Better Buy bash

[Billb2]

So I walk into my local Best Buy last night (store #334) and ask a salesman, who worked in the computer department, where I could find a "PCI, gigabit network card"...my exact words.

He showed me a wireless PCMCIA card. I said, "No, I want a network card, for a PCI slot" He called over someone else, also from from computer department. I told that person I wanted "a PCI network card". I guess their collective brain synapses fired on "He wants to set up a network = $$$$) as they then showed me wired and wireless routers...they had no idea what a lan card was............

Nor did the store have any gigabit cards, none, though they did have a single brand of 10/100 NIC card?????????????

Priceless............

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: Billb2
So I walk into my local Best Buy last night (store #334) and ask a salesman, who worked in the computer department, where I could find a "PCI, gigabit network card"...my exact words.

He showed me a wireless PCMCIA card. I said, "No, I want a network card, for a PCI slot" He called over someone else, also from from computer department. I told that person I wanted "a PCI network card". I guess their collective brain synapses fired on "He wants to set up a network = $$$$) as they then showed me wired and wireless routers...they had no idea what a lan card was............

Nor did the store have any gigabit cards, none, though they did have a single brand of 10/100 NIC card?????????????

Priceless............

half of the reason I want to work at a Best Buy (or more likely a Circuit City, since my buddy can get my a job at one close to school where he works), is so that I can do my part to help prevent these kinds of threads.
Put me in any department, and if there is something I don't know, I'm going to learn it. But in the case of any department at a B&M store like BB or CC (besides car audio), I'd know pretty much everything any customer would ever ask. I pride myself on the expanse of my electronics knowledge.

 

[techs]

Thank you BestBuy.
And to all you who are reading this thread remember to shop at your local, APlus certified computer shop.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: techs
Thank you BestBuy.
And to all you who are reading this thread remember to shop at your local, APlus certified computer shop.

I usually do, but all stores local in Toledo tended to overcharge for everything. A lot of specialty stores do that.
One store, which was actually a warehouse that shipped across the country from website orders, ended up closing their doors. They had great deals that rivaled places like NewEgg (not as good, but very close and more convenient).

 

[se7en]

Dude you went to Best Buy that was mistake one.

Second mistake was asking for help.

You know better and dont even pretend like you don't. They get paid to sell you stuff you don't need not what you want or what you came in for. You wanted a specific brand of NIC and you went there? I'm calling shens right now.

No one goes to best buy for anything computer related and expects them to carry a certain brand. You would have been lucky to find ANY network cards much less a specific brand.

 

[MovingTarget]

The guys in those departments don't necessarily know much about computers. They are primarily salesmen and the company treats them as such. Most real computer-knowledgeable people aren't the best salesmen. Some, like myself, worked there and weren't able to actually help people as much as we would have wanted to because we had to tow the company line to get the numbers for the day. Those that did well in those departments were the ones who knew less about computers but where better at armwrestling people into buying service plans. :/ YMMV. They people you spoke of just heard a key word to try and get you to spend $$$ to get their install service. They reward that pretty highly.

 

[imported_LoKe]

They reject anyone who has technical knowledge, or any developed knowledge on the particular subject. If you want a job there, it's best to just not put anything worthwhile on a resume. =/

 

[wetcat007]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1069300197059

Only one listed on their website.

 

[preslove]

NIC cards are becoming specialty items because just about every computer, and most motherboards already have network connections already. Best Buy sells consumer items with a sales staff of morons. Why would you go to best buy for a NIC card?

 

[Finns14]

If I worked there the BB sales would go down. I would advise all shoppers to use newegg.

 

[seemingly random]

My bby experience: Went a couple of years ago to check out a pc that I had seen in an ad. Asked an employee for help. They spent a few minutes trying to figure out what I was asking then a few minutes looking at the shelves and then wandered off. Found another employee - same thing happened. After going through five different employees, who by now were all gathered around the difficult customer, one grabbed a passing manager. Finally, after an hour, I would get an answer. Nope. There were several pc+monitor package deals with the pc's on one shelf and the monitors on the shelf above. And the question I had was: Which monitors go with which pc's?

This could be an isolated incident. Contrarily, the nearby Circuit City has very knowledgeable employees - and they're in financial trouble. Go figure...

