Why bother asking my opinion

[Exterous]

If you're just going to go to Best Buy and do the opposite because the salesman recommended it?

 

[DesiPower]

awwww... did someone hurt your ego?

I always provide opinion expecting them to do exactly that, and therefore my opinion consists of things that twill counter what BB people will say, so that by the end they are really confused . You are a rookie unwanted advise provider :biggrin:

 

[olds]

I just tell them to go to Best Buy and buy it so I don't have to deal with them.

 

[BrokenVisage]

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Because that's what stupid people do. Otherwise they would be smart.

 

[SamQuint]

Usually it is because what you recommended was too expensive so they found what they thought was a cheaper alternative?

So what did you recommend and what did they actually get instead?

 

[Exterous]

awwww... did someone hurt your ego?

My ego doesn't care - its more of a time thing. If you are going to ignore the 15 minutes you spent 'picking my brain' during work and then it was a waste of my time and yours.

(insert joke here regarding my brain)

 

[DesiPower]

My ego doesn't care - its more of a time thing. If you are going to ignore the 15 minutes you spent 'picking my brain' during work and then it was a waste of my time and yours.

(insert joke here regarding my brain)

Ok, let you out man, tell us everything, what was it that he bought? and what did you advise? I know BB does not sell vibrators, so that joke is out of question...

 

[Exterous]

Usually it is because what you recommended was too expensive so they found what they thought was a cheaper alternative?

So what did you recommend and what did they actually get instead?

He wanted to know a good TV and speakers for around $3,000 to use in his newly finished basement for a quasi-home theater room. I recommended getting a plasma TV and to look at the Panasonics if he could find any or maybe a projector. I cautioned him about how TVs look in the stores. I suggested he stay away form the proprietary HTiB options and explained why. (I did mention that Denon and Onkyo has options and why those would be better than the Sony\Samsung ones). I told him that a good speaker system would be more than the cheap ones but would easily fall within his budget.

He came in today and told me about the Philips TV he bought (because it looked good in the store) and the sony HTiB he bought because the salesman recommended it.

I have no doubt it was cheaper - he probably spent around $1k - but for someone who went on and on about how he wanted a great picture and sound...well - it was definitely a waste of time...

 

[BlitzPuppet]

Why? Because people are cheap/stupid/want instant gratification.

 

[Eug]

Well, I guess it also depends on what you recommend...

I remember my boss who was just about to order a tricked out gaming laptop with giant screen for business use and travel. I asked why and she told me because her geek son told her it had the best specs. The thing was massive though.

So, I told her to get something smaller and slower with long battery life and low weight. Dunno what exactly she got in the end though.

 

[Pardus]

Where else can you get a $60 HDMI cable?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/10-foot-hdmi-cable/8351074.p?id=1218874431974&skuId=8351074

 

[poofyhairguy]

He wanted to know a good TV and speakers for around $3,000 to use in his newly finished basement for a quasi-home theater room. I recommended getting a plasma TV and to look at the Panasonics if he could find any or maybe a projector. I cautioned him about how TVs look in the stores. I suggested he stay away form the proprietary HTiB options and explained why. (I did mention that Denon and Onkyo has options and why those would be better than the Sony\Samsung ones). I told him that a good speaker system would be more than the cheap ones but would easily fall within his budget.

He came in today and told me about the Philips TV he bought (because it looked good in the store) and the sony HTiB he bought because the salesman recommended it.

I have no doubt it was cheaper - he probably spent around $1k - but for someone who went on and on about how he wanted a great picture and sound...well - it was definitely a waste of time...

That is where qualifying questions beforehand often will save you some trouble. Any normal that really cares about quality will WANT TO spend $3k+ and will say it up front. If they just throw out "I want great picture and sound" without a solid budget (aka "under ____" is not a solid budget), what they mean is "I want the best of the cheap stuff." Then you tell them some general advice (only get a 120hz model) and move on.

Personally I never get offended if they go another direction as long as I am not required to support it. Life is too short, so if someone wants crap let them buy crap.

Where it upsets me is if it is a family member and they will expect me to support the device after they discarded my advice. That is uncool and what gets me upset.

But that is why in those situations, I am MUCH more firm. Something like "buy this exact model off Amazon or I swear to God your universal remote won't work well anymore and I won't help you fix it!" I make it clear they will lose every dollar they save going cheap paying the geeks at Best Buy to do everything for them. I have gotten to pick every TV in my family for years this way.

 

[ultimatebob]

My ego doesn't care - its more of a time thing. If you are going to ignore the 15 minutes you spent 'picking my brain' during work and then it was a waste of my time and yours.

(insert joke here regarding my brain)

Just keep that in mind when they come back in a year and ask for tech support on the broken piece of crap that they bought.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I would be semi-relieved that they didn't go with my suggestion, because then I can deny knowing anything about what they bought should it prove to be problematic in some way.

"Oh you bought a phillips? I have no clue what could be wrong then. If that were a Panasonic plasma I might be able to help".

I've learned that barring major malfunctions, people generally will talk themselves into being happy with their HT purchases though. That guy will probably be just fine with whatever he got. That's what he revealed by going to best buy and getting whatever the salesman recommended. The finer points of your suggestions and the reasoning behind them would just be lost on him.

 

[waffleironhead]

“As a general rule,'he had once said, 'people ask for advice only in order not to follow it; or, if they do follow it, in order to have someone to blame for giving it.'
(Athos)”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers

 

[BurnItDwn]

Ehh, my brother sells TVs in Costco. If somebody is asking me about setting up their home theater, I tell them to go to Costco.

Costco doesn't have the best selection, but, they do have a pretty good selection.

 

[OverVolt]

Ehh, my brother sells TVs in Costco. If somebody is asking me about setting up their home theater, I tell them to go to Costco.

Costco doesn't have the best selection, but, they do have a pretty good selection.

Costco has a selection of TV's to meet anybodies needs at a low price, you have hurry to get good deals while they are in stock.

You, you are not a salesman...

 

[Slick Mcflicken]

Well, it is what it is...

 

[BurnItDwn]

Costco has a selection of TV's to meet anybodies needs at a low price, you have hurry to get good deals while they are in stock.

You, you are not a salesman...

My brother is, though he doesn't upsell. He tries to find the best deal for the customer to keep them happy so they continue to shop at Costco.

He actually likes his job a lot and loves dealing with the customers...

Anyhow, I got lucky, as my projector was a great deal, but, only available online ... However, when I was looking for a cheap 30-40 inch TV for my mom to replace her old 25 inch CRT, I went with Amazon since i found a better deal on a low end Samsung TV there.

 

[Kadarin]

My ego doesn't care - its more of a time thing. If you are going to ignore the 15 minutes you spent 'picking my brain' during work and then it was a waste of my time and yours.

(insert joke here regarding my brain)

Have you considered the possibility that the Best Buy sales guy might know more than you do about the topic?

 

[ZaneNBK]

I would be semi-relieved that they didn't go with my suggestion, because then I can deny knowing anything about what they bought should it prove to be problematic in some way.

This is basically how I feel about giving advice/making suggestions. Partly because I have a friend that is that type of person and bitches about everything constantly.

I gave him a free wireless headset a year or two ago, which he uses all the time, but continually bitches about how shitty it is. If it's that shitty, stop using it, otherwise shut the fuck up about your free wireless headset already!

 

[Newell Steamer]

Maybe because when the person you gave advice to, went to Best Buy and asked for an HD-DVD player, they were laughed at.