This isn't "Let's Make a Deal"

[Reyneth]

Regarding worthless extended warranties: yes, the OP is not on commission. However, if their pay/job wasn't affected somehow, they wouldn't care about padding.

Padding DOES benefit the sales person. They get rated by it.

Wrong. I cared about the extras even when it didn't affect my job rating/paycheck in any way. Why? Because I was sick of people coming in with wrong info or wrong equipment from other stores and it causing all sorts of problems to sort out. I wanted to make sure MY customers who were trusting ME got all of the knowledge to make an informed decision. If they chose not to go with what I suggested - fine, their choice. But I wasn't going to be happy about the person buying the $800 camera and just using the memory card it came with (15 high-quality photos, max!). What a waste of their money and my time.

[evilhomer]

I think they ended up leaving without buying anything, but not before sparking ANOTHER argument, this time over a "While Supplies Last" offer no longer being valid because.....*gasp* the supplies of that item were gone.

Oh come on, surely you had some more in The Back.

**ducks, runs for cover**

[PepperElf]

demanded an explanation for why it was telling him it was getting a weak signal when "it didn't before."

because you're standing next to a bunch of buildings?... try walking around a little and then check your signal.

i have a handheld gps, so i know what they're like. they don't like tall buildings. and they don't work well when there's not many satellites to get signals from.

[Sarlon]

amen on service plans...

I bought a brand new laptop...I get it home...(having bought the extended service plan), and less then a month later of regular use, the hard drive fries completely.

I take it back to where I bought it, and explain that it just stopped working, not even able to turn itself on. of course I didn't demand they fix it, but they said they had no other work and would take a look at it right then.

45 minutes later (they quoted me about an hour), they call for me, and tell me they have absolutly NO idea what is wrong with my computer...its not hardware, and they can't get it to boot up to check if its any software problems.

thanks to the service plan, I got basiclly the same computer at NO cost. though I did tip the poor guy who had to deal with my computer...he had said 4 different techs looked at it and couldn't figure it out!

Only thing I can think of is my medical condition that allows the bild up of to much salt in my body (even though I hardly ever eat any salt and my stats are normal). I simply cannot wear eletronic devices on my skin directly since it drains batteries and kills electronics.

[marasbaras]

In all honesty, I an unconcerned about the store's margin.

I completely understand why Dave is annoyed with haggling.

But, to want people to buy padding, I cannot sympathize.

[bloodrose]

Re: your GPS guy:

Sometimes GPS units don't do as well picking up signal when their batteries are low. So it may have been possible that he was getting a weaker signal in the same spots he was getting good signal before because his batteries were dying out. Oh, and it also depends on satellite positioning - they move. There's a website that gives a GPS accuracy forcast for your location (and I forget what it was - Geography major but not doing Geo work so haven't had reason to remember it). For future reference, you could try to explain to someone satellite movement and then you'd have to explain how the GPS technology works.... but... I suggest telling them to try switching batteries. Likely by the time they've done that, the satellites will move and they may get new signals.

[RebeccaOTool]

Why don't people get that prices at stores are not like a flea market? You can't get that sort of stuff marked down!

[smileyeagle1021]

In all honesty, I an unconcerned about the store's margin.

coming from the other side (hotels have the same problem with worrying about margin)... we should be concerned... business doesn't make money, we don't have a job... then we can't spend money at the place that pays your paycheck and eventually you don't have a job either (this is why economic downturns are so hard to stop because it's a cascade effect).

[Dave1982]

Re: your GPS guy:

Sometimes GPS units don't do as well picking up signal when their batteries are low. So it may have been possible that he was getting a weaker signal in the same spots he was getting good signal before because his batteries were dying out. Oh, and it also depends on satellite positioning - they move. There's a website that gives a GPS accuracy forcast for your location (and I forget what it was - Geography major but not doing Geo work so haven't had reason to remember it). For future reference, you could try to explain to someone satellite movement and then you'd have to explain how the GPS technology works.... but... I suggest telling them to try switching batteries. Likely by the time they've done that, the satellites will move and they may get new signals.

Good to know, not that he would have listened to THAT either.

[Fiyero]

I think the extended warranties are worth it on some products. I got one with my Laptop when I started college in 2002. When the laptop died they replaced it (I just had to top-up the warranty). That new laptop had 2 replacement screens, a DVD drive, keyboard, 3 facsias, 2 mother boards, one other board, a couple of USB sockets.

It was definitly worth it for me - I probably treated the laptop a bit worse knowing I had the cover. Without the warranty I would have lost everything after 1.5 years, with the warranty I got 6.5 years and the laptop is still going (now out of warrenty).

As long as it is just a case of explaining the benefits and not going OTT I am all for it.

