Beware the "tech guy" at your local comp store

[Quattro]

(Water + Computers) x Noobage = NO! DON'T DO THAT!!!

lol

 

[inkfx]

Last time my friends grandma went to bestbuy just to buy some of that air duster stuff they talked her into buying a huge surge protector/battery backup. They said if she didnt buy it her computer would most likely explode.

 

[Albaholic]

Last time my friends grandma went to bestbuy just to buy some of that air duster stuff they talked her into buying a huge surge protector/battery backup. They said if she didnt buy it her computer would most likely explode.

... man that is just pure exploitation. On a similar note.. I watched a compusa employee shove a 40gb ipod down the throat of an eldery couple that was only looking to put a few songs on it... and a 300gb drive to guy that just wanted to save pictures, and a 8mp digital cam to a mom that wanted to take pix of her kids soccer games... i wanted to say something but i didnt.

@sen

I know what u mean about them not hiring knowledgeable ppl...Im gonna be stuck at Kmart... ehhh i dont reallly wanna work at compusa anyway...breeding ground of evil i tell ya... according to what Ive read biblically, the antichrist is a compusa employee who rises to power in the future

 

[Jas]

The last computer I know of where the phrase "Most likely to explode" was used in conjuction with it, was an old S40 a fellow Unix Admin and Myself had to rebuild from scratch over the course of 6 weeks(yes including the OS, building Kernels is fun.... oh btw, having co workers come in and not be abel to read the DO NOT TOUCH THIS MACHINE sign is awesome....) which was decommisioned and ended up in the back of a buddies truck, along with a case of beer, 2 shotguns, an axe, 5 gallons of gasoline, some fire works (1/4 sticks), and a large chain.....

 

[hi_its_ryan]

its funny because i work at best buy selling computers to people who really dont need and shouldnt have a computer in the first place (i think of it like selling cars to the blind) and my co-workers honestly have no knowledge of computers. I can tell you from the inside that these huge computer retailers concentrate 100% of their 'training' on sales strategy, none on actual product knowledge...and dont even get me started on the 'techs' at the geek squad (i wouldnt let those hacks touch my rig, but they are good at scaring grandmothers into paying for their 'services').

I thought this would be a decent job to get me on my feet in a new state and town (while i wait for MN residency for school), but the ignorance and in many cases sheer dishonesty perpetrated by the company, the management, and my coworkers makes me sick daily (not to mention the terrible hardware sold there, the only thing i can sell without feeling terrible is the laptops). Anyone living in the Twin cities area that wants REAL help come to the burnsville store and talk to me, late

 

[hi_its_ryan]

Last time my friends grandma went to bestbuy just to buy some of that air duster stuff they talked her into buying a huge surge protector/battery backup. They said if she didnt buy it her computer would most likely explode.

the salesperson was probably given a high-five from his manager for that gem.

/cynicism

 

[Seven]

This is what I call: PC Elitism

Think about it. There are only a select few of us who know how to say...diagnose and solve a PC problem for as cheap as possible. There are only a select few of us who could configure and build a PC based on budget and possible uses.

Which is why I really don't tell my friends what I'm doing when I'm fixing their computer, usually because I like getting paid for what I do. If people can't solve a problem themselves, they're likely to call someone in.

Thus, keep PC use elite. An abacus requires no power, usually works, and can't get "hacked".

Also, make sure your "subjects" are as clueless as possible. Make sure that they think their "perfectly fine" behavior (Kazaa, pr0n, etc.) is safe for their computer, but hackers are their main threat. Then make sure every time they call you back, tell em the hackers got em again. Simple as that.

Easy money.
7

 

[JudgeDredd]

Hmmm, since I work at a Fry's Electronics here in Texas, actually selling components, I don't doubt some of the things I've read here. I know for a fact that about 3/4ths of the guys in our service department are numbnuts that most likely just barely passed the A+ Exam. Concerning salesmen, yeah, I wouldn't doubt a lot of them lie to the customer plenty and are just looking out for their commissions. However, as far as my department goes, I know of only a couple of people that work like that, but the majority of us are better human beings.

