Sales people at common retail chains

[theMaximus]

Most morons working at Circuit City or Best Buy simply don't know what they are talking about. They always seem to tell people that products like Sony and Bose are the best things on the planet. I even heard some guys telling a customer that a receiver with double the power will play music at twice the volume. Where do these morons come from and why they make such stupid claims when they don't even know what they are talking about? I don't buy any audio equipment being sold at CC or BB since they are mostly crap, but it sure is annoying to overhear these morons babble on about things they don't know to customers. If they have any knowledge, they should at least recommend Klipsch, Infinity, or even JBL before they say Sony or Bose make good speakers. It would be one thing to recommend them on price, but recommending such crap based on their performance is down right absurd. Let me know if you agree with me.

[jimmyp58]

While no one would argue with you about this, keep in mind who some of these "morons" are. Many of them are our children or a friend of our's child! Most of them claim these things because #1, they are told that by their management (most of which started as kids themselves and moved upward), two, many own some sort of Sony and/or Bose product so they are familiar with the brand. And three, most people that shop there are only looking for those products anyways.

Hey, you could go a a brick & mortar store and have the sales rep tell you that separates are no better than a receiver. Why? Because some b & m stores don't carry separates anymore. Why would he he/she tell you separates are better only to have you walk out because they don't carry them? Wouldn't he be cutting his commissions?

Go to a Ford dealership. Would the sales rep tell you Dodge vehicles are better than what he has?

<Content Cut by Management due to conflict with management policy>

Again, it is all relative.

Jim

[theMaximus]

I agree with you.

You are absolutely right. I know that most times they are just repeating what they were told by their managers and trainers. I was simply venting some of my anger and frustration. My statements weren't directed toward part-time teenagers since they don't know better. However, if I were selling audio equipment, I'll actually do some research and learn about the stuff I'm selling. Example I mentioned about a sales guy saying a receiver with double the power giving twice the volume show that some of theses people don't know anything technical about the kind of equipment they are selling. It's one thing to recommend crappy equipment to customers because you are either told to do or you don't know any better. It's a completely different thing to be so ignorant about your job. I know they feel like they don't want to bother with a job that pays like $8 an hour, but you still have a responsibility to give correct information to your customers.

[jimmyp58]

Amen...no argument here....

[H.T.C]

I dont think its the workers fault ethier they only can sell what the company buys and its not only bad av products i think best buys (i have not been there for a while) does or did sell denon recievers.

On the other hand, most folks that buy from stores like this are going for bang for the buck with price so, they are not looking to find the best sound just features such as more watts per channel,1800 hall type effects and the kitchen sink, oh and of course just about anything that can be included for the low price of $199.00 with rebate etc.

So in this case build quality is not the issue its more like trying to keep up with dick and jane,thats all.

[Bam!]

....what bothers me in places like that is overhearing conversations between the salesman and the "patient" as I would call them....

They flash around showing all kinds to their gf's and then they buy a 22 inch AKAI :lol:


you overhear them saying how they'd NEVER buy that terrible projector...(don' t worry peasant brown you'll never be able too)

anyways...there's my venting of the day ops: :B :rofl:

[Andrew Pratt]

I try my best to ignor what's being said around me by the sales drones to other people in the store otherwise I just get :M by the lies and just plain wrong info they say during their sales pitches. Occasionally I'll tell someone the truth if the sales guy leaves them alone for a bit but more often then not I just walk away and turn a blind eye.

There are a few guys that know their stuff but you generally won't find them working in the big box stores which is unfortunate for the masses that shop there looking for advice

[gd]

I'm sure everybody on this forum would only patronize a BB just to get the lowest price on a mainstream piece of gear which they've already thoroughly researched... the only conversation with the saleskid would be "here's the credit card."

But I do feel genuinely bad for the family guy on a tight budget just trying to add a little enjoyment to the family room, who is led down an uninformed path by the kid who has no other option than to sell the BB line... on the other hand, that $300 introduction to HT might just provide that enjoyment, and maybe launch another new enthusiast on the journey... ya gotta start somewhere.

We're not all fortunate enough to start off with a Rotel / Denon / Axiom setup.

[Gordon Moore]

While I understand the grief, at the same time it would be counter-productive for a store to blast a product they sell, wouldn't it? If you carry XYZ brand and you sell for that store then all brands, no matter how inferior should be considered (in the eyes of the store).

