What I do Blackwolf, is if I'm feeling free with my time I ask a stocker if he'll pull something, though usually I hit up a woman from another department. I don't know why but it usually works better... A woman working women's clothing or something. Men, or boys, tend to be less helpful... Younger guys will help more than older guys though. And avoid anyone that looks like he might know something about SW figures at all. There's a guy at a local Target in Pitt that when I asked for some help he started talking to a younger stocker and said how SW figures earn him tons on Ebay and how he would get me this thing this ONE time, but that he wouldn't in the future, and he blatantly admitted to pilferring things to resell and wanted me to tell him what was rare. I lied and told him something that wasn't, was, and hopefully he bit into that.
Anyway, sometimes I get turned down by a floor worker... It happens. As a last resort I then go to the Customer Service counter. Their training usually differs, and they're more atuned to helping out. At that point it either works or it doesn't. I tend to embelish a little, say it's for a kid, I called earlier and was told to just come down, I live far away (which isn't a lie for me), etc., etc. It's sad that I WANT to give someone money and they are that much trouble to give it to them, but it works usually. I try not to abuse the DPCI though, and I try to always be nice and hope for the same in return.
Sometimes you get jagoffs though, and that's all there is to it. I've been told, with my gf's son in tow, that someone won't pull something for me/him under one of their myriad of excuses... I have a friggin' kid there, and they just won't do it, which is BS IMO.
I will say though, you find good guys that help too. I've made sure to contact district manager #'s of the store where I find someone that will just help me without ANY question or debate on the matter. I try to reciprocate. Those district manager calls can make a HUGE difference too, as the DM's love to hear customer happiness since they usually hear customer pissed offness. When they hear good stuff (and give the employee's name so they get a pat on the back), they let their store/employees that did good know that they're happy with them and it may even get them a slight raise (when I was doing a business externship with JC Penney's I got a raise simply for a call someone made for me, so it happens).
I know our local grocery store actually gives cash bonuses for positive calls about employees... So there's a way you can keep that employee in a "helpful" mood.
Anyway that's some tips from me anyway... Like I say, I try not to abuse the DPCI. Sometimes I just use it to see if stuff's at least there so I know to stop by soon and all and mostly use it to get exclusives so I don't have to "worry".
And I agree, not a dumb question at all, and hopefully the answers helped.
