Things I hate in this world #269: Websites without realtime inventory

TheGerman

TheGerman

Oberleutnant
Full Member
Minuteman
    • Jan 25, 2010
    10,602
    30,203
    the Westside
    #1
    Nothing sucks more dick and disappoints you faster than finding out that nifty item you just ordered and paid for will take 6 fucking weeks to get to you. After you ordered it.

    In this day and age, there should be ZERO FUCKING EXCUSES as to NOT having a real-time inventory system on your website. Zero. None. They should not exist. Business models that do not have this should be destroyed by ones that do. I can't explain enough how much pure anger goes through me when I order something on your site, fill out your gay little billing/shipping/username/password bullshit, put in my CC#, hit order, get a order number and then check my email 5 minutes later to find out THE FUCKING THING HASN'T EVEN BEEN MADE YET.
    I'm not talking about things you pre-order, or pre-pay for or services you KNOW will have a wait/lead time before you even get involved. I'm talking about shit that's sitting on a website ready to order and then boom, utter disappointment.

    If you sell shit online, have the courtesy of letting me know if that item I've just wasted an hour shopping around for is IN FUCKING STOCK. Why is this so hard? It's not like you didn't know. How do I know this? Because I received an email within 5 minutes of ordering it telling me its nowhere to be found and I get to wait almost 2 fucking months to get it. WHY DOES THIS EXIST?!? I feel like I'm 200 years old even having to mention this. It's like telling someone to put on underwear under their fucking pants in the morning. WHY?!? No excuses - you're either lazy or your fucking logistics SUCK and you should file for the inevitable bankruptcy heading your way.


    And no, I don't want to call you and check if it's in stock. Why? Because I don't want to call you and check if its in stock just like I don't want to get in my car and drive down the road to buy it in a store. It's the fucking internet; it's a luxury NOT having to deal with anything in order to get what I want to spend my money on. Calling you would be completely counterproductive to this unless I had a question about the item. Otherwise, just have it in stock and let me quietly hand you my money or DON'T FUCKING LIST IT.

    3 times today already. THREE. For the same fucking item. FUCK
     
    Last edited:
    #5
    Nice rant. I especially like the part about calling. It pisses me off even more than the inventory thing when people tell you that you should have called. If that's the case, why not just make the internet the world's easiest phone book and skip the rest of substandard website BS. One page with phone number on it - save the rest of the hassle.
     
    #6
    CMH said:
    Nice rant. I especially like the part about calling. It pisses me off even more than the inventory thing when people tell you that you should have called. If that's the case, why not just make the internet the world's easiest phone book and skip the rest of substandard website BS. One page with phone number on it - save the rest of the hassle.
    Click to expand...

    Yep. This is all over a damned belt.

    Want to know why I order from SKD often? Because you don't need to call them. Why? Because they have real-time inventory 100% of the time. Unless you have a technical question or a customer service related issue, there should be ABSOLUTELY LESS THAN ZERO reason as to why I would need to call you to order an item you have listed on your site that does not have OUT OF STOCK next to it.
     
    #7
    cute-dog-101.jpg

    It'll be OK.

    And I totally agree.
     
    #8
    No real time inventory is crap, I'd also like to add, those websites that offer no pricing! Call us-we'll let you in on the secret price after we've talked, is also crap! I'm amazed at gunsmiths that don't know what they charge to work, and if they do, they don't put it on their web sites! I can't imagine another installation business, that can't tell you the price up front. "Custom" one of a kind work, okay you need to talk, but things like: new barrel, bedding, coating etc. are not one of a kind "custom" work. Now there are some really good smiths out there, and they do in fact post their pricing, but those that don't-you're a business, post a price!
     
    #9
    You should've called in advance, you should get used to unknown ETA's, and delays are normal in the gun world even if it's quadruple the original time they guestimated. *sarcasm off*
     
    #13
    thrusty said:
    +1....I agree wholeheartedly with OPs thread title.

    I would like to know what is contained in the things I hate list.... #1 thru #268?
    Click to expand...

    A little bit of this, some of that. I may have to write a book. Some random outtakes:

    #21 - People at the post office that go to ask stupid fucking questions for 30 minutes about forwarding mail, their PO box and why the delivery time is different each day
    #174 - My girlfriends' friends and the stupid shit they put into her head that I end up having to deal with
    #112 - People that text you, you call right back and they do not answer their phone
    #226 - Why Florida drivers should all be euthanized; tales of trying to drive like a normal person in the left lane
    #55 - Why I need to invent something that lets me stab you in the face over the internet; tales of dealing with people of Craigslist or any online 'For Sale' forum
     
    #17
    CMH said:
    Nice rant. I especially like the part about calling. It pisses me off even more than the inventory thing when people tell you that you should have called. If that's the case, why not just make the internet the world's easiest phone book and skip the rest of substandard website BS. One page with phone number on it - save the rest of the hassle.
    Click to expand...

