Well-Paid Professionals Draw Unwelcome Attention

Computerworld ^ | June 30, 2003 | Carlos Tejada and Gary McWilliams

[sarasmom]

The types of merchandise sold at consumer computer/electronics stores has dropped well over 50% in price over a two year period.
Nature of the product.
It is obsolete by the time it hits the store shelf.
How much did a DVD player cost two years ago? ($250-S400)
Now, it is $49.95.
These peple might have made a better career choice if they wanted retail sales, to stick to clothes or furniture.
Retail is always cutthroat.
Actually, this kind of makes me smile, because the preponderance of consumer electronics stores and their encroachment into the business marketplace,has severely cut margins in my company.
We re-tooled, retrained and adapted.I didnt hear of any tears for us,Professional AV dealers,during the process!

[Hodar]

Today I am 'going postal' online as my real life spirals into a pure hellish nightmare. Don't take it personally.

OH, please grow up. This kind of behavior is usually punished when exhibited by a 5 year old. As you can type, I would guess you are more mature than that.

[Monty22]

Well he DID get the term wrong while insulting others for the same mistake

[discostu]

He didn't insult anyone, you're the one throwing insults. Hodar pointed out that a person who sells these things should know the difference, actually by screwing up the point was made better because none of the guys at CC would have caught it.

[PatrioticAmerican]

Cut your best performers, now how STUPID is that!

A company can only operate using low paid losers???

Amerika is done for, stick that fork in her.

[Hodar]

I didnt hear of any tears for us,Professional AV dealers,during the process!

Ain't that the truth!! It used to be that the "high end" was reserved to stores that had trained and certified salesmen. These people KNEW their equipment, their competitor's equipment and almost everything that could be done to a room for the ultimate media experience. Now, you can find most of the 'good stuff' online at prices that make these stores totally uncompetitive.

So, now the consumer has a choice, either save some major bucks and teach yourself, or pay more $$ and get it from a "high-end" store. Or, go to the store and learn what you can, then buy it over the internet.

[2Smart2BLiberal]

We have consistently experienced the absolute worst customer service at Circuit City. Their sales people don't even acknowledge that we've walked in the door. I think we last went to CC about 3 years ago. We'll never go back.

[Grando Calrissian]

"Walmart, one step away from the Soviet toliet paper stores."

Perfect. I will steal it and use it as my own.

[discostu]

Last I heard CC still ran off the "tile - carpet" rules of salesmanship, you can spot places that use this rule because where the merch is displayed is carpeted but the walkway to get from section to section is tiled (not everybody with that layout uses the rule, but everybody with the rule has the layout). The rule is the customer doesn't exist until they step onto the carpet, salesmen aren't supposed to "bother" people on the tile.

Sucky rule, makes for lousy customer service. I much prefer the Ace Hardware model of approach anybody that looks confused.

[etcetera]

"This also shows lack of loyalty in corporate America..."

Corporate loyalty went out years ago. Employees learned the hard way that loyalty to the corporation is not returned. The best loyalty is to yourself and your profession.

As an IT worker, I have no loyalties to the corporation I work for - bank, hospital, government agency, store, whatever. I maintain their equipment and preserve the integrity of their data.

In return, they pay me money, give me some benefits. And that's as far as the relationship goes.

After numerous layoffs, firings, and mergers, what does corporate America expect from me? Whenever their bottom line suffers, I'm the first to take a pay cut. Whenever restructuring takes place, I'm the first one out. Whenever a merger takes place, I'm the first one transferred.

Corporate loyalty is to the bottom line and to the stock holders. That's understandable and that's how it should be.

Who can fault me, the employee, for taking a similar view?

[Diverdogz]

Actually, I'd like to be ignored by salespeople until I get a chance to look at the various models of whatever electronic gizmo I want for myself. THEN, I want help from a salesman.

[Libertina]

LOL I'm the opposite. I hate Best Buy, but got a super computer deal at circuit city. As for the main point in the article... How is it legal to fire people because you want to hire other workers for less money?

[Skip Ripley]

Most people who live in towns with both vendors know that you are best served by going to Circuit City to figure out what you want. Armed with the knowledge imparted by the Sales Staff, you go to Best Buy and get it for a much lower price. Is it fair? No it's not, but so much in life isnt....

[Libertina]

It is sad. Workers are supposed to be so loyal, big businesses complain that they have no loyal employees, but their behavior is pretty disapppointing as well.

[jocon307]

"If you need to get rid of 2 million in salary it's faster to get rid of guys making 50 grand than guys making 30."

Yes,this is a sad but true fact. We should call it the Iron Law of Lay-offs or something. Plus, you really need the low paid people to "turn the lights on and off". My office is in a super cash crunch, and I ran all sorts of numbers. I even considered cutting all salaries by 10%, but we would have saved no more money than we would just by getting rid of one mid-level admin person. The advantages of getting rid of one person are many, first of all, if we cut all salaries, the whole place would know what a struggle we are in, and some might look for jobs, and some might find them and leave; moral would be adversly affected; we'd disrupt 25 lives instead of 1.

This is not pleasant, even Mr. Burns would not enjoy it. I, for one, really need the economy to turn around NOW! I make very good money at my job, I doubt I'd be able to get a new job that pays the same. Plus, I don't want my company to go under.

[Hodar]

How is it legal to fire people because you want to hire other workers for less money?

I don't know about where you live; but Texas has no 'right-to-work' laws; meaning I can be fired for any or no reason whatsoever.

[NotQuiteCricket]

On the upside, you can quit when you feel like it too (with no reason given). The unions belly-ache about right to work states, but I'd sweat if I were forced to sign a contract for X number of years. I like to keep my options open.

[KC_Conspirator]

I don't know much first-hand about Circuit City, but this is a recipe for disaster. This guy sold $1,000,000 of equipment for a salary of $54,000. That's a pretty good deal for the company.

That was my take on it too. It seems like that would be a great deal, yet they assume some high school dropout is going to produce more with less? I don't think so.

[discostu]

We had to go through some pretty brutal cuts at my last company (I survived to but not through the last one), and I saw some great guys cut purely by salary. It's one of those nasty decisions, on the one hand you know the guy is one of your best, but you'd have to lay off two people to make a similar dollar cut (well usually it's like a 5 people or 3 people kind of thing) and he's not two people good so "orph with 'is 'ead".

For something like the CC thing I'm sure they looked at tenure as that pushes the base salary up, then you have to look at department averages are they just in a department that moves product well. I feel for the guy, but by the same token he should have seen the righting on the wall, CC has been quite publicly in bad shape for a while.

[nutmeg]

read later bump