I have visited the ComputerWare store in San Rafael, both pre-Elite and right before it closed. Each time, I had to walk right up to a salesperson and start talking in order to be even noticed. I've asked for assistance in choosing between two brands only to be told, "These are the two we have, so just pick one." Once I requested an item (nothing fancy, just a keyboard) that they did not have, so they put one "on order" for me... and it never arrived. In retrospect, I'm glad it didn't; ComputerWare's prices were exorbitant, and to complete my purchase I would have had to deal with the salespeople, one of whom was downright belligerent.
I would much rather patronize a "mom and pop" over a chain, even if the selection and price suffer a bit, but I will always prefer good customer service over bad.
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I have visited the ComputerWare store in San Rafael, both pre-Elite and right before it closed. Each time, I had to walk right up to a salesperson and start talking in order to be even noticed. I've asked for assistance in choosing between two brands only to be told, "These are the two we have, so just pick one." Once I requested an item (nothing fancy, just a keyboard) that they did not have, so they put one "on order" for me ... and it never arrived. In retrospect, I'm glad it didn't; ComputerWare's prices were exorbitant, and to complete my purchase I would have had to deal with the salespeople, one of whom was downright belligerent.
I would much rather patronize a "mom and pop" over a chain, even if the selection and price suffer a bit, but I will always prefer good customer service over bad.