Don't talk to me.
Sunday is the traditional Day of Consumption for the wife and I. We always do brunch and then hit some stores to get what we need for the week.
The customer service experience started off fine at Kerbey Lane, an Austin pancake house. The waitress was very friendly. But then we get to Best Buy. We grab 3 CDs (Bob Schnieder I'm Good Now, Tori Amos - Beekeeper & Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum, The Incredibles on DVD and WarioWare:Touched for my DS.
We browse around and contemplate grabbing the Sonic collection for the GameCube, decide against it and go to check out.
Checkout boy is checking out the CDs before he scans them, reading the track listings and comments on each one.
"Not a big Tori Amos fan." (I can't say anything about this. It's the wife's CD and if he doesn't like it, fine. I don't know why he had to say something.)
"I saw Rob Schneider at ACL (Austin City Limits), it was cool." (Ok, this is more normal. I respond with, "Yeah, we were there, that was a fun weekend.")
"Never heard of this guy." (I have no response to this either. I'm not about to explain who Mark Lanegan is, I want to go on with my life.)
"The Incredibles was pretty boring. The computer graphics were neat but I almost fell asleep." (Another negative review of what we were purchasing. What's the point?)
"Oh... dude, you should've gotten a PSP. Nintendo is totally boring. Have you ever seen one of those? I'm going to sell my iPod to get one, I've had it for like two months, but it's boring. You can store 2GB of music on the PSP, the DS just has that touchscreen, I don't know why you'd get that."
How stupid are you when you are talking down to a customer about what he's buying?
I felt like just walking out without buying any of that crap and saying, "Good point, maybe I just won't buy any of this." But hourly shitheads don't care, I think a letter to the manager will do better. And the wife was uncomfortable just seeing how pissed off I was.
It is incidents like this that remind me why I buy everything like that online and have it shipped to me. At least the UPS guy can't see what's inside the box so he has to provide me with his insightful commentary.
So a note to all you folks manning cash registers across the nation; unless you have something nice to say, shut your filthy pie holes.
I have a question, though, am I overreacting about this?
I feel like the people who run the joint deserve to know what the hell is going on and why people like me have to be dragged to their stores by other people.
What the hell happened to "Did you find everything you wanted?" and just doing your goddam job?
The customer service experience started off fine at Kerbey Lane, an Austin pancake house. The waitress was very friendly. But then we get to Best Buy. We grab 3 CDs (Bob Schnieder I'm Good Now, Tori Amos - Beekeeper & Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum, The Incredibles on DVD and WarioWare:Touched for my DS.
We browse around and contemplate grabbing the Sonic collection for the GameCube, decide against it and go to check out.
Checkout boy is checking out the CDs before he scans them, reading the track listings and comments on each one.
"Not a big Tori Amos fan." (I can't say anything about this. It's the wife's CD and if he doesn't like it, fine. I don't know why he had to say something.)
"I saw Rob Schneider at ACL (Austin City Limits), it was cool." (Ok, this is more normal. I respond with, "Yeah, we were there, that was a fun weekend.")
"Never heard of this guy." (I have no response to this either. I'm not about to explain who Mark Lanegan is, I want to go on with my life.)
"The Incredibles was pretty boring. The computer graphics were neat but I almost fell asleep." (Another negative review of what we were purchasing. What's the point?)
"Oh... dude, you should've gotten a PSP. Nintendo is totally boring. Have you ever seen one of those? I'm going to sell my iPod to get one, I've had it for like two months, but it's boring. You can store 2GB of music on the PSP, the DS just has that touchscreen, I don't know why you'd get that."
How stupid are you when you are talking down to a customer about what he's buying?
I felt like just walking out without buying any of that crap and saying, "Good point, maybe I just won't buy any of this." But hourly shitheads don't care, I think a letter to the manager will do better. And the wife was uncomfortable just seeing how pissed off I was.
It is incidents like this that remind me why I buy everything like that online and have it shipped to me. At least the UPS guy can't see what's inside the box so he has to provide me with his insightful commentary.
So a note to all you folks manning cash registers across the nation; unless you have something nice to say, shut your filthy pie holes.
I have a question, though, am I overreacting about this?
I feel like the people who run the joint deserve to know what the hell is going on and why people like me have to be dragged to their stores by other people.
