[RESOLVED] Annoying people that hang around computer stores all day

[Metro]

Well, after checking out that interesting thread about stupid questions asked by (stupid) customers, I thought I'd start one about annoying people that hang out around computer stores all day.

Now, I'm not referring to your good friends who stop by to talk-shop, see if you can sneak away to go for some coffee, or want to try Counter-Strike out on that kick-*** demo machine you put together. I'm referring to people who somehow latch onto your store (and usually several others as well), think that they're a good friend of yours when they're not, get their nose into anything and everything going down at the store, and generally make your life as a tech/salesperson a living hell.

Here's a little bit about what I'm talking about: There's one guy who comes in and contradicts what I say to real customers. This morning this guy came in as usual and is poking around the entire store (our store is a hardware store with a computer dept, sounds screwed but it's true) so I figure he's not going to bug me today. A customer comes up to our area and asks what firewall software I would recommend. After asking her a few questions, I recommended a couple. Suddenly, from behind me comes this booming voice - "NO, HE'S WRONG, YOU DON'T NEED ANY 'CAUSE WINDOWS SHIPS WITH FIREWALL SOFTWARE!" I turn and look at the guy, giving him a shut-the-hell-up-I'm-with-a-customer look, but he proceeds to argue with what I'm saying. I managed to convince the customer that I was right, and kicked the mofo out of the store for good. :-)

There's another guy who's here everyday, asking questions about how to repair different stuff, the best tools to use and even stuff about basic HTML coding. He goes to all the stores in this area, bugging the techs while they try to repair stuff. Based on the types of questions he asks me and the other techs in the area (most of us are all friends, we get together and talk-shop all the time so we can warn each other about wacko customers), it seems that he's a relative newbie to the computer scene.

Now is it the case that he wants to learn more so he can use a computer more effective? Or is it the case that he's a cheap bastard that wants to repair his own stuff and not pay a shop to fix things for him... my original guesses were way off. Turns out he's in the process of setting up his own little computer repair business in his basement and wants to do webdesign on the side. He's convinced all this friends that he's the best computer expert in town as he "provides consulting" to the local shops, so they can go to him for repairs!! Let's just say that this mofo's plans are on hold as he damaged a few of his friends machines and nobody trusts him right now... :-)

I'm sure that we all have stories like this; I'm interested to see what other people have experienced

[J189]

I don't have a shop, so i miss out on some of those people, but i get my share of morons phoning me constantly about nothing (thats what happens in a small town) or people stopping me on the street want free advice, the worst thing is the ones who want free advice, but won't accept what you say, then want to debate you about it, its people like that that make me glad that i'm not working in a shop, although i'll probably start at one soon

[Matt_29]

i hang on computer shops all day ... im here with darren and several others all day in the windrivers forum shop

[BurnFEST]

I'm with you all the way Metro. Back when i was running my own puter shop, i used to have these kids (between 13 and about 15) come in and ask for tips all the time. I see nothing wrong with helping ppl out, but the fact was they came over after school, at a similar time to when i had a stream of customers (the shop was across the road from the school and parents found it a convenient time etc...). I had one guy who was exactly like the guy you're talking about, but the fact was i couldnt do crap about it, cos he was bigger and older than me, and liked to pretend he ran the place. So if i was with a customer, he would tell another one he knew what he was doing, quote them a (way off) price and they would leave, and i'd have to clean up the mess. Eventually i got rid of him, because he happened to do it on a day the owner of the shop was there and let's just say, im glad im not that guy

Im was actually kind of pleased that some guy started a home business for helpin out his friends...he bought his parts through me...and when he made stuff ups, he brought them to me to fix to 'cover up', i charged him for them...eventually the guys customers saw i was cheaper and came to me anyway...so basically i got customers that i wouldnt have otherwise have gotten.

...wants to do webdesign on the side...
I gotta see these websites...i bet they suck

[Rellik]

Although I don't work in a shop really(more of a family basement business), but there is an annoying kid that claims he has an uncle that fixed all the bugs in Win98 or talks about other "facts" or "trivia" that I don't really care about. not to mention when he calls me for help, I end up sitting there on the phone offering little advice and listening to him clicking away. I hate phone support but I am very weak spined when it come to hanging up on them.

[CobraTekMax]

Yeah, we've got a leech named Jonas who's become a bit of a regular at our shop. Jonas is a complete idiot. He wears cut off shorts and a tie dye shirt 365 days a year, regardless of the weather. He is a greaseball, hasn't had a haircut in years, and he looks like a shaved rat. The worst part of all is that Jonas is a wanna-be computer technician, so he is constantly hanging around, offering to help our techs do stuff, in hopes that he would impress us and we would offer him a job.

Failing that, Jonas decided to go into business for himself. He rented out a storefront a couple of blocks down, which I still have no idea how he paid for. I'm guessing it was some type of government grant for the mentally handicapped. Anyway, Jonas opened up his story, and set a couple of 386's out on his "showroom floor", with a sign on posterboard paper that said "Brand new HOT HOT HOT deals - top of the line! The last computer yewl ever need." I kid you not. And of course, most of the PCs came with monochrome monitors.

Anyway, Jonas decided that we should be his main vendor, so he would still come in just about every day to buy parts from us. He once bought a $65 dollar AGP video card, and brought it back in an hour later WITH HIS CUSTOMER RIGHT BEHIND HIM, saying it was defective. I was busy, and didn't have the time to argue with Jonas, so I gave him his $65 dollars back. The customer was irrate, because Jonas charged him $100 for the card, and wanted another $25 for the install.

