Genetic Skus

Those of you familiar with retail will know that a "sku number" is the unique number assigned to every item in the store. The new customer friendly way to address those numbers is to call them "item numbers" but the traditional term is "sku." Those of us "old school" retail folks still refer to the numbers as skus when not within earshot of customers. (Mostly because we're usually bored and slightly ridiculous and have to make our own fun somehow.)

Our store is in the midst of inventory right now so yesterday I was counting service plates and I had about 50 or so that didn't have item numbers. I looked everywhere - in the computer, in the product knowledge book, on the list of service plates - everywhere for those numbers and I couldn't find them anywhere. So I asked my boss what I should do to find the numbers so I could continue with my countin' ways and she told me to use the genetic sku number. My response was something like, "The what?" She looked at me like I was retarded and said very slowly and loudly, "The juh-neh-tic sku number." I just looked at her and asked, "And where would I find such a thing? This 'genetic sku number', as it were." She rolled her eyes at me and led me over to the service plate board and pointed at a number that was on the bottom of the board, right above the words "Generic Sku Number." Had I been alone, I just might've died laughing. As it was, I actually caused myself physical pain by trying NOT to laugh.

Oh, and as a side note, I put in my notice yesterday. Very soon I will leave the ranks of retail hell and be a true struggling college student. Ramen noodles, here I come!