What the hell happened to "Did you find everything you wanted?" and just doing your goddam job?
Comments
Half the time when I'm there I end up taking other customers aside to explain how the "sales associate" I just overheard talking to them was lying, or making stuff up, or not making any sense at all.
I don't begrudge anyone making a living, but when you tell someone that a 5.8GHz cordless phone really requires an extended warranty because "the chip is vibrating so much faster it wears out quicker", well, then you must be bought to justice.
With the US economy designed the way it is I suppose I can't ever expect anything but bored,* rude teenagers manning the registers.* I don't like to be melodramatic,* but if I do business with Best Buy in the future it will be through the website.
The only suggestion I might have is that the employees be told that unless they are asked they should keep their opinions to themselves on matters of personal taste.
Originally posted by groverat
Sunday is the traditional Day of Consumption for the wife and I. We always do brunch and then hit some stores to get what we need for the week.
The customer service experience started off fine at Kerbey Lane, an Austin pancake house. The waitress was very friendly. But then we get to Best Buy. We grab 3 CDs (Bob Schnieder I'm Good Now, Tori Amos - Beekeeper & Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum, The Incredibles on DVD and WarioWare:Touched for my DS.
We browse around and contemplate grabbing the Sonic collection for the GameCube, decide against it and go to check out.
Checkout boy is checking out the CDs before he scans them, reading the track listings and comments on each one.
"Not a big Tori Amos fan." (I can't say anything about this. It's the wife's CD and if he doesn't like it, fine. I don't know why he had to say something.)
"I saw Rob Schneider at ACL (Austin City Limits), it was cool." (Ok, this is more normal. I respond with, "Yeah, we were there, that was a fun weekend.")
"Never heard of this guy." (I have no response to this either. I'm not about to explain who Mark Lanegan is, I want to go on with my life.)
"The Incredibles was pretty boring. The computer graphics were neat but I almost fell asleep." (Another negative review of what we were purchasing. What's the point?)
"Oh... dude, you should've gotten a PSP. Nintendo is totally boring. Have you ever seen one of those? I'm going to sell my iPod to get one, I've had it for like two months, but it's boring. You can store 2GB of music on the PSP, the DS just has that touchscreen, I don't know why you'd get that."
How stupid are you when you are talking down to a customer about what he's buying?
I felt like just walking out without buying any of that crap and saying, "Good point, maybe I just won't buy any of this." But hourly shitheads don't care, I think a letter to the manager will do better. And the wife was uncomfortable just seeing how pissed off I was.
It is incidents like this that remind me why I buy everything like that online and have it shipped to me. At least the UPS guy can't see what's inside the box so he has to provide me with his insightful commentary.
So a note to all you folks manning cash registers across the nation; unless you have something nice to say, shut your filthy pie holes.
I have a question, though, am I overreacting about this?
I feel like the people who run the joint deserve to know what the hell is going on and why people like me have to be dragged to their stores by other people.
What the hell happened to "Did you find everything you wanted?" and just doing your goddam job?
Funny you mention this. I was just at Best Buy today and was going to buy a PSP.
I had it in my hand to buy- then thought what game should I get...yeah...what game? Ended up putting it back and got Youshi T & G for my DS.
But beside the fact- yeah- Best Buy's sales people (most of the ones that I've talked to) are crap. They need to put more of an effort into hiring and training people better.
When I got my XBox a few weeks ago that salesman (who can't be more than 21) was excited when I picked up my XBox Live starter kit. He even gave me his gamertag and started chatting with me about stuff. Very friendly.
All that said, you should write the letter, groverat. A cashier putting down the products you're buying is like a waitress telling you how crappy her restaurant's food is. Bad form.
Originally posted by ShawnJ
The worst is when someone comments when buying condems...
Oh I actually enjoy these. Or when I check out at the adult stores.
Originally posted by tacojohn
But beside the fact- yeah- Best Buy's sales people (most of the ones that I've talked to) are crap. They need to put more of an effort into hiring and training people better.
You just have to know who to look for. I've found that it's feast or famine at best buy, and you'll either get a surfer dude or some 17 year old who's trying to save money for college and really likes A/V. Some of Best Buy's staff in the home and car audio sections have been immensely helpful for me in the past.
Originally posted by groverat
Sunday is the traditional Day of Consumption for the wife and I. We always do brunch and then hit some stores to get what we need for the week.
