Job at Circuit City - Update: I got it!

[SyahM]

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: Ornery Awesome ain't the word for it. Where else could you let "customers you enjoy working with", walk out the door with a $40.00 printer cable? Damn, imagine what happens to customers you don't enjoy working with! :Q

Hey, I wish we had more reasonable prices on that stuff, but what do you want? "No sir, I don't want you to buy that cable from us. Yes, it makes me $4 and that is more than I am making on the computer, and yes, my manager will beat me if I tell you this, and yes, you DO need it, but don't buy it from us."

Deeko is now my mentor, so yeah, i'll sell a $40.00 printer cable and i'll make sure the customer go home happy with his/her purchase. Will I be proud of it? Hell no but I got to do what I got to do.

 

[acidvoodoo]

Originally posted by: Deeko

Actually at my old Circuit City at least... it was very difficult to get hired. I was working there senior year of high school earning $10/hour, and all my friends were applying left and right, jealous as hell.. very very few got hired though. I would say definitely give it a shot... you might be able to get a raise in 3-6 months.

What he said. Circuit City sounds like an easy, low level job, but it is actually hard to get in.

I actually applied for sales counselor but that position is full so they give me the next best thing, at hourly rate, boy I wish i could make $15/hr
Anyway ... i think tomorrow i'll just go see the manager and discuss a bit about the scheduling. everything you guys said make sense, more money is always good and since there's no contract I can always quit anytime. Pity the manager though cuz he has to find replacement then and go through the hiring/training process. I really dont want to inconvenience him that much but i think i should be selfish, shouldnt i? Oh, what's the tax rate for the pay, hopefully it wont be 30%?

Training an hourly associate isn't that hard, basically you can teach them to use the register and throw them in music. Training a sales counselor is harder. If you are just being hired as a seasonal SS then I don't think it would upset them all that much if you quit early. Tax rate? I was under the impression that tax rate had to do with how much money you made, not where you worked? I dunno, I don't pay attention to taxes, I'm a youngin and I get all my taxes back at the end of the year.

I was hired as a SS a year and a half ago, I was promoted to an SC in about 3 months. If you've got what it takes, you'll move up there. That is, if you are even vaguely interested in staying past christmas, and they let you.

just to off topic for awile......... btw i'm a HS student, and a US cit living in england, anyway

i have gone to america the last 2 summers to work, and prolly made around $3,500 combined (took about 11 weeks). it was all over the table, i had money taken out for taxes (was in massachusetes). my dad told me (he lives there) that after the first summer, i should recieve a task return, and he sent off some form or something, but i never have gotten anything, so i think he probably cudn't be bothered to do it. now this summer i want to see how i can get money back myself. can u explain if there is an easy way to do it?
if i only get like $80 it's still worth a few hours of my time imo

thanks

 

[Corn]

Ornery, what exactly is your problem with Deeko?

The fact is that if it weren't for the higher profit margins on "accessories", most retailers like BB and CC would cease to exist. Would this be good for the consumer?

The margins on computer equipment are razor thin and these companies rely on accessories to make even minimal profit. Sure, is the markup on the cable high? You bet, but when you factor in the cost of the complete system, including accessories, the overall profit margin is still miniscule.

The "pride" that Deeko takes in his job is most likely similar to the pride I felt when I worked for a commission retailer--pride in the fact that customers asked for me because of my knowledge of the product I was selling, not that I may or may not have been giving them the absolute best deal in town.

Let me ask you a question Ornery, do you explain to each and every single "customer" where you work how much money you make off them? Probably not, but then again, what the fvck business is it of theirs what the profit margin on a printer cable is if the price offered to the customer is acceptable to them?

 

[Corn]

Hey, I wish we had more reasonable prices on that stuff, but what do you want? "No sir, I don't want you to buy that cable from us. Yes, it makes me $4 and that is more than I am making on the computer, and yes, my manager will beat me if I tell you this, and yes, you DO need it, but don't buy it from us."

Deeko, you don't need to justify yourself to anyone, some people are just ignorant.

 

[Ornery]

Just be honest, that's all. You do NOT treat people you "enjoy working with" like that. YOU DON'T! You wouldn't let an AnandTech forum member get taken like that, would you? Well, would you?

Would that store exist without ripping people off on accessories? Probably not, but other stores exist with decent profit margins on the PCs AND accessories. No, they don't have any "technical" help there, but that's hit and miss when you walk into CC or BB too!

