"This job'd be great without all the @#$%ing customers..."

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by NinjaBoy

Yeah, research... like asking the local person at the music store who was hired to help and educate customers...

Do you blindly trust the word of a used car salesman because he was hired to help and educate customers? Only if you are stupid.
Plus, research would be "what do I need to run Pro Tools" and not "I'm going to buy something I don't know what it is, please take my money."

[NinjaBoy]

Originally Posted by Mangle

Do you blindly trust the word of a used car salesman because he was hired to help and educate customers? Only if you are stupid.
Plus, research would be "what do I need to run Pro Tools" and not "I'm going to buy something I don't know what it is, please take my money."

So are you trying to tell me you have no idea what you are doing?

You're right, I wouldn't do this at a car lot. But when I set up my studio I went to L&M, laid out what I wanted to do. The helpful clerk gave me a bunch of options, and laid out some alternatives for some aspects.

At music stores, clerks there are hired because they have experience in that field. And using that experience they help customers get what they want.

[Bitchin]

Originally Posted by .muffy.

after spending most of my working life in the service industry I can honestly say that I think I just found a new favourite website

aaaaaaaaaaaand BOOKMARKED

took ya long enough :P

[Bitchin]

(A pimply, overweight 18 year-old boy dumps a satin black flame-job man thong on the counter.)

Boy: “Uh, can I return this? My mom got it for me.”



THAT POOR KID.

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by NinjaBoy

At music stores, clerks there are hired because they have experience in that field. And using that experience they help customers get what they want.

At EVERY store, clerks there are hired because they have experience in that field. And using that experience they help customers get what they want.
Hear that everyone? According to Ninja Boy, no employee has the right to complain about any customer ever.

[Erin]

Originally Posted by Mangle

At EVERY store, clerks there are hired because they have experience in that field. And using that experience they help customers get what they want.
Hear that everyone? According to Ninja Boy, no employee has the right to complain about any customer ever.

I'm sorry?!

[ebbomega]

That's not what he said, at all. What he said was as the person pushing the wares, you're the expert, not the customer, especially when you're dealing with something as complex as computer software. Trust me, your story is nowhere near as stupid as people _REALLY_ get when it comes to software. Work in tech support for a day and you'll get about a dozen questions equivalent to the level of ignorance that you seem to think is worthy of ridicule.

There's a difference between being a moron and just being uneducated. If you make fun of the latter as if it's the former then you're basically a jerk.

Also, buying a used car is a completely different experience than buying a piece of software. For one, I've never seen someone haggle over the price of software (at least not successfully at the customer level). So your analogy is a strawman.

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by ebbomega

There's a difference between being a moron and just being uneducated. If you make fun of the latter as if it's the former then you're basically a jerk.

Yeah, have fun making that distinction all day at notalwaysright.com.

Originally Posted by ebbomega

What he said was as the person pushing the wares, you're the expert, not the customer, especially when you're dealing with something as complex as computer software.

And the person buying computer software obviously has a computer, and all software companies have websites. Stupid and/or lazy.

Originally Posted by ebbomega

Also, buying a used car is a completely different experience than buying a piece of software. For one, I've never seen someone haggle over the price of software (at least not successfully at the customer level). So your analogy is a strawman.

Wrong. People try to haggle you over prices ALL DAY LONG. People think all technology is crazy marked up and always, always as for heavy discounts, even though we have 30 day price protection and a low price guarantee. Also, car salesmen are on comission and so are Tom Lee employees (not L&M). Strawman, indeed.

[Erin]

^ You're one of those people that doesn't listen aren't you.

[Mangle]

I'm sorry?

[Erin]

exactly.

[ebbomega]

Originally Posted by Mangle

Wrong. People try to haggle you over prices ALL DAY LONG. People think all technology is crazy marked up and always, always as for heavy discounts, even though we have 30 day price protection and a low price guarantee. Also, car salesmen are on comission and so are Tom Lee employees (not L&M). Strawman, indeed.

Yeah, I didn't say they wouldn't try. Way to read the part about "at least not successfully".

Or do you regularly lower prices if people try to press the matter?

[ebbomega]

Originally Posted by Mangle

And the person buying computer software obviously has a computer, and all software companies have websites. Stupid and/or lazy.

Wow. Just wow.

So your answer for anybody who wants to know about software is telling them to google it?

You're a fucking awesome salesman.

[NinjaBoy]

Ugh, I give up.

Fine, he was an idiot. There is nothing worse the hobby musicians who don't realize that even though no other recording software requires a specific box, pro tools did.

I hope you tore into him, and laughed at him for the rest of the day at your part time job.

People do stupid things in retail, and sure bitch about it. But this was hardly the caliber worthy of anger.

[Erin]

Originally Posted by ebbomega

You're a fucking awesome salesman.

I bet he makes tons of commission!

[NinjaBoy]

Originally Posted by ebbomega

Wow. Just wow.

So your answer for anybody who wants to know about software is telling them to google it?

You're a fucking awesome salesman.