The customer service experience started off fine at Kerbey Lane, an Austin pancake house. The waitress was very friendly. But then we get to Best Buy. We grab 3 CDs (Bob Schnieder I'm Good Now, Tori Amos - Beekeeper & Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum, The Incredibles on DVD and WarioWare:Touched for my DS.
We browse around and contemplate grabbing the Sonic collection for the GameCube, decide against it and go to check out.
Checkout boy is checking out the CDs before he scans them, reading the track listings and comments on each one.
"Not a big Tori Amos fan." (I can't say anything about this. It's the wife's CD and if he doesn't like it, fine. I don't know why he had to say something.)
"I saw Rob Schneider at ACL (Austin City Limits), it was cool." (Ok, this is more normal. I respond with, "Yeah, we were there, that was a fun weekend.")
"Never heard of this guy." (I have no response to this either. I'm not about to explain who Mark Lanegan is, I want to go on with my life.)
"The Incredibles was pretty boring. The computer graphics were neat but I almost fell asleep." (Another negative review of what we were purchasing. What's the point?)
"Oh... dude, you should've gotten a PSP. Nintendo is totally boring. Have you ever seen one of those? I'm going to sell my iPod to get one, I've had it for like two months, but it's boring. You can store 2GB of music on the PSP, the DS just has that touchscreen, I don't know why you'd get that."
How stupid are you when you are talking down to a customer about what he's buying?
I felt like just walking out without buying any of that crap and saying, "Good point, maybe I just won't buy any of this." But hourly shitheads don't care, I think a letter to the manager will do better. And the wife was uncomfortable just seeing how pissed off I was.
It is incidents like this that remind me why I buy everything like that online and have it shipped to me. At least the UPS guy can't see what's inside the box so he has to provide me with his insightful commentary.
So a note to all you folks manning cash registers across the nation; unless you have something nice to say, shut your filthy pie holes.
I have a question, though, am I overreacting about this?
I feel like the people who run the joint deserve to know what the hell is going on and why people like me have to be dragged to their stores by other people.
What the hell happened to "Did you find everything you wanted?" and just doing your goddam job?
First of all you are not over reacting to this. I have similar experiences all the time, but have recognized that I do not have the ability to articulate the scenario as elegantly as you do.
Last night I was leaving LAX to fly home and had already experienced several of these torrets-like comments from the airport personel when the woman accepting the boarding passes called for the seating of section 2 (thats me). As I approached her I pulled out the 3 recipts which were printed from the E-ticket machine. I pulled the one that most closely resembled the tickets everyone else was holding and handed it to the woman. "That doesnt do me any good" [procedes to look just past me to the invisible line of people not standing behind me and offers no more information]. Without hesitation I grab the next pass in the pile and stick it in her face to be sure I am grabbing her attention and then loudly tell her she is incredibly rude. Everyone standing there waiting for their section to be called began laughing aloud at the situation. She immediatly and with a somewhat embarassed expression gave me a sarcastic "Sorry sir, it's just my sense of humor" to which I walked away without saying another word.
once I approached the doorway of the plane there were several people walking down the hallway behind me still laughing at the situation. They began making comments about how clearly out of place she was and how funny my thoughtless reaction was to them. I didnt want to be an asshole or to embarass her in front of all those people but for fuck sake if you hate your job that much get another one. I had just payed an additional $35-40 to sit in the economy plus section (just for the additional leg room) and felt like my business was a waste of her time. I'm not sure why I felt the need to share this other than the fact that I want you to know I deal with these types of idiots all the time and think they are a plague on our society.
groverat you tell the best stories. If you ever decide to write a book I'm buying it. 8)
I just bought a dual layer dvd burner for my work PC on my lunch break from Best Buy. As I was checking out the cashier, who never acknowledged that she was dealing with a customer, called out to the cashier supervisor of all people and then began to comment that the girl walking in the door at that moment looked like a bulldyke. I stood there in horror and amazment as the conversation continued and they were trying to decide if she really was a lesbian. The only time she stopped to speak to me was to pitch the canned warranty...to which I just shook my head no. I could not believe this was happening and actually looked around at the other people there to see if anyone else was hearing this. I cant imagine saying anything like this at any job I've ever had. I am at a loss at where to begin placing the blame.
