The Best and Worst of Our More Than 200 Research Calls

[tyler811]

Ever wonder which electronics store has the best product selection and the tech-savviest staff members? I--and a fellow researcher--spent the better part of four weeks talking to sales associates at retailers across the country to figure it out.

This is actually good for some laughs.



http://www.pcworld.com/article/196684/the_best_and_worst_of_our_more_than_200_research_calls.htmlhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/196696/best_places_to_buy_tech.html?tk=nl_pvx_h_misc

 

[gimmewhitecastles]

Us: "What version of Windows 7 would you recommend for general family use in a household with kids?"
Guy at RadioShack in Phoenix: "Oh, Windows 7? It's like Vista, but newer."
OK.

LOL

 

[vshah]

i never understood those places. I tried to get a job at several best buys and radio shacks the summer after I graduated, just for something to do. I never even got a call back despite having a BS in electrical and computer engineering. its like they go out of their way not to hire people that know stuff. of course, you have the occasional enthusiast who somehow manages to get a job there and knows their shit.

 

[tyler811]

i never understood those places. I tried to get a job at several best buys and radio shacks the summer after I graduated, just for something to do. I never even got a call back despite having a BS in electrical and computer engineering. its like they go out of their way not to hire people that know stuff. of course, you have the occasional enthusiast who somehow manages to get a job there and knows their shit.

Well with a BS maybe they thought you were over qualified.

 

[gimmewhitecastles]

i never understood those places. I tried to get a job at several best buys and radio shacks the summer after I graduated, just for something to do. I never even got a call back despite having a BS in electrical and computer engineering. its like they go out of their way not to hire people that know stuff. of course, you have the occasional enthusiast who somehow manages to get a job there and knows their shit.

Maybe you came off like a total jackass.
The manager probably listened to you spouting off your technical mumbo jumbo and decided nobody was gonna buy anything from this condescending douchebag.

 

[zinfamous]

Maybe you came off like a total jackass.
The manager probably listened to you spouting off your technical mumbo jumbo and decided nobody was gonna buy anything from this condescending douchebag.

that, or simply knowing too much about the products and customers' real needs would have you recommending cheaper systems instead of the over-priced junk they are pushing.

 

[SR1729]

I find it hard to criticize these stores for employing less-than-knowledgeable employees. Take the WalMart encounter, for example: "We are actually not computer specialists; we just sell them and know the basics."

It might not be what the customer wants to hear or what the company wants said, but consumers are price-driven. You want to walk into WalMart and pay bottom dollar for what's almost certainly mid-grade equipment at best. Is it really reasonable to walk in expecting sound advice? Personally, I don't think it is. The people who actually know what they're doing are getting paid more somewhere else where the prices are a little higher... if they're even in retail at all.

They're not at !@#$ing WalMart.

 

[gimmewhitecastles]

that, or simply knowing too much about the products and customers' real needs would have you recommending cheaper systems instead of the over-priced junk they are pushing.

Yes this too. They probably value salesman skills over product knowledge anyway.
A good salesman could sell you a turd wrapped in foil if they had to.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

Yes this too. They probably value salesman skills over product knowledge anyway.
A good salesman could sell you a turd wrapped in foil if they had to.

Yep. Definitely all about sales. They don't care what you know. They only want you to make sales.

 

[SR1729]

Yes this too. They probably value salesman skills over product knowledge anyway.
A good salesman could sell you a turd wrapped in foil if they had to.

My wife and I are building a new house and had it wired up for surround sound. We dropped into Best Buy to look at some 55" LED's to hang above the fireplace. The saleskid was nice and accommodating, but immediately dragged us over to their Magnolia Home Theater area and started showing us some 72" non-mountable concoction that ran $6k. After 15 minutes of various demos, I had to stop him.

"I don't mean to be rude, and I appreciate your time, but I have no idea why we're in this room looking at this television. We were looking at 55" wall-mountable LED's."

 

[thepd7]

i never understood those places. I tried to get a job at several best buys and radio shacks the summer after I graduated, just for something to do. I never even got a call back despite having a BS in electrical and computer engineering. its like they go out of their way not to hire people that know stuff. of course, you have the occasional enthusiast who somehow manages to get a job there and knows their shit.

Most places won't hire graduates because they know you are just trying to fill in time before you leave, whereas the sophomore in college or the dropout is staying long term.

 

[Fritzo]

Maybe you came off like a total jackass.
The manager probably listened to you spouting off your technical mumbo jumbo and decided nobody was gonna buy anything from this condescending douchebag.

Heh, I applied for Best Buy some time ago during a money crunch for a part time job. They're still calling me for job openings

 

[vshah]

Maybe you came off like a total jackass.
The manager probably listened to you spouting off your technical mumbo jumbo and decided nobody was gonna buy anything from this condescending douchebag.

quite possible, i am a bastard...