 

[techs]

Some years ago I went to work for PC Connection for a while in a sales position.
They told the applicants that if you knew anything about computers that was a negative.
They only wanted people who didn't know anything about computers.
The reason they gave was they wanted sales people NOT techs.

 

[Sphexi]

I worked at Radioshack for a few years. Not the greatest company by any means, but they had some really extensive training material, and the more you completed the better your commission was. I actually learned a lot about electronic parts (diodes, caps, resistors, etc.), as well as a few other categories I didn't really have much knowledge in at that point. I enjoyed working there for a while, then got sick of the inept management at the district level, rocked the boat, and quit/was fired. Technically I walked out, and was told the DM would be contacting me to let me know if I still had my job or not, he never did so I guess I don't work there any more

 

[isekii]

I was at sears and the guy working in the TV department had no idea what 720p 1080i 1080p was.

 

[altonb1]

Originally posted by: se7en
Dude you went to Best Buy that was mistake one.

Second mistake was asking for help.

You know better and dont even pretend like you don't. They get paid to sell you stuff you don't need not what you want or what you came in for. You wanted a specific brand of NIC and you went there? I'm calling shens right now.

No one goes to best buy for anything computer related and expects them to carry a certain brand. You would have been lucky to find ANY network cards much less a specific brand.

Umm...re-read his post. I believe he was referring to a PCI 10/100/1000 NIC, also known as Gig-E card--not a specific brand. His request was valid, but BB apparently didn't carry them nor were the sales guys knowledgeable enough to know what he was asking.

 

[mugs]

You couldn't find the section with the network cards without help from two people?

 

[Sphexi]

What sucks is that Circuit City has them, I've seen them in Walmart, I've seen them in Target, yet Best Buy doesn't carry any?

 

[seemingly random]

I've had reasonable replies to (simple) questions at Staples - and if the first employee doesn't know, they'll find somebody that does.

The OfficeMax employee's clueless expression was amusing though, when I asked for floppy diskettes a year ago.

 

[Billb2]

Update..............

I stopped off at Staples yesterday. First guy I asked pointed out the NIC cards. Had a nice Netgear 10/100/1000 on sale for $9.99...I'm a happy camper.

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: mugs
You couldn't find the section with the network cards without help from two people?

 

[Spineshank]

I once had a guy try to get me to not buy a certain router cause his techs couldnt get it to work on Comcast.

 

[TreyRandom]

Originally posted by: LoKe
They reject anyone who has technical knowledge, or any developed knowledge on the particular subject. If you want a job there, it's best to just not put anything worthwhile on a resume. =/

Yep... because BB would have to pay knowledgeable people more than what they're willing to pay. They drool when an absolute moron walks through the door with a completed application in hand (written in crayon, of course).

Perhaps Best Buy separates them as "angel" and "devil" applicants...

 

[intogamer]

A knowledgeable tech wouldn't be working at Bestbuy anyways... There are plenty of jobs that pay more.

Bestbuy is a retail store, and wants to pay retail wages for techs. Fk that

That is why you get a bunch of kids that assuming they are know about consumer technology.

 

[Elbryn]

Originally posted by: seemingly random
My bby experience: Went a couple of years ago to check out a pc that I had seen in an ad. Asked an employee for help. They spent a few minutes trying to figure out what I was asking then a few minutes looking at the shelves and then wandered off. Found another employee - same thing happened. After going through five different employees, who by now were all gathered around the difficult customer, one grabbed a passing manager. Finally, after an hour, I would get an answer. Nope. There were several pc+monitor package deals with the pc's on one shelf and the monitors on the shelf above. And the question I had was: Which monitors go with which pc's?

This could be an isolated incident. Contrarily, the nearby Circuit City has very knowledgeable employees - and they're in financial trouble. Go figure...

i vote for isolated incident at CC. bought an acer amd 64 single core (ie: came out before vista was around) that had vista home on it. told guy i wanted that one, he pitched me for more ram because vista needed it. told him i'd throw xp on it and that i'd get it later (online). his response was that this computer model couldnt install xp because it was vista certified and that there were no xp drivers for it. He also mentioned he knew techs that had spent hours trying to get xp to work on it. riiiiight.. i told him i'd take my chances and repeated the word no about 4 more times until he stopped trying to sell me other crap.

 

[davidjaii]

Applying at BB with an IQ over 60 = rejected.