    Put me down x100 on the calling thing. This is the biggest red flag to me. It seems to scream: "I'm going to fuck you at some point in our business relationship -- so make sure we deal over the phone so none of my broken promises will be memorialized in writing"!
     
    #18
    Is the white trash fucks that stand at the counter at the gas station scratching off their lotto scratch offs they just spent their paycheck on while you wait to buy your gas and snacks on the list?
     
    #21
    A lot of these sites are no more than shells for broker services. They have no inventory.
    I see a ton of them when searching for car parts.

    Big red flags are:
    No phone number
    No physical address
     
    #22
    I watched a manufacturer's site for a few weeks and the AR item I wanted was listed as "out of stock" the whole time. There were other brands and styles close to what I needed but I wanted that particular item. It was during the beginning weeks of the panic, or whatever you want to call it, so I easily accepted the "out of stock" listing. One day I got a bug up my ass and started looking hard at other brands/styles. Decided though to call the manufacturer and ask how long it would be before they made some more, before I pulled the trigger on something else. The girl on the phone says, " I think we have a few of those here, let me check". Came back on the line in a couple minutes and told me she could ship me one. Glad I called, turned out to be an excellent transaction.
     
    #23
    +1 on SKD and outfits like them.

    Hell, forget about real-time inventory, these days I'll think twice about companies that have a splash page or music pouring out of their site.
     
    #25
    #77 - People that seem to only be able to communicate via text message or email
    #4 - Anyone that comes to my door that I didn't invite to at that specific time
    #202 - Spoons; they always shoot water at me while washing them
    #199 - Commercials on the radio. I don't know if its funny or sad that people that make them and companies that pay for them think we actually listen to ANY of them. Ever.
    #17 - Professional sports in the USA. There needs to be 'lower' leagues for each sport like in Europe so that if you finish in the bottom 2 of your league, your entire team/program is relegated and your big contract is destroyed. The motivation this generates is amazing.
     
    #27
    I was part of this rant with the small mom and pop shop I ran. The POS was not linked to the inventory computer, no way to afford the monies to buy and install a complete new system. Hard enough to keep the lights on, employees paid and uncle sam happy every month. We wanted the phone call orders so the customer got the right product plus we got to talk to them and build a relationship. Mostly due to sizing and if the product would in fact work for what the customer wanted but the biggest reason custom boot fitting that cannot be accomplished by dropping boots into a basket and hit order. Did over 1.5mil a year by the interweb this way, not a lot these days but rarely had a customer return or complaint. In today's retail, this is sorely missing on both sides; its I want it now, I want it fast, I want it cheap or I am pissed, if I order the wrong the product then its your fault not mine. The business aspect gives little service other than here it is, buy it, if not I will sell it to the next guy. There is no interaction anymore between the customer and sales person. I think of all the small mom and pop shops that use to be, now its all giant corp or interweb sales. Good or bad its up to the individuals perspective but it is what we have.

    But I feel the frustration too, many times I have searched to find that product, placed the order and back order email. Like was said, many of these are just broker web sites, once the order is placed, they order it from wholesaler shipped to you, they have no inventory so their POS is not linked to any inventory.
     
    #28
    One more that has to be mentioned, calling a local store, and getting some POS in India, or north korea, or where ever they have contracted their phone service! How in the hell can some idiot dodging cows tell me if the part I want is physically sitting on the shelf of the store 8 miles away? Furthermore, I believe some Americans need jobs too, outsourcing your "customer service" to the Philippines it stupidity of the first order!!!!!!!
     
    #30
    We should have a list of companies on this board that do this shit. Then show them the thread and tell them were spreading it on the internet unless they start counting inventory.
     
