Are employers desparate? Circuit City rant inside

[SgtBuddy]

I am now calm.

My mission today was to obtain a DB9 to DB9 Null Modem cable. The plan was to visit the local stores in Biloxi, Mississippi until my mission was complete.

First. Shot in the dark. Super Wal-Mart in D-Iberville. They might have it. They didn't. I didn't even try asking one of the crack squad of electronics section employees.

Second. I am a glutton for punishment. Super Wal-Mart in Gulfport, MS. This one is just down the street from the Circuit City, so what the heck. Boy, they are busy on Sundays!! They didn't have it, but their electronics section does have more stock on everything else.

Third. Circuit City. They have to have it! It's Circuit City! They sell all kinds of cool electronic gadgets. Their computer section isn't very organized. One of thier "salespeople" asked if I needed help. (Does this happen a lot in CC..sales people asking if you need help...heh...sarcasm...can't walk 2 feet into the place before be attacked my the maroon shirts!!!!)

I did need help.

I say, in a clear and concise voice, "I need a DB9 to DB9 Null Modem Cable" Blank stare. She takes me to the modem shelf and says these are all the modems they have. I ask, after rolling eyes, if she worked in the Computer Section. She said, "Yes" Hmmm. OK, maybe she is new...where is her trainer. I ask to see her boss. This guy in a managment looking grey shirt comes up. I think he thought I was upset, I wasn't. His little tag indicated he the the CHIEF of the computer department.

I ask, "I need a DB9 to DB9 Null Modem Cable." Without hesitation, he asks, "What for?" Whew....OK, this is a good sign. "I need it to configure my router." (RT314) He takes me to the little shelf and points to the routers. Sigh.

"I just need the cable." He then takes me to the very small display of cables. (10000 printer cables and like 2 Cat5 cables, and some USB stuff. No modem cables or null modem cables.) At least he is getting close. The three of us are standing there, looking at a display of cables. Again, no null modem cable. No spot for a null modem cable. I am guessing they do not carry null modem cables. Again, I am a glutton.

"Do you carry null modem cables?" Both of the "Computer salespeople" look at the rack. They are searching for the cable.

I ask, "Do you know what a DB9 to DB9 Null modem cable looks like?" Both answer in the negative. Sigh. It could be Neon yellow and they wouldn't see it. (Not that it stands out from the other cables in dark grey either).

I ask to see the next one in line. This guy comes from the "Back Office", obviously perturbed. Be angry at the customer....always works.

I ask if he knows if this store every carries a...I have to type it again? DB9 to DB9 Null Modem cable. Since he is managment and not floor sales, I do not fault him for not knowing what this cable is.

I do fault the floor people. You should know about the equipment you sell.

BUT SARGE!! CIRCUIT CITY DOES NOT SELL THAT CABLE! HOW CAN YOU FAULT THE COMPUTER SALES PEOPLE?!?

During this trip I also asked:

I have Win95 and my USB scanner does not work? What could be wrong?
What is the difference between the $30 Hub and the $100 Switch?
What kind of cable do I need for the wireless router? (sic)

All blank stares. They did pick up some boxes and read some of the stuff on the back. I must have forgotten to take off my "I can't read the complex writing on the box" hat before entering the store.

Plus they do sell external modems and routers with a serial configuration port.

I decided I would just use the Ethernet interface until I can get back to civilization.

Before you ask, I want to play with the configuration via HyperTerminal. Just for fun.

The Sarge
USAF Tech Controller

 

[Sluggo]

You should quit your job and work there for about $10,000 a year, then they could fire everyone else in the store, since they now had someone that knew everything. :Q

 

[Alienwho]

I need a job, i'll do it for ya.

 

[monto]

heh

 

[1967mustangman]

I hate being bluffed and ran around like a loser in one of those places.

 

[sohcrates]

i worked at radio shack for 2 years and if you had walked into my store in connecticut i could have pointed you to a db9 to db9 null modem cable w/out hesitating...you should have started..and ended your search at the shack!

 

[SgtBuddy]

<< You should quit your job and work there for about $10,000 a year, then they could fire everyone else in the store, since they now had someone that knew everything. :Q >>



Ow!

heheh

The funny thing is, my first job interview ever was with the Circuit City in Cutler Ridge, Fla. I was in high school and needed some dough. I dressed up nice and went. Boy, that sucked! I am sure that was the worst interview ever. I coudn't think of anything to say. The answers I gave were totally awful!. heheh...memories.