Just be honest. Say, "I rape customers better than most, and I LOVE IT!"

 

[Ornery]

"Let me ask you a question Ornery, do you explain to each and every single "customer" where you work how much money you make off them? Probably not, but then again, what the fvck business is it of theirs what the profit margin on a printer cable is if the price offered to the customer is acceptable to them?"

I NEVER, EVER ripped people off like that! :| Fvck yourself!

I did carpentry for years before spending the last 20 years in a machine shop. I would have done the work hourly and let them buy materials, or by the job. Either way, they knew what I made for labor. I've built PCs for many people... always no charge. Many gave me a buck or two. I couldn't in a million years pull that crap on anybody I considered a friend.

What's the matter with getting a commission? That's good enough and it's up front. I've got nothing against a salesman getting his due. Sales are EVERYTHING in this society and I appreciate that. But don't tell me how well you treat customers when you let them take it up the ass like that!

Edit: Sorry Corn, you didn't really insinuate that I WOULD rip anybody off, and it is none of their business how much I make. But if I did hose them for such huge profit, I'd be calling them pigeons, not customers, let alone people I "enjoy".

 

[vladgur]

what exactly is your degree?

 

[Corn]

Would that store exist without ripping people off on accessories?

Since when is charging a price that you customer finds agreeable = ripping them off?

My definition of "ripping off" a customer is if deception were used to coerce someone into purchasing something that either they wouldn't have purchased in the first place or at a price that they didn't agree to.

You can "always" find something, anything, cheaper somewhere else--that doesn't mean that just because Wallmart sells something cheaper than CC, that CC is "ripping off" every one of their customers.

YOU DON'T! You wouldn't let an AnandTech forum member get taken like that, would you? Well, would you?

Most are savvy enough to know where to shop to find the "best price", but if they wanted one, and were willing to purchase one for the price it was offered, you bet I would sell it to 'em, why the hell wouldn't I? Hell as a matter of fact I purchase "accessories" at BB or CC all the time knowing I might be able to get it cheaper at RS or Wallyworld, however my time is also worth $$ and spending a half hour (or longer) driving around and waiting in line to save $10 is worthless to me.

......but other stores exist with decent profit margins on the PCs AND accessories.

So mom and pop shop charges $20 more for their emachines pile of crap (to maintain a "decent" profit margin) and charge $20 less on their USB printer cable, whats the difference, the end cost is still the same!!!!!!!!

I did carpentry for years before spending the last 20 years in a machine shop. I would have done the work hourly and let them buy materials, or by the job. Either way, they knew what I made for labor. I've built PCs for many people... always no charge. Many gave me a buck or two. I couldn't in a million years pull that crap on anybody I considered a friend.

Same here, but then again, I never considered a customer (who was not previously a friend), even if it was a referral customer, to be a "friend", and would never obligate myself to not earning a profit just because someone told them to see me.

[edit] numerous edits for clarity of thought......

 

[Stark]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Just be honest, that's all. You do NOT treat people you "enjoy working with" like that. YOU DON'T! You wouldn't let an AnandTech forum member get taken like that, would you? Well, would you?

Would that store exist without ripping people off on accessories? Probably not, but other stores exist with decent profit margins on the PCs AND accessories. No, they don't have any "technical" help there, but that's hit and miss when you walk into CC or BB too!

Just be honest. Say, "I rape customers better than most, and I LOVE IT!"

If you believe this verbal crap your spouting, you need to get off your computer, get in your car, and go picket your local radio shack. I don't see anyone blasting Howie Long and Lois Lane for selling overpriced accessories.

Unless you're willing to do that, you should shut your pie-hole.

 

[Ornery]

There is nobody here from Radio Shack patting themselves on the back for how well they treat their customers. And I'm not talking about mom & pop shops, I'm talking about Walmart. They make their money on low profit and high volume. My local mom & pop PC builders, like Russ, are up front about not being able to build a budget box like they carry at Walmart. They charge a pretty steep mark up on accessories, but not $40.00 for a printer cable! That's as bad as these "Travelers" taking advantage of old people on home repairs. Sure as hell ain't nuthin' to be proud of!

 

[SyahM]

Originally posted by: vladgur
what exactly is your degree?

Business Administration with major in Finance, and Operations & Manufacturing Management.

To Ornery, chill out dude! I dont think the salesman will make huge profit out of a printer cable. Wud the customer be happy to go home with incomplete parts? No, dont think so.
Ok, I for once wud recommend customer buying an USB cable instead of regular cable, its cheaper isnt it?

