My first Microsoft Store experience is pretty disappointing.

[s44]

The Time Square pop-up one was only supposed to be there for a couple of weeks, it got extended to a few months due to popularity, but ultimately it closed.

They still have a space on an upstairs floor of the Time Warner Mall

 

[Ravynmagi]

Well the poor employee knowledge I can let slide. While there are not a lot of devices in the store, there are more than can be counted on fingers and toes (unlike an Apple Store).

I think my main peeve was not being able check retail store inventory from the website and the employees being told not to provide this information to people calling for it. That is so bizarre. And then every minor flaw after that just got magnified since now we are off on the wrong foot.

Though the wrap around monitors on the walls in the store was pretty cool. Though I dunno if I like the snowy landscape they were playing. I was already kinda cold, so I would have been happy with a nice tropic scene with Christmas lights on palm trees. And this is Phoenix anyway, snow doesn't exist here.

 

[PowerYoga]

They probably just don't have a proper system setup to check inventory, so they tell employees to put a marketing spin on "things are going so fast we don't do inventory checks".

 

[Ravynmagi]

They probably just don't have a proper system setup to check inventory, so they tell employees to put a marketing spin on "things are going so fast we don't do inventory checks".

They should probably hire some big software company to fix that for them.

 

[hclarkjr]

I decided I wanted to buy a Dell Venue 11 Pro. So I checked microsoftstore.com and saw they were out of stock online. However they had no way for me to check if the local retail store had anything in stock. Most major retailers have this feature, it's puzzling Microsoft doesn't.

So I called the Microsoft Store. I get an automated message telling me I can't ask employees if they have products in stock because they are selling products so rapidly. They suggest I drive to the store to check or buy the product online instead. Well it's out of stock online and it's a 45 minute drive. Wow. I press 3 to talk to an associate and violate the first rule and ask if they have a Dell Venue 11 Pro in stock.

First words out of this guys mouth is basically repeating verbatim what the automated message said, he can't check inventory because products are selling so fast. He also tells me because of the 12 days of Christmas it's best I come in on Monday.

At this point I'm wondering if he thinks I want the Venue 8 Pro. So I explain to him I'm after the bigger 11 inch tablet. He apparently didn't even know there was more than one Venue Pro. After repeating the product name multiple times he finally agrees to violate the rules and go check. Go you rebel.

After a while he comes back and tells me they do have a Venue 11 Pro in stock. Of course I can't purchase it over the phone. So I get in my car and make the 45 minute drive over.

This is the Scottsdale Arizona store in a mall. So it's over and hour before I find a parking spot and find this store in the big mall.

I walk in and wander around. Nobody offers to help me find anything. I eventually find the Venue 11 Pro and play with it a few minutes. Unfortunately they don't have the keyboard dock on display. So I try to find an employee. I have to interrupt some employees chatting with themselves to get help. He says they don't have the keyboard in stock yet and goes to check on the tablet. Comes back and informs me they don't have the tablet either.

Well it's certainly plausible they had low inventory and sold the last one between my call and ability to get to the store.

But wow, what a disappointing experience. Microsoft did a great job copying the look of the Apple store, but apparently stopped there.

* I should be able to check store inventory online and be able to purchase the item from the website and pick it up at the store (if it's available).

* Employees should be a little more knowledgeable about their products.

* Employees shouldn't be hiding from customers in the back of the store and should at least fake a smile (these guys were probably burnt out because of the holidays and they showed it).

I'll probably not waste time visiting that store again since it's impossible to know if what I want will actually be there. And the employees are not helpful.

they are in stock at amazon for $549.99 + $16.95 shipping
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFVYUQY/...I2ZIID8FR8TYBN

 

[zerogear]

They probably just don't have a proper system setup to check inventory, so they tell employees to put a marketing spin on "things are going so fast we don't do inventory checks".

That is probably what it is, when I was contacting warranty services for a replacement (which I ultimately replaced it in-Store), they told me that they had no way of checking to see if the store had inventory for a swap, so they gave me the option of either doing an exchange with them, or check with the store.

 

[gus6464]

they are in stock at amazon for $549.99 + $16.95 shipping
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFVYUQY/...I2ZIID8FR8TYBN

If you go directly to Adorama it's free shipping.

http://www.adorama.com/DEVENPRO1125.html

 

[Ravynmagi]

Wow,I can't even cancel an online order at the microsoftstore.com. I have to call someone to cancel at online order (some people are claiming over 1 hour hold times because of their special sale today).

Jesus Microsoft, it's like their retail store is a decade behind the times.

