What is the point of computers if they are used by the fools of the millennium?

Today I went into a shop, which shall remain nameless. I was looking for an item that I wished to buy. This item was not in stock so I asked them to order it. I was then told that the item was not available in the entire area and that I could try again next week if I wanted. I asked whether this meant that it was not available in any of the stores and was told that only the warehouses were checked by the computer - it might be on a shop floor somewhere. So, I asked for the telephone number of another store so I could ask them to check their own stocks. The staff member offered to check on my behalf while I waited.

Sadly, they could not get through to the other shop. However, while I was waiting I noticed that this store has a website. I asked if the website could be used to order this item and was told that I could get anything from there. Oh yes, this website was probably the best option for me. I was sent away with the stock code and the assurance that the website would be the perfect place to try.

I tried the website - I received almost instant response from it. Only one small problem... the website sells a minute subset of the store's products and, of course, not the one I want.

And so, here is my hit list of issues that annoy me about this encounter:

• If an item is not in stock in the area, how about checking nationwide?
• If the item might come into stock, why do I have to come back next week? why can they not take an advance order?
• What's the point of doing a check if there might be an item on a shop floor? If the computer system is that good and the stock control is done on computer.... ?
• Why did they not give me the telephone number of the other store? Ok, so they were being nice in checking for me, but they could have given me it as a fall-back. It was a busy lunchtime and I could not have waited forever.
• In fact, since it was a busy lunchtime, perhaps I was in the way. Perhaps that is why they tried to palm me off with LIES about their website.
• What's the point in having a website that only sells a small subset of your items? Surely, with a national network of shops, it makes sense to use the web to sell items, which can be sent, mail order, from any branch?
• And, basically, why do these things always have to happen to me?

06 December 2000
Ashley Frieze