Is it wrong of me to tease? (PC Store experience)
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Soldato
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Agreed.
Soldato
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Have to agree with this... Didn't think your car dealership example was the best..
Saying that, I do understand the point of people here. They are generally salesman and it's their job to sell. However some things do bother me. For example it doesn't bother me that he said it's one of their best models, nor that he didn't know the make of the motherboard or latency of the RAM. I wouldn't say these are what a lot of people are going to need to know.
It does however bother me that they told you it had a dedicated graphics card when it didn't.. My most recent dealings with the Purple Shirts telling us missincorrect information, was when my gf was looking for Laptops. She wanted something for light gaming, so decided to go for a dedicated GPU. No issues so far. What did slightly bother me is that when she went into the store and found two similarily priced models, with similar processors, and asked which one had the better GPU - the saleswoman (who I was informed by my gf seemed 'geeky' and knowledgeable') told her one, which when I promptly looked it up later was wrong. Now I'm not expecting her to necessarily know benchmarks of a GPU, but I'd rather she made up a vague response like 'well they're roughly equal' than 'this one definitely'.
I'm not expecting them to know everything, but I think they could still be good salesmen/women and not lie so horrifically..
kd
It's like being Einstein and going to a school to scoff at the science teacher who covers several subjects at a rudimentary level. The only way you could be more of a jackass is to follow them around while they're with customers singing;
Personally I just use the internet for that.
Personally I just use the internet for that.
Soldato
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theres a major difference between oversimplification and blatant lying. saying an E5400 is one of intels latest and best processors is like a maths teacher bringing in a slide rule saying its the latest and greatest tech for helping you work out answers. yes it will do the job, but its FAR from the latest and greatest
Soldato
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This thread is full of awful analogies....
kd
kd
but according to the OP, the salesman didnt say that.
they said
anyway, its their job to sell as much as they can but they should try and lessen the amount of BS they tell customers
Associate
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Personally i find the OP a bit offensive, I have the pleasure/downfall/whatever of working for a bluer shade of brigade. (so perhaps i'm biased) 
Maybe it was their best model, maybe the sales advisor had only been given that training, so why mock him for it? He may not of realised what your doing but you still have done, then posted on the internet your 'expert' findings.
For the average customer, and i see a few thousand per week, a simple base knowledge is enough. So thats where i start when training my team. I could easily spend all day training them on all the available components and overclocking, performance hardware etc etc. But there would be no benefit to the business for that as the average customer who walks in does not require that level of knowledge.
To be honest the smugness of those who know more often annoys me. Every now and then i have a customer who wants to weild his verbal tech penis at me, only to have it shut in the metaphorical door once he realises i actually know a thing or two.... not everything... but more than most. If you know more great! Share that knowlegde by all means, you might help that person...
Also there is a lot more these days for a sales advisor to know than just what they are selling and retail staff are never given the credit they deserve imo. the store running procedures (that you rarely notice often because they are good at their job) can be complex and a juggling act. Especially for the wages they are on. Do you expect experts for £6 p/h? what the average IT wage in the UK?
Dont just mock someone for not knowing or not knowing the whole truth. You never know it might have been his first week or two and his just learning, didn't we all start somewhere and aren't we all learning constantly?
Maybe it was their best model, maybe the sales advisor had only been given that training, so why mock him for it? He may not of realised what your doing but you still have done, then posted on the internet your 'expert' findings.
For the average customer, and i see a few thousand per week, a simple base knowledge is enough. So thats where i start when training my team. I could easily spend all day training them on all the available components and overclocking, performance hardware etc etc. But there would be no benefit to the business for that as the average customer who walks in does not require that level of knowledge.
To be honest the smugness of those who know more often annoys me. Every now and then i have a customer who wants to weild his verbal tech penis at me, only to have it shut in the metaphorical door once he realises i actually know a thing or two.... not everything... but more than most. If you know more great! Share that knowlegde by all means, you might help that person...
Also there is a lot more these days for a sales advisor to know than just what they are selling and retail staff are never given the credit they deserve imo. the store running procedures (that you rarely notice often because they are good at their job) can be complex and a juggling act. Especially for the wages they are on. Do you expect experts for £6 p/h? what the average IT wage in the UK?
Dont just mock someone for not knowing or not knowing the whole truth. You never know it might have been his first week or two and his just learning, didn't we all start somewhere and aren't we all learning constantly?
Supposed you were speaking to a sales rep on commission, potent mix!
I for my part time job do sales aswell in a well known high street phone shop, and your experience sometimes happens to me, but the other way round
Sometimes you get customers in who have read a spec list off the internet and come in and try and catch you out, but then when they start getting technical it's their own downfall when I start spewing off jargon (which we aren't meant to do and I never do unless someone mentions jargon first!) And explaining the complexities of a handset's inner workings.