Best Buy/FutureShop and others cater to the mass market with varying wallet sizes. So even the inferior products might be valid for a person with a thin wallet.

Your right though that technical information, when presented incorrectly is mis-leading and damaging. A B&M store like those *probably* (never worked there) do not have a training program that would give the employee adequete information. I wouldn't necessarily fault the kid making $8/hr trying to give information when they are ill-prepared to sell the products in the first place. It reflects poorly on the store rather than the individual anyway (I think).

I think your gripe would be more valid if a claimed Audiophile type store was handing out BS type info....that would be more shocking than receiving incorrect info at a BestBuy and Circuit City.

But I see nothing wrong with pushing a brand they carry, that's their job (good or bad).

In fact, I would put more onus on the consumer to seek out the correct information before entering a store like that any way. Most do these days as the web usually has the correct info.

It's our Mom and Pops that don't utilize the web and trust the salesman because back in the day Sears, Eatons, The Bay (Cdn perspective here ,well except Sears) was the place to go...you had a career salesman who WAS fairly knowlegable and you trusted their advice. That generation still runs on that mentality.

[John Holmes]

We're not all fortunate enough to start off with a Rotel / Denon / Axiom setup.

Very well put! I think there are quite a few that tend to forget this. It is this type of position, that keeps me here than being other places. If a person is happy with what they can afford (no matter it's price) then I'm happy to have them be part of our hobby.

As far as the employees of the thread topic, they have to start somewhere just like everyone else...including all that post here. And like them, we all have different levels of dedication to job.

[Lex]

I had some 2 channel stuff years ago, but my first true HT gear other than a Hi Fi VCR that came from Dixie Hi Fi? (Circuit City), that first gear came from SEARS! It even included a pair of Bose bookshelf speakers, a Technics Receiver, and used the Hi Fi VCR I already had, I kid you not. How'da ya like them apples? Strange eh?

Then the true high end road started when I went into upgrade my TV. Once that was done, 60" XBR, then Elite pro, the wild right was begun.

But RE the kids at these places, you can't blame them for not knowing much, blame management for not wanting to pay people enough that they want to stay. We have to be intelligent buyers, if not, we'd be at management's mercy, with them having their drones push the sme thing over and over.

Lex

[Bam!]

I'm sure everybody on this forum would only patronize a BB just to get the lowest price on a mainstream piece of gear which they've already thoroughly researched... the only conversation with the saleskid would be "here's the credit card."

But I do feel genuinely bad for the family guy on a tight budget just trying to add a little enjoyment to the family room, who is led down an uninformed path by the kid who has no other option than to sell the BB line... on the other hand, that $300 introduction to HT might just provide that enjoyment, and maybe launch another new enthusiast on the journey... ya gotta start somewhere.

We're not all fortunate enough to start off with a Rotel / Denon / Axiom setup.

The thing is if the customer educated himself.....maybe.....just maybe.......he wouldn`t even be in that store? right ?

Kinda like cars....buy a Hyundai accent (IMO have come a long ways though) and think that quality and ride and overall luxury is the same as the Honda let us say because the salesman said so........you buy.........who`s the fool then ?

I`m not saying the Hyundai is not a good vehicle......I`m just saying there are many ways of educating yourself other than what the salesamn said.....

On another issue....

"I" am one "those" salesman.....

I sell figure skates to spoiled little %$// :lol:

I consider myself very well educated in the matter......

I use my skills as they are required per customer.....

Do you know how many customers I get in a year that don`t know a smidgeant of knowledge about what I am doing ? And if they did......do you know how appreciated I would then be ?

Suppliers (skate manufactureres) refer to me......I`m not bragging...I am just makin`a point.....Do you think the customer knows he`s getting one of the best professional fitters in North America...(according to my suppliers ops: ) Nopes.....they haven`t a clue.....

Ignorance is bliss.....

I was in a HIFI store yesterday......this little lady , who was loaded, wanted the "Best cinema Experience"

I looked at her....laughed and said YOU and everyone on HTGUIDE! :lol:

So what does the salesamn do ?

O.K. you to start you need a Pioneer Elite Plasma......

Is that good.....Yup....Is that the "best"....debatable! There are issues with every technology right now....right.......so it`s not the best....what about the new LCOS tv`s are they "better"

Anyways you see my point I hope....

They dude goin`into the BB with a budget of 700.00$ for the ensemble is not lookin`for a soundstage....cripes he can`t even spell at this point in his life!



Cheers!