    #34
    45.308 said:
    I was part of this rant with the small mom and pop shop I ran. The POS was not linked to the inventory computer, no way to afford the monies to buy and install a complete new system. Hard enough to keep the lights on, employees paid and uncle sam happy every month. We wanted the phone call orders so the customer got the right product plus we got to talk to them and build a relationship. Mostly due to sizing and if the product would in fact work for what the customer wanted but the biggest reason custom boot fitting that cannot be accomplished by dropping boots into a basket and hit order. Did over 1.5mil a year by the interweb this way, not a lot these days but rarely had a customer return or complaint. In today's retail, this is sorely missing on both sides; its I want it now, I want it fast, I want it cheap or I am pissed, if I order the wrong the product then its your fault not mine. The business aspect gives little service other than here it is, buy it, if not I will sell it to the next guy. There is no interaction anymore between the customer and sales person. I think of all the small mom and pop shops that use to be, now its all giant corp or interweb sales. Good or bad its up to the individuals perspective but it is what we have.

    But I feel the frustration too, many times I have searched to find that product, placed the order and back order email. Like was said, many of these are just broker web sites, once the order is placed, they order it from wholesaler shipped to you, they have no inventory so their POS is not linked to any inventory.
    Click to expand...

    I would still prefer the dialogue happened over email so that there is a record of what was promised/described. It seems if I'm told "this will work for you because..." or "this will fit..." it does me no good to have a sales record showing I got exactly what I ordered if I only ordered it because of the way the business talked about it or assurances they made regarding fit/finish/suitability etc.

    Of course I understand both that this may not be feasible for all businesses and that some customers actually prefer phone calls. But that's my beef and I'm sticking to it!
     
    #37
    The US Army has real time inventory updates across all warehouses on the globe.

    I agree with the OP on this one. If you don't have it, don't say that you'll sell it... vaporware sacks of crap!
     
    #40
    oh yeah and then those same guys will say please don't call. We are busy pulling your orders and every phone delays everyone else' s order until infinity starts over again.
     
    #43
    Cartman said:
    I would still prefer the dialogue happened over email so that there is a record of what was promised/described. It seems if I'm told "this will work for you because..." or "this will fit..." it does me no good to have a sales record showing I got exactly what I ordered if I only ordered it because of the way the business talked about it or assurances they made regarding fit/finish/suitability etc.

    Of course I understand both that this may not be feasible for all businesses and that some customers actually prefer phone calls. But that's my beef and I'm sticking to it!
    Click to expand...

    Actually most of the sales by email and would include the whole email with invoice inside the shipped package. 75% of interweb sales where held in the stock room with name and email and invoice until the customer arrived in Alaska to pick it up on their way to a hunt. But, we still wanted phone calls as it can be easier, quicker and more understanding than email that can take several days to get to the right product in their hands.

    While I understand the does me now good business talked about it for fit and finish, I guess I am honest in that reguard, if it did not meet what I said it would I would take it back...that rarely happened, the customer asked for experience with the product it was given to them, some customers knew what they wanted and that is what they got. I know its a term that is not used these days but I believe in customer service instead of a quick sale but most business these days its all about low overhead and quick sales. Customers say they want customer service but many do not understand the term either, they order the latest whiz gizz then do not like it and they immediately fault the retail shop with poor customer service.

    This was the business model, close to but not exactly face to face relationship with all customers but actual comms with them Vs a cart on the web, that was the business model that did very well and I am sticking to it!!
     
    #44
    45.308 said:
    Actually most of the sales by email and would include the whole email with invoice inside the shipped package. 75% of interweb sales where held in the stock room with name and email and invoice until the customer arrived in Alaska to pick it up on their way to a hunt. But, we still wanted phone calls as it can be easier, quicker and more understanding than email that can take several days to get to the right product in their hands.

    While I understand the does me now good business talked about it for fit and finish, I guess I am honest in that reguard, if it did not meet what I said it would I would take it back...that rarely happened, the customer asked for experience with the product it was given to them, some customers knew what they wanted and that is what they got. I know its a term that is not used these days but I believe in customer service instead of a quick sale but most business these days its all about low overhead and quick sales. Customers say they want customer service but many do not understand the term either, they order the latest whiz gizz then do not like it and they immediately fault the retail shop with poor customer service.

    This was the business model, close to but not exactly face to face relationship with all customers but actual comms with them Vs a cart on the web, that was the business model that did very well and I am sticking to it!!
    Click to expand...

    I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing -- you prefer a phone call, but you'll do email? I've been talking about businesses, including firearms, that WON'T do email and insist you call them to discuss the sale.
     
    #47
    I have gotten to the point where I call the manufacturer, and ask them for a list of stores that actually have stock their items on shelves. I'll also tell them that I don't want a list of drop-ship stores that order from them to then have it shipped to me.
     
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