They usually look baffled but then pretend to know what I'm talking about
but then you occasionally and very rarely do get someone whos genuinely geared up with their tech and you can have a good chat about new tech etc which is nice and makes selling a blackberry 8520 to every 13 year old in the town a little less annoying
I for my part time job do sales aswell in a well known high street phone shop, and your experience sometimes happens to me, but the other way round
Sometimes you get customers in who have read a spec list off the internet and come in and try and catch you out, but then when they start getting technical it's their own downfall when I start spewing off jargon (which we aren't meant to do and I never do unless someone mentions jargon first!) And explaining the complexities of a handset's inner workings.
They usually look baffled but then pretend to know what I'm talking about
but then you occasionally and very rarely do get someone whos genuinely geared up with their tech and you can have a good chat about new tech etc which is nice and makes selling a blackberry 8520 to every 13 year old in the town a little less annoying
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Personally i find the OP a bit offensive, I have the pleasure/downfall/whatever of working for a bluer shade of brigade. (so perhaps i'm biased)
Maybe it was their best model, maybe the sales advisor had only been given that training, so why mock him for it? He may not of realised what your doing but you still have done, then posted on the internet your 'expert' findings.
For the average customer, and i see a few thousand per week, a simple base knowledge is enough. So thats where i start when training my team. I could easily spend all day training them on all the available components and overclocking, performance hardware etc etc. But there would be no benefit to the business for that as the average customer who walks in does not require that level of knowledge.
To be honest the smugness of those who know more often annoys me. Every now and then i have a customer who wants to weild his verbal tech penis at me, only to have it shut in the metaphorical door once he realises i actually know a thing or two.... not everything... but more than most. If you know more great! Share that knowlegde by all means, you might help that person...
Also there is a lot more these days for a sales advisor to know than just what they are selling and retail staff are never given the credit they deserve imo. the store running procedures (that you rarely notice often because they are good at their job) can be complex and a juggling act. Especially for the wages they are on. Do you expect experts for £6 p/h? what the average IT wage in the UK?
Dont just mock someone for not knowing or not knowing the whole truth. You never know it might have been his first week or two and his just learning, didn't we all start somewhere and aren't we all learning constantly?
You really are missing the point arn't you? I understand that they don't know much most of the time, but why outright lie about it? If he didn't know the answer to the questions I was asking and was just making them up, why are you sitting here defending him? All he had to do was, I am not sure, let me go find out. So don't sit here, saying what I am doing is insulting and that I need have some respect because believe me, if I was in his position, the last thing I would have done is ramble on about something I have no clue about just to get a sale, thats poor workmanship!
I done this earlier in the same shop chain Im reconing to.
Walked in and they all swarm around you...some "anti sales person" spray gets rid, normally in the form of a rather large fart
Ended up finding a dirt cheap CPU cooler with another right next to it that Ive wanted for a while. Started using the iPads for some reviews, but theyre ****....never get an iPad. The same swarm comes around "oh I take it you like the iPad 2 in white".....Im like "no it was just closer, Im actually just using the free internet for some reviews". Then they start spouting words and random information into "tablets".
Ive never heard so much BS come out of a 18 year olds mouth ever.
"I see your looking at a *pause and looks at the name*...ummm....computer cooler"....."Can I recommend *Insert very very bad generic POS here*"...."Its better, we've had lots of customers buying them".
By this time Im like "We'll, Im looking for an upgrade from a Radeon HD 6990, and my current i5 2500k chip is slowing me down while surfing the web, do you have any processors that will better the performance".
He walked off to get one of the "tech guys" and I didnt see them until I went to pay.
I went into a different store of the same chain and there was a chap that waited at the end of the computer section and when you start looking at something he comes over and starts telling you everything about that item and compares to others (even if its their own brand and he's suggesting a cheaper outside brand).....thats the type of sales person you want.
I understand them wanting a job in this economic climate, but could they at least read up on some basic info in their job.
I currently have an 8 hour Sunday job at Morrisons (I wouldnt call this a competitor?) on the Deli counter. Within 3 weeks I could tell you what meat comes from where and what cheeses are veggy or not....I hate cheese, but its my job and I take what pride I can in it.
Walked in and they all swarm around you...some "anti sales person" spray gets rid, normally in the form of a rather large fart
Ended up finding a dirt cheap CPU cooler with another right next to it that Ive wanted for a while. Started using the iPads for some reviews, but theyre ****....never get an iPad. The same swarm comes around "oh I take it you like the iPad 2 in white".....Im like "no it was just closer, Im actually just using the free internet for some reviews". Then they start spouting words and random information into "tablets".
