- Joined
- Mar 11, 2002
About 10 years ago there were 2 different types of people I could look at and tell you their occupation. The first was guys who worked with computers and the other was women who were strippers. Today the IT guys look like every other Joe and 12 year-old girls dress like strippers so that no longer holds.
There is nothing about me visually that screams “computer geek”. I don’t even own a cell phone, red or blue polo shirt and my pocket protectors have been retired for at least 10 years. However, for some odd reason, people assume I work at Best Buy, Circuit City, Comp USA, etc.
Last Thursday I decided to spend some gift certificates I received for Christmas. Needing or wanting nothing in particular and dressed in a black button-up with jeans, I started at Best Buy to just shop around. I was there a total of 15 minutes before I ran out screaming due to the hounding of other Best Buy customers. “Can you help me?” “Will this controller work with XP?” “Is this the video card I need?” These requests came from everywhere and I couldn’t get a moment of peace to shop for myself. Sometimes “Sorry, I don’t work here bought me a minute or two. Other times it didn’t matter. The moment of exile came when a line began to form.
Next stop was Comp USA (conveniently across the street). Here things were worse and I probably didn’t last 10 minutes before I left. However, this time when leaving the store I noticed no less than 6 red-shirt wearing employees smoking in a huddle just outside the door.
Now, I realize the stores are still crowded with holiday shopping and it usually isn’t this bad. However, it is no exaggeration to say that there has not been a single time I have shopped at one of the stores without having another customer request me for assistance. It may also seem a little “selfish” of me to have such a bad attitude. It might not be a good defense, but I happily help people with their computer questions 10 hours a day at my job. Is it so unreasonable to expect some “me time”?
So my new saying is “I don’t shop here”. It’s bad enough that I have to deal with figuring out rebates, overpriced items and shelves where ¼ of the items have zero price information. I’m not going to be an unpaid member of their sales staff. Want me back? Hire more and competent employees or find out a way to give me a discount for acting as one.
Ill end with a tip for those who shop or know others that do at these places and need help. Find the most expensive item on the sales floor (A $4,000 plasma TV works well) and start playing with the controls. If it has audio, crank it all the way up. You will have a sales rep in your face less than 30 seconds. You can then lead them to the area you needed them.
There is nothing about me visually that screams “computer geek”. I don’t even own a cell phone, red or blue polo shirt and my pocket protectors have been retired for at least 10 years. However, for some odd reason, people assume I work at Best Buy, Circuit City, Comp USA, etc.
Last Thursday I decided to spend some gift certificates I received for Christmas. Needing or wanting nothing in particular and dressed in a black button-up with jeans, I started at Best Buy to just shop around. I was there a total of 15 minutes before I ran out screaming due to the hounding of other Best Buy customers. “Can you help me?” “Will this controller work with XP?” “Is this the video card I need?” These requests came from everywhere and I couldn’t get a moment of peace to shop for myself. Sometimes “Sorry, I don’t work here bought me a minute or two. Other times it didn’t matter. The moment of exile came when a line began to form.
Next stop was Comp USA (conveniently across the street). Here things were worse and I probably didn’t last 10 minutes before I left. However, this time when leaving the store I noticed no less than 6 red-shirt wearing employees smoking in a huddle just outside the door.
Now, I realize the stores are still crowded with holiday shopping and it usually isn’t this bad. However, it is no exaggeration to say that there has not been a single time I have shopped at one of the stores without having another customer request me for assistance. It may also seem a little “selfish” of me to have such a bad attitude. It might not be a good defense, but I happily help people with their computer questions 10 hours a day at my job. Is it so unreasonable to expect some “me time”?
So my new saying is “I don’t shop here”. It’s bad enough that I have to deal with figuring out rebates, overpriced items and shelves where ¼ of the items have zero price information. I’m not going to be an unpaid member of their sales staff. Want me back? Hire more and competent employees or find out a way to give me a discount for acting as one.
Ill end with a tip for those who shop or know others that do at these places and need help. Find the most expensive item on the sales floor (A $4,000 plasma TV works well) and start playing with the controls. If it has audio, crank it all the way up. You will have a sales rep in your face less than 30 seconds. You can then lead them to the area you needed them.