I could go on about how Jonas didn't own a car, so he wouldn't go on service calls unless they were withing walking distance. His company vehicle was a Radio Flyer wagon. I swear to god, I am not making up or embellishing a single word of this! Jonas is a very real person, and a real pain in the ***.

[PLaSMaN]

Back when i was working as a retail tech, we had a pretty annoying kid who would just seem to appear in the store and start playing the demo computer. We had one of those astounding 17" monitors, and one day the monitor blew up on him :^)))

PAF !!! Get out of here ! Get lost kid !

He never came back !

[LPetrarca]

I don't work in a store, but I'm a Tech in the IT Department of a fairly large company. My office is located along a main hallway and I can't count the number of times each day when someone stops on their way to wherever with the famous "I've got a question for you....." or the "Do you know why my computer at home does.......?"

It's gotten to the point that I close and lock my door at lunchtime. I don't even respond if someone knocks on the door, I don't answer the phone.....nothing!

[blahness]

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I don't work in a store, but I'm a Tech in the IT Department of a fairly large company. My office is located along a main hallway and I can't count the number of times each day when someone stops on their way to wherever with the famous "I've got a question for you....." or the "Do you know why my computer at home does.......?"
It's gotten to the point that I close and lock my door at lunchtime. I don't even respond if someone knocks on the door, I don't answer the phone.....nothing!


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heh your lucky you have a door you can lock, the company i work at shoves the it guys in the back of the supply/plotting room. Everyone goes in there everyday asking those same questions... i dont think i have yet to have an uninterrupted lunch!

[theBeast]

There are two types of customers in this world. The ones who try desperately to be your buddy, so you'll cut them a deal, do their computer first, or give them some inside tips. Then there's those who treat you like a nerd, or a moron, just because you understand their computer, and they don't. These ones have to make you feel inferior to make up for their mental defects.
BIG reason why I'm getting out of retail is because 90% of the off-the-street customers fit into either category. The first category, though, is more fun because they tend to bring you tributes, like chocolate bars, donuts, or wine. The second group is frustrating because they refuse to listen to you because you're just a "nerd".
Now I just have to deal with idiots on the phone, "I can't get on to the internet."
"Ok, what happens when you dial?"
"Huh?"

[Shard92]

Talking about uninterrupted lunch. I worked for a small to medium size computer shop in town. I would usually just grab a sandwich or whatever as I worked. This seemed to be the norm, the head tech and everyone else did it this way. Well I eventually became the head tech and then it was no longer acceptable for me to eat while on the clock! I found though that if I did not leave the store I would get bugged with questions/ told to do this right now, etc, even though I wasn't on the clock. So I know what you mean. I no longer work there, I believe who you work for is almost as important as what you do!

GLSmith

[LPetrarca]

Originally posted by Shard92:
I no longer work there, I believe who you work for is almost as important as what you do!

GLSmith

You got that right! My boss is great when it comes to that. He actually encourages us to close our doors and shut out the world when researching a problem to find a resolution or viewing CBT's. I've never worked for someone like that! He has complete trust and confidence in our work ethic and never, I mean never, questions us about what we're doing. The flip side is that, being a professional, I find this management style motivating and would feel guilty if I weren't doing something worthwhile when the dor is closed.

[LPetrarca]

Originally posted by theBeast:
There are two types of customers in this world. The ones who try desperately to be your buddy, so you'll cut them a deal, do their computer first, or give them some inside tips. Then there's those who treat you like a nerd, or a moron, just because you understand their computer, and they don't. These ones have to make you feel inferior to make up for their mental defects.
BIG reason why I'm getting out of retail is because 90% of the off-the-street customers fit into either category. The first category, though, is more fun because they tend to bring you tributes, like chocolate bars, donuts, or wine. The second group is frustrating because they refuse to listen to you because you're just a "nerd".
Now I just have to deal with idiots on the phone, "I can't get on to the internet."
"Ok, what happens when you dial?"
"Huh?"

Actually, there's a third type. There's the type that will ask your advice, spend an hour with you going over the details of what you're trying to explain, and then just ignore everything you just told them and do it the way they think it should be done! Then, they come back and ask if you could take a look at their computer because it's not working right after following your advice. Once you get it in front of you, you realize that they didn't listen to a word you said and will swear up and down that they followed your advice to the T!

[Kyr0n]

Originally posted by theBeast:
There are two types of customers in this world. The ones who try desperately to be your buddy, so you'll cut them a deal, do their computer first, or give them some inside tips. Then there's those who treat you like a nerd, or a moron, just because you understand their computer, and they don't. These ones have to make you feel inferior to make up for their mental defects.
BIG reason why I'm getting out of retail is because 90% of the off-the-street customers fit into either category. The first category, though, is more fun because they tend to bring you tributes, like chocolate bars, donuts, or wine. The second group is frustrating because they refuse to listen to you because you're just a "nerd".
Now I just have to deal with idiots on the phone, "I can't get on to the internet."
"Ok, what happens when you dial?"
"Huh?"

Go out of your way to make the conversation highly technical. Use terms they couldnt understand. That way you can do your job, and they'll quit asking you

[KamicarZ]

Had A guy that used to come in all the time. Talking about everything and anything. Swearing black & blue that he was right all of the time.

Till the day he actually bought something. A 1GHz Thunderbird chip with MSI K7T pro & 64Mb ASUS V7700 GTS Video.

Brought the comp back and said the chip was faulty.
So I wiped off the thermal paste and showed him where he chipped part of his processor clean off. Haven't seen him of late.