Archived Defected vs Non Defected

[AsAdvertised]

Okie, I have a question. I understand each store if different but I wanted other store opinions.

Lately, they have been having us defect out things that aren't even open.
I.E. A guest happens to buy the wrong kind of vitamins, she notices before she leaves the store and returns them. When you scan them to return, the computer automatically tells you to scan a red and defect it out. It's not even open, hasn't left the store, barely has even been in her hands.

What we used to do, was scan the red licence plate, and then put it in the void folder so it can be voided out as soon as we get a PDA and toss the item in the appropriate go back bin.

What they are making us do now, is NO MATTER WHAT it is, we charge it back. If it needs a license plate, we do it.

I understand with the food, cuz you never know if they left it in their car, or in the sun, or whatever. But vitamins and stuff or the coupon people when they return the loads of HBA stuff, I personally hate when I have to toss unopened vitamins out.

I don't know. It's iffy.

What do you guys do.

OH! And lately we have been having a huge problem with duplicate license plates and what we have to do now is cut up each license plate and put them in tiny tupperwares on top of the register...
It makes sense, but it slows you down. -___-

 

[SuzyTarget]

These things automatically defect out because vitamins and other medications can be tampered with. Back in the 80s there was a situation where someone had tampered with tylenol after it was in the stores and a number of people died. I don't remember the story in detail but your can read about it here-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tylenol_murders. This is also the reason all food and medicines are now wrapped with various types of seals. You young folks probably don't remember when those weren't around

 

[buliSBI]

Any consumable, be it food or OTC drugs, has to be defected out. Even its not open, it has to go out. That actually has been in affect for a few years.

I think even cosmetics and pre-paid phones come up automatic defect.

 

[redeye58]

If the guest NEVER LEFT THE STORE, we do a fix-it because we know it hasn't been tampered with nor exposed to extreme temps. We'll scan the receipt, K6 (fix a mistake), K2 (double scan), total (credit or refund). That way the item isn't defected out BUT it's ONLY if the item never actually left the store, wasn't opened/tampered with or exposed to extreme temps. If they walked out the door - even for a few minutes - all bets are off.

 

[AsAdvertised]

If the guest NEVER LEFT THE STORE, we do a fix-it because we know it hasn't been tampered with nor exposed to extreme temps. We'll scan the receipt, K6 (fix a mistake), K2 (double scan), total (credit or refund). That way the item isn't defected out BUT it's ONLY if the item never actually left the store, wasn't opened/tampered with or exposed to extreme temps. If they walked out the door - even for a few minutes - all bets are off.

I offered to do this but she was all super dramatic about the whole "It maybe charged twice before it is credited" she was like, "HOW DAREEEEE YOOUUUUU" So I was like, 0.0 OKAY, we will just return it!
I normally do fix it fasts.

 

[AsAdvertised]

Huh, I didn't know that. Thanks for telling me. I was actually trained to NOT defect them out. Okay, thanks for everyones help. I won't put them back anymore, I'll listen to the computer

Learn something new every day.

 

[buliSBI]

Its been a while but I remember there was a RF app or function that allows you to override the defective item LP to either switch it to another LP or put the item back into inventory.

 

[Wildfirez]

Its been a while but I remember there was a RF app or function that allows you to override the defective item LP to either switch it to another LP or put the item back into inventory.

RF Apps -> Reverse Logistics -> LP Audit/Void -> 1) to return to inventory. Also useful to double check the correct LP is attached to the correct item ie. Yellows

 

[Srtlctl]

Any consumable, be it food or OTC drugs, has to be defected out. Even its not open, it has to go out. That actually has been in affect for a few years.

I think even cosmetics and pre-paid phones come up automatic defect.

You are correct on the cosmetics and pre-paid phones. Trying to void LP through RF Aps can get a bit sticky. As LODs at our store we have to audit all of the yellow CRCs and we can void them to repackage items other than computers and cameras if they are not opened, look ok, etc but it is an LOD call not the guest service tm or GSTL. We audit at the end of the sdtms shift so we can ask them the return reason if we want to repackage it. Anything that goes red needs to stay red in our store

 

[Jettajunky]

If pos says it, do it. The only time we ever don't do what it says is for broken glass or mirrors. They get overridden from green to red destroy.

My theory is that it wouldn't say it if we weren't supposed to do it.

