About a month ago, I was sitting at my computer desk working away on a class presentation when my monitor suddenly went completely black. I had little attachment to the rather inexpensive 17" BENQ, but a great portion of my class grade was reliant upon my completion of the presentation. So, immediately I started to try various quick fixes and troubleshooting procedures to narrow down the problem. I tried a new power cable, a new DVI cable, and I even tried switching to analog input. Nothing. At this point, I was determined not to let this slight calamity destroy my chances of getting a great grade on the presentation. So, I walked down stairs and stole my parent’s monitor (surprisingly, they didn’t mind).
After three weeks of "sharing" monitors with my parents, I decided it was about time to purchase a new one. I made the obligatory post on the PC Mechanic Forums and I browsed meticulously throughout ZipZoomFly’s monitor selection. Yet, I just couldn’t commit to a monitor purchase without physically seeing and testing the monitor out in person. What’s wrong with wanting to get the full monitor experience before buying? So, I hit the strip with every intention of finding the perfect monitor. Were my adventures successful? Unfortunately not; and it wasn’t because there were a lack of applicable monitors — it was due to a much deeper issue that struck a chord with me. This generally not-so-picky shopper uncovered the awful truth that salesmen are no longer experts in their field. This week’s Kudos & Calamities focuses primarily on this very misfortune that is spreading through the digital retail world: salesmen, in general, are not well versed in the products they sell.
So as I sit here in front of my parent’s monitor (once again), I try to compile my rage against the three large retail stores of which I walked out of without a new monitor, filled with disappointment. I’ll give you the play-by-play from my eyes — through the point of view of an individual who has a pretty good understanding of computers and is ready to spend money.
My first inquiry was a pretty basic question; I wanted to start a conversation and test the waters. "Will older video cards such as the nVidia 6 series support these wide-screen resolutions?" To my surprise (and frustration), all three were pretty dumbfounded and either admitted directly that they didn’t know for sure or faked a response that covered their butts if they were wrong: "Don’t hold me too it, but I believe that this monitor should work." Now, it wasn’t the fact that they didn’t know the answer to my question that made me mad, it was the fact that they didn’t offer to research my query or verify with someone more knowledgeable. Of all that a monitor salesman should know, one of the most important things would obviously be compatibility.
My second question was one that was really important to a student working two jobs and barely bringing home enough to cover weekly entertainment. "Of all these models, could you describe their warranties and which one permits me to bring defective units back here for a new one?" Apart from knowing a few basic details (such as the length of the warranty), which were probably inscribed on the product’s spec sheet, none of the associates were versed enough in their products to detail the differences between the warranty plans. At this point, I was not only frustrated with the employees, but I was ready to walk out the door with my money in hand and buy a monitor online without seeing the product in person. It’s not like the salesmen are answering my questions or demonstrating their product knowledge anyway.
By this point, I wasn’t expecting any of the salesmen to know the answer to my third (and final) question, but I went ahead and asked. "What are the terms of the mail-in-rebates and how long does it take before I get my money back?" To no surprise, the sales associates didn’t know and didn’t show any enthusiasm is looking this information up. On that note, I promptly thanked the salesmen for their time and left the store with steam shooting out my ears and my tail between my legs.
Perhaps poor product knowledge is simply a regional issue, or merely bad luck on my part, but I honestly hope that this isn’t becoming a nationwide plague. As I mentioned earlier, this deficiency in product knowledge really struck a chord with me. I, myself, am a salesman. I started working in sales for a specialty mobile electronics store. I’m one of a few employees there and I am in the process of becoming fully acquainted with the products we sell. I am far from knowing every last detail about every product we sell, but I am upfront and honest with my customers. I tell them that I am still familiarizing myself with my products and always offer to research prices and features. I do not hesitate to ask my fellow associates or my boss when I am stumped by a customer’s question and I never tell the customer something that I am not 100% knowledgeable about. Unfortunately, the three salesmen I encountered on my quest to purchase a new computer monitor behaved in a very unprofessional manner. Not only were they uninformed about their products and store promotions, they didn’t offer to do any research for me. They didn’t convince me that they wanted to make a sale and they failed to demonstrate any desire to do professional business with me.
I certainly hope my failed attempts to purchase a monitor shine light on a growing calamity in retail stores. I find that I am asking myself more frequently, "What happened to product knowledge?" before leaving the store with my money in hand. All I can say is that you are going to need to do some research of your own before going into a retail store and purchasing products — chances are, the sales associates are equally uninformed on the products available.
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