 

[hclarkjr]

If you go directly to Adorama it's free shipping.

http://www.adorama.com/DEVENPRO1125.html

funny their website is saying it is temporarily out of stock

 

[Ravynmagi]

Thanks for the Adorama links. I'll probably pass on Adorama since it's a bit more expensive and ground shipping from New York to Arizona would probably kill me.

 

[Ravynmagi]

funny their website is saying it is temporarily out of stock

And there is that too. Apparently they'll take your order now, but can't ship it. That would drive me even more insane.

 

[hclarkjr]

sounds like they are ordering it from dell then selling it for small profit

 

[PowerYoga]

They should probably hire some big software company to fix that for them.

well, inventory management is fairly specialized and I doubt microsoft has any sort of software expertise or infrastructure setup to do that sort of stuff. MS is a big software company but inventory tracking is not part of their resume, seeing as how they only entered the B&M business fairly recently.

 

[lopri]

The store I went to still had it in stock for $199 after 3 PM.

 

[Ravynmagi]

well, inventory management is fairly specialized and I doubt microsoft has any sort of software expertise or infrastructure setup to do that sort of stuff. MS is a big software company but inventory tracking is not part of their resume, seeing as how they only entered the B&M business fairly recently.

Yeah, I agree. I used to work for JDA Software that specialized in that sort of thing. But Microsoft should understand the importance of having their brick and mortar stores and online retail stores connected and definitely have the resources to make it happen (even if it means having someone like JDA do that for them). And they opened their first store 4 years ago (which happens to be our Scottsdale store here).

I just think it's pretty weird for a giant tech company to have it's retail stores disconnected.

 

[hclarkjr]

dell website has pulled them from the store, i started chat and was told they did not expect them to sell this well and are out of stock.


[FONT=&quot]Time [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Details [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:30:43AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Session Started with Agent (Ishan K)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:30:43AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]harry clark: "."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:30:55AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "Welcome to Dell US Chat! My name is Ishan and I will be your Dell.com Sales Chat Expert.
I can be reached at ishan_kaushik@dell.com or via phone at 1-800-BUY-DELL at extension: 4163267. How can I help you today?"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:30:59AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "Good morning Harry"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:31:33AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]harry clark: "hi"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:32:11AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]harry clark: "i noticed that the venue 11 64gb version has been removed from the store, why?"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:33:20AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "Glad you chatted in today, I'd be happy to help you"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:33:42AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "It is gone out of stock"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:33:52AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "It's expected to be back in a weeks timeframe."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:34:12AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]harry clark: "i have one in my saved cart, will it being removed affect that?"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:35:04AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "Because you can purchase the items offered on website, your cart will expire (not usable) to order for an item not offered on website any more."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:35:19AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]harry clark: "why is dell having so much trouble keeping these in stock? is there some kind of shortage on parts or something?"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:36:03AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "We have very big sales on BackFriday and CyberMonday , many people purchased it, more than what we expected."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:36:07AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "Hence it's gone out of stock."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:36:22AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "We have models with 128GB available"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:36:29AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "These would i3 and i5 as option"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:36:35AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "starts @ $799.99"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:36:43AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "Would you like to check what we are offering now on website?"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:37:10AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]harry clark: "i have seen those but do not want to pay that much for a tablet"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:37:31AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]harry clark: "unless you want to give me a discount that is"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:37:44AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Agent (Ishan K): "You may please wait if you need Venue 11 pro with Atom processor and 64GB"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12/11/2013 07:39:03AM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]harry clark: "i may get the 64gb version on ebay, there are some there for sale, i wanted to get it from dell"[/FONT]

 

[PowerYoga]

Yeah, I agree. I used to work for JDA Software that specialized in that sort of thing. But Microsoft should understand the importance of having their brick and mortar stores and online retail stores connected and definitely have the resources to make it happen (even if it means having someone like JDA do that for them). And they opened their first store 4 years ago (which happens to be our Scottsdale store here).

I just think it's pretty weird for a giant tech company to have it's retail stores disconnected.

I don't disagree. It's something that's almost essential in today's B&M world.

 

[Imaginer]

More or less, I feel that this is a supply and demand issue. Microsoft and other vendors of PCs have been burned in the past for devices not selling well, thus the need of less warehouse stock (there is a reason why it is a good thing when businesses tell "shipped" values - it costs money and space for excess).

So for the holidays, vendors (Microsoft included) are being conservative. If anything, blame the fickle electronics market and the consumers that drive it. Forecasts of demand can be made a bit better, but it doesn't account for any anomalies to a degree (maybe in the OP's case of finding and getting a device). Or hclarkjr's Dell comment.

Personally, I preordered my Surface Pro 2 and received my 8/256 one ON RELEASE DAY. I expect this of Amazon and I expect not to have it at my door on release day, but to have it shipped out on release day. Again, it boils back to conservative supply production forecasts.