Retail Store Question

[Freak Out]

Best Buy would be perfect if they didn't pester you about a warranty. I sometimes order things online from them to avoid that, but right now they have 3 year, no interest financing for in-store purchases of TV's, so I guess I'll have to go inside.

I had to get our new notebook from the store because the wife likes to feel how heavy they are and see how quiet they run. When I turned down their warranty for the fourth time, he sighed and looked like I had just killed, or fingered, his cat. He was downright stupefied when I also turned down the "Rewards Zone!" card they push on you every visit (because I could get a conditional 20 dollar gift card with my 1k purchase!!). A manager who stopped by actually shook his head like a douche and said "really?!"

I know it's not easy having to push this shit on people as part of your job, but I do the same thing Joe does when possible, and I'm assuming a lot of other people do too, avoid the store - which means I don't see all their sexy end caps, flashing signs, and other merchandise they want to sell in the retail store.

I will try and avoid going into a store like Best Buy at all costs. First of all I can get almost any electronics/computer gear I need online for much cheaper and only have to wait a few days...and I do not have to listen to some idiots playing rock band or rock star or whatever the fuck you call it. They can take their credit deals and gift cards and shove it.

[mraynrand]

Interesting thread. Here's my question: What ring of hell is Abercrombie and Fitch in? I had the pleasure of taking my daughter shopping there last night. Why is it fashionable to pay 100 bucks for a ripped up sweatshirt with Reggie White's number on it? The clothes there look like they got them off street people and the the perfume smelled like a combination of turpentine and jolly rancher. Every one of the customer service 'girls' looked like they had just woken up from a sleeping in their clothes at a frat house party and the guys all had 'bed head.' WTF? I don't need to go to hell, I've already been there.

[Deputy Nutz]

Interesting thread. Here's my question: What ring of hell is Abercrombie and Fitch in? I had the pleasure of taking my daughter shopping there last night. Why is it fashionable to pay 100 bucks for a ripped up sweatshirt with Reggie White's number on it? The clothes there look like they got them off street people and the the perfume smelled like a combination of turpentine and jolly rancher. Every one of the customer service 'girls' looked like they had just woken up from a sleeping in their clothes at a frat house party and the guys all had 'bed head.' WTF? I don't need to go to hell, I've already been there.

One of my former wrestlers works their and I envy him, simply because he can tag a bunch of chicks that come in to shop, man all those girls coming to you, how easy is that?

[Freak Out]

What ring of hell is Abercrombie and Fitch in? I had the pleasure of taking my daughter shopping there last night.

Ha ha...you actually went in? Well...I guess you had to protect your bank account. WTF are you paying for when you buy stuff like that? The materials for one pair of jeans costs what....3-4 dollars at most..labor in China is about 7 cents a pair..the formaldehyde used to treat them..shipping..?

[oregonpackfan]

Leave me alone.

Hate it when kids at Best Buy try to push some inferior product on you.

And that doesn't even include them trying to screw you with the warrenty.[/u]

Best Buy would be perfect if they didn't pester you about a warranty.

Consumer advocate Clark Howard advises against buying a warranty on a product. Generally, selling warranties is a huge money-making venture for merchandisers, especially those who sell electronic appliances. Employees are told to aggressively sell the warranties

My contention is that I buy brands with established QUALITY. By paying more for those brands, I consider that my form of a personal warranty. Most items have at least an official year's warranty, anyway.

Back to the original question, I don't mind being greeted and asked if I need help, but then I want the sales persons to leave me alone until I ask them for help.

I am bugged, however, by stores that understaff their help, so that I have a hard time getting help. Just yesterday, I want into a Big 5 store(a sporting goods chain) and needed help finding a product. The only visible employees were a clerk at the counter who had a line of 4 people, and a sales associate who was helping someone with another customer waiting in line. I had to wait another 10 minutes before he could help me.

[swede]

I don't have a problem with being greeted and asked if I need help with anything. It's nice to know that if I do have a question, someone is there. But for the love of God, if I say I'm just looking don't follow me around and comment on every damn thing that I look at. I've walked out of stores before because of employees doing this.

Maybe it's just Murphy's Law or something, but it seems whenever I do need help - I have a hard time finding someone. Hello, Home Depot...are you listening???

LOL I have the same problem with Home Depot...they bother me like crazy when I just want to look or I know what I'm doing, but when I need a little help there's no one in an orange apron to be found anywhere.

[Partial]

You guys should shop at Menards or Ace. Better stores.

[Partial]

Does anyone else see a trend here? Seems to me the retail store is dying. Everyone here seems content shopping online or going to a Wal-mart esque place where you're not bothered with warranties and can get minimal help when needed.

[GBRulz]

Does anyone else see a trend here? Seems to me the retail store is dying. Everyone here seems content shopping online or going to a Wal-mart esque place where you're not bothered with warranties and can get minimal help when needed.

