I got a guided tour of Best Buy today..

[draggar]

... not that I really wanted it.

I was looking to price power supplies and I couldn't find them. As much as I don't like going to employees for help (I remember those days - usually have a lot more to do) so I went up to one who was working in the computer section and asked:

"Where can I find an ATX power supply for my desktop computer"?

Yeah, we all think there isn't many places I can go.

They took me to the cables. Here you go (as they point to a power cable).

"No,I need an ATX power supply for my desktop"

OH! OK. They take me to the other side of the department...

... to the battery backups.

Um, no, I need an ATX power supply for my desktop!

Next stop? Laptop power supplies.

No. For my desktop!!

Of course the light finally comes on...

OH!!!!

They take me to a small section on the other side of the customer service desk where they were.

I weep for the future of IT.

(On a side note - who is going to buy a 500W power supply with only TWO SATA connectors? They had one like that)

[Andara Bledin]

I would never step foot in a Best Buy for any component that is supposed to go inside my computer. You have my sympathies.

I'm fortunate, however, that I live relatively close to several Fry's Electronics and that not far from one of those is also the local Newegg will call site.

^-.-^

[draggar]

You're lucky - I think 99% of the small businesses in my area have been pushed out by big boxers and the ones that are left are worse than the big box stores.

[Aislin]

I had a similar experience. I needed a power supply because the one from new egg didnt have enough connections for what I wanted to do and I needed connections for new and old components. Yeah they had no idea what I wanted and they didn't want to let me open te box and check the components. Finally I opened the box around the corner and luckily it was compatible with what I wanted to do.

[fma_fanatic]

Wow. Too bad you don't have a MicroCenter. They'd know just what you wanted right away. No mass stupidity on their part. That's why I'm glad I have one near me. It's so nice to talk to people who speak geek

[CaptainJaneway]

I love Microcenter! I Every time i walk in there i think i have died and gone to computer heaven. lol

[Crossbow]

I love Microcenter! I Every time i walk in there i think i have died and gone to computer heaven. lol

Yeah, MicroCenter is my go-to for "I need it now." Considering I used to sell computers for a living (remember CompUSA or Computer City anyone?) I can go into MicroCenter and tell them what I need and their eyes don't glaze over. It's so nice.

[Fire_on_High]

(On a side note - who is going to buy a 500W power supply with only TWO SATA connectors? They had one like that)

Someone working on a primarily or exclusively IDE based machine with a lot of hard drives or a very piggy video card? </btdt>

[thehuckster]

Best Buy and Circuit City (when they were around) were horrible at this. I remember I wanted a KVM switch and the guy ask what one was. I told him it's a device that allows you to use two or more computers with one keyboard/mouse/monitor instead of having to use multiple devices or having to unplug/replug the devices over and over again. He scratched his head and just said, "Hmm... I don't think you can do that."

Later on, during a trip to California, I went to a Fry's and decided to ask someone in the washer/dryer department where they were, and he immediately pointed me to an aisle across the store. He was one aisle-number off, but I was quite impressed at his knowledge.

What really irks me is a long time ago I applied for a job at Circuit City and they gave me this 60-page test to test my knowledge of certain things. I needed to have at least a simple knowledge of computers (difference between memory and disk space, what a dual core CPU means, etc.), TVs (difference between an HDMI cable and a component cable, difference between 1080i and 1080p). A lot of these are really elementary concepts. Still, I aced some parts but I didn't pass some of the other sections I was less knowledgeable of (appliances and cameras were my major problems), disqualifying me from getting hired.

Yet, somehow, you go up to a guy who presumably passed the test and ask him to recommend a good 8.1 sound system, and shows you a two-speaker system without a subwoofer. Then after you say "I asked for an 8.1" he just look at you blankly. It drives me nuts.

[RichS]

I love Microcenter! I Every time i walk in there i think i have died and gone to computer heaven. lol

Yes! Even though it's an hour away from me, I still go there for anything computer part wise. I just wait, if I can, until I have a sufficient list of things that I need.

I even commented to the cashier that they need to build a store nearer the Port Huron area

[FuzzyKitten99]

If it makes you feel any better, Best Buy is actually laying off about 1800 workers as a restructuring effort. Maybe this is why they need to do this?

[draggar]

Well, these are the same people who told me that a DVI to SVGA adapter doesn't exist...

[Merriweather]

I knew a computer engineering student who tried to get a job at Circut City a few years back. They basically told him they wouldn't hire him, cause they wanted people who would just sell customers what the company wanted them to, and not know enough to actually tell customers what they really needed. Sigh.

[draggar]

I love walking up to customers in BB (after the associate leaves) and showing them the prices of HDMI cables on Amazon.com - I've gotten 6 cables from there for under $10 and they're the same "quality" as the $40-$50 ones in Best Buy.

If people only knew the markup on cables. When I worked at Staples we sold HP centronics cables for $34.99 (this was about 15 years ago) - the cost to Staples was about $2.49 per cable.

I knew a computer engineering student who tried to get a job at Circut City a few years back. They basically told him they wouldn't hire him, cause they wanted people who would just sell customers what the company wanted them to, and not know enough to actually tell customers what they really needed. Sigh.

I interviewed with Circuit City a long time ago and I decided I didn't want to work there because high profit sales were more important than what the customer needed.

I liked Staples, we prided more on satisfaction and what they needed - yes, we had to push the extended warranties but sometimes they were worth it - laptops, scanners under $200 (hey, it was worth $15 for 3 year protection on those!). Even with the extended warranties you need to qualify the customer not everyone needs them (I don't for computers but I did get one for my $150 camera I got earlier this year).

[lordlundar]

If it makes you feel any better, Best Buy is actually laying off about 1800 workers as a restructuring effort. Maybe this is why they need to do this?

No, that would be the result. BB's definition of restructuring is "sack the people that know what they're doing and replace them with idiots off the street that they don't have to pay as much."