Are all electrical retail store advisors this annoying?

mic551

mic551

mic551

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Joined
28 Feb 2009
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71
hi all, i was making a purchase yesterday (for my parents)
see thread

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=14876195#post14876195

of a new laptop for them, and found myself in an arguement with a sales advisior who did not seem to know anything about computers or that people can actually fix their 'own' computers without it going back to a factory. :mad:, firstly he tried in vain to sell us Norton Internet Sercurity (a load of rubbish) then he tried selling insurance on the laptop. Normally when i tell them i don't want insurance they back off, but not this guy, he starts having a argument with me saying what happens if the laptop breaks down, i said that if that happened i would fix it, but he still could not understand that people can fix their own things. Now this is the line i found myself laughing about he said ( What happens if you find that you can't install a piece of software, you will have to bring it back here.) i'm sorry but if i have got a problem installing a piece of software then i don't take in back to a store i get in contact with the software makers. total rubbish, anybody else had a similar story?
 
Most people that go there won't be able to fix it themselves so thats probably why they are trained to sell the insurance (which is where they make the money anyway).
 
he didn't know though that if a have any problems i can't fix i tend to ask on this forum and nine-times out of ten somebody on here can help me.

Mic551
 
Well yes...but it's their job to sell you the insurance and make money :p

As said...people who go to those stores 'generally' do not know how to fix a computer.

He was merely trying to make an extra sale...but yeah, if you say something and you don't want it he should get the picture :p
 
i normally tend to steer away from these type of stores, and go online but i was helping my parents buy a laptop and they wanted to actually see it before they bought it.
 
If I'm going in store to buy some computer gear, it's normally something that I have researched beforehand. I'll just go in, make a bit of chit chat with the sales person, get what I went in for and just flat out say no to any extras they are offering without being rude.

If it came to it though and the salesperson was just being pushy, I would say I just want what ever it is I went in for and nothing else and if I can't get that, I will go somewhere else instead!
 
Yea, I work in one of these hell holes, and we are told to push the norton and insurance, we tend to knock norton down to £10 just because we get sooooo many people coming in a week later complaining that they have a virus and it's somehow our fault.

realistically we (my store, not sure about others) do all we can so customers don't come back with issues, we love customers who have an idea on what they're buying, makes things easier, and avoids a lot of confusion, but i'm not a salesperson so i'm not bothered about "getting the extra sales" I'm more about customer service, I advise them on things they might want/need, bags, office, norton etc, depending on what they're using it for, but like many have said, if the customer says no to something, chances are i'm not going to be able to persuadce them, and I'd rather not have them think I was pushy and give us a bad reputation.

but yea, there are also many many staff who have no idea whatsoever :/ I've inturrupted collegues on numerous occasions giving them the correct information >.<
 
mic551 said:
of a new laptop for them, and found myself in an arguement with a sales advisior who did not seem to know anything about computers or that people can actually fix their 'own' computers without it going back to a factory. :mad:, firstly he tried in vain to sell us Norton Internet Sercurity (a load of rubbish) then he tried selling insurance on the laptop. Normally when i tell them i don't want insurance they back off, but not this guy, he starts having a argument with me saying what happens if the laptop breaks down, i said that if that happened i would fix it, but he still could not understand that people can fix their own things. Now this is the line i found myself laughing about he said ( What happens if you find that you can't install a piece of software, you will have to bring it back here.) i'm sorry but if i have got a problem installing a piece of software then i don't take in back to a store i get in contact with the software makers. total rubbish, anybody else had a similar story?
Click to expand...

If you are as clever as you think you are then you'd not have been buying a laptop from them in the first place. Therefore its pretty clear you over-estimate your own ability and I suspect the salesmen could tell this from your tone of voice, and felt it prudent to laugh at you.
 
[TW]Fox;14876382 said:
If you are as clever as you think you are then you'd not have been buying a laptop from them in the first place. Therefore its pretty clear you over-estimate your own ability and I suspect the salesmen could tell this from your tone of voice, and felt it prudent to laugh at you.
Click to expand...
That's a bit harsh! :)
As OP states, the laptop was for his parents, who wanted to buy one 'in the flesh' so to speak. He seems to have gotten a OK deal on it too.
 
[TW]Fox;14876382 said:
If you are as clever as you think you are then you'd not have been buying a laptop from them in the first place. .
Click to expand...

There's a correlation between IQ and where somebody decides to buy a laptop from?
 
Perhaps the OP should have gone to an Apple Store? Not only are the sales people not pushy but the computers are easier to use for the less computer literate. However most people want there computers (and White goods in general) to be as cheap as possible. The "purple shirts" and others need to make profit and they won't make profit on a £299 netbook. They will on extras though.

I'd advise anybody to avoid these places. Do research and go online.

Oh and White Goods sellers are as bad. Trying to sell high margin extras on a fifty quid Hoover for example.
 
Strange, I know plenty of clever people who buy from them and the decision to buy there is always down to money or urgency
 
You have to see the other side of it as well link These shops must get a quite a few 'broken' PCs being returned
 
[TW]Fox;14876382 said:
If you are as clever as you think you are then you'd not have been buying a laptop from them in the first place. Therefore its pretty clear you over-estimate your own ability and I suspect the salesmen could tell this from your tone of voice, and felt it prudent to laugh at you.
Click to expand...

First off i usually buy stuff online, but as this was for my parents, they didn't want meto as it was 'their' money not mine and they wanted to look at it first and have a fear of the internet and any purchases made from it. Secondly i don't claim to know everything about computers (nobody can know everything about them) and am not to proud to ask for help if i need it, but in terms of fixing the basic problems and replacing hardware i'm ok on.
 
mic551 said:
hi all, i was making a purchase yesterday (for my parents)
see thread

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=14876195#post14876195

of a new laptop for them, and found myself in an arguement with a sales advisior who did not seem to know anything about computers or that people can actually fix their 'own' computers without it going back to a factory. :mad:, firstly he tried in vain to sell us Norton Internet Sercurity (a load of rubbish) then he tried selling insurance on the laptop. Normally when i tell them i don't want insurance they back off, but not this guy, he starts having a argument with me saying what happens if the laptop breaks down, i said that if that happened i would fix it, but he still could not understand that people can fix their own things. Now this is the line i found myself laughing about he said ( What happens if you find that you can't install a piece of software, you will have to bring it back here.) i'm sorry but if i have got a problem installing a piece of software then i don't take in back to a store i get in contact with the software makers. total rubbish, anybody else had a similar story?
Click to expand...
I fail to see anything stupid in that post. He is trying to make a sale, he doesn't appreciate you are knowledgeable about computers. Put the two and two together......

Also, whilst I agree with you about insurance, I had to have my Apple laptop repaired the other day. My work paid for Applecare extension. The repair bill was just shy of £1000. It's made me think again! :D
 
[TW]Fox;14876564 said:
There is a correlation between IT knowledge and where somebody decides to buy a laptop from, yes.
Click to expand...

Please, get off your high horse.

Laptops from there are fine if you are willing to tinker with them.

And sometimes its actually cheaper to get one from there than build one from scratch.
 
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