Yesterday, we wanted to make a purchase. Because we are aware of supply chain issues, we checked the web sites of several stores to determine where the item might be in stock. Susan and I discussed the purchase and I headed off to the nearest store with the item in stock. It showed “limited supply,” but the item was available for in store pickup. The store was a big box store a short drive from our house. I had enough time to run into town and make the pickup. When I arrived at the store, I could find no employees in the section of the store where I wanted to make my purchase. After wandering up and down the aisles, I went to the service desk in the store, where I was told there were two employees assigned to that section of the store. I informed the service desk that all I needed was to make the purchase and suggested that they could ring up the sale and have one of the employees bring the item to the service desk. Instead, someone from the service desk accompanied me back into that section of the store, where we eventually found an employee.

I told the employee what it was I wanted to purchase and the employee went to a computer and began looking for the item. Since the employee was having trouble finding the item, I used my phone to find it online and gave the employee the store’s item number. The employee said, “I have to check to see if we have one,” and began to search the shelves. I spotted the item high on a shelf, where it would take a ladder or a lifting device to get up to it. The employee said, “I have to find a second one, because that one is already sold,” and proceeded to go into a back room where there was more inventory. After nearly 15 minutes the employee returned and told me that they did not have the item available. I pointed out the one on the shelf, and was told that it could not be sold as it was being held for another customer. I said, “OK,” and left the shop.

Later in the evening, I checked the store’s web site again and it showed the item available. I decided to see if the online ordering for in store pickup worked and placed an order. It went through. Later I received an email message saying the item was ready for me to pick up in the store. Since it was fairly late, I decided to wait until this morning to pick up the item. I will make a second trip to the store and pick it up.

I’m fairly certain what happened. The store reserves some items for online ordering. When a customer is in the store and wants to purchase the item, an employee needs to remove it from online inventory so that it becomes available for in store sale. In the case of the item I wanted, after the computer work was done to remove it from the online store, it would have been additional work to get the item from the high shelf. By leaving the item in the online order section of the web site, the employee could claim that it was not available for sale. Perhaps the moment I arrived at the store was the end of the shift for the employee. Or perhaps the employee knew that there would be no personal consequences from providing poor customer service.

I know that there is nothing to be gained from making complaints. The big box store is likely struggling with low inventory and a shortage of workers. In a free market capitalistic economy a shortage of workers should result in higher wages, but the labor market in the United States is far from a true free market. Big box stores are not going to be the leaders in paying more to increase customer service. They know that the appearance of low inventory helps their sales. People are more likely to make quick decisions when it appears that inventory is low and they fear they might not be able to get the item when they want it.

In other words, there is no financial incentive for the big box store to provide customer service. In a way, I proved that point yesterday by going ahead and making the purchase at that store. They didn’t lose a customer and they didn’t lose a sale because of poor customer service. I simply worked around a difficult employee to get the item I wanted. The sale was made and the profit earned by the store without having to deal with labor or supply shortages.

I have had enough experiences with poor customer service to have developed some skill at “playing the game” to get the results I want. I complain about having to work around difficult employees, but my behavior does nothing to make a change. If I complain about yesterday’s experience when I pick up the item this morning, the employee to whom I complain will have no authority to do anything about my complaint. There is no incentive for the employee to even report my complaint. The employee may not have received training in customer service, but probably has learned that one way to deal with irate customers is to simply listen, defend themselves when voices are raised by deflecting the anger, do nothing and wait for the customer to leave the store. There is no incentive for the employee to make an effort to retain the customer. Customer loyalty is not a matter for the employees in the store. They are receiving the same hourly wage whether or not the customer is happy.

My defense against all of this is to generally avoid the big box stores when I am able. I prefer to shop with smaller locally controlled stores, even if I pay slightly higher prices for the service. I like clerks who enjoy serving the public. Sometimes, however, I will play the game and do business with big box stores in order to find the item I want at the price I want. But each time I do, I am reminded why I prefer the local business.