I didn't get hired. (Not that I thought I would) Luckily , I didn't. I may not be where I am now. Uh...hmmm...crap

The Sarge
USAF Tech Controller

 

[SgtBuddy]

ACK! The Shack! What was I thinking?

I racked my brain to find a place near here to get the cable. Radio Shack didn't even cross my miniscule little mind!

Woot!

The Sarge
USAF Tech Controller

 

[geno]

I remember going to CompUSA for a set of drive rails for a 5.25&quot; drive. Now, was I using the wrong terminology or something? Because whenever I asked for drive rails, and described them as &quot;the plastic things that attach to the drive so that it slides in and out to my convenience&quot;, I got no definite answer. All I got was &quot;check with that guy over there&quot;.... great. At that point I just left, my Kenwood drive can sit on top of my DVD drive for a few more days...

 

[sohcrates]

i guess the point is that if people have ANY skills with computers and computer parts then they know they can do better than compusa. it's sad but true

EDIT: OR circuit shady i might add

 

[Linux23]

i made my own adapter for the RT314 router. bought it from Staples too.

 

[Passions]

What did you expect going into Circuit city? Frankly, I think you are the one at fault. They are not a Computer store, nor should they know exactly what that is. They are salespeople first. They are hired for their selling skills, not knowledge of DB9 to DB9 Null modem cable. Like sohcrates said, you shoudl have tried Radioshack or maybe even fry's, but Circuit city? please....

 

[Lore]

I think a lot of those stores refuse to hire people who are more computer-savvy because they're &quot;overqualified.&quot; Maybe they feel that those people will be the ones asking for 10% raises every 6 months.

 

[SgtBuddy]

Well, I had a nice long (typical for me) reply to some of your posts.

Monitor went blank and then shutdown before I could finish it. Grrr. I wish I were more computer savvy, maybe I could fix it.

Anyway, the jist of my message, was, I do not expect these salespeople to be CCIE certified. They should know about the stuff on thier shelves. The DB9 cable is a stretch, but this wasn't my first experience with comptuer sales people. CompUSA employees have kept me entertained for years.

The example in my, now long lost post, was my first job. I worked at a Marine (boating) Supply Store. I spent hours going over manufacturer supplied informational documents. I know a lot about what we had on the shelves and a little on the stuff we didn't carry (uber models way out of the scope of recreational fishermen). I am not super salesman either. I just wanted to be able to help the customer. I hate not knowing the answer to a customer's question. Maybe I'm weird.

I am not a nautical genius. But when someone asked me about hull paint, I could tell them, with great certainty, what they needed to know. If they needed more information, I knew where to get it. I never &quot;danced&quot; around an answer. I hate that. If you don't know, then get someone or get something that knows.

I am not a washing machine expert. When I go to buy a washing machine (soon, anyone know of some good deals?) I want to know what model will suit my bachelor, once a year wash cycle. heh Kidding again. Knowing a little about the products will help. I dont' need Mr. or Mrs Maytag to help me, just someone who knows the diffence between the Performa series and the Atlantis Series.

It seems today's sales people just want you to pick up a product and hand over the cash. I want service.
I like to have people sell me things. I need a push sometimes. If you don't sell me a product, I sometimes walk away empty handed. This does not mean push into buying things. It just means, I want you to make your pay. Your are a sales person...sell me stuff.

Anyway. Circuit City does not hire &quot;over qualified&quot; people. Fine. The people they do hire (and this is considering the blanket statement, all CC employees are dolts, which they are not) need to learn something about their products. They need to organize a &quot;Smart Book&quot; with item specs, in case geeks like me go in and ask what the capacitance (in micro farads) of the capcitors surounding the CPU socket. Just kidding, but they should be able to tell me what processor a computer has in it why it is better than the $500 model on the endcap.

Is this too harsh for today's retail personnel. They don't call me the Sarge for nuthin'!

Anyway, before this one goes kapoof!