As far as product knowledge, pretty much everyone in my department is very smart, and the few that aren't quite there yet usually come ask one of the more knoweldgable people instead of spewing some made-up crap. Of course, any salesman you encounter is going to be commission motivated, or else they probably wouldn't be meeting quotas. To my knowledge, none of the salesman in my department will flat out lie to you, but if, for example, you tell them you want a stick of 512MB PC3200 and there's two sticks that are the same price, and one's a Corsair and the other is non-branded, and the non-branded pays more commission, guess which one they're gonna give you? That is, if you're like 3/4ths of the customers we get, that don't mention they want any brand in particular, and are too lazy to go look at the damn chart themselves.

I'm probably one of those salesman though, the few you'd probably ever meet, that could care little for commission. I'll give you the Corsair if you don't ask for a brand, and I find it very hard to sell any of our PSUs, cause most of them are crap brands. We don't carry Thermalright, but I'd rather tell someone to go online and get the XP-90 than make a dollar or two off of them while they get a crappy HSF. An associate is never supposed to call a product "crappy," and instead use terms like "good, better, and best," but when people ask me how good PowMax is, I don't hold back. Of course, I'm far from being the best salesman as far as "numbers" go, but at least I walk out the door with a clear mind. So if you're ever in MY store, come to aisle 2. I'll be tidying my cases, PSUs, and case fans... and occasionally bad mouthing the ECS/PC Chips motherboards to customers looking for "that cheap combo in the AD."

[/ramble]

 

[SolidxSnake]

I swear, if i find a local computer store, i am SOO working there before im 17, so i can repair and build comps...i don't feel like workin at Star Market at 14 =P.. NEXT YEAR im at star market... GRR

 

[King_Of_Pain]

its funny because i work at best buy selling computers to people who really dont need and shouldnt have a computer in the first place (i think of it like selling cars to the blind) and my co-workers honestly have no knowledge of computers. I can tell you from the inside that these huge computer retailers concentrate 100% of their 'training' on sales strategy, none on actual product knowledge...and dont even get me started on the 'techs' at the geek squad (i wouldnt let those hacks touch my rig, but they are good at scaring grandmothers into paying for their 'services').

I thought this would be a decent job to get me on my feet in a new state and town (while i wait for MN residency for school), but the ignorance and in many cases sheer dishonesty perpetrated by the company, the management, and my coworkers makes me sick daily (not to mention the terrible hardware sold there, the only thing i can sell without feeling terrible is the laptops). Anyone living in the Twin cities area that wants REAL help come to the burnsville store and talk to me, late

Yea i totally agree. I worked at the Maple Grove store (in MN) right when I turned 16. I sold a customer a nice, and fitting, battery backup system, with the new computer he bought along with otherstuff. Needless to say the sales manager chewed me out big time because I didnt get him to spend the $350 system and that the one I sold that guy would crap out on him. I told him straight and he didnt bug me for a while. Then one day he said "why dont you sell the stuff that makes us more money, dont you want your store to do good?" Wow...

 

[Sneaky]

I swear, if i find a local computer store, i am SOO working there before im 17, so i can repair and build comps...i don't feel like workin at Star Market at 14 =P.. NEXT YEAR im at star market... GRR

i've been considering that route very seriously as well - right now i work at a damned grocery store, sure it pays good, and its fun work at time (due to my many kick-a** co-workers), but i've worked there since i was 14, and i just turned 16... i've just about had enough of providing slave labor there

theres a computer shop within walking distance of my house 6 blocks from my house into the next village/town, and my dad is friends with the owner, and the owner knows i'm into PC's alot, that i can build them, and that i can tech them - plus next year in HS, i'm taking a year-long programing course, so that can add to my knowledge too

pretty sure he'd hire me... i actually think i'm gonna call him up soon and see if he's looking for any help

hell, i'd even work at the PC shop for minimum wage! why? because i'd be doing what i love, computers are my passion, stocking shelves is not.


edit: its a family-owned business thats hired a few other locals - and thank god none of them are dipsh*ts like the ones you'll find at a chain/corporate retailers

 

[Alacritan]

If I worked there, I would have honestly sold him the Big Water and not felt bad about it. It's actually approaching decent as far as kits go and certainly a better performer than the Aquarius, Reserator or air-cooling. And considering he'll probably never overclock, he doesn't need something like a Swiftech kit even, so forget high end DIY setups entirely.

