So how many of you have done this?

[Shaila]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/

This made me laugh, because I definitely did this when I was working at Petsmart. Hell, our boss -told- us to do this. "Yeah, even if you know it's not back there, just go back there and pretend to look for it for a little bit. It makes the customers feel better."

I don't think I ever found anything the customer was looking for, looking in the back.

[Aleros]

Yeah... I've actually been guilty somewhat recently of asking someone if they could check the back.

Although, it has been successful before, but it was for shredded carrots.

[Delion]

REALLY depends what store you're in. Big department stores like Myers and David Jones yes, smaller retail ones no.

We always kept our videogames in drawers in the front, so I could check our drawers for customers, and always did. Could never check the back. :/

[Denne]

An item I saw advertised at Radio Shack as a Black Friday deal today wasn't on the shelf. I asked a clerk about it, and he went and brought out more from the back. Now, I didn't ask if he could check the back, I asked if they were sold out, so this is the reverse of the scenario in the strip, but as such it shows that the possibility of things being in "the back" isn't without merit.

Never actually worked in retail myself aside from working the cash register at a public pool. There isn't really an admission sales equivalent to "the back."

[Shaila]

Never actually worked in retail myself

Looking back at Petsmart, I wish I could say this.

[Ceil]

I did this all the fucking time when I worked at a grocery/department store, ESPECIALLY when people asked for any kind of popular shoe style. I'd go back into the shoe stockroom, sit down on a box and write or BS with the girl in the adjacent accessories stockroom who was doing the same thing. Anything apparel is never in the goddamn back.

[Bellesta]

I work in a children's clothing store, with a tiny, tiny stockroom. It's a unique brand, which does limited lines each season in 3 shipments. Winter 09 will not have the things Winter 08 had. Nor will we get a restock of things from Summer 08 anytime soon. We simply cannot just 'ship more out' for one person.

People never seem to understand this. I've literally had a woman break down and cry because we couldn't try to get something from a line 2 years ago for her.

[Tiforis]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/

This made me laugh, because I definitely did this when I was working at Petsmart. Hell, our boss -told- us to do this. "Yeah, even if you know it's not back there, just go back there and pretend to look for it for a little bit. It makes the customers feel better."

I don't think I ever found anything the customer was looking for, looking in the back.

Every fucking day.

[Kyraine]

I did it all the time when I worked retail. Makes me look like I give a shit, even when I know we didn't have said item in stock.

[Kost]

Yep, always did this, only so much whining of 'But you haaaaaave to haaaaave it, I neeeeeed it!' you can take.

Don't miss retail. Not one bit.