Well-Paid Professionals Draw Unwelcome Attention

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

[SamAdams76]

I like shopping at Circuit City but like you, I detest the salespeople. They don't seem to have much knowledge on their products except knowing how to steer you to the product that puts the biggest commission in their pocket. When they saunter up to me, I tell them right off, politely, of course, that I am "all set." Usually when I go to Circuit City, I already know what I want, having researched the product on the Web beforehand.

[discostu]

That's not loyalty that's charity, it's especially not corporate loyalty. The only thing the company did was let it be known that the employees could help this person out, corporate loyalty would have been Cray helping her out.

[mlmr]

Paying the new hires more than the old staff is normal. In nursing the new grads will come in at one to three dollars more an hour than the seasoned staff. Sometimes nurses quit and lost their pensions in order to be rehired at the higher rate. Or quit and work per diem for an even higher rate.

[Hodar]

Call me an old-foggie; but I rember the days when Sears was big. No one, and I mean NO ONE knew more about paint than the man that ran the paint department at Sears. You told him what you were going to paint (pine, walnut, whatever) and he sold you the exact paint that you needed. He was the best, he knew it; and so did Sears. He was also paid for his knowledge.

Now, Sears has decided to let the knowledgebase erode to the point that all their service people can do is point you to the various colors.

[Theodore R.]

Oh, I don't think that I have ever bought anything from Circuit City anyway.

But Pat was warning how corporations go abroad for cheap labor at the expense of Americans who had difficulty find comparable jobs back at home. He wondered how long this phenomenon could continue. That is what I meant.

[Hodar]

corporate loyalty would have been Cray helping her out.

Ummmm, have you ever heard of a company adjusting the books like this? I haven't. Cray cannot just cut her a check; as that would open a whole litagation issue to anyone else who had a catestrophy. This was about the best that any company can do, and I have never heard of another company doing anything like this before.

[July 4th]

All the big home entertainment stores are good for these days is trying out a product before you go home and buy it on the web.

[SamAdams76]

I forgot to mention in my last reply that the biggest reason why Circuit City salespeople annoy me is that they are always pushing that "extended warranty" crap on you. Even for products with no moving parts that will 99% of the time run for 20 years before having a problem.

When I bring my purchase to a salesperson to check out, I tell them right away that I do not want the extended warranty. That usually shuts them up. Usually that is, there are some that will continue to try and sell it.

For electronic products such as stereo equipment and TVs, you just need the standard manufacturers warranty (which is free with the purchase of the product). If the equipment is defective, you will know in 90 days.

[VOA]

The good people in HR at Cray let it be known that people who desired to, could
contibute a day of either sick-leave, or vacation to this person.

A similar situation was on one of the NBC DateLine shows last night...about a wife who
was the beneficiary of fellow teachers making similar sacrifices for her
while she stayed home in a program to get her adopted son's behaviour improved.

It's a wonderful world...it's just that sometimes you've got to look for the evidence.

As for Circuit City in Los Angeles...I'd prefer to go to Best Buy or the Net for
consumer electronics...I tire quickly of the pressure from sales-persons on
extended warranties, etc.

[mikenola]

on the bright side, with that kind of record, hopefully this dude can do well at some other company.

[discostu]

Most people haven't, and when they do it's an unpleasant experience. That's why CC is dieing.

Since this is retail they can't go abroad for cheap labor, the store is in America that's where the employees need to live, just a matter of logistics. Pat's just echoing age old "concerns" that haven't come true yet, the manufacturing sector in America has been supposedly dieing since Pat wrote speaches for Nixon.

[discostu]

Actually yes. I've worked for multiple companies that would let people go in the hole on vacation/ sick time, they just didn't sweat it.

[Monty22]

" 1040i. "

That's 1080i, dumbass

[Hodar]

My complaint was with an alarm clock. It didn't ring loud enough to wake me, and the sound quality was poor for normal listening. It was new, I had the box, all assorted tags and the receipt. It was all of 48 hours old.

The first question was "Does it work?", and I said yes. Then, the barrage of question concerning "Why don't you like it?". Personally, I think that is none of their concern. I have the receipt, the box, the paperwork, the product in new condition and have returned it in a expeditious manner. To have to explain 'Why' I don't like it is simply irritating. Wrong color, wrong treble? You'd have thought I was trying to sell it to the return desk. I finally got my money back; and now my money goes where my body goes ..... someplace else.

[TheDon]

The Invisible Hand at work...

[Hodar]

That's 1080i, dumbass

And your point is? I mean other than you are rude.

[mikenola]

That's a good argument to *keep* older employees.

I was in the Walmart of all places last week looking for a set of tiny screwdrivers. An elderly black man pointed me in the right direction immediately, and clearly took pride in doing so. I was flabbergasted, this is Walmart after all, one step away from the Soviet toliet paper stores.

I'll return there for that precise reason. I wish management would figure out that people are *starving* for good customer service.

[Beck_isright]

BestBuy bump. I agree. I used to go to CC, but after several experiences with "kids" (inexperienced idiotic young salespeople who were clueless about what they were selling) I said the heck with it. Best Buy and eBay get my electronics business now. Circuit City is enroute to bankruptcy and this story just illustrates why. Quality doesn't matter to them.

[Monty22]

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

[discostu]

Excuse mongering doesn't pardon bad behavior. Why be a dick to someone who's completely unrelated to your troubles. Rise above the situation and remain polite... or log into a Halo server and use that aggression the right way.