Domestic Appliance Stores!

[John Foster]

Am I the only person who likes to wind up the so called 'computer specialists' in high street domestic appliance stores?

I was in Dixons recently - for those of you outside the UK that is a major store - looking at their sorry excuses for computers, when along comes the bod to help me choose.

Does the graphics card utilise DDR RAM? sez I.
Off he scuttles into the back of the store to find out.
What is the dot pitch on this 17" monitor?
Off he goes again.
I hope you're getting the picture here people!
Within half an hour our mutual friend was ready to drop. You should have seen his face when I told him I was just browsing!

Does anyone have a similar story?

[Darren Wilson]

Yeap, I do it all the time in stores such as PC World, Dixons, John Lewis, Tiny, TIme, etc. God I love that feeling when there are other customers listening and the sales guy or their 'so-called' Tech cannot answer a simple question.

[Percy]

I'm sorry guys, but that just seems outright mean to me. I worked in a big retail store a couple of years ago and although I never had a problem answering customer questions, some of the other techs did because of inexperience. All of the techs I worked with were at least /trying/ to learn this stuff. Sure, most of the techs on here know more than the average retail tech but that doesn't mean we have to rub their noses in it.

[Jallentino]

I was in COMPusa the other day and I overheard a conversation between the "master tech" and a customer. She had bought a CDRW and wanted to know if her 20 gig HD was large enough to accomadate her new burner. I was cringing while waiting for his answer.

"Well, to be safe you really should upgrade to a 40gig."

I started squirming and I couldnt help myself, I told the lady she would be fine with her 20 gig and I walked away, feeling like a good samaritan. Not sure if she took my advice or not but it made me feel better.

[Darren Wilson]

Originally posted by Percy:
I'm sorry guys, but that just seems outright mean to me. I worked in a big retail store a couple of years ago and although I never had a problem answering customer questions, some of the other techs did because of inexperience. All of the techs I worked with were at least /trying/ to learn this stuff. Sure, most of the techs on here know more than the average retail tech but that doesn't mean we have to rub their noses in it.

Percy

It isn't really mean at all. I ask them the simplest of questions about the system, i.e. how many PCI slots are free? does it have any ISA slots? WHat is the fastest CPU it can support? etc etc. Nothing that a customer with a reasonable idea of PC's wouldn't ask. If they can't answer the questions then they simply shouldn't be selling the machines. Easy as that. I know most of the managers in these stores anyway and they know what is going to happen when I walk in. They actually appreciate me doing this for them, as it means they then know who knows & who doesn't about the items they are selling. It's a bit like the Mystery Motorist that some Petrol Stations send round from time to time to see what the customer service and condition of the Forecourt and Shop front. I agree it would be cruel to ask them what the latency of the AGP bus is or does the PC come with a in-built Flux Capacitor, but simply asking the obvious is not.

[CobraTekMax]

Damn straight! How can something so fun POSSIBLY be wrong in any way?

Circuit City is my favorite target. "Is there an IRQ upgrade package available for this Compaq?" "Why, yes, of course!"

[Larommi]

Originally posted by Percy:
I'm sorry guys, but that just seems outright mean to me. I worked in a big retail store a couple of years ago and although I never had a problem answering customer questions, some of the other techs did because of inexperience. All of the techs I worked with were at least /trying/ to learn this stuff. Sure, most of the techs on here know more than the average retail tech but that doesn't mean we have to rub their noses in it.

My feeling is, if they sell it they should know something about it. If you walk into a car dealership and ask the sales guy if the engine requires fuel, or if the car has 4 wheels, or if you get ignition keys with it, and he can't answer, well then its time to move on.

[Kymera]

Glad I'm not the only person that feels this way. I keep thinking some elementary knowledge of your product would be nice.

"Do you have any ATA-100 hard drives?"
"They're not coming out until the summer."
"Really? What's that one behind you that says ATA-100 on the box"
"Well your CPU can't handle it until you upgrade your memory."
"Tell you what. I'll buy it anyway, and let you know what the deal is."

And I wait in line for this kind of service, because all the drives are behind a counter in a glass cabinet.

[Percy]

Okay, you guys make some good points. And yes, I agree that if you're going to be selling the stuff you should take the time to know what you're selling, especially in the high precision market of computer hardware/software. My only real objection is the people who come in and try to make what's already a pretty miserable job even more so by playing Crank the Tech.

Don't get me wrong, when some doofus at one of the retail stores tries to yank my chain about something I have no qualms about rippin' them a new one, but having been on the other side of the counter (and having always been the one the other techs sent all the Cranks to) I don't wanna make their jobs any harder than they already are.

[parning]

Originally posted by 'The Doc':
'RTFM' - Read The F**king Manual!!

I learned that acronym this way:

RTM = Read the Manual
RTFM = Read the Manual, Sir!

[britaries]

actaully you can still have some fun with the sales people/tech personnel, ifyou say it with a smile. my experience has shown that alot of the floor personnel are actually sales peopele indisguise. upgrade or that one will be obsolete tomorrow you need this one. i asked one guy how many pci slots were free on a soyo mobo, and he told me they were on aisle 4, but they were not fee......i could not help but chuckle

[britaries]

worst of all is talking to a store person with bad breath..............

[kennethstarrfp]

I once saw some id1ots buying a computer because of the speakers! WTF! Also, they were going to go with a rent plan! They would end up paying more for the machine then buying it over the same amount of time AND the store would take the computer back as well after the 3 years! I told the salesperson to go jack, handed a card of one of my friends businesses. They got a sweet deal with no BS AND they are regular customers to this friend of mine!

[BurnFEST]

Originally posted by britaries:
actaully you can still have some fun with the sales people/tech personnel, ifyou say it with a smile. my experience has shown that alot of the floor personnel are actually sales peopele indisguise. upgrade or that one will be obsolete tomorrow you need this one. i asked one guy how many pci slots were free on a soyo mobo, and he told me they were on aisle 4, but they were not fee......i could not help but chuckle

WTF??!?!??!

[BurnFEST]

Originally posted by kennethstarrfp:
I once saw some id1ots buying a computer because of the speakers! WTF! Also, they were going to go with a rent plan! They would end up paying more for the machine then buying it over the same amount of time AND the store would take the computer back as well after the 3 years! I told the salesperson to go jack, handed a card of one of my friends businesses. They got a sweet deal with no BS AND they are regular customers to this friend of mine!

Ok THATS rude. How would you feel, making an awesome sale to some ID10Ts and some guy cdame up and made them go somewhere else. Sure the salesperson was ripping them off, but thats their stupidity isnt it??