And what profitith Circuit City

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Best Buy, EW, and computers

I've probably bought a total of 6 computers at Best Buy (most on Black Friday), and all but the first have had the extended warranty. When I've needed service, it's been complete and the problem has been solved. Only once that I can think of did the problem happen within the first 6 months or so. IIRC, I've had problems with 3 or 4 of 6 'puters.

I just took my Insignia desktop in yesterday, and the EW ends 12/25. The tech said he would like to send it out for a thorough checkout instead of a surface diagnostic since it was so close to the end of the EW, as long as I'd backed up the info. I thanked him, and let him do it, letting him know I had my old laptop to use in the meantime.

So, now they have my desktop to repair, and when I get it back, I'll sell it to help pay for the new Vaio laptop. The Vaio, BTW, has a Square Trade EW on it, that was about 1/4 the cost of a store EW, and with a guaranteed time for repair/replacement! Now all I have to do is finish melding files!

Chuck
 
At Field's Oakbrook I worked in the Southeast corner of the store. It was a mens department called "The Answer Shop". I sold men's ties, Pendleton Shirts, Cashmere Sweaters, Cuff Links, Tie Clips, etc. I worked there from about September of 1969 to May of 1970.
It wasn't a bad place to work. I recall that the supervisors were pretty nice to the employees. I still remember those long form sales tickets, and of course asking each and every customer "Will you be taking this purchase with you, or shall we send it?" Marshall Fields's had a fleet of their own delivery trucks (Which closely resembled todays UPS delivery trucks) and they would deliver your purchase to your house the next day, for free! But the job paid for my early flying lessons out of Hinsdale Airport.
The last time I was in there, last year, the area is now Ladies Cosmetics. It was just adjacent to the escalators on the east side of the store.
On another note, last Christmas they were having a closeout on mens dress shirts. The tag in the collar of the shirt states "Marshall Field's" - Chicago in them. I bought a bunch of them. I won't be needing dress shirts for awhile. Whenever I wear them I get compliments about the color and fit.
Yes, Oakbrook is a very nice place to shop. But it doesn't seem to have the cache it once did. I don't know, maybe I'm older now.....
 
A class act.

Fields was a class-act. I love the, "Will you be taking this purchase with you, or shall we send it?" Whether it be the service or the actual product I bought, I always felt a little special after leaving the store.
I am not a Macy's person like 95% of the Chicagoans that I've run into. At brunch yesterday downtown we were opening our jackets and showing off our Marshall Fields logos and laughing ourselves silly. Tried and true Chicagoans we are!
Have a great holiday!
 
Hudson's guy here...

I used to love J.L. Hudson's, worked there for years. Always great products and services. I worked there at the time they combined to become Dayton Hudson's. Worked electronics sales for years then went into management. Customer service was always important. Items were always returnable. In sales we always knew what we were talking about when we explained things. We were big ticket but the other areas were staffed with knowledgeable people too.

In management I was required to make sure my people knew their products, the area was clean and presentable and customers were greeted promptly, something rare these days. I moved on to store level management and regional management and always key to my success was customer service. Customer service cards were handed out to shoppers and we stood or fell by those comments. Part of my job was to shop our stores where I was not know and report on them. Now most stores are almost like a supermarket, haul your stuff to a cashier, don't expect to be waited on.

In regards of Field's, I remember the excitement then "we" bought that chain. Dayton Hudson's had Target, Mervin's and then Marshall Fields. That was the high point. Soon, the Dayton stores and the Hudson's store were sold after Target became the company name, and then Hudson's became Field's and things went downhill from there. The company changed hands again before becoming Macy's. Now, when I walk into one of my former stores there is little of the original feel left. The staff is inept and hard to find, it's hard to spot a manager, and the merchandise selection is bland. Sad, I used to like retail, but there are fewer and few examples of good service today. This generation will never know what a good shopping experience they missed.

I guess part of me resents shopping and knowing more about the product I'm buying than the person selling it. Today you have to go in knowing what you want you certainly won't get any help from the salesperson. I hate to see chains close, with each passing there is less competition, less reason to excel, but many of the Comp USAs and Circuit City's don't deserve to survive.
 
the times I have bought things from Circuit city they have been good to me-a few times(the CC store in Marlow Heights MD)the salesman even delivored the equipment to my apartment and helpted me install it-speakers and turntable.Later in Greenville NC,bought my Hitachie TV from them and they delivored and installed it.And they showed me how to work it.The delivorymen were very knowlegeable and careful.Now these folks are Rifted under CC's stupid new policies-sounds like some higher up manager that came up with this should be canned.Bad idea-and bet the morale of the staff is at the very bottom.Why bother doing well?Why bother helping the customers?
 
Rex

You hit the nail on the head - why, indeed, bother helping customers. Managers have become so focused on screwing over the stockholders and employees that they have completely forgotten just exactly what their sole function is.
Fortunately, capitalism provides a solution: The jerks go bankrupt.
Unfortunately, they have their golden parachutes while the people who do the real work - the stockholders, employees and customers get stiffed.
Maybe it is because I run my own business, but my customer's needs are important to me. No satisfied customers, no profit, no repeat business to make more profit. Simple.
Guess that makes me one of those commie-pinko-hippies-etc.
 
I find it amazing the markup which must be on major applianc

You'd be surprised how little markup there is on an appliance. Now for the big boxes, they get a better deal then us small folks (unlike the auto industry where the playing field is level; ie. the small car dealer pays the same as the megasuperduper automall dealer). The only place there is a better markup is on the upper line/Stainless stuff. Other than that, it's paltry.

Kevin, if you were a "commie-pinko-hippy-etc" you wouldn't be allowed to have your own business or make/keep a profit, but you would have some bitchin' brownies!
 
Wasn't the markups higher on Hi-fi,camera,and other audio video gear?Thought markups on electronic products was very high.and on some brands the salesman got at higher commision pay when he sold that brand of product-and why salesmen were pushing the high commsion ones.guess that isn't done as much now.the removing of commsion pay in some cases now gives very lame salesmen.They don't want to help-unless you ask them-and practically send up a distress flare.Maybe there should be "Very" flare pistols at the entrances of these places to get salesmen attention.
 
Salespeople are very much of varing quality. A lot of the time I see the "disappearing" ones. If you need assistance, there are none to be found. And if you do by chance see one, they run away.
Most of the time I don't need assistance as I try to become knowledgable about what I need before I head off to the store.
But then again there was my camera purchase story, where the goods are hidden away and you must ask a salesperson for assistance. Then you are at their mercy!
 
My circuit city story

The last purchase I made there was back on Black Friday 2000 when they had Apex DVD players for $89, which I still have to this day. Since I have Verizon as my cell, and Circuit Cities have Verizon kiosks, I really only go to Circuit City when the contract needs to be renewed.
 
Disappearing sales staff

At one big-box retailer I found myself getting increasingly angry due to an absolute lack of staff and assistance. I finally determined that I would FIND THEM come h%ll or high water.
Absolutely true - I went behind a group of refrigerators and found them all having themselves a little break...
... And that is just one of the reasons why I patronize independents. When I needed a Maytag for the old house, the sales person greeted me at the door. Purchased Saturday morning - delivered Monday morning. You KNOW where I'm going to spend my money now.
 

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