O/T Counter Staff. Is this policy?

Happened today at O'Reilly, but it happens at NAPA, Airgas, you name it, and it drives me crazy.

The counter staff guy is serving you, and the phone rings. Next thing you know, he is dealing with the phone-in customer.

I'm going to enter all their phone numbers in my cell phone so I can call them up while I'm at the counter and ask for the dude who was supposed to be helping me in the first place.

 

happens everywhere. it pisses me off too, what can ya do???

 

That's one of my pet peeves also. Usually it's someone who is just shopping for the best price or free advice. I've often wondered it a high volume store couldn't have one guy dedicated to answering the phone, leaving the regular counter guys free to actually wait on customers who have CASH in hand and REALLY want to buy something.

Frank

 

When i ran a shop i did exactly the opposite. If the person took the time to come to the shop i'd help them first, if the phone rings either ask them to hold or take their phone number. Thats for smarter people.
Now a business person would have to sell the **** to the person on the phone because usually thier too lazy to go to the store so they will just call the next place that might have it.

The End

 

Tell 'em right up front that if they answer the phone while helping you you're gonna walk. Then do it.

I know, that's the hot-head thing to do, but if everyone did it they'd get the message.

When I worked counter, we'd answer the phone with a customer there but put the phone on hold every time. Then after the walk-in was done, get to the phone.

 

If they answer the phone while I'm talking to them, I just walk out...all the while making the "What am I invisible?" motions. They obvoiusly don't need my money. I like the idea of calling them up from the store, haven't tried that yet.

 

I was just gonna say call them while standing in line.

 

It depends on store policy. You might want to direct your indignation at the management that told their counter help to do that, or at the four guys hanging out in front of the store, ****ing on cigarettes, while the one nonsmoker is still inside trying to do everything, as was the case at Advance Auto the last time I was there.

 

Years ago before i quit eating dead cow parts I was waiting forever at the walk up window at a ******* in the Box and all the staff did was take order after order form the drive up Jackspeaker and ignored the window, so I walked back to the speaker and placed my order there. The guy got all upset that I wasn't in a car and I told him he was going to be more upset when I dragged him out by the collar through the pickup window and he better take my order.
It worked.

When I usta manage the Shakey's on Valley Blvd. on a Friday noght after the high school football game the kids were lined up out the door and some "smarter" one's started calling in orders from the pay phone right outside the front door, so I put all four phone lines on hold.
Then a short while later when my area supervisor couldn't get a call in either so he came over to find out why and stomped in the door and put all the phones off hold, at which point I told him he was going to have to answer them now and fill all the phone orders himself because I was obviously already swamped and when he started taking the first call I said "Just watch the lips move on the kid in the phone booth outside right now while your listening to him on that phone!"
He put the phones back on hold...

 

I have done that at the grocery store. The kid's cell phone rang while he was checking me out, and I told him if he answered it, somebody was going to be doing some restocking. Rolled his eyes and finished checking me out.

 

yep....policy. In the ASE test the correct answer is to "politely ask the customer in front of you to please wait while you answer this call" Christalmightydamn...

 

happened too me at a book store a while back, waited on a two wide ten deep line..when it was my turn the phone rang the girl answered then put them on hold too answer another....luckaly i had just the rite amout of beer in me so i took out my knife and cut the phone cord...the look on her face...priceless...

 

Yes, it's policy and it ****s ***, but the reasoning is:
1: we need more people in the store, so answer the phone to draw 'em in
2: your there allready, so your second in line.

I managed part time at Vatozone for about a year as a second gig.

I do believe I was written up twice to violating that rule :EVIL:

 

ya know what I hate? when I call a place to get a specific price of a specific part number I already know.......and i get put on hold for 45 minutes....then get told, sorry we don't give prices over the phone.

I had to do this with a ****ty 5100.00 MSRP motorcycle i wanted to buy...i didnt want to ****er, So i called and said, whats the out the door price on such and such. you dont have to sell me, im sold, just give me a price. "we dont give out prices over the phone" no problem, i understand must be a sales guy thing "can I help you with anything else?" i said "sure whats the number to such and such kawasaki down the block?"

called 4 places only 1 gave me a price, I told him my info over the phone, he had paperwork ready when i arrived I said thanks for the fast service, he said thanks for not wasting my time. I ended up paying 200-300 more than if i would have ****ered around for a while, but jesus i hate sales guys....

 

Their policy is there because the phone call could be a regular shop needing a part delivered, or a bigger sale (commission). The managers tell the counter people to help the phone calls first, people in the stores second, it ****s but that is their dumb*** idea of customer service.

 

id wait till they are ready to take your green then YOU make a phone call , talk for 10 minutes and make THEM wait for a change. it probably wouldnt change there ways but it sure might make you feel better! mike

 

I run a one man store,and if the phone rings,I apologize to the guy standing there,and try like hell to get off the phone...if it rings again while the customer is standing there talking to me,I repeat the process,then take it off the hook.....and tell the guy standing there I'm sorry,but don't worry,it won't ring again...think they usually appreciate that one..
The guy who got off his *** to come to my store gets preferential treatment over the phone guy..that's how it should be..
On the flip side,if I'm dealing with you,and you start yakking on your cell phone,and leave me standing there holding my **** for more than a minute or two,when you get off the phone,you'll have a hell of a time getting my attention again

 

i will tell you what williebill, youre the type of shop owner i wouldnt mind dealing with. you seem polite. you dont find too many polite people out in the retail world anymore.anyway, i couldnt honestly do what i said, cause im probably one of the last guys on earht without a cell phone. mike

 

I worked at several auto parts stores years ago and I always tended to the in-store customer first. They took the time to come through the door and are there to buy something, so they took priority. My managers all agreed.