[Gurndigarn]

But, to want people to buy padding, I cannot sympathize.

coming from the other side (hotels have the same problem with worrying about margin)... we should be concerned... business doesn't make money, we don't have a job...

It would probably be better said as "to get upset at people who aren't buying padding, I cannot sympathize." Yes, I understand it's your job, and all about the profit margins involved, but it's not a requirement of the customer to buy extra stuff that they don't want just so the employee is happy. That's kind of like if I got upset about all the people who tell me "I never play video games/crane machines". If I got upset at the people who told me they didn't support my job... or thought my job was a ripoff... I would never be happy, because there's a lot of people out there who think that for some reason, I need to know that they refuse to support my company.

[Dave1982]

Again. "Padding" was a poor choice of words (well, word) on my part. As I said, it doesn't benefit me directly, so I really don't care all THAT much when any one customer does this. Much of my frustration in this episode stems from 1) their cheapskate attitude (remember, they wanted a discount on two laptops when laptops make no net margin, so discounts are entirely unwarranted), 2) I've had a LOT of people like this lately and 3) this has led to me being stuck in an extended sales drought that is very frustrating, commission or no commission.

There's another reason as well, but I can't get into it here because at least one person from my store is also on this board and they can't know about it.

[Big-box-retail-blues]

It isn't even about a customer being a cheapskate. If a customer walks up to me as I wander my way around my store looking for people in need (associates or customers) and says, "I need a Playstation three." I have two options.

1) Hand them the PS3, say thanks, and usher them towards the check out lines.

2) "Do you mind if I ask a few questions first?"

a) How many people are going to be playing?
b) Do you have children, if so how old are they; boy or girl?
c) Do you have an HD television; if so are you planning to use the PS3 as your primary source of HD content (i.e. Blu-Ray)?


Results of option 1:

Bob Customer gets home, maybe up to 50 miles away, his two children ages 8 (boy) and 11 (girl) are jumping around, teeming with excitement, and he opens the box.

No extra controllers, no games, no movies, not shit. Now Bob is going to be pissed. He has to get the kids ready, usher them back inside his gas guzzling SUV, and head back out. He ain't going to come back to me when I am 50 miles away. He is going to the closest store that has what he needs.

He is pissed.


Now if I knew that Bob had two children, their ages, that he had both a girl and a boy, that he had a Samsung 750 series television and would be using the PS3 for Blu-Ray I could have OFFERED him and INFORMED him about the options he had available.

You will need more controllers, you will probably want a few different types of games to keep everyone occupied, you might want to take advantage of the wonderful 1080P resolution and 120 hz refresh rate and get this HDMI cable. Might I suggest a few Pixar movies in Blue-ray; because the quality of animated movies on Blu-ray along with the 120hz refresh rate on that amazing Samsung will blow you away.


It is kind of like going to your favorite bar and your favorite bartender is working. You know after that third vodka and soda that you should probably go home or at least switch to coke because you are going to end up just going home and sleeping.

Your bartender doesn't ask she just brings you another Vodka with a little more soda in it. She smiles and you can refuse but hey it is right there.




If that didn't make any sense I apologize. I just got back from my favorite bar.

[Brightglaive]

Ok, in a lot of the world (I'd go so far as to say a MAJORITY) haggling is a way of life. In some places if you don't haggle you will get fleeced or you will insult people. It's really the USA that is different than everyone else. We're the weird ones that don't haggle.

Now having said that, if I were to walk into a store with $2000 in hand and ask for a discount on some item I'm sure I could get a discount. Would it be 50%? Not likely. how about 30%? once again... not likely. 10-20%....mmmmmm...maybe. Electronics is the worst to try and haggle for. I wouldn't expect much more than 15% discount FOR CASH IN HAND. Credit card or check? No discount.


My whole point being.... how can you get a discount if you don't ask? However on the flip side you better be able to live up to your side ( buying in volume, IN CASH etc.)

(I'll probably have to duck the flying debris thrown in my direction. )

[Big-box-retail-blues]

I'll haggle with my customers. I will not haggle on the television that is already marked $300 off due to a current sale but if you want to buy that 60 inch Pioneer plasma, installation, wall mounts, blu-ray, your cables, surround sound, etc I will certainly haggle with you.

Most places have deals when buying things like that any way. Store promoted discounts with multiple items purchased.

I've been haggling for as long as I've worked retail. We are not going to haggle on computer related products, core products, because of no margin, and the haggling is totally up to me. I control the situation, the customer is not in control.

The really cool folks usually get a discount on something regardless. Just for being polite, fun to interact with, and making my day go by faster I'll throw in a copy of your favorite movie if you want.

You have customers that want to haggle electronics prices you go get an open box item or a clearance item. You showed them a lower price and you got rid of those items taking up valuable real estate for new merchandise. They don't want one of those options you show them a lower priced item of similar technology.

Adapt.