YUP! My Sephora used to do that to me. "Oh, that's never correct. It can't be updated." I used to believe it until another location was so willing to go in the back and get the items to sell it to me, no questions asked or hesitations. I was shocked. So now when they tell me it's not accurate, I always go: (as polite as I can be) "Really? It's never been wrong before. Usually it means it's in the back. Would you mind checking for me please?" And flat out ask them. They usually don't have an excuse not to at least attempt to look in the back for me, if they're not busy. Lately all the SAs have been busy doing makeup. Do all sephora SAs do color? I feel like my store needs more people who are just on the floor to help. I've been having to chase them down for help. If the first SA tells me no, I'll ask someone else and see if they say the same thing. I'll try to ask the manager if she's there, she's nice.
When I worked in store, people would come in all the time asking for items that were out of stock, even if they checked on the website for our stock specifically.
There are a few things that come into play with these errors, sadly when people steal there's no way for the computer to know, unless we've done inventory (I think it's done once a year)
Another reason might be that it is in the back, yes, but in my store unless OPS was in, we weren't allowed in the stock room. So even if I wanted to help, I wasn't able to.
If the item was new, sometimes there's a store launch date, different from online. We weren't allowed to sell it beforehand.
And the other, systems are wrong, one time someone called re the KVD perfume, ... we didn't even sell it .. lol...
So, yes I agree sometimes SAs suck, but most times we really can't do much if it's not out.
I hope that clears it up!