Of course, that was back then...in a simpler, better time! I worked for stores where we looked up parts in paper catalogs, wrote receipts out by hand, stocked quality brand name parts, and knew most of our customers by name...you know, "the good old days"!

What kills me even MORE than the counterperson talking on the phone with a customer (or potential customer) though is when the counterperson is on his or her ****ing CELL PHONE while they're half-heartedly trying to 'help' you! I see that more and more often these days, and not just at parts stores...it's running rampant at drive-thru windows as well! It's not only completely rude and unprofessional, but in nearly every case, the schmuck gets my part (or order) wrong because they're paying too much attention to their girlfriend, boyfriend, lawyer, parole officer, bookie, drug dealer or babysitter on the other end of their damn cellular call!

If I were running a business, all cell phones would stay in the employees' cars during their shift at WORK! They can socialize on their own time!!!

 

I know its policy at Checker to answer the phone and help them first. Part of the reason I ditched autparts as fast as I could.

Primo

 

I feel you pain! As an auto parts store owner, my walk-in customers get helped first, then I answer the phone.

On the flip side, nothing pisses me off more than when I'm helping a customer and his/her cell phone rings and they answer it then talk on it for 10 minutes!!

 

Reach over the counter and push down on the ****on ands say I was here first MRFR!!!!!! It may help if you have beer breath and he can see your carrying a gun. LOL.

 

I know it's not practical, but I would have a bar code taped next to the register, that when scanned, would add a nuisance fee onto their purchase.

 

Funny this thread came up today. On my way home from work I call my favorite pizza shop. The manager answers and says "Can I help you? " Yes I'd like a small mush.. "Can you hold a minute" he says. I could hear the phone ringing in the background. I'm on hold now for what seems like forever, using up my cell minutes. What's up with that. I called first, he could've finished taking my order. So I hang up and call back to ream him out and tell him I'm calling Papa Gino's. Of course the girl answers and I can't yell at her.

 

Happened to me at an Advanced Auto Parts recently. There were 5 of us in line, 1 dude at the counter, and 1 stocking parts. The other employees were out smoking. The dude kept answering the phone and trying to wait on 2 people at once. At least he tried. But he kept going back to the phone. I finally got pissed off, and the next time it rang, I went behind the counter and answered it myself so he couldn't. I told the caller the computers were down, he would have to come into the store. The counter kid turned white as a ghost, gave me a real shocked type of look, but didn't answer the phone anymore. His partner came out from his parts stocking coma and asked if the computers were really down. I said "NO, but they will be if we have to wait any longer in this fu###ng line."
The second kid opened his register, and both of them forgot all about the phones.
All you have to do is stand up for yourself.
At least a couple of the Napa's near me have a designated phone order person during the day.

 

you ask them if the telephone dispenses cash like my wallet does,then say, you can go ahead and take 10% off for being rude

 

The NAPA by me don't. But then again these guys aren't 12 either. They have been doin it a long time. They answer the phone and put it on hold till you are done. Professionals at work make happy customers.......The way it should be.

 

Hi i am an ***istant manager at advance auto parts and it is company policy to excuse your self and answer the phone , and they have phone shoppers calling all the stores randomly 3 times a week twice a day checking that we answer the phone in 3 rings and with the propper greeting , and quote parts in order, good, better and best , some of there policies are a bunch of bull , I would wear my key board out complaning about the things they have us do , but if we get a mystery shop we have to explain to the dm why and how we will correct it , all they care about is profit , more sales with as little employee's as possible . Joe

 

I deal with a NAPA here in town. I have a bussiness account, so when I call them, most of the time it is money to their store. Often more then most of you guys that walk in, but they still put me on hold. When I call, I usually know what I'm after, if I'm into one of those "projects" I will usually stop in in person. When that happens, they will take a call while they are helping me, which is OK by me, the thing I'm there for is usually a screwed up mess.
Gene

 

Having worked behind the counter for about 30 years I would give preference to the guy I was helping. If I had to grab a phone I would tell the guy I was helping just a moment - answer the phone & tell the person "we are a little backed up here & if I can get your name and number and I will call you right back in about 20 minutes so you don't get stuck on hold". That person was more than happy not to get stuck on hold and would give me their name and number. (I would not even ask what they wanted at that point as that could turn into a 5 minute ordeal) Then the guy I was helping would be happy as well that he did'nt get left hanging. Yes, we also had the company phone shoppers and it was easy enough to figure them out 99% of the time. When I suspected it was one of them, I was always sure to add that we operate on a skeleton crew here and that is why we get backed up (it was true) I hoped it would get them to add one more person.