Haven't got a CLUE mate! But I'll pretend I do!

[TheRoadWarrior]

Everybody know the scenario, you walk into one of these bloody stores, it's all the same, Currys, PC World, Argos and you start looking at a Plasma, Sony or LG, or whichever make, and what happens, up tootles the assistant, Roger, or Spike, or whomever, and....

THEY HAVEN'T GOT A BLOODY CLUE!

When I were a lad in ole blighty (Canandians/Americans, you may have experienced the same, Wallmart?) there were stores where there was the sell, but there was also expertise. They read the instructions, knew what was what, there was still a lot of nonsense, every store will sell the brands it has and pushes them. But, they understood those brands.

Now, it's all a bit surreptitious, you kind of get the advice, but if it's like my experience at PC World, when I bought my last laptop, the staff are like something out of an alien-abduction movie (post-the abduction) and you get the idea you're being nudged into waters you don't wish to enter. The truth is, there is some know-how, particularly on the pcs/laptops, as everyone is into computers, but for the most part, I feel they're just "fetch/carry and process" the transaction monkeys nowadays.

Obviously, I'm writing this somewhat tongue-jammed-firmly-in cheek, but what say you, has the decline in service/expert' reached rock bottom. And, guarantees aside, it's not all designed to last, is it?

Mock-rant over.


nb- if there's anybody on here who works in these stores, then clearly I'm not referring to you of course, you're the exception!

[Blink]

I blame the training of these people myself,they are TOLD what to do and how to go about about it and the customer is the last person they are interested in,at the "end of the day" it is all commisioned based end of.

[TheRoadWarrior]

The commission is a problem.

[WillHay]

Same for all products. HMV don't seem to know much about the music or films they sell... HMV currently don't really seem interested in having stuff in stock, neither go Game. Twice in Game they've had boxes, but no game, and HMV are just a pitiful waste of time.

I don't get it. If I owned music stores, I'd make sure my staff knew exactly what they were selling so they could nudge customers into exploring new music. For example, if someone's buying an old Genesis album (Before they went pop) then try to point out they might like Gentle Giant (Before they went shit) and maybe Steve Hackett's solo work... And have the bloody stuff in stock.

I remember going into small shops in the 1990s and they'd ask what you were looking for and point out new stuff, or even have things labelled up giving hints as to whether you'd like them.

[christats]

Same for all products. HMV don't seem to know much about the music or films they sell... HMV currently don't really seem interested in having stuff in stock, neither go Game. Twice in Game they've had boxes, but no game, and HMV are just a pitiful waste of time.

I don't get it. If I owned music stores, I'd make sure my staff knew exactly what they were selling so they could nudge customers into exploring new music. For example, if someone's buying an old Genesis album (Before they went pop) then try to point out they might like Gentle Giant (Before they went shit) and maybe Steve Hackett's solo work... And have the bloody stuff in stock.

I remember going into small shops in the 1990s and they'd ask what you were looking for and point out new stuff, or even have things labelled up giving hints as to whether you'd like them.

In general terms, its lazy people providing for lazy customers. I don't mean in a work ethic way, as in chart stuff. It looks like there isn't enough call for less mainstream shops for films or music. Anyone who wants more will have to just do it on the internet.
I've been in 2 branches of HMV in the last couple of days. Looking at the blue cross sale.
Their prices, even with the 25% discount are similar to Amazon if your lucky, or still more. How long before HMV goes. A year at best ?

[TheRoadWarrior]

I bought a CD yesterday from HMV, under the blue cross sale deal, price was good, it had already come down by £2 then the blue cross was 25% off... for some reason, I tend to buy books and films online, but still pick up the occasional CD from HMV, for now...! I guess that means that I don't get too worried about the price.
It's a shame that everybody seems to believe they don't have to pay for music now, as the shop-model is a lot of fun, and having a physical package, booklet, cover, etc... but downloading appears to be threatening the existence of all physical copy, will we even have a DVD, CD biz in 109 years time?

It would be interesting to see if when folks have nothing but the CLOUD, whether/not that means that if your device (laptop,notebook, ipod, whichever....) melts down, or if the company who owns the music in the cloud changes hands, how you manage (via rightsd etc) to re-download your entire collection, or maintain permanent stores of music.. back up discs I guess? Or is it all throwaway now...

I still tend to prefer the control of the "physical copy, without having to go back to the CLOUD, or any streamer to get the download all over again, it still feels like its "theirs" and I don't fully own it.

[drterror666]

I still buy CD's, but online usually. The only things I download are games from Steam. I have nothing saved in the Cloud. Don't trust it.

[TheRoadWarrior]

Yeah, Doc, with you, to quote a line from The Outlaw Josey Wales.... we're the last of the hold-outs.

[drterror666]

All pumpkins together!

[TheRoadWarrior]

Yeah, we've retained our post-Halloween head plumage hey... I get stared at in the street wearing mine!

It's a good Avatar.