Although Circuity City has
claimed that its employees are trained and well equipped to handle any questions you may have concerning the digital TV transition, we'd highly recommend taking any
advice sales pitches you receive in-store with a sizable spoonful of salt. According to new data from MassPIRG, sales clerks at Best Buy, Circuit City, RadioShack, Target and Wal-Mart "routinely gave inaccurate information about digital TV converter boxes and the government
coupon program" when questioned by undercover researchers. Rather than get into what schemes were used (hint: buying a new set was often suggested over picking up an el cheapo converter), here's an overview of the facts. First off, you won't even
be affected by the
cutover if you receive your local broadcast stations via any means
other than over-the-air. Secondly, all that's needed to convert digital OTA signals to signals that your analog set can digest is a (relatively) inexpensive
converter box. Lastly, we wouldn't even recommend paying full price for said box -- you know, considering that the government's
handing out $40 coupons to anyone who signs up
here. So yeah, next time you catch some young buck trying to push that pricey HDTV rather than actually help you out, feel free to put him / her in their place.
[Via
Electronic House, image courtesy of
StarBulletin]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Seattle Yonkers @ Feb 14th 2008 5:09PM
That picture is a tad disturbing.
Melvin @ Feb 14th 2008 5:13PM
I'm scared.
George @ Feb 14th 2008 5:17PM
Someone issue an Amber Alert.
Rubicon @ Feb 14th 2008 5:20PM
Is that employee a male or a female, and wtf happened to that woman's sleeve?
Curtis the Claw Game Master @ Feb 14th 2008 5:34PM
It looks like the best buy woman/man broke the customers arm
austin @ Feb 14th 2008 5:36PM
she looks like this:
http://ihasabucket.com/
Will H. @ Feb 14th 2008 5:38PM
That Big Box employee is like "I'd love to have you for dinner sometimes *NARR NARR NARR*"
Brent @ Feb 14th 2008 5:41PM
I'm actually having some fun with this picture.
1. The girl in gray may have potential if it wasn't a bad pic.
2. Why is it that all the employees are standing outside, while the door is clearly open?
3. I'm pretty sure the guy standing behind the two girls is flipping the camera the bird.
4. WHERE THE HELL DID ENGADGET GET THIS PICTURE? Trolling the BB myspace group?
Brent @ Feb 14th 2008 5:47PM
Curtis the Claw,
That's an employee too. Notice, 1) the telltale white pants 2) keys clipped to a belt loop 3) the same kind of water bottle as the other employee. I think what we have here is a classic "Hey we're going out drinking, come along! I'll twist your arm..." Ugly chicks do this to hot chicks all the time. It's like they think it makes them better looking by association, rather than uglier by comparison.
OK, I've officially spent WAY too much time looking at this picture.
spacegravity4me @ Feb 14th 2008 9:00PM
That pic has awkward moment written all over it.
Sponge @ Feb 15th 2008 4:36AM
Image description:
"Anna Fladrich and Mindy Tani joked around during last weekend's Best Buy employee mixer, Sundae Sunday. Companies in Hawaii and nationwide are finding events like this one increasingly important to retain employees in a tight job market."
http://starbulletin.com/2006/03/26/business/story01.html
bulk @ Feb 15th 2008 11:10AM
http://profiles.friendster.com/313037
Occupation:
RETAIL SUX
Nice...
chris gill @ Feb 14th 2008 5:11PM
I used to work at Circuit City and you don't get comission, I can almost gurantee it's the same for those other stores...
OneLove @ Feb 15th 2008 12:31PM
...if you can't spell it, you can't get it.
John @ Feb 14th 2008 5:12PM
By the way, Best Buy and Circuit City reps do not get commission. If they're misinforming people they're not getting their information right and should find it out. Same for you too engadget, get it right.
AH @ Feb 14th 2008 5:19PM
Thank you, John. You took the words right out of my mouth.
Curtis the Claw Game Master @ Feb 14th 2008 5:36PM
They don't get commission but if it's still the same as when I applied for the Geek Squad a couple months ago they do get rated for their sales. When I was getting interviewed the manager told me that they overhire and then drop the people that don't perform as well as the rest.
ScooterDe @ Feb 14th 2008 5:45PM
Ignorant gadget sales folk are a universal norm. In fact it's almost a necessity, with most gadgets providing low margins for the seller, the provision of information and service is usually seen as a cost than a competitive advantage. Those who provide advice get the foot traffic, but then the punters take their smarts and buy from a big-box retailer, or online.
What's missing in this story is a reality check on how many people are going to be conned. Perhaps, like many who flock to the showrooms, they don't expect knowledge, but might want reassurