I wanted to buy a softball glove for a game today. I called my nearest Target to find out if they had any in stock. The operator tried transferring me to the sports area three times but no one picked up. She asked me to call back. I asked if she had a fancy device for looking up the in-store stock. She said to do that she needed a specific item number. Online, Target’s wares have 3 numbers: a category #, an ASIN, and a DPCI. She needed a DCPI. I gave her one for this glove. She said they didn’t have any in stock. I then tried to look at other gloves, but the two or three that I tried didn’t have DCPI numbers…
I hung up and went to the store. I went to the sporting good section. There I found a suitable softball glove. It was the very one the operator said was not in stock.
This system, if it can be called that, is dumb, and seems to be so typical of my experience with real-world retail shopping. This is one of the reasons why, unless I need something the same day, I usually shop online, NYT articles be damned. — BEN POPKEN
(Photo: Ben Popken)
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@skrom:
When you live in the middle of nowhere, it’s by far cheaper to call a store and ask if they have something, than it is to spend the 5 dollars in gas to go there, find out they don’t have it, and spend the 5 dollars to go back.
As far as people calling for returns, I’ve made a habit of it, especially if I can’t find a receipt, or think someone might try to pull a fast one on me. I’ll call and say when I was in the store, what I bought, what line I went through, and a few other inane details, perhaps so the store knows to expect me, but more for my sanity to say “they know there’s a problem, (name) told me to (perform action regarding problem)”.
Also, with the 45 minute drives to get places, it helps to know if it’s something the store will take, or if you have to call the manufacturer.
I’m curious to know how many here are SUV drivers that use phone shopping to conserve gas because that takes a lot of the validity out of that argument…
I think there’s a reasonable balance, it’s really not considerate or practical to constantly call for stock checks, but at the same time if I was buying a tv or vacuum or another expensive item I would probably call ahead also.
To each their own but I hope all you phone shoppers realize the importance of the in-store purchase as well. Personally I enjoy the instant gratification of walking out of the store with whatever it is I just paid for, not having to wait for it to arrive via ups.
DO NOT open registry at targets, unless you know that all your guests are perfect at keeping their receipts, including gift receipts and making sure that they or the store clerk has removed it from the registry! You can’t be responsible for all your guests and the store clerk following through and w/o that receipt targets will make it impossible to return your duplicate items.
Daughter opened her registry in Jan. and wedding was aug 10, they did not allow items over $20 to be returned even when purchased off the registry. we also had the problem of them not being removed, this makes me think part of the blame for not removing items from the registry is the fault of target, as they scan the paper and sometimes it doesn’t scan properly. They refused to give us store credit. 3 Blenders (only sold at targets!) they are $29.99- $9.99 over their $20 limit. Is is my daughter’s fault that targets did not remove it or that her guest may have forgotten to have it removed???? Does that mean we should inform all our guests that they must attach a targets receipt. As far as paying attention to their registry??? How were we to know if any one had purchased it????, so we could remove it? Anyways, store mgr and corporate office said the same out of luck!
This is there email response to me from the corporate office:
“If you don’t have a receipt, we still have a few options for you:
- Your local store will accommodate two no receipt returns a year for you on small gifts under $20.
- We have the ability to look up a receipt’s information for the gift giver, so they can make a return on most purchases, provided they purchased your item with a check, Target GiftCard, credit or debit card within the past 90 days.
- If the gift giver still has the original receipt for the item, they have the ability to reprint a gift receipt at the Guest Service desk next time they visit Target.” “I’m sorry if you feel our last e-mail reply wasn’t satisfactory, but we aren’t able to further assist you with your return. “
jean
@ElPresidente408:
Actually you should call guest service if you want to check an item, or electronics. If you call food avenue or starbucks they are going to hang up on you or transfer you back to the operator. Its not their job to do merchandise locates, they prepare food.
- Also worth noting, Targets merchandise locate is only accurate as of 8 am each day. Newer targets have updated inventory scanners that can do merchandise locate as well, but again they are only accurate as of 8am.
-The operator told this lady that they were out of the glove because she was using one of the older inventory scanners. With the older ones it can check the back room to see if we have an item but it cannot verify if the item is out in the store on the shelf. To do that you need to have someone go and physically check.