Seriously?

[Dragon_Dreamer]

Is it just me, or are people getting more unreasonable about what they want in "compensation?" First someone wanted the floor model of a clearance laptop, but in order for them to buy it, they want 5% off AND a FREE full accident warranty.

Then someone else wanted his dead hard drive replaced for free, with free upgrade to Windows 8 because he can't stand 7. Keep in mind that he's admitted to never having seen Windows 8.

There's customer service, and then there's expecting the store to bend over and take it up the [censored] dry.

[Arcus]

Then someone else wanted his dead hard drive replaced for free, with free upgrade to Windows 8 because he can't stand 7. Keep in mind that he's admitted to never having seen Windows 8.

If that worked, I would request a free downgrade to 7. Personally I think it's better, but I don't have a need for a touch screen so win8 is wasted on me.

[sms001]

No, D_D, it's not just you. "Gimme" is really raging out of control I'm afraid. Some of the blame is on the media; encouraging haggling. Some is based on corporate policy; their misinterpretation of the dreaded "The customer is always right" which gets stretched to extremes. And some is plain old fashioned greed.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

There is also a difference between 'shopping' and having a 'horrible experience' with a store. I don't think people understand the difference.

Customers have one experience that genuinely deserves compensation, or hear about one from a friend or the media, and hear about the store bending over backwards to fix a mistake that was entirely the stores fault. Because people seem to be turning into large 4 year olds who don't think its 'fair' that they, personally, have to: wait in line at check out, wait a week for stock to be ordered, wait for a second employee who specializes and can answer difficult questions or whatever, then people think that their experience requires the same level of 'compensation' for the 'horrible service' they received.

There's customer service, and then there's expecting the store to bend over and take it up the [censored] dry.

There are (very few) times when that is reasonable. Most times the customer is just an unreasonable entitlement whore. If people could tell the difference .... To be honest I can't imagine a world like that.

[lordlundar]

Sounds like one guy a manager I was shadowing had to deal with. Bear in mind the guy was polite and not being an asshole, just REALLY needs to work on his bargaining capability.

First the guy was interested in a floor model large screen TV (which was fine, we were out of stock) That was marked at approx $2000 for the floor model. The guy wanted it at $1200 AND full warranty because it "was used". The manager was being lenient and offered the warranty for free but not at $600 BELOW cost. Guy said if not for that low then he wasn't going to take it. Okay.

Next up was a refurbished laptop (basically it was returned, sent out for factory restore and shipped back). Tag price was $1200, cost was $1100. Guy wanted it for no more than $800 and a laptop mouse and warranty thrown in. Manager couldn't even budge on the warranty on this one as the manufacturer's warranty could still apply in this case. Guy said that price and the included stuff or no deal.

End result: Guy comes in looking for highway robbery prices for items he wanted, walks away empty handed. Both items in question were sold by the end of the day at the tagged prices without warranty thrown in either.

[earl colby pottinger]

Give them what they want

Then someone else wanted his dead hard drive replaced for free, with free upgrade to Windows 8 because he can't stand 7. Keep in mind that he's admitted to never having seen Windows 8.

Depending on the model of computer he has I would had tried to sell him the hard drive with Windows 8 since if it was an older model ( memory < 2GB, CPU <= Atom ) with paperwork to show it was not our problem if it did not work out.

[Silent-Hunter]

There's only one thing stores are required to discount when it comes to computers. Windows. If a person doesn't want Windows on the computer, in most countries stores are required by law to sell the computer for what it would cost if Windows was not included, usualy around $200 cheaper.

Or, required to give a rebate by mail.

[EricKei]

Back in the 70's and early 80's (in the US), haggling would have made more sense, as salesman commissions were built into the sticker price; these days, that's extremely uncommon. Computers and game consoles, in particular, have very slim or nonexistent margins >_> (for the latter, from working at GameStore -- new consoles are typically sold at cost; new video games typically sell for a $5 gross profit)

[ender]

There's only one thing stores are required to discount when it comes to computers. Windows. If a person doesn't want Windows on the computer, in most countries stores are required by law to sell the computer for what it would cost if Windows was not included, usualy around $200 cheaper.

Not nearly that much. For new computers, Windows Pro costs around 160€, Core around 110€, but OEMs pay far less than this (I'd say around 100€ for Pro, based on the price difference between model with Windows and same-specced model without), and if you go through hoops (and there's a lot of them) to get the price of Windows discounted from a computer, that's the most you'll be getting back.

[Silent-Hunter]

Oh. I read an article about it some time ago, but my memory filter tends to inflate numbers without me realizing it.

Still, 100€ is a good bit, no?

[Tyg3rW01f]

oh, here's a "SRSLY?!" moment for you.

My Dad is a RABID conspiracy theorist who makes other conspiracy theorists look UTTERLY SANE AND REASONABLE. Dad is almost Extremist Militia material... though he'd have to create one in order to find one to his liking...

ANYROAD!!
We have a set of cordless phones that outlived their service life four years ago. Now, they drop EVERY phone call... EVERY phone call... within 45 seconds to a minute and a half. Call 411? Dropped. Call Granny in Minnesota? Dropped. Incoming telemarketer? Dropped.
DAD, however, believes the AIRPORT at the base of the hill transmits a signal that drops us. He says that every time he has asked them about it, they deny it.

Okay, first, the FAA is under the same comm-restrictions as the rest of the US...
Second, they'd have to have OUR phones bugged in order to transmit often enough to drop our EVERY landline phone call.
Third, if it was a transmission that nailed landlines, it would almost certainly nail cellphones, too.

[otakuneko]

Then someone else wanted his dead hard drive replaced for free, with free upgrade to Windows 8 because he can't stand 7. Keep in mind that he's admitted to never having seen Windows 8.

I hate 7 too, and 8 was the first Windows in a long time that I've actually liked on first impression.

If my laptop had actually been in my possession in January of last year (when Win8 Pro upgrade was $40) I'd have two machines running 8.

(and not a touch screen in sight, either)

[Silent-Hunter]

My favorite Windows will always be 3.1. I mostly use Gentoo Linux now though, but at least I don't have to worry about paying for updates.

[MoonCat]

oh, here's a "SRSLY?!" moment for you.

My Dad is a RABID conspiracy theorist who makes other conspiracy theorists look UTTERLY SANE AND REASONABLE. Dad is almost Extremist Militia material... though he'd have to create one in order to find one to his liking...

ANYROAD!!
We have a set of cordless phones that outlived their service life four years ago. Now, they drop EVERY phone call... EVERY phone call... within 45 seconds to a minute and a half. Call 411? Dropped. Call Granny in Minnesota? Dropped. Incoming telemarketer? Dropped.
DAD, however, believes the AIRPORT at the base of the hill transmits a signal that drops us. He says that every time he has asked them about it, they deny it.

Okay, first, the FAA is under the same comm-restrictions as the rest of the US...
Second, they'd have to have OUR phones bugged in order to transmit often enough to drop our EVERY landline phone call.
Third, if it was a transmission that nailed landlines, it would almost certainly nail cellphones, too.

OK, I'm curious. WHY does he think they are doing this? Does he mean something they do inadvertently interferes, or does he think someone at the airport is intentionally doing it to your phones?