I think I am just going to have to start punching people in the mouth when they say rude things. Cashier says something inappropriate "BANG!" fist to the mouth. Drive-up punk gives me a dirty look for asking him for the correct change "ZAAPP!" fist to the atoms apple. Hood Rat working the register at McDonalds gives me a sigh because I dont like tomatos "BOOM!" fist to the jaw. Pizza guy tells me with a smurk he'll bring the extra pizza sauce I ordered "next time" after I've already tipped him "WACK!" swift kick to the nuts. Pretty soon we will be able to recognize the rude people in the New Orleans area because they will be brused, missing teeth, and walking with a limp.
Originally posted by groverat
How stupid are you when you are talking down to a customer about what he's buying?
Probably as dumb as the customer who listens to him.... oh wait...
I have a question, though, am I overreacting about this?
Yes and the fact that you will have spent time writing a post and a letter about instead of rubbing the wife's thigh is proof of this.
I feel like the people who run the joint deserve to know what the hell is going on and why people like me have to be dragged to their stores by other people.
You must have mistaken them for someone who cares. There is a reason these places feel like cattle bins staffed with mindless minimum wage minions. It is because you wanted your crap for a rock bottom price.
What the hell happened to "Did you find everything you wanted?" and just doing your goddam job?
It goes away every time the unemployment rate gets down to right around five percent. Let it get down to about 4.4-4.5% again and you'll be wondering where the hell cashiers with TEETH and who bathed went.
Nick
Originally posted by trumptman
It is because you wanted your crap for a rock bottom price.
Did you miss the part where I said someone else dragged me there?
Originally posted by groverat
Did you miss the part where I said someone else dragged me there?
So now you are blaming your wife?
(Thinking out loud) Blaming the wife and wants me to associate him with intelligence....hmmmm.....
Dude, the woman is always right.
Nick
Originally posted by addabox
Half the time when I'm there I end up taking other customers aside to explain how the "sales associate" I just overheard talking to them was lying, or making stuff up, or not making any sense at all.
well, bestuy is bad, and i do mean BAD, but the worst is Radio shank...er...uh...shack. When I worked there last fall, my boss told a customer that to burn music disks, he had to buy the "music CD-Rs" (for those who dont know that means they come in 10-packs and. with jewl cases) the guy says "I dont need jewl cases, I just want to burn a music CD, why won't the 50-pack spindal work? are they the same CDs?"
My boss then has the audasity to say "No, they ARE differant, you need the music CDs to burn music, the laser works differantly." I shot him a dirty look and said "are you sure?" He then said "hey new guy, you have a problem with my advice?" I then said "no comment" and appoligized to the customer before going to the back room to calm down.
Is it any wonder I quit?
Originally posted by Playmaker
I think I am just going to have to start punching people in the mouth when they say rude things.
Get back to us on how that works out for you.
Originally posted by a_greer
well, bestuy is bad, and i do mean BAD, but the worst is Radio shank...er...uh...shack. When I worked there last fall, my boss told a customer that to burn music disks, he had to buy the "music CD-Rs" (for those who dont know that means they come in 10-packs and. with jewl cases) the guy says "I dont need jewl cases, I just want to burn a music CD, why won't the 50-pack spindal work? are they the same CDs?"
My boss then has the audasity to say "No, they ARE differant, you need the music CDs to burn music, the laser works differantly." I shot him a dirty look and said "are you sure?" He then said "hey new guy, you have a problem with my advice?" I then said "no comment" and appoligized to the customer before going to the back room to calm down.
Is it any wonder I quit?
I think our country has gone down the tube.
I mean if a person can not make a purchase without this crap just about every single time why bother.
When I was in Paris France this crap was never an issue people there actually had a brain and "used it".
Back home in the good ole US of A:
The worst time I had was once when I simply wanted to buy a cup of coffee at Barnes & Noble Cafe within the bookstore. They sell Starbucks coffee yet it is part of Barnes & Noble when it is the Cafe. The girl asked me if I had a readers advantage card. I tried to answer her with a No reply but she continued with "because if you do you can save 10 cents with every purchase of a large coffee" and on and on she went. I said No I do not have one. She then said "would you like a readers advantage card they cost BLAW BLAW she went on and on and I said no thanks,,,, she then went on about how it not only saves you money on a cup of coffee but if you make other purches such as books and magazines it saves you money on those purcheses as well.. I am just as annoyed as it gets by this point. I say can I just buy a cup of coffee? She asks what size... keep in mind I already told her a large coffee in the begining. She then asks if I would like to add a something to eat with that a cookie or brownie or.... I said.... No thanks and would you believe she says "ohhh are you sure?" "they are fresh out of the oven" I kid you not..
