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Best Buy: 20% Of Customers Are Wrong
Mr Show writes "Ars Technica has an article up discussing Best Buy's strategies to drive off the deal hunters. It's a good follow up to the Slashdot story from back in July, and offers some details on what they're actually trying to do."
I'd guess that I look like a Barry to them, but next time I walk into best buy, I'm wearing a name tag "Buzz", just so they don't get it wrong. When I was working in the service industry, I used to tell my trainees "The Customer isn't always right, but it's not my job to tell them that."
The force that blew the Big Bang continues to accelerate.
"They can wreak enormous economic havoc," says Mr. Anderson.
I think this explains alot...
...do we still hate Circuit City over the DIVX debacle, or can we forgive them now?
That article was pretty good, but you might want to think about getting our extended warranty plan for it. Everybody who reads that article gets it.
Well, there was one guy here who didn't get it, I heard something happened with his ears after he read the article and he was left helpless and with some HUGE bills. The bills were bigger than just getting the warranty and even more than a new article would have cost.
We were trained to recognize the people who would refuse extended warranties. They're like Barry's, but we call them Dingle Barry's since they're really like unwanted poop that clings to us. If you tell me one more time you're refusing the warranty, I'm going to get on my radio and "start combing out the 'barry's" so to speak.
Damn dude, you are bad! I can see you in the store now, crowd of Best Buy employees (Besties as we call them) standing around you, shouting, insulting your wardrobe, ridiculing your taste in fine bargain house electronics. You stand, resolute, solid, refusing to give ground, waving your coupon and your rebate form with an air of intelligent superiority.
Buy on dude, buy on!
I just went shopping for a computer at BestBuy with my dad last night. He selected one (going against my advice that he avoid intel and buy amd), and sent the clerk to get the box. The clerk returns with the shopping cart, containing the computer, a UPS, and a copy of Norton Antivirus. Here is the actual conversation that followed:
Clerk: I just added these for you.
Dad: Why?
Clerk: This is a UPS. It will protect you against power surges and lightning. And this will protect you against all those viruses.
Dad: I already have a surge protector.
Clerk: Surge protectors are useless against power surges.
[A moment of silence, no doubt induced by the store's mind-numbing window dressing]
Me: Just the computer will be fine.
Clerk: Okay, but if lightning hits it tonight and you bring it back to us tomorrow, we won't take it.
Dad: That's fine. I'll buy another one.
We proceed to checkout, where we are told that not purchasing a service plan puts our souls in danger of perdition, etc. My father has agreed to let me build his next computer.
Man, Dell makes a living off being that girl that drops by 5 minutes after your girlfriend dumps you. And you wake up the next morning with a headache, an empty wallet, and a big smile.
Customer: Hi, I'd like to buy this TV.
Salesguy: I won't sell it to you.
Customer: What? Why not? Isn't it the TV you advertised in this morning's paper as being on sale?
Salesguy: Yes, you see, that TV there is just a ploy to get you into the store. I'm not allowed to sell it to you, I'm supposed to convince you that this TV is just a "basic" model and this other TV we have here for $300 is much better.
Customer: I guess I'll just need to take my business elsewhere, then,
Salesguy: Good idea!
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
After writing my previous response, I realize that the Simpsons sum it up nicely:
... [taps once more]
Back at Moe's Tavern, Moe begins to put the crayon in Homer's nose.
Moe: All right, tell me when I hit the sweet spot.
Homer: Deeper, you pusillanimous pilsner pusher!
Moe: All right, all right. [with a small hammer and chisel,
taps the crayon further up Homer's nose]
Homer: De-fense! [woof-woof] De-fense! [woof-woof]
Moe: Eh, that's pretty dumb. But, uh
Homer: Extended warranty? How can I lose?
Moe: Perfect.
"No fair, you changed the outcome by measuring it!" - Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth
I am a suburban mother stuck in a high income man's body that's an early adopter. What does that make me? It's so confusing...
Have to go drop off the kids on my way to my Wall Street job in my brand new hovercar.
Later.
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"Give me your phone number, starting with the area code first."
You: 662-352-0151
I've also given 66 dot 35 dot 250 dot 151
Clerk: Your phone number
Me: That is the number I use for voice communications
Clerk: No, your telephone number
Me: I don't use 20th century technology, get with the times.
There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
So the phrase "Reasonable hand-drawn facsimile" means nothing to you?
It has always been one rule for the consumers and another for business.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
In my local supermarket, they've put anti-theft devices on one wheel of each shopping cart. It makes the wheel lock up if you remove the shopping cart from the parking lot.
My favorite part about it is they sign they have posted letting people know about this feature. The sign prominently says that this is "for the convenience of the customer". Yeah, it's a great convenience for me --- for years I've been wishing they'd put an anti-theft gizmo on the shopping cart wheels; it's been such an inconvenience without it. Those marketing folks just have to squeeze their crap in wherever they can, huh?
Standing in line to buy a Bread CD? "In Soviet Russia...."
I have a friend who got screwed by a company that refused to replace a defective high power transmitting tube. From that day, whenever he was EVER buying a tube, he would call the Sales Manager up from that company to tell him how their shit attitude had cost them yet ANOTHER sale! A bunch of us signed on with him too. After a year or two, (and several hundred tube sales lost; these suckers cost thousands by the way) the Manager said: ENOUGH! What can I do to re-gain your trust? That company now provides the best service of all tube companies. The moral of the story? Don't just hit 'em in the pocketbook - TELL THEM you are!