The Sarge

 

[BMdoobieW]

I went into Circuit City today at 11am and immediatly asked for my free-after-rebate D-Link USB Radio. They salesguy thought for about 3 seconds, and then took me right to it. Not bad. But Staples is the worst. Appearently I am always the first person each week to buy one of their advertised specials that involves a rebate or getting free software with my purchase...because they can never find the rebate forms or the free software. They seem to not even know that the item is on sale, eventhough it is in their weekly ad which they have in the store and the employees should read it each week or at least while they are on the crapper during store hours!

 

[crypticlogin]

Could you tell me what I can do through the serial port that I couldn't do with the internal telnet or web servers? My RT314 came with little else other than the quick setup guide, the CD (maybe I should touch the CD...), and registration card. The netgear site for the RT314 is pretty bare.

 

[Sluggo]

Well, actually the problem could, in all reality be sitting directly in your field of vision. People used to would pay for excellent service, and knowledgeable sales persons. I think thats now, this is the exception rather than the norm. Now people visit retail sites with a product list &quot;in hand&quot; that they have gotten from the internet.

Most are probably just wanting the actual &quot;see the product&quot; before buying, or have narrowed their list of models they will consider for purchase by reading on-line. Some will get the feel in the store, then dash home and order on-line. So in effect the retail store serves only as a physical whore in the buying game.

Other &quot;big ticket- big size&quot; items such as home appliances will use the model number theory. People have a list of model numbers and/or features they want in a product that they have researched on the internet. Most will look at only a couple of models, pretty much deciding what they wanted before ever leaving the house.

You desire the best of both worlds, fully educated sales staff, and lowest prices, it will never happen. You think the salesguy at CC is going to be home reading sales manuals, when he could be at the local bar, sweet talking some little hottie, bragging on his possible promo to Asst. Manager and trying to think of ways to get her panties hanging on his bed post?

 

[TranceNation]

hmmm, well if this was ChumpUsa I would understand a little bit but cmon this is Circuit City, I would never think of them to get any computer hardware stuff from. It's like going to Albertson's or Safeway and asking the counter clerk at the small video checkout counter who was the producer/director for so and so movie.

 

[Viper GTS]

You can buy null modem adapters at radio shack, couple that with any serial cable &amp; call it good.

Or, go here.

Viper GTS

 

[juiio]

I went through the same thing two weeks ago at CompUSA.

Me: &quot;I need a null modem cable&quot;
Them: &quot;Our modems are over here&quot;
Me: &quot;No. I just need a null modem cable. Not a modem&quot;
Them: &quot;Well we don't carry that brand of cables. We only carry Belkin&quot;
Me: &quot;Its not a brand name. Its a specific cable&quot;
Them: &quot;What do you need it for&quot;
Me: &quot;Kernel debugging&quot;
Them: &quot;Debu-what?&quot;
Me: &quot;Nevermind. I'll find it on my own&quot;.

 

[Aihyah]

ugh, employees at these places get super low wages, so if you expected well trained employees, your.. ugh stupid.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

*sarcasm*



<< I have Win95 and my USB scanner does not work? What could be wrong? >>



Win95 OSR2 supports USB, so maybe you needed to be a little more specific.



<< What is the difference between the $30 Hub and the $100 Switch? >>



Price. duh.



<< What kind of cable do I need for the wireless router? (sic) >>



Is the router usb or serial?

No but in all seriousness - I was about to go work for CC and I realized that their &quot;training&quot; consists of watching lame videos on a computer. They hire any idiot who can sell, not necessarily what they know. (Sort of like CrapUSA)

 

[WordSmith2000]

FYI: DON'T go to rad shack in the Cutler Ridge mall...those guys are even more clueless than the people at CC!

 

[MrBond]

That's usually the case with the large stores. The TechSavvy make terrible salespeople, because they know what they're selling. I have a friend that works for Gateway. He knows the PC Buzzwords, and he can throw them out there. He doesn't know what they mean, though. But you've got to realize the average gateway customer knows just as much as he does, they hear those buzzwords and they're impressed.

When the customer becomes more knowlegeable then the salesperson, the problems begin. I've given up on B&amp;M shopping for PC Parts. The only people who know what I want are the small local shops that usually have sky high prices b/c they can't get a good wholesaler.

 

[jcovercash]

You are sayign go to radio shack, Everyone at the local Radio shacks here are Dumb @$$E$. They are all helpful when you walk in &quot;Can I help you&quot;, Then you ask them for somethign and the run you over there whole little shack, and then they say we dont carry that when it is right in front of them.