Here's an example...most people think that only TLs and GSAs can do post voids. Little do they know instead of scanning the receipt if you just type in the receipt Id number, when it prompts for the VCD, K3 is Post void. I tell my team about it all the time and they're always like " oh oh wait wait what are you sure Im allowed to do this?" Yep you are, if you weren't it wouldn't be an option!

 

[StaticSun]

If pos says it, do it. The only time we ever don't do what it says is for broken glass or mirrors. They get overridden from green to red destroy.

My theory is that it wouldn't say it if we weren't supposed to do it.

Here's an example...most people think that only TLs and GSAs can do post voids. Little do they know instead of scanning the receipt if you just type in the receipt Id number, when it prompts for the VCD, K3 is Post void. I tell my team about it all the time and they're always like " oh oh wait wait what are you sure Im allowed to do this?" Yep you are, if you weren't it wouldn't be an option!

My GSTL said that I wasn't supposed to do that..

:spiteful:

 

[redeye58]

Shhhhhhhhhhhh! That's one of the secret majiks of the GSTL/GSA faeries!

 

[mrknownothing]

I never knew whether or not I was supposed to do it, but I did Wrong Payment once and it post voided the receipt, so I figured it must've been allowed if I could do that.

 

[Barcode]

If you are certain an item has not left the store, you can void out the LPs. For example if a guest bought 2 boxes of cereal, but needed 3 for a promotion, I would return the 2 boxes, and then sell all 3. The 2 LPs from returning the cereal would be voided out later to keep counts accurate. Or if a guest just came from a checklane to do a Price match @ SD and decided they didn't want the item, I would also void that LP out.

We have an LP Audit/Void binder that we put LPs into, and we void them out each night.

 

[SuzyTarget]

If you are certain an item has not left the store, you can void out the LPs. For example if a guest bought 2 boxes of cereal, but needed 3 for a promotion, I would return the 2 boxes, and then sell all 3. The 2 LPs from returning the cereal would be voided out later to keep counts accurate. Or if a guest just came from a checklane to do a Price match @ SD and decided they didn't want the item, I would also void that LP out.

We have an LP Audit/Void binder that we put LPs into, and we void them out each night.

If I had a situation like the cereal scenario, I would use fix-a-mistake instead of returning the item since that process doesn't defect out the items you're "returning". I like the binder idea--I'm going to suggest it at my store.

 

[SuzyTarget]

I never knew whether or not I was supposed to do it, but I did Wrong Payment once and it post voided the receipt, so I figured it must've been allowed if I could do that.

The fix-a-mistake process does allow anyone to do a payment void if necessary. Just be careful when choosing that option and be sure to explain to the guest that if they are paying the same way the second time that their account could get charged twice before the void credit gets posted and get their permission to continue (the computer does prompt you to do this but I've seen too many teammembers not read prompts to trust that). I've seen guests become rabidly angry when they find that info out after the void had been processed.

 

[mrknownothing]

The fix-a-mistake process does allow anyone to do a payment void if necessary. Just be careful when choosing that option and be sure to explain to the guest that if they are paying the same way the second time that their account could get charged twice before the void credit gets posted and get their permission to continue (the computer does prompt you to do this but I've seen too many teammembers not read prompts to trust that). I've seen guests become rabidly angry when they find that info out after the void had been processed.

Very good point. Maybe that's why some GSTLs won't let their cashiers do post voids.

 

[Barcode]

post voids on a return is NBD.

But doing a post void on an entire purchase, then reselling the entire purchase is something I try avoid... Pretty much why I usually resort to returning the items in the promo, then reselling them (and voiding the LPs -- if any).

 

[redeye58]

As Suzy pointed out, any time you're voiding a payment for fix-its you're double-charging the guest until their bank drops the voided trans. For lots of folks who are living close to the edge of their credit line, you end up tying up a crucial part of their limit or worse - sending them over their limit, resulting in an additional charge from their bank.
A GSTL buddy from a sister store figured out a way to minimize the impact on a common fix-it: Wrong price? Under fix-it, select "double-scanned" to take the item off & total. K7 to "sell item", re-ring the same item but change the price under K1 & total. The difference is credited or given back in cash. The footprint is limited to the one item instead of charging the entire trans amt.

