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Yes, blogs here go more or less unnoticed, but this really does not belong into a thread (personal story).
But I would be happy to get some comments on this. Do you agree on general the problem below? Do you have similar stories? Totally disagree and think I'm insane?
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Right now I’m depressed because of local “brick and mortar” stores being unbearable. This might be specific for my location¹ (Germany, the service wasteland). My own experiences with personnel in retail stores are problematic at best. Especially huge chain stores often have the most unfriendly (and sometimes incompetent for their field) staff.
The way they talk to customers (condescending/arrogant, annoyed/bugged up to outright impudent) is just not the way how to treat those, who bring the money.
Is that a reason to become depressed? Oh, yes! Because there always have been very positive exceptions! Most notably the little computer store I have been a regular customer for 20 years now. I have bought most of my PCs, many peripherals and little things there and even recommended people going there (or just asked them for the money and bought things for them myself).
I never had a problem paying slightly more than on some cheap online shop. The guys there were friendly, talkative and often even funny. Being there was almost entertaining sometimes. They searched the web for me finding stuff after just roughly describing my wishes – in short: Perfect service!
Today I went there and experienced the complete opposite: Might as well have been in a big chain store. Didn’t know the man and he was aggressive right after the “Good morning”. One of the most unpleasant talks I ever had when about to buy something expensive. I left the shop after a few minutes of getting every sentence I tried to say interrupted for no reason.
Strangely enough the shop was completely empty – no other customers and no employees. Okay, it is not a huge business, but there always had been at least two service/sales persons and the shop was hardly deserted of any customers.
My plan was using the phone on Monday trying to talk to the owner, who I know for 20 years – politely telling him the story above. I opened the website… and noticed the owner had changed. The nice guy I knew probably sold his reputable shop and I might have talked with the new owner without noticing. Well shit! No more easy buying computer stuff without web research and risking to buy at the wrong place.
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¹ From my previous blog entry about this topic
Yes, blogs here go more or less unnoticed, but this really does not belong into a thread (personal story).
But I would be happy to get some comments on this. Do you agree on general the problem below? Do you have similar stories? Totally disagree and think I'm insane?
==========
Right now I’m depressed because of local “brick and mortar” stores being unbearable. This might be specific for my location¹ (Germany, the service wasteland). My own experiences with personnel in retail stores are problematic at best. Especially huge chain stores often have the most unfriendly (and sometimes incompetent for their field) staff.
The way they talk to customers (condescending/arrogant, annoyed/bugged up to outright impudent) is just not the way how to treat those, who bring the money.
Is that a reason to become depressed? Oh, yes! Because there always have been very positive exceptions! Most notably the little computer store I have been a regular customer for 20 years now. I have bought most of my PCs, many peripherals and little things there and even recommended people going there (or just asked them for the money and bought things for them myself).
I never had a problem paying slightly more than on some cheap online shop. The guys there were friendly, talkative and often even funny. Being there was almost entertaining sometimes. They searched the web for me finding stuff after just roughly describing my wishes – in short: Perfect service!
Sinchen: “I need a real hardware RAID controller for four SATA, non SAS HDDs with perfect Linux support.”
Shop Service: “We don’t support Linux and can’t help you with that OS, but we will get you something.”
A day later they phoned, I went there and they had done a great job at researching the topic. Two days later the controller arrived with the wrong cable… and they started discussing with the distributor, who seemingly was unwilling to provide the correct cable.
Defective laptop battery after 6 weeks and manufacturer didn’t want to to replace. Manufacturer told me the retailer should claim warranty (can’t be done otherwise) and told the retailer I should claim warranty (can’t be done otherwise).
Well. I did not have to phone and mail and whatnot. Got a new battery shortly after.
Sinchen: “Need a laptop for a nine-year-old. For once price is the most important factor. Don’t know what is a good thing right now.”
Shop Owner: “Let me see” *goes through lists*
Sinchen: *Hands over printed offer from cheap online shop* (notebooksbilliger.de)
Owner: “Not a bad model. This one still comes with HDD. Let me see if I find that model with SSD and no Microsoft Windows preinstalled.” (he remembered I only do Linux)
He found it. With SSD and no Windows. Almost the same price as the discounter. Even with a DVD writer installed which was already more or less impossible at that point.
I could go on and on like this.
Shop Service: “We don’t support Linux and can’t help you with that OS, but we will get you something.”
A day later they phoned, I went there and they had done a great job at researching the topic. Two days later the controller arrived with the wrong cable… and they started discussing with the distributor, who seemingly was unwilling to provide the correct cable.
Defective laptop battery after 6 weeks and manufacturer didn’t want to to replace. Manufacturer told me the retailer should claim warranty (can’t be done otherwise) and told the retailer I should claim warranty (can’t be done otherwise).
Well. I did not have to phone and mail and whatnot. Got a new battery shortly after.
Sinchen: “Need a laptop for a nine-year-old. For once price is the most important factor. Don’t know what is a good thing right now.”
Shop Owner: “Let me see” *goes through lists*
Sinchen: *Hands over printed offer from cheap online shop* (notebooksbilliger.de)
Owner: “Not a bad model. This one still comes with HDD. Let me see if I find that model with SSD and no Microsoft Windows preinstalled.” (he remembered I only do Linux)
He found it. With SSD and no Windows. Almost the same price as the discounter. Even with a DVD writer installed which was already more or less impossible at that point.
I could go on and on like this.
Today I went there and experienced the complete opposite: Might as well have been in a big chain store. Didn’t know the man and he was aggressive right after the “Good morning”. One of the most unpleasant talks I ever had when about to buy something expensive. I left the shop after a few minutes of getting every sentence I tried to say interrupted for no reason.
Strangely enough the shop was completely empty – no other customers and no employees. Okay, it is not a huge business, but there always had been at least two service/sales persons and the shop was hardly deserted of any customers.
My plan was using the phone on Monday trying to talk to the owner, who I know for 20 years – politely telling him the story above. I opened the website… and noticed the owner had changed. The nice guy I knew probably sold his reputable shop and I might have talked with the new owner without noticing. Well shit! No more easy buying computer stuff without web research and risking to buy at the wrong place.
______________
¹ From my previous blog entry about this topic
