

Good customer service doesn't just mean being polite so you make money, it's about providing a positive experience so that the customer returns or recommends you to a friend.

2.5 months off for a gallbladder removal? I hope you're ok.

Oh yes I get this most weeks. I tend not to recommend other shops unless I'm 100% sure they sell that item, as I've had some bad experiences of other shops telling customers we sell an item we don't. Some people have been quite aggressive and argumentative, assuming I must be mistaken. I've had one lady bawl her eyes out and scream at me as she'd walked 10 minutes from the other shop to get to me.

Also,
Cust: I Googled '(the thing we don't sell)' and it took me to your website.
Me: I'm afraid, nowhere on our website does it list that item, because we don't sell it, sorry.

My personal favourite is variations on,
Cust: 'I remember a few years ago I bought (thing we don't sell) from you'.
Me: 'Sorry you must be thinking of a different shop, as we've never sold that'.
Cust: 'Yes, but... (monologues for several more minutes adamant they're right).
Me: I'm very sorry, but it was definitely a different shop, as I own this shop and have done since it opened.
Cust: So will you be getting the item back in stock soon?

It really IS bad business to send customers to another store to spend.

They are under zero obligation to do this and could get in trouble for doing so I suppose

An interesting response @saraclara, and displaying the exact attitude that business owners are shutting up shop for, having just simply had it with some customers.

I told you the conversation would take ten minutes. That is based on my own experience knowing that responding to one question with these types of people leads to other questions, and, in my experience of 100s of these convos, an average of ten mins of my time.

And along you come with your 'customer is always right' attitude and totally dismiss my actual experiences with 'don't be ridiculous, it's seconds.'

Well, no. No it's not. If it was, indeed it would be fine. But it's not. I literally just told you that.

Surely it's only reasonable to expect you to have some idea of what your competitors are doing/selling?

Another reason to shop on-line. It is simply a far more efficient way of buying stuff.

I don't think you can be expected to know what other shops sell but your personal issues are not the customers' problem.

I have to disagree. I actually think that customer service has improved. If I ask someone where an item is these days, I'm almost always be taken there rather than be waved on a direction or just told an aisle number. To the point that I often feel bad that I've taken them away from what they're doing, and apologise profusely.

Likewise sales staff will take the time to look things up, and yes, as I said earlier, I've regularly had other shops suggested.

In general I find sales staff much more friendly and helpful than they used to be. And it's not even tied to the 'quality' of the shop. The staff in my new Aldi are every bit as helpful as in my local Waitrose.

That's not what anyone is suggesting, it couldn't possibly take that long to politely say that you don't sell something

It’s annoying but it’s not rude of them to ask if you know somewhere else that stocks the item. All you need to do is politely reply, I don’t know, sorry.

I once worked in a big retail department chain store where a customer wanted to return m&s trousers to me. (We weren’t m&s) when I pointed out that they muddled up the shops the customer then got really angry and told me to just give her the money back as we all sell the same stuff so I could sell the trousers to someone else 😂

Asking is reasonable. Being disappointed at the response is too. Not the behaviour you describe.