 

[Deeko]

Ok Ornery, if I told EVERY customer to whom I sold a computer that WalMart has the cable cheaper, and to either do a PM or get it there, how long do you think my manager would let me keep my job? Think about it. If a customer asks me, "is this cable cheaper anywhere else?" I say yea, let me call around and see if I can verify that. But there is no way I'd have any type of job security if I told every customer to PM another store before they asked.

btw, that $40 cable is the 10 ft gold cable. A standard 6ft cable is $25, still high, but not as high.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: SyahM

Originally posted by: vladgur
what exactly is your degree?

Business Administration with major in Finance, and Operations & Manufacturing Management.

To Ornery, chill out dude! I dont think the salesman will make huge profit out of a printer cable. Wud the customer be happy to go home with incomplete parts? No, dont think so.
Ok, I for once wud recommend customer buying an USB cable instead of regular cable, its cheaper isnt it?

Exactly. It is my job to make sure they have everything they need, so they don't have to come back, or go to another store, for an accessory that I didn't tell them about. Yes, USB cables are about $5 cheaper. That's what I recommend.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: Corn

Would that store exist without ripping people off on accessories?

Since when is charging a price that you customer finds agreeable = ripping them off?

My definition of "ripping off" a customer is if deception were used to coerce someone into purchasing something that either they wouldn't have purchased in the first place or at a price that they didn't agree to.

You can "always" find something, anything, cheaper somewhere else--that doesn't mean that just because Wallmart sells something cheaper than CC, that CC is "ripping off" every one of their customers.

When places like best buy tell people that their p4 systems will burn up unless they are plugged into an expensive UPS, that is ripping people off. Charging $30 for USB cables is also ripping people off. People pay $30 for usb cables because they do not know any better. People go into places like best buy not knowing squat about purchasing PC's and components. They rely on sales people to guide them. It is corporate policy to prey on these type of people who will buy a product that is marked up 400% and they do not know any better. To me that is ripping someone off.

 

[Deeko]

Maybe you were just referring to Best Buy.

In my 1.5 years at Circuit City, I've sold maybe one UPS with a system. We are NOT told to lie. Our management emphasises honesty. With the exception of cables, CC has excellent prices, and will beat any other local price. Like I said before, I'm not about to lose my job to save some guy $10. If he asks, I'll PM no problem. Don't tell me about 'corporate policy'.

 

[SyahM]

Just got back from interview with 3 of the store managers and they made an offer that I cannot refuse, a full-time commissioned Sales Counselor with benefits & goodies after 60/90 days!
I'm so happy!

 

[CasioTech]

I applied to my local EB. *fingers crossed*

 

[Kenji4861]

Congrats!

 

[jimmyhaha]

no offense.

but why do people goes into bestbuy and CC or other retail store buy $30 USB cable ?

CC or bestbuy will never get a dime from me if they do NOT offer any good deal.

 

[Dragnov]

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Corn

Would that store exist without ripping people off on accessories?

Since when is charging a price that you customer finds agreeable = ripping them off?

My definition of "ripping off" a customer is if deception were used to coerce someone into purchasing something that either they wouldn't have purchased in the first place or at a price that they didn't agree to.

You can "always" find something, anything, cheaper somewhere else--that doesn't mean that just because Wallmart sells something cheaper than CC, that CC is "ripping off" every one of their customers.

When places like best buy tell people that their p4 systems will burn up unless they are plugged into an expensive UPS, that is ripping people off. Charging $30 for USB cables is also ripping people off. People pay $30 for usb cables because they do not know any better. People go into places like best buy not knowing squat about purchasing PC's and components. They rely on sales people to guide them. It is corporate policy to prey on these type of people who will buy a product that is marked up 400% and they do not know any better. To me that is ripping someone off.

Whose fault is that? If they don't know their products and decide not to do any research on their own and buy something that they could find cheaper, thats entirely the customers own fault. They CHOOSE not to find information on their own, and unless they are DECIEVED or LIED TO, they are not being ripped off. Hey, heres a cable for $40... dont like the price? GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. How stupid are they if you go around just buying stuff w/o knowing the general price range for product. When you want to go buy a TV do you jsut go to a random store and go "oooh, I like that TV, I'm going to buy it right now." Yes it is corporate policy to prey on these people... the stupid and the lazy.