COMPUSA to start PM in JAX,FL

[TheHasselhoff]

Targus backpack on sale. Went in the Metairie, Louisiana store (#461) on 9/2/03.

1 - The sale started Sunday, and stockers are supposed to put out all product possible every night - so, it looks like the stockers made a mistake.
2 - Is there some reason that, two days after a sale started, you don't believe any of the employees in the store? I realize that, in this case, they were incorrect - but if you automatically decide they are wrong, you're certainly not going to make friends. And if you want good customer service, you've got to act professional.
2 - Retail employees aren't normally allowed to go into the warehouse, only managers.
3 - The system used to check stock (called IMS) gets updated once a day, maximum - sometimes it doesn't get updated for several days. The employee saying that the computer is wrong, is speaking from experience.
4 - Just so you know - retail employees are treating so badly by the average customer, that when you start saying "I want a manager", or "I'm going to call corporate", they think: "Cool, go for it, now its out of my $6.50/hr hands, I don't have to get threatened by a stranger anymore."

A few months ago, CompUSA ran a sale or refurbished HP printers. I got to the store 5 minutes after they opened and was told that they had been sold out but that there were going to be more brought out at 6 pm or whatever time their "midnight sale" or whatever it was called started. The sale on the printers was different than the midnight sale. The printers were on a different page, with different listed times than the midnight sale, a fact the store manager agreed with. The ad said minimum 10 and the manager said they were saving 10 for the midnight sale as advised by their corporate office.

So, in other words - you had a problem with the corporate office, but decided to cause a scene in the store. Again, not professional. That manager just took one out of the 10 saved - and probably risked a reprimand by corporate, if not worse - just to shut you up. Let's hope that manager, who was following orders, still has a job - that another customer, such as yourself, didn't come in during the midnight madness sale & call corporate on him, too.

I went to CompUSA on another occation to buy a SmartMedia card. There were two rebates on the card, an IR and a bundled MIR. I knew I could not get the MIR (which made it free) since I was not buying a notebook, but after the IR, it was a good price. The employee at the register said that it was not on sale. A manger was called. She and I went to the computer and I showed her the price on the website.

1 - If you actually had them ring up the item, and it didn't come with the IR - then either (1) the entire company has the wrong price in the system, or (2) you weren't supposed to get the IR.
2 - Website deals have no connection with store sales. The website regularly runs sales on items that aren't on sale in the store.
3 - Technically, she wasn't supposed to honor a website price.



Are you one of the those people I see at the front door when the store opens for a new sale, dashes in, gets a cart and runs three people over trying to get to the FAR stuff? Dang, that's funny to watch.

PS - sorry if this sounds rude/mean/etc., its not meant to be - but as a retail employee, I get yelled at for things every hour on the hour, that are not my fault. We employees don't make the rules - but if we disobey them, we'll get fired. PLEASE try to understand this in the future.

 

[TheHasselhoff]

FINALLY, competition from BB and CC is finally catching up to CUSA. They have been in a financial ditch for a long time. They are being forcibly changed to focus on the customer.

This doesn't make any sense to me.
1 - After looking at the BB, CC, CUSA, etc. ads for nearly two years now - except for DVDs, Compusa is constantly competitive with the other stores on sale prices.
2 - Compusa has had a policy focusing on the customer for years - the VIP program, available hands-on training, etc. And, again, the prices are competitive.
3 - Compusa is the only one of those three companies you mentioned to have made a profit for the past two quarters. They're not being forced to change focus - they simply have decided to become more aggressive.

 

[TheHasselhoff]

Originally posted by: chottoed

Originally posted by: jbwhite99
I will say that the store in Chandler, AZ (Ray Road/54th Street) has been incredibly helpful. The largest store in their chain - Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, NC - I can never get help. The problem is that this doesn't cover rebates. For labor day weekend, Fry's ran an ad for a Retail Maxtor 160 at $119 - $40 MIR = $79; the CompUSA agreed to go to $119, but not $79. Needless to say, I didn't buy at CPU.

I don't think there are any B&M policies in existence that would give you a PM for a price after MIR... At best they can give you a PM for something after instant rebate.

Well, actually, the Compusa in my area WILL honor MIR prices - they do it by giving the customer a gift card for the price of the rebate. They've done this for quite some time.

 

[TheHasselhoff]

Originally posted by: pkananen

Originally posted by: TheHasselhoff
Starting on 09/14, CompUSA company-wide started their "Unmatched" program. The major change to customers is the pricematching policy. (Trust me, this is definitely Hot Deal-worthy.)