 

[Kalaen]

Actually, Fix-a-Mistake shouldn't void payments except for the "Wrong Payment" option. Double Scan just returns the price of one (or more) items and adds that item back into the inventory without sorting it into a cart or allowing for defecting. Wrong Price just returns the item and resells it to them at a lower amount, resulting in a refund amount--with your standard refund options (however they paid, GiftCard if $5 or over, or cash if under $5). Lastly, Missed Coupon ALWAYS returns the coupon value back in cash.

Now, however, according to Best Practice, you cannot return any food/pharm item without defecting it. That includes things that haven't left the store, because no one is watching the Guest at all times. So you always have to defect. And should also not void the license plate, either.

 

[SuzyTarget]

Actually, Fix-a-Mistake shouldn't void payments except for the "Wrong Payment" option. Double Scan just returns the price of one (or more) items and adds that item back into the inventory without sorting it into a cart or allowing for defecting. Wrong Price just returns the item and resells it to them at a lower amount, resulting in a refund amount--with your standard refund options (however they paid, GiftCard if $5 or over, or cash if under $5). Lastly, Missed Coupon ALWAYS returns the coupon value back in cash.

Now, however, according to Best Practice, you cannot return any food/pharm item without defecting it. That includes things that haven't left the store, because no one is watching the Guest at all times. So you always have to defect. And should also not void the license plate, either.

I have to disagree with that last part. If that were true, we would also have to defect any items a guest put into their cart but ultimately chose not to buy.

 

[redeye58]

That includes perishables that they carried in their cart tootling thru the store for a hr or 2, like milk/eggs/frozen.

 

[pellinore]

That includes perishables that they carried in their cart tootling thru the store for a hr or 2, like milk/eggs/frozen.

Yep, it is really quite annoying to me when a guest comes to my line and tells me that they have "changed their mind" on an item and I have to send it to be defected out. I had one guest come to my line and they "changed their mind" and decided not to buy 2 gallons of OJ and four gallons of chocolate milk. It is so wasteful, but things have to be defected out...especially since the USA is so caught up in lawsuits over all sorts of things. Defecting out is a CYA situation.

If a guest in my line realizes that something has to be defected out and they ask about it, I tell them that if as a guest they change their mind then they can put the item back in the cooler/freezer before getting into line, but once an item comes to me in line we don't know how long it has been out of the cooler/freezer and we must protect ourselves. So....if you change your mind, put the item away before coming to the lanes for checkout.

 

[pellinore]

I was at guest services and an older lady came to return an item. She had just checked out and had realized that the planters peanuts that she got were nuts that her husband didn't like so she wanted to return them. As she gave me the nuts I asked her if she might choose to eat them or use them for a party or family gathering. She said that she wouldn't be using them. So, as I was returning them she saw that I was putting a special label on them and asked me if I was going to have to throw it away. I said that I had to throw it away. She then said that she had just come from the checkout and the nuts were good. I then explained to her that, while she may not have done anything to the item, we (as a store) don't know that and we have to protect our store. She asked about the item a couple of times because I think that she was shocked that it would be thrown out. I finally said to her that the reason I had asked her about using the nuts for another time was so that I didn't have to defect it out. She again said that she wouldn't use them.

My question to all this is....how could she have gotten in line (after choosing this item) and then realized that her husband didn't like them??

 

[SuzyTarget]

I was at guest services and an older lady came to return an item. She had just checked out and had realized that the planters peanuts that she got were nuts that her husband didn't like so she wanted to return them. As she gave me the nuts I asked her if she might choose to eat them or use them for a party or family gathering. She said that she wouldn't be using them. So, as I was returning them she saw that I was putting a special label on them and asked me if I was going to have to throw it away. I said that I had to throw it away. She then said that she had just come from the checkout and the nuts were good. I then explained to her that, while she may not have done anything to the item, we (as a store) don't know that and we have to protect our store. She asked about the item a couple of times because I think that she was shocked that it would be thrown out. I finally said to her that the reason I had asked her about using the nuts for another time was so that I didn't have to defect it out. She again said that she wouldn't use them.

My question to all this is....how could she have gotten in line (after choosing this item) and then realized that her husband didn't like them??

I still contend that if the item never left the store and it isn't perishable it's acceptable to not defect it or to undefect it--unless other stores are defecting out all of the nonperishable groceries/pharmaceuticals that guests leave behind at checkout or leave anywhere else in the store it doesn't belong.
I always make a big display of applying the red license plates when returning food because I'm hoping they'll ask me why I'm doing that and hopefully changing their minds about the return once they know it will be destroyed, but they almost never do.