Uneducated sales people

[crjdriver]

While I was over at Circuit City this morning I overheard a conversation between a sales person and a customer. The sales person insisted that the customer could not share files over a router; that he needed a hub as well as the router. The sales person further tried to explain how to hook up broadband through the router and then use the hub for sharing the connection.

I did not say anything until the customer was left alone; I then told him that the guy does not understand what he is talking about. File and print sharing is a function of the os. I gave him a brief explanation of how to setup a home network and share the internet connection.

[doctorgonzo]

Never listen to a salesperson about anything remotely technical. Asking them for the time is usually over their head.

[afoctober2]

Those people at bestbuy and circuit city don't know much at all I also hear them give bad directions or advice to people.

[mbossman2]

Originally posted by doctorgonzo
Never listen to a salesperson about anything remotely technical. Asking them for the time is usually over their head.

agree as long as they are in retail sales. I am a sales guy and quite technical (albeit I work for a networking manufacturer)

[Mr N8]

You know, most of the retail sales people know that they don't know much about what they are selling. Most of them know at most what the sales brochure says in it. I'm in Best Buy a lot, perhaps too much, and they know me well enough that they usually ask me a few questions while I'm there. :) Maybe I should work there part time for some discounts...nah.

Anyway, they may not know much, but for most of them its just a part time job to save money for school and go out on the weekends. Some of them try hard to learn about their products, and others just want to make it until close without making someone mad.

[ToyotaSupra]

Before I built this computer I was at Best Buy about to buy one and the guy was telling me that ever since HP bought Compaq, now HP is a top of the line computer. But all I hear on here is usually people not liking them.

The guy was telling me it would be cheaper to buy that computer up there instead of building one. More than half the stuff on there I didn't even need.

[mairving]

BB, Circuit City don't tend to get the best salespeople. They don't pay them all that great and will hire nearly anyone. I would call them more order takers and merchandise pushers than salespeople.

Of course, I have also talked to quite a few very clueless Tech Support people, so it is an industry problem.

[bailey]

and don't forget that ther hardest sales pitch is on there own extended warrantythey tried to sell me a 6 dollar contract on a 9 dollar speakers, all I could do was laugh saying are you a total idiot.

[Panama Red]

I agree on the level of incompetence displayed by "technical sales" people in retail stores. Since I'm a salesman of industrial products of a technical nature, I find it particularly disturbing when they simply parrot the idiocy of a coworker rather that read about the products they sell. Kinda like trying to build a system without first becoming familiar with the motherboard manual and case wiring instructions. Next stop - PC Mech and a thread entitled HELP ME! My latest people-pet-peeve is worse than the retail sales people. How 'bout the latest trend to have all your tech support routed to India? What a pain in the back side to try to get answers from THOSE people! Half the time they don't understand what I'm asking and the other half they don't understand what they are answering!

[not important]

I bought my first comp at a Best Buy. I knew absolutely nothing about computers, other than I wanted one. I had a very helpful and knowledgable person help me out. As I made more trips to the store, to buy other computer related items, and talked to some of the other workers, I realized how lucky I was to have gotten him. I've overheard salespeople just outright lie to customers,trying to sell them things that they don't need.

[glc]

I have to bite my tongue every time I go into one of those places. Some of the BS I hear is incredible - these kids will say anything to make a sale.

[spyder003]

well you can't expect much technical expertise for what they are paying these people. what? $6-7 bucks an hour? the people with the real knowledge are making upwards of 50k a year or hanging out at pcmech. :D

[bailey]

50k a year, is that all,
heck I made double that at gmc truck and bus

[spyder003]

that was just an uneducated guess. that must be nice. i'm in the military and i make less than half that. :(

[mbossman2]

Originally posted by glc
I have to bite my tongue every time I go into one of those places. Some of the BS I hear is incredible - these kids will say anything to make a sale.

the retail space is such a hard space to become a good sales person. the margins are so slim that there is minimal $$ in the training budget and what little training they do is focused on the highest margin "product" they sell and that is those damn extended warranties.

I spent 1 christmas season working retail (never ever again, I'll dig ditches, in the rain, in North Dakota, in the winter first) and was selling computers and I made almost 4x as much selling the extended warranty than I did selling the acutal system and monitor.

The pay in the retail field also does not really incent their order takers to read and learn about what they carry.

[Fastfly]

My question is...How do I tell a salesperson to shut the hell up your a dumbie in a good way and tone?

[mbossman2]

one way is to question them. Unfortunately many of them don't know what they don't know, are immature and young. They will always go on the defensive.

I hate BB and CC, but when I do go in there, i avoid using the sales folks for product or tech information. they are good sources for: where is it? does it have a rebate? where do I get the form? will it be on sale in the next flyer? type questions (you know: how the store works quesitons). When it comes to product questions, I do my own research and don't set foot in the store without knowing exactly what I want.

[Strider]

I remember walking in a Best Buy looking for a Big Screen Tv and the salesperson in the TV section at least was honest. He stated that he doesn't work on commision and while he knows what brands of TV's to steer clear of - he was no "TV Expert". To me if your a salesperson you should have a good knowledge of what your selling but if you don't know what your talking about then honesty is the best policy and tell the customer that you don't know or that you will have to check that out and get back to you. Of course you can get you good and bad salesperson at any store you go to, it's just better to be prepared before you go (especially if you shopping for a big ticket item) or take you chances which to me is a bad idea.

[Trent Steel]

Originally posted by Fastfly
My question is...How do I tell a salesperson to shut the hell up your a dumbie in a good way and tone?

"No thanks, just looking", works if they are approaching you and inquiring you if you need help.

"Thanks for your time, but I need to look it over for myself right now", this usually gets them to go away.

[doctorgonzo]

I always say "Just looking." I never ask a salesperson for anything. I know what I want when I shop.

[afoctober2]

I never get asked if I need help at BestBuy so I'm lucky there. But at Circuit City Every person that works there asks me if I need help I even get asked by the same person 2 or 3 times.
They don't let me look around they think you must need help since your looking around.

How about that other scam bestbuy sells they optimize your system for $25 I don't remember the exact price now. But all they do is defragment your harddrive and few other things that most of us know how to do. I think they charge $19 to put a stick of ram in for you.

[glc]

That's not bad - I charge $75 just to look at a computer, $100 if I'm onsite (one hour minimum billing).