As of now, CompUSA stores will pricematch any nationally-advertised price, whether the item is in stock at the other store or not - or whether the store exists in the local market or not. If CompUSA carries the item, and you bring in the ad from another store (without altering it - the reps will check the company's website, etc.), they will pricematch.

Bad: they only match the price - they don't go lower. (No change.)
Bad: they won't pricematch web prices, only in-store prices. (No change.)
GOOD: they won't even bother calling the other store to verify if the item is in stock. (BIG change.)

Believe me, this is a company-wide change, it was transmitted to all stores this past Friday. If the store you go to denies the pricematch - then either you're trying to pull a fast one, or the store is not following company policy.

(As for the other changes due to the "Unmatched" program - they mainly affect the employees. Nearly all of the employees, even the repair technicians, are now on a commission plan, with a base pay and additional money for items that are rung up under their employee number. Many had their salaries cut - and some managers even got demoted to hourly pay. So, if you're carrying around a bunch of expensive items, and a team member starts trying to help you, you'll understand why.)

actually the new pay plan started over a month ago, and doesn't have much to do with the unmatched program. actually, the biggest thing about the unmatched program is that any qualifying purchase gets you free in home installation (not next day or anything like that)

Well, ACTUALLY, the new pay plan for the repair technicians started this week, and has EVERYTHING to do with the Unmatched program. Did you miss a meeting or something?

 

[TheHasselhoff]

Originally posted by: pkananen
Actually, the new plan is a departure from their straight commission pay that they had before.

So the new one isn't actually commission, they call it "incentive" based. They were on commission long before this month.

Um... no. Except for the actual computer salespersons, all employees before about 8 weeks ago were completely on hourly salary, with the possibility of incentives for selling extended warranties or services.
At this time, the cashiers, computer salespersons, and trainers are unchanged. The regular "redshirts" on the retail floor, and the technicians now, have a base pay (on the average, significantly lower than what the employee was making beforehand) - and then get a commission on the products sold. They do NOT call it "incentive" based. The incentives are still only available on services and warranties.

 

[pkananen]

Originally posted by: TheHasselhoff

Originally posted by: pkananen
Actually, the new plan is a departure from their straight commission pay that they had before.

So the new one isn't actually commission, they call it "incentive" based. They were on commission long before this month.

Um... no. Except for the actual computer salespersons, all employees before about 8 weeks ago were completely on hourly salary, with the possibility of incentives for selling extended warranties or services.
At this time, the cashiers, computer salespersons, and trainers are unchanged. The regular "redshirts" on the retail floor, and the technicians now, have a base pay (on the average, significantly lower than what the employee was making beforehand) - and then get a commission on the products sold. They do NOT call it "incentive" based. The incentives are still only available on services and warranties.

hmmmmm, considering the fact that i have been a redshirt on the floor for over a year now, i *think* i might know what is going on....

 

[msbytes]

I'm in the dark, I thought Crapusa always had PM, of course its been a couple of years since I've PM Crapusa

 

[LSUEskimo]

Originally posted by: TheHasselhoff

Targus backpack on sale. Went in the Metairie, Louisiana store (#461) on 9/2/03.

1 - The sale started Sunday, and stockers are supposed to put out all product possible every night - so, it looks like the stockers made a mistake.
2 - Is there some reason that, two days after a sale started, you don't believe any of the employees in the store? I realize that, in this case, they were incorrect - but if you automatically decide they are wrong, you're certainly not going to make friends. And if you want good customer service, you've got to act professional.
2 - Retail employees aren't normally allowed to go into the warehouse, only managers.
3 - The system used to check stock (called IMS) gets updated once a day, maximum - sometimes it doesn't get updated for several days. The employee saying that the computer is wrong, is speaking from experience.
4 - Just so you know - retail employees are treating so badly by the average customer, that when you start saying "I want a manager", or "I'm going to call corporate", they think: "Cool, go for it, now its out of my $6.50/hr hands, I don't have to get threatened by a stranger anymore."

