Toy Hunters: Do you call stores to find toys you're after?

[Seraphim Prime]

I have rung stores before. Not very frequently, but I have done it (particularly when I was at school and my ability to go to different shops was limited). When i got my car/started working at Target it was easier to drive around, and the phone calls were reduced.

Like Griffin said, if they've got a cordless phone on them, they can walk around and describe a product to you. I've never really had any problems with ringing, though that is probably because I've been fairly exact, and progressive in my details.

Not: Do you have deluxe Tracks?

Instead: I was wondering if you had a particular Transformers figure. It's a Deluxe figure, in the yellow packaging. It's name is Turbo Tracks. It should be a blue sports car.

The bits in bold are the individual identifiers, and can of course be changed depending on what figure you're looking for. By guiding them through, you often get a better result. It's their job to work the toy department, but that doesn't mean that they are going to learn the names and basic qualities of every toy that they stock.

I work in the games/movie department of my local Target. Doesn't mean I've watched every movie or played every game that we stock.

[5FDP]

I work in the games/movie department of my local Target. Doesn't mean I've watched every movie or played every game that we stock.

I see the point you are trying to make, but I'm sure if someone were to ask you if you sold a particular movie surely you'd be able to tell them if it was in stock. If not, it's no wonder that consumers are taking their business online.

No one can expect you to describe the plot-line of a movie much in the same way I wouldn't expect store staff to describe to me how to transform a Transformer, but they should be able to tell you if they have the one you are after if mentioned by name. If they can't, you can only assume that they can't read or can't be bothered looking.

[Seraphim Prime]

I see the point you are trying to make, but I'm sure if someone were to ask you if you sold a particular movie surely you'd be able to tell them if it was in stock. If not, it's no wonder that consumers are taking their business online.

No one can expect you to describe the plot-line of a movie much in the same way I wouldn't expect store staff to describe to me how to transform a Transformer, but they should be able to tell you if they have the one you are after if mentioned by name. If they can't, you can only assume that they can't read or can't be bothered looking.

I see your point, but let me clarify. I was more equating it to the idea that I know the movie titles like they know toy lines, but probably wouldn't off the top of my head tell you the individual actors in it. In a similar way, the toy staff might know they have Transformers/Beyblades/Ben 10 toys, but may not know the individual figure by name the way that we would.

Do you know the name of all the Ben10 aliens? Probably not, but a 10 year old fan does. In the same way, we may know the TFs by name, but the assistant (unless a TF fan themselves) probably won't, which is why you generally need to provide a bit of hand-holding.

[GoktimusPrime]

I was more equating it to the idea that I know the movie titles like they know toy lines, but probably wouldn't off the top of my head tell you the individual actors in it. In a similar way, the toy staff might know they have Transformers/Beyblades/Ben 10 toys, but may not know the individual figure by name the way that we would.

I tend to agree with 5FDP here. If you tell them the name of the toy line and the name of the individual figure, it's not that hard to go look for it. Obviously the more information you can give the better... but one would imagine that the name of the product line and the actual product itself would suffice...

Do you know the name of all the Ben10 aliens? Probably not, but a 10 year old fan does. In the same way, we may know the TFs by name, but the assistant (unless a TF fan themselves) probably won't, which is why you generally need to provide a bit of hand-holding.

I wouldn't know, but let's say someone asked me to buy a Ben 10 toy for their kid, and he wanted the Ben 10 Alien Force Ripjaws & Ghostfreak set, I would simply look for a set matching this description and get it. Unless there's several different sets fitting this same description, it shouldn't be hard.

How many different toys would be called "Transformers Reveal The Shield Turbo Tracks"?

[Thanatos]

You guys are missing the simple fact that most people who work for Kmart are now younger than me (aging between 14 and 19), and let's be honest, they're casual and they just don't care if they have it in stock. A phone call is simply an inconvenience to their slacking off. It's not the way it should be, it's the way it is.

I would only bother calling if it's a toy store - ie. Toyworld or Toys R Us. They aren't much better, but at least they have no excuse for not knowing a product they hold since they're all toys not like Kmart which is "general".