Seriously, my experience with the clerks at Tom Lee has been scary. You want to hear a bad story?

I went to the Tom Lee downtown, rented a violin. They packed it up, except they gave me a bow for a cello. I then proceeded to point this out.

Her: "They are all the same."

Or the time I wanted a pickup for my violin and they insisted they were in the guitar section.

Trust me, Tom Lee's salespeople (no offense) tend to be the least informed in the city.

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by ebbomega

So your answer for anybody who wants to know about software is telling them to google it?

No, that's what you do BEFORE you go to the store. You do that so when you're at the store, you aren't at the mercy of the comission sales clerk. It's common sense.

Originally Posted by ebbomega

Yeah, I didn't say they wouldn't try.

Does the car salesman always drop their prices if you don't press the issue? No, they do not. So how exactly is that different?

Originally Posted by NinjaBoy

People do stupid things in retail, and sure bitch about it. But this was hardly the caliber worthy of anger.

Exactly. Hence, it's in a comedy thread.

Originally Posted by ebbomega

You're a fncking awesome salesman.

You don't need to tell me. I know. Thanks anyway, though. I appreciate the support.

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by NinjaBoy

Trust me

That's too much to ask.
-------------------------
Regardless, L&M actually pays their employees, so they tend to attract people who are happy to be there. Tom Lee hasn't raised their base salaries in over 15 years, so the only people working there are extremely disgrunted, old never-was's and teenagers with one foot out the door. It's a Hong Kong company bringing Hong Kong business practices to Canada. Everyone should go to L&M instead.

[ebbomega]

Originally Posted by Mangle

No, that's what you do BEFORE you go to the store. You do that so when you're at the store, you aren't at the mercy of the comission sales clerk. It's common sense.

Yeah, because nobody ever browses at a music store. They must know everything about everything before making any purchase decisions.

Why are you downplaying the salespeople? Are you outright saying that you give erroneous information just to close a sale? I never needed to do that. When I worked retail I would just be frank and honest about the stuff. I found that customers appreciated that and would tend to give me more business because I helped them and didn't make them feel like an idiot for not knowing that much about a product.

That's a concept called "Customer Service" and if it's foreign to you then I feel sorry for anybody who's ever had the pleasure of having you for a clerk.

Does the car salesman always drop their prices if you don't press the issue? No, they do not. So how exactly is that different?

I said "regularly" and you said "always". That's the difference right there.

[NinjaBoy]

Originally Posted by Mangle

That's too much to ask.
-------------------------
Regardless, L&M actually pays their employees, so they tend to attract people who are happy to be there. Tom Lee hasn't raised their base salaries in over 15 years, so the only people working there are extremely disgrunted, old never-was's and teenagers with one foot out the door. It's a Hong Kong company bringing Hong Kong business practices to Canada. Everyone should go to L&M instead.

Why are you still there?

[Mangle]

^^^ I ask myself that every day. Everyone there does.

Originally Posted by ebbomega

When I worked retail I would just be frank and honest about the stuff. I found that customers appreciated that and would tend to give me more business because I helped them and didn't make them feel like an idiot for not knowing that much about a product.

So why are you in this thread, if retail was always such a glorious experience for you?

[ebbomega]

Originally Posted by Mangle

So why are you in this thread, if retail was always such a glorious experience for you?

So who said it was a glorious experience?

Come back when you make sense. That's twice now you've put words in my mouth.

[NinjaBoy]

Originally Posted by Mangle

^^^ I ask myself that every day. Everyone there does.

But seriously... you obviously consider yourself a smart person. If the pay is terrible, and it's a horrible company you should probably leave.

If there's one thing Vancouver is not short on right now, it's jobs.

[Mangle]

(Note: I didn’t even work at this place. I was just looking at the games with my dad but I figured I’d help this lady out.)
Customer: “Hi, my son wants a Star Wars game. How much will that be?”
Me: “Well, there are lots of Star Wars games, because some are older than others. The older ones are more likely to be cheaper… sometimes the console changes the price as well.”
Customer: “Console?”
Me: “The thing you play it on.”
Customer: “Oh he’s got a Gamestation.”
Me: “Do you mean a Playstation or a Gamecube?”
Customer: “I don’t know, it’s black.”
Me: “Is it cube shaped?”
Customer: “No.”
Me: “Right so, it’s a Playstation 2. Did your son say which type of Star Wars game he wanted, or even the name?”
Customer: “No he just said Star Wars. A shooting one, I think.”
Me: “Most of them are shooting games…”
Customer: “Well, this is the one with the laser guns in it and the laser swords.”
Me: *cringing* “Laser guns and laser swords are what Star Wars is famous for.”
(My dad, who is behind me, starts laughing.)
Customer: “I’m not some Star Wars computer genius you know! This is only the 21st century. I don’t even know why you work here if you don’t know what I should buy!”
Me: “I don’t actually work here.”
------------------------------------
Oh, well, that poor woman. She just didn't do any research before she went to the store. What's wrong with that?

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by ebbomega

Come back when you make sense.

I'm back, but in many ways, I never left.