It kinda makes you want to go into custom PC building just so you know it gets done the right way. I've thought about it but the initial investment is too much for my pockets.

 

[Quattro]

Yea i totally agree. I worked at the Maple Grove store (in MN) right when I turned 16. I sold a customer a nice, and fitting, battery backup system, with the new computer he bought along with otherstuff. Needless to say the sales manager chewed me out big time because I didnt get him to spend the $350 system and that the one I sold that guy would crap out on him. I told him straight and he didnt bug me for a while. Then one day he said "why dont you sell the stuff that makes us more money, dont you want your store to do good?" Wow...

I work in auto sales, and I can understand try to sell the product with the most profit. But if the product you sell isn't the one the customer wants they will think that the best suited product you sold them was rubbish and will not be returning customers.

Also, why don't you sell the high profitability products? Because if we all put our customers off the low profit stock, eventually that stock will have declined in value so much that when we finally find someone who insists they want it we actually loose money. Well this seems to happen in the auto trade, we often sell the crap that makes us no money as early as we possible can.

 

[Ven0m]

What a story - unfortunatly I have similiar situations too often. Sometimes I don't enjoy such conversation.
I had a funny situation when I was buying my computer. I brought a CD with testing patterns and a program by me to test pumping effect of displays - I wanted to get display I like. Guy selling stuff, who talked with me was owner of that shop - he told me that that company existed for a several years and I was the first person to test monitor before buying. I looked around - there was shelf with lots of displays - people looked "if they look nice" and were buying even without turning thing on.
2 years later I had to visit that shop due to HDD problems - guy remembered me - and earlier had seen me twice. He was serious while talking about these displays.

 

[ONE]

Yea I love it when they ask me if I need any help, then ask a few questions that they cant answer.....and I answer my own question or show him to the item that he just told me they didnt carry or never seen one like that.....lol

Then I talk him to death a few more minutes before releasing him.....lol

 

[sunrunner20]

Whats really funny is they try to charge $50 for installing a stick of ram. I guess they need to charge that much becuase their insurance rates are extreemly high... Probally becuase they screw up... ALOT

 

[Quattro]

Whats really funny is they try to charge $50 for installing a stick of ram. I guess they need to charge that much becuase their insurance rates are extreemly high... Probally becuase they screw up... ALOT

Probably... That's why I do my own work for friends.
I installed XP Home for a friend on his computer as he didn't know what to do.
I did it in about 2 hours including all the updates and drivers and stuff.

No effort what so ever, I actually enjoyed playing with a P4 for a bit, and he tried to pay me £50 for doing it. I got lots of beer instead.

 

[sunrunner20]

Probably... That's why I do my own work for friends.
I installed XP Home for a friend on his computer as he didn't know what to do.
I did it in about 2 hours including all the updates and drivers and stuff.

No effort what so ever, I actually enjoyed playing with a P4 for a bit, and he tried to pay me £50 for doing it. I got lots of beer instead.

Well, right now I am suck with accepting the money, Can't legally drink beer etc. yet..... (16 is quite a few years from 21)

 

[Aphex_Tom_9]

Can't legally drink beer etc. yet..... (16 is quite a few years from 21)

pshh...im 21 give or take 5 years...

 

[telexen]

Well, right now I am suck with accepting the money, Can't legally drink beer etc. yet..... (16 is quite a few years from 21)

That's why you get it from friends...you won't have to try to buy it yourself