Suffice it to say, I don't bother calling.

[GoktimusPrime]

Sadly I am inclined to agree with you Thanatos -- and also, this is why I also don't bother calling.

I would only bother calling if it's a toy store - ie. Toyworld or Toys R Us. They aren't much better, but at least they have no excuse for not knowing a product they hold since they're all toys not like Kmart which is "general".

Yeah, but as you said, they're really not much better.

If the typical Kmart staffer has 0 knowledge about toys, and say the typical TRU employee has say ten times that amount of knowledge... well, we all know what 10 x 0 gives us.

[Seraphim Prime]

How many different toys would be called "Transformers Reveal The Shield Turbo Tracks"?

Not many. But if I was your average toy staff, and someone rang up and simply said, do you have "Transformers Reveal the Shield Turbo Tracks" I would at first wonder what the hell type of language they were speaking.

By guiding them through you can determine at which point they are getting confused and provide elaboratin if need be.

Perhaps they should be more informed, but the truth is they're more often not, and by asking in the way I wrote above, I have always had good help - they either have the toy and will hold it for me (as in the case of Masterpiece Grimlock last year) or they will be able to tell me definately not. It's a tip that helps me with Engineering presentations, talks at my youth group, phone calls, etc - always assume your audience knows less than you do.

[griffin]

Like Seraphim says, the average child, parent or dedicated-to-one-toyline fan wouldn't have the frame of mind to ask more than the brand and character name, or they overwhelm the staffer with too much info at once.

Start small, by saying it is a Transformers toy.
When they get to that section, tell them the size class/packaging type (big/small box/carded item + colour packaging/sub-title).
Then tell them the name and description (colour/alt-mode).
If they think they've found it, ask for verification on the name and description, and price (if you already know what it should be).

Step by step is the most successful method I find. Overwhelm them with something like 'Transformers Reveal the Shield Turbo Tracks' will be like speaking a different language, and you just confuse anyone who doesn't collect them.

[Hursticon]

Well, I'm guessing that I'm not average then?
IMO it's not Rocket-Science to figure that most day-to-day retail staff wouldn't know scrap about TFs and hence asking them:
"Is Tracks in?"
"Have you got RTS Jazz yet?"
"Where's the toy that has just been released that is based on the original 1980's Transformer Grapple, he's a crane that is is a simple retool of a figure released a couple of years ago of a fire truck who is also based on a 1980s figure..."

-Would receive a Durp answer.

What is annoying is the fact that one has to hold a staff members hand all the way through a question that really should be easily understood, rendering asking the question in the first place completely redundant.
IMO, asking a question like:
"Have you got Transformers Reveal The Shield Turbo Tracks in stock?"

-Is completely within reason and the simple reason why is by taking the question and purely breaking it down (And this should be done for anything, not just toys!):

Transformer - A Boy's/Male's Robot Toy.
Reveal The Shield - Assortment Type.
Turbo Tracks - Specific Character/Toy.

The fact that a vast number of Australian Retail floor staff can't figure out how to simply hear a question like:
"Do you have Transformers Reveal The Shield Turbo Tracks in stock?"

-And discern from that to mean:
"Do we have A Boy's/Male's Robot Toy by the name of Transformers, of the Assortment Type named Reveal The Shield and with a Specific Character/Toy name of Turbo Tracks in stock?"

-Is the exact reason why major Australian Brick and Mortar Stores/Chains are in their arse these days and losing out to Online Retail.

The pitiful level of service and incompetence in favour for Low Staff Costs and Stockholder Profit in this country is ridiculous and is why I love dealing with Independent Toy Stores like Uncle Pete's Toys, because at least their staff are trained to know what the hell they have on the shelf or in the stock room.
Don't give me the crap excuses of 'Smaller stores can do that because they have less staff, etc.' or 'Staff from bigger stores deal with more people, etc.' because if you're hired and placed in a specific section you should be bloody well trained properly for that section and rarely do I ever see any staff in their respective sections at all in bigger stores unless a sale is on.
(At least Kmart Stores have Section Managers, but their usefulness is purely individual dependant )

*Rant Over*