A trend that is possibly helped by retails stores themselves. Why do I say this? Their prices online are cheaper than they are in the stores and they will ship for free, so why not? Circuit City is a good example of that. I just bought a DSLR on their website for $689, but at the store it was $899.

I'm also noticing a trend where retail stores are carrying less inventory to help with overhead costs and half the time you have to order it from their website anyhow.

Another factor...gas prices. If you aren't in a hurry for the item, shop from your PJ's and don't waste the gas.

I don't think the retail venue will ever die, there are too many people who like to touch before they buy

[GBRulz]

You guys should shop at Menards or Ace. Better stores.

Actually, I like Lowe's the best, but the closest one is in Appleton.

[Partial]

Does anyone else see a trend here? Seems to me the retail store is dying. Everyone here seems content shopping online or going to a Wal-mart esque place where you're not bothered with warranties and can get minimal help when needed.

A trend that is possibly helped by retails stores themselves. Why do I say this? Their prices online are cheaper than they are in the stores and they will ship for free, so why not? Circuit City is a good example of that. I just bought a DSLR on their website for $689, but at the store it was $899.

I'm also noticing a trend where retail stores are carrying less inventory to help with overhead costs and half the time you have to order it from their website anyhow.

Another factor...gas prices. If you aren't in a hurry for the item, shop from your PJ's and don't waste the gas.

I don't think the retail venue will ever die, there are too many people who like to touch before they buy

I agree. Sears was undercutting us all last week with an additional 10% off online. It seems to me they want to keep everything in a distribution center, then have people order it online for in store pick-up. It would be much cheaper and better for supply chain management purposes. However, it sucks for those that work on commission

At any rate, I love shopping online. It's much more convenient and the prices are definitely better.

[SkinBasket]

Another factor...gas prices. If you aren't in a hurry for the item, shop from your PJ's and don't waste the gas.

Shit. If you can't afford the gas to get to the store, you probably shouldn't be buying anything anyway.

[Badgerinmaine]

I vote emphatically for C. B would be fine except the clerks at those places often do not really seem to know much at all. Last time I was at Best Buy (granted, at a brand-new store with inexperuienced help), the clerks' idea of answering my question was to read from the box and display card. As a teacher, I can tell when people are faking answers pretty well, and I've had a lot of experiences like that with Circuit City too. A would be all right if you could ever track someone down, but it seems to take a signal flare to get help at Wal-Mart (plus at ours, you have to wait forever in line because they lack enough cashiers). As long as the salesperson isn't pesty, and particularly if I'm spending serious money where I need advice, I like helpful salespeople and old-fashioned service. and like the interaction. The main reason I order as many things online as I do is I live in a town where we don't have as many options for shopping as many of you do (though I do like Target and am eager to have them come here next spring).

[SkinBasket]

So the SkinBasket decides to buy one of those fancy radios you put on your wall. He orders the radio from circuit city's online page for in-store pick-up to avoid all the issues discussed in this thread. "Ready in 24 minutes or you get a $24 gift card!!" the e-mail, the website, and the sign at customer service tell him emphatically.

I go to the store after about 90 minutes because it's hard to get off the couch and get both the kids in the truck.

Fat Assistant Manager runs the order, takes my info, then tells me it'll be right up. After he talks into his fancy headset device asking someone to bring him the model of the stereo, I ask, "Does this mean I get a gift card?"

He plays dumb. I tell him, 24 minutes or 24 bucks. I show him the sign. I tell him my order obviously isn't ready. Fat man immediately becomes defensive. Tells me the order's ready, it just needs to be "brought up." I tell him that isn't "ready" and if I wanted to wait to find the thing in the store I would have just done that myself. He tells me it isn't in the little room specifically designed to hold on-line and phone orders because it's a big heavy stereo and I'll obviously need help getting it to my car. I tell him it's a shelf stereo. It weighs 5 pounds. Fat Assistant Manager becomes unreasonably angry and tells me, "I ain't givin you no gift card" and storms away to go fetch my order.

I busy myself trying to get one of the other worker bees to get an actual manager and they hem and haw until fatty returns with my 1'x1'x1' box. I resist the urge to ask him if he strained himself with such a large order, but instead we argue some more before I tell him I'm talking to someone who knows their own policies. And I really don't like swearing in front of my kid who likes to repeat anything and everything he shouldn't. I've already let two slip and I'm wondering what he's going to tell mommy I was talking to the fat man about.

Another 10 minutes wasted on the phone recounting the events gets me a $24 gift card from the store's operations manager.

God I love shopping in real stores. So much for using on-line ordering to remove the stupid asshat element of the equation.

[Harlan Huckleby]

"fatty" "worker bees"

It's so hard to find good help these days.

The Skinbasket sounds like an elitist prick who looks down on people who aren't as thin as him or work at low paying jobs.