Have your agent call stores to check stock and hold an item

Tell your agent what you need and where. It finds the nearest stores, calls them with CallForMe, and asks each whether the exact item is on the shelf today. When a store has it, the assistant asks them to hold it under your name and reports back with the store, price, and how long they'll hold it.

What you say to your agent

Call the 3 nearest hardware stores and find who has a 40-gallon gas water heater in stock today. Ask the one that does to hold it under my name.

Inventory pages online say "limited stock" and mean anything from "twelve" to "a returned one with a dent". A person walking to the aisle is the only reliable answer.

What your agent does

1. find_business with query: "hardware store" and your address as near. It keeps the three closest that are open now.
2. plan_call to check the goal. It flags the likely question "natural gas or propane?" so your agent can add it before dialing.
3. place_call, one store at a time so only one hold gets placed:

{
  "phone": "+14695550163",
  "business_name": "Frisco Hardware Supply",
  "goal": "Find out if they have a 40-gallon natural gas tank water heater in stock at this store today. If yes, ask them to hold one under Jake Marsh for pickup today.",
  "details": "Natural gas, standard 40-gallon tall tank. Any brand is fine. Pickup this afternoon.",
  "questions": [
    "Is one in stock at this store right now?",
    "Brand, model, and price?",
    "Will you hold it, and until when?"
  ],
  "on_behalf_of": "Jake Marsh",
  "callback_number": "+12145550199",
  "constraints": "Do not pay or give card details. Only a courtesy hold."
}

4. get_call with wait_seconds: 50 until ended. If the answer is no, your agent moves to the next store. If the clerk asks "do you want the 6-year or 9-year warranty model?", your agent sees pending_question and answers with answer_question.

Example result

Example transcript excerpt:

Assistant: Hi, I'm an automated assistant calling on behalf of Jake Marsh. Do you have a 40-gallon natural gas water heater in stock at this store today? Clerk: Let me check. Hold on. (2 minutes on hold) Clerk: I've got two of the 40-gallon tall, $649. Assistant: Could you hold one under Jake Marsh for pickup this afternoon? Clerk: Sure, I'll put it at the pro desk. We hold till close, 9pm.

What your agent tells you:

One call, 3m 40s, $1.00.

Tips

• Call one at a time when you want a hold. Calling in parallel is faster, but you don't want three stores holding the same heater for you.
• Include the model number if you have one. "Rheem XG40T06EC36U1" gets a faster, surer answer than a description.
• Ask where to pick it up. Big stores often hold items at a service or pro desk, not the register.
• Give a callback_number so the store can call you if the hold runs out.

What it costs

$1 per store that answers. A clerk checking the back can push a call past 5 minutes, which adds $0.25 a minute.

Related

• Price check across stores
• Pharmacy stock check
• Order ready for pickup?
• How phone menus and hold work

Questions