1. and 2. Yes, the stockers may have made a mistake. I was not expecting the guy to upack a truck to look for the backpack. The backpack was foung where I have seen many employees get stuf after offering to look in the back for it. The lady offered to look in the back after she realized I was going to go somewhere else and may never come back.
3. After having worked in retail before and having sold backpacks at the retail shops, I know that backpacks are usually packaged by the dozen. The count in the computer was showing that there were 11 items left in the store. I can see the count being off by 2 or 3, but 11 backpacks? Sounds more like the count being off by 1 and having a box sitting in the back.
4. I never treated Brad badly. I never threatened him. From the start, he had the attitude that he was not really interested in helping me, just in answering a question quickly and moving on to bigger fish.

A few months ago, CompUSA ran a sale or refurbished HP printers. I got to the store 5 minutes after they opened and was told that they had been sold out but that there were going to be more brought out at 6 pm or whatever time their "midnight sale" or whatever it was called started. The sale on the printers was different than the midnight sale. The printers were on a different page, with different listed times than the midnight sale, a fact the store manager agreed with. The ad said minimum 10 and the manager said they were saving 10 for the midnight sale as advised by their corporate office.

So, in other words - you had a problem with the corporate office, but decided to cause a scene in the store. Again, not professional. That manager just took one out of the 10 saved - and probably risked a reprimand by corporate, if not worse - just to shut you up. Let's hope that manager, who was following orders, still has a job - that another customer, such as yourself, didn't come in during the midnight madness sale & call corporate on him, too.

Perhaps you were not reading correctly. The printers were not part of the midnight madness sale, a fact that the manager agreed with. He said he was told to keep 10 on hand in case some customers thought it was part of that sale. He and I both agreed that the printer was not part of the sale. But he said he would not sell me one anyway.

I went to CompUSA on another occation to buy a SmartMedia card. There were two rebates on the card, an IR and a bundled MIR. I knew I could not get the MIR (which made it free) since I was not buying a notebook, but after the IR, it was a good price. The employee at the register said that it was not on sale. A manger was called. She and I went to the computer and I showed her the price on the website.

1 - If you actually had them ring up the item, and it didn't come with the IR - then either (1) the entire company has the wrong price in the system, or (2) you weren't supposed to get the IR.
2 - Website deals have no connection with store sales. The website regularly runs sales on items that aren't on sale in the store.
3 - Technically, she wasn't supposed to honor a website price.

Let us look at a couple of examples:
example 1
example 2
Example 1 is an instant rebate. Example 2, while still being an instant rebate, is a special kind on instant rebate. It is an Internet Only instant rebate. The item I wanted to buy was like example 1. It said nothing about internet only.

Are you one of the those people I see at the front door when the store opens for a new sale, dashes in, gets a cart and runs three people over trying to get to the FAR stuff? Dang, that's funny to watch.

PS - sorry if this sounds rude/mean/etc., its not meant to be - but as a retail employee, I get yelled at for things every hour on the hour, that are not my fault. We employees don't make the rules - but if we disobey them, we'll get fired. PLEASE try to understand this in the future.

While the retail employees of the world appreciate your defending them, it does not change the fact that the Metairie store has bad customer service. I've gone in there and gotten decent service but that is usually the exception rather than the rule. However, the CompUSA in Baton Rouge seems to have very good service although they are lacking in the knowledge department af far as I have experienced. As far as the FAR stuff, it's usually stuff I wouldn't really want to spend any money on, even if I were getting a refund 6-8 weeks later.

 

[TheHasselhoff]

3. After having worked in retail before and having sold backpacks at the retail shops, I know that backpacks are usually packaged by the dozen. The count in the computer was showing that there were 11 items left in the store. I can see the count being off by 2 or 3, but 11 backpacks? Sounds more like the count being off by 1 and having a box sitting in the back.

Unfortunately, the compusa inventory program isn't that good - it can easily be off by dozens, because as I said, it gets updated very irregularly.

4. I never treated Brad badly. I never threatened him. From the start, he had the attitude that he was not really interested in helping me, just in answering a question quickly and moving on to bigger fish.

Well, it sounds like he was not treating you well. But, you reciprocated in kind - you DID threaten him, but saying you'd call management or corporate. Saying to an employee "I'm going to call corporate on you" is simply a ploy to get what you want - otherwise, there's no good reason to say it like that, or tell him at all.

Perhaps you were not reading correctly.

I don't think YOU are reading correctly. It didn't matter if the printer was even IN the ad - the manager said that corporate told him to hold 10 back. If corporate tells him to do something, and he doesn't - and then corporate finds out - he's in big trouble. I certainly hope that manager was reprimanded, or fired, for that.