Ive never heard so much BS come out of a 18 year olds mouth ever.
"I see your looking at a *pause and looks at the name*...ummm....computer cooler"....."Can I recommend *Insert very very bad generic POS here*"...."Its better, we've had lots of customers buying them".
By this time Im like "We'll, Im looking for an upgrade from a Radeon HD 6990, and my current i5 2500k chip is slowing me down while surfing the web, do you have any processors that will better the performance".
He walked off to get one of the "tech guys" and I didnt see them until I went to pay.
I went into a different store of the same chain and there was a chap that waited at the end of the computer section and when you start looking at something he comes over and starts telling you everything about that item and compares to others (even if its their own brand and he's suggesting a cheaper outside brand).....thats the type of sales person you want.
I understand them wanting a job in this economic climate, but could they at least read up on some basic info in their job.
I currently have an 8 hour Sunday job at Morrisons (I wouldnt call this a competitor?) on the Deli counter. Within 3 weeks I could tell you what meat comes from where and what cheeses are veggy or not....I hate cheese, but its my job and I take what pride I can in it.
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Associate
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The world was flat and you could fall off the edge of it many years ago. So i think you missed my point entirely.
How about considering that he believes what he is saying is correct. Maybe in his mainstream experience its as good as he claims, are you able to honestly comment on his knowledge and level of experience against his willingness to provide the right information and customer service? If you want to criticise, then aim it at the employer and the training given, that would be more appropriate given the fact you have no information to the background.
I might say your ignorant for example, however i am willing to discuss a point with you on a open level to determine the fact before i make my mind up, you however judged someone on a quick interaction based on deceit
No retail business i'm aware of employs 'salesmen' anymore, the role is extremely diverse and nobody who has not had any experience of retail in the last 5-10 years can really appreciate what those employees have to do.
Sure some muppets out there have no clue and dont care about the job, but have you determined that within 10 minutes?
Soldato
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If you want expert info, don't go to PC Hell 
I'm no expert mind you, but I know my way round computers.
At the same time, I don't take the ****, but, I feel sorry for the poor random Joe who goes in and get conned. I avoid these places like the plague, bad karma and all that.
I'm no expert mind you, but I know my way round computers. At the same time, I don't take the ****, but, I feel sorry for the poor random Joe who goes in and get conned. I avoid these places like the plague, bad karma and all that.
Soldato
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I genuinely doubt that a young lad working in a computer store would not have the relevant product knowledge. Jeez most kids pretty much know their way around a pc even down to specs, cos most are games, let alone actually work in the industry.
I do think the employers should take the blame, but I don't think this guy truly believed what he was saying. It may have been his youthful arrogance that didn't want to lose face over not knowing what he was on about.
I do think the employers should take the blame, but I don't think this guy truly believed what he was saying. It may have been his youthful arrogance that didn't want to lose face over not knowing what he was on about.
This is why I don't listen to a thing a sales man says and never will (they're all a bunch of sheep on commission). I think it's disgusting they can con someone out of their own money by literally lying about a product saying 'it's the best' when clearly it isn't. This is the sole reason I buy online, because If I'm not happy I'll just send it back under the DSR, not a thing the shop can do about it.
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And also buying on-line you often get user reviews, which definitely contribute to purchases : )
Lol try walking round one of these stores like just after they open,on a week day......
1 of me vs like 10 man sales team
But to be fair i was an average customer and hearing " its new/fast/shiny/lays golden eggs" did make me part with cash from these sort of stores, for stuff which really was'nt all that.
But now i know whats up i tend to just use bricks and mortar stores just to see things in person and cop a feel (yes im still talking about pc parts hehe). Then make purchases online.
Also i like to price match stuff and get nice discount on random stuff so real life stores are better for this Sc2 under £25 6 months ago nom nom
1 of me vs like 10 man sales team
But to be fair i was an average customer and hearing " its new/fast/shiny/lays golden eggs" did make me part with cash from these sort of stores, for stuff which really was'nt all that.
But now i know whats up i tend to just use bricks and mortar stores just to see things in person and cop a feel (yes im still talking about pc parts hehe). Then make purchases online.
Also i like to price match stuff and get nice discount on random stuff so real life stores are better for this
Sc2 under £25 6 months ago nom nomThe purpleshirts tried to sell me their "ultimate gaming" system. It had an nVidia GT545 in it and they were happy to tell me that I would be able to run 3 monitors off it no problems.... I corrected their errors and was asked to leave. To be fair I was pretty scathing as I had just seen them sell their last touchpad. 