If this person was nice or friendly I would not have minded this so much but this person was a mind numb robot with no sense or savy. I told her.... can you just sell me a cup of coffee or do I need to go somewhere where they can..
I then after finally receiving my coffee and change asked her "am I going to get this stupid spill every time I just want to buy a cup of coffee here?" She had no answer.. I walked away...
I know it is not her fault it is the shit management turned out by american business schools these days that teach... hound the customer at all costs.
Best Buy and others are getting pretty damned annoying these days with this canned "build the sale" BS
Fellows
Originally posted by Fellowship
Best Buy and others are getting pretty damned annoying these days with this canned "build the sale" BS
Dude, RS had an internal employee-pseudo-brainwashing campeign they called "build a bigger basket" included a breakdown of how the scheme works, everything in the store is a super high profit "accesory" or a driver of them, that is not bad in its self - BUT - the way we were told to sell it offended me. We were supposed to jam the accesories down peoples throughts, one of the best examples of this was the day after thanksgiving when my manager said something like "anyone who sells a DVD player without RS 'gold' series svideo and RCA cables will be fired" A vain threat but he said it, think I am jokeing about the pressure on emploees, go try to buy any cell phone without accesories (their magic number is three).
The best lie that I ever heard was a co-worker/boss saying that a POS $149 dv camera that records to flash memory, he said that the .mp4 video from this would be hollywood dvd quality because DVDs are made using mpeg4! At this point, I stepped in and corrected him, explaining video codecs and mpeg in general, the customer thanked me for helping and left empty handed (cant say I blame him/her) - after ths, I was in the store alone with this guy, I got a 10 minute profanity laced toung lashing about why I should not correct a fellow employee no matter how wrong they may be!
damn, maybe I ought to compile this stuff and write a book
I know it is not her fault it is the shit management turned out by american business schools these days that teach... hound the customer at all costs.
It's not their fault. I understand where you were at and that you were angry, but honestly the venom is best directed at managers, go as high up the food chain as you are comfortable.
Their sales pitches when you're a captive audience are the most infuriating. Hourly worker trying to get his ass through community college or save up for the new Sony product would much rather not have to talk to you any more than required. It's the soulless marketing weasel that does this. They need to be taken down.
It was funny when I was in j-school. Journalism and Advertising in the same college. Needless to say, we (journalism students) were merciless.
Every university should have a College For Worthless Scumsuckers where the business and advertising courses would be organized and housed.
Originally posted by groverat
Sounds like you need to find a lawyer.
Was that directed at me? and if so, what do you mean by it...please expand, should I modify or remove my posts?
Their sales pitches when you're a captive audience are the most infuriating. Hourly worker trying to get his ass through community college or save up for the new Sony product would much rather not have to talk to you any more than required. It's the soulless marketing weasel that does this. They need to be taken down.
As a kid working my way through community college and trying to save for university (in 14 short months w00t w00t), I can say you are 100% right.
I would pop in to buy, say, a 1/4" phone to RCA adapter, and then came the grilling at the cashier: name, address, phone number, some random survey question. Then the bizarre add on questions: "Would you like batteries with this?" Then the mysterious "printing of the receipt", which involved multiple machines and yielded a fifteen foot by 8" roll of toilet paper. For one $1.50 item. By some kind of glacially slow impact printer.
So what should have been, "Howdy, here's my buck fifty, see ya" always took days and days.
Once I stated chatting with the clerk, to the effect of "Don't your customers really really hate this hideous bullshit? Isn't this insane and wrong way of doing business going to kill your sales?"
He just looked at me and said "No. You're the first person to say anything".
Originally posted by a_greer
Was that directed at me? and if so, what do you mean by it...please expand, should I modify or remove my posts?
No, I'm saying you should have put Radio Shack's nuts to the fire when a manager cussed you out.
The first thing I would have done upon returning home was hop on the web and do some employment law research and write some letters to be hand delivered to the offending manager and mailed to the district/regional/national management.