Example 1 is an instant rebate. Example 2, while still being an instant rebate, is a special kind on instant rebate. It is an Internet Only instant rebate. The item I wanted to buy was like example 1. It said nothing about internet only.

That does NOT mean it was available in store. I have found several website prices different than the store - some saying instant rebates, some just showing a reduced price - and they don't say anything about "internet only". Compusa.com isn't supposed to be a representation of the B&Ms.

 

[TheHasselhoff]

I don't think YOU are reading correctly. It didn't matter if the printer was even IN the ad - the manager said that corporate told him to hold 10 back. If corporate tells him to do something, and he doesn't - and then corporate finds out - he's in big trouble. I certainly hope that manager was reprimanded, or fired, for that.

Sorry, put a "not" inbetween "was" & "reprimanded".

 

[Ray5150Ray]

I'm glad other people heard this...for a bit there I was looking pretty dumb.

 

[LSUEskimo]

Originally posted by: TheHasselhoff

3. After having worked in retail before and having sold backpacks at the retail shops, I know that backpacks are usually packaged by the dozen. The count in the computer was showing that there were 11 items left in the store. I can see the count being off by 2 or 3, but 11 backpacks? Sounds more like the count being off by 1 and having a box sitting in the back.

Unfortunately, the compusa inventory program isn't that good - it can easily be off by dozens, because as I said, it gets updated very irregularly.

That sounds like a problem with CompUSA, not with me. When the employee says the computers say 11 so they must be somewhere and the other employee says the computers are always wrong without considering the possibility that the computers might be close to right, the employee needs to be reminded that the customer is the reason he has a $6.50/hr job. As far as the inventory being wrong, so what? That's not my problem. That is actually more of a reason to look in the back. Mayby the computer says 11 in stock when there is in fact 2 dozen.

4. I never treated Brad badly. I never threatened him. From the start, he had the attitude that he was not really interested in helping me, just in answering a question quickly and moving on to bigger fish.

Well, it sounds like he was not treating you well. But, you reciprocated in kind - you DID threaten him, but saying you'd call management or corporate. Saying to an employee "I'm going to call corporate on you" is simply a ploy to get what you want - otherwise, there's no good reason to say it like that, or tell him at all.

Simply a ploy to get what I want? It would have been nice to get the 45 minutes back that I spent at the store, but I doubt Brad could have given it back to me. What do you think I wanted? I already had the backpack in my hand? I'll be more than happy to tell you what I wanted. I wanted to make sure that the next time you walked into that store, you were not treated like that. The next time Brad was helping you look for an item that he actually thought to look in the back. I doubt that is ever going to happen.

Perhaps you were not reading correctly.

I don't think YOU are reading correctly. It didn't matter if the printer was even IN the ad - the manager said that corporate told him to hold 10 back. If corporate tells him to do something, and he doesn't - and then corporate finds out - he's in big trouble. I certainly hope that manager was [not] reprimanded, or fired, for that.

Not my problem. I was following the ad. The ad said it was on sale. It was limited to quantities on hand. There were quantities on hand. And if he could have gotten fired because of it, he should have given me the corporate number instead of the generic 1-800-compusa number so that the corporate office could tell me. It was his choice to sell it to me. I never got to talk to corporate. He "found" the 11th one while I was on hold.

Example 1 is an instant rebate. Example 2, while still being an instant rebate, is a special kind on instant rebate. It is an Internet Only instant rebate. The item I wanted to buy was like example 1. It said nothing about internet only.

That does NOT mean it was available in store. I have found several website prices different than the store - some saying instant rebates, some just showing a reduced price - and they don't say anything about "internet only". Compusa.com isn't supposed to be a representation of the B&Ms.

Again, not my problem. If their website says here is the price, now see if it is in stock at your local b&m, they should honor the price at the b&m. Otherwise, state that it is an internet only price.

 

[woodscomp]

Somebody please LOCK this thread!

 

[LSUEskimo]

Hey, TheHasselhoff, last thing. I will not respond in this thread. If there is a more appropriate forum, I'd be happy to continue there.

1. Is it acceptable that Brad dismisses the computer when in fact there is stock in the back?

2. If it is corporate's decision to hold sale merchandise, shouldn't the manager have let me talk to anyone in corporate and have them tell me so he can cover his butt?

3. Should I be th one responsible for knowing if an item on the website is in the 99% (the correct price at the b&m) or in the 1% (the internet only price) if it is not marked internet only? Once items are marked internet only, doesn't that set a precedent that items not marked internet only are not internet only?