Gaviscon products have been out of stock across Australia for many months save for a week, when they were snapped up and then back out of stock.
I thought to ring the importer Reckitt Benckiser to ask what is happening. I was gob smacked that the person on the phone matter of factly confirmed it is out of stock across Australia, and stopped there.
Asking when new stock was expected she did not know. Pressing her further I learned it comes from the factory in the UK. Asking if they have an ordering system that shows shipping dates from their factory the answer was no. Knowledge of production problems (COVID-19?)? No information.
Out of stock for months and no idea when new stock might come and the alternatives are not so good and some are comparatively quite expensive.
If this is not Shonky Business Operations I am not sure what would qualify. Not having product is a bad look. Not knowing anything about incoming supplies after months of zero stock? Priceless.
To the person on the phone there was no data available and they had no way to answer the question, from their point of view there is no stock control. Other branches of the organisation may well have modern computerised stock control that tells them all about it. The key policy is to prevent these two from having any communication or knowledge of each other’s existence or problems.
I have seen the same thing with Telstra over phone line installation and maintenance. The people who talk to you on the phone (The Customer Experience Manager) have no knowledge of what the technical department does but can pass them messages. The Tech Dept is forbidden to talk to the customer and is not required to respond to the CEM. It’s easy really.
Please explain the absence of stock across the country, save for Bentley Park Qld and probably a few others, and for your entertainment try to find Duo Action liquid from any online source, grocery or chemist. Common sense might lead one to stock or information?
Months ago I rang and the story was shipments would arrive in 2-4 weeks from the day, and should return to normal in a month. True enough about 2 weeks later there was briefly stock that lasted less than a week locally, spotty locations, and then sold out. 4 months later and virtually no stock on the continent? Feel free to ring them and ask. You might get a more ‘connected’ individual than I. 1800 022 046
The customer facing staff are the company for the purposes of customer engagement and support. I had the feeling the lady on the phone had many similar inquiries to my own and either did not personally know, or more likely product is backordered at the factory and the local office actually did not know a shipping date. Regardless (irregardless? ) it is a very bad look when the phone is manned by someone without information when there has been a multi months scarcity of their product.
Yes from the customer’s point of view but not necessarily from the business.
Once again yes from the customer’s’ point of view but from the business point of view there may be things that are worse.
This unacceptable situation may be caused by chaos and incompetence but it might also be caused by deliberate planned behaviour. Seeming incompetent and offending some customers could be better than the alternative - at least in someone’s eyes.
I’d suggest they know exactly why - maybe not the poor soul on the phone, but at some level the company does - they just aren’t telling. Them suggesting they have no idea is preposterous.
There are various reports of certain (in the generic sense) heartburn meds giving better outcomes to a certain well known pandemic - ignoring the obvious differences in treatment vectors that these medications can take - like neutralising vs suppressing/etc. Perhaps the same people who have all the Gaviscon also have really clean (final) sphincters …
Yum - err, perhaps not. The wonders of modern medicine. Our mum and I are both prescribed PPI’s but she too is keen on the extras. Similar problem to @PhilT when she asked us to get her some liquid Mylanta as a top up. Although we gave up after a couple of locals had nil.
It’s as if the marketers of Nexium, Zanzole (which are available in low dose tablets at great expense from the chemist) have an interest. Or at least that’s what the chemist tried to sell us.
I wonder if you might find some Gaviscon tablets instead, they work pretty well. Either chew or suck them. There’s also Chewy Quick-Eze which I have bought at the pharmacy and they’re good also. If all else fails, baking soda also works: 1/2 teaspoon dissolved in a small glass of water. Sip slowly. Good luck!
We find them unacceptable because of sensory issues, and less effective than the liquid, but thanks for the thought. There is a new sachet packaged liquid, quite expensive compared to the bottles, but also generally out of stock.
Quikeze, Rennies and (US sourced) Tums and Pepto Bismol are the ‘stand bys’. Have not tried baking soda yet…yum?
Yes use only as a last resort and then in small amounts. It is much more alkaline than the salts in common antacid preparations and it can overwhelm the gut (the upper reaches at least work in highly acid conditions), and your fluid balance.
) it is a very bad look when the phone is manned by someone without information when there has been a multi months scarcity of their product.
