Gadget Sales
What is it about people who work in stores that sell electronics? Years ago I noticed that every salesperson I've ever encountered in the major electronics chain I went to for parts came across as a irritating, arrogant twit. It didn't seem to matter which branch or even what area of the country I was in. The salespeople were all equally as hard to take. It even seems that the big electronics stores are similar in the level of disdain they show toward their customers- the people who ultimately pay their wages.
Today I left work at the usual time and decided it would be a good time to replace the memory card in my cell phone with one that had a bit more elbow room. The current 16 MB card was fine for a while, but after adding several programs and a healthy supply of pictures, things are getting a bit cramped. 32 MB or 64 MB would be much less confining. At any rate, I trekked out to the big electronics store under the big red sign and began to look for a Multimedia Card in the right size. I stopped by the cell phone display and began to look at what's new these days, partially because You never can tell when yours will go bad and partially because the best (and often the only) way to get someone's help is to touch something expensive. I picked up the Most expensive "Palm Powered" device I could find and began looking for the stylus. When the drone behind the counter saw me, he came over, cordless phone still pressed against one ear, and offered his services. He was obviously annoyed when I told him I wouldn't be buying a phone but I did need a MMC. He scurried to a glass display case while explaining to me that the MMC format is pretty old and they probably didn't have any, as if to imply that I should replace whatever old piece of carp I was using it in for a new, shiny, commission-giving one. He then acted surprised to find just what I was looking for. He went back to his telephone conversation (to give me tome to decide, I suppose) I had already decided to order one online where they don't have a chance to be rude to you. I guess rudeness is worth the extra 30%-50% you would pay at the store to some people.
1 Comments:
I feel you, man. I ranted about this to someone once, and I was called an elitist. Seriously, the people working at these places are typically not only rude, but not really that well-informed, either. The conclusion I've come to is that I'd probably be rude too, if that were my job. Also, on the east coast, there's the excuse that so many customers are so rude that the help is used to being abused, and therefore approach every encounter as though it is a confrontation. Not an excuse, but I suppose I can be a little more lenient given that circumstance. Can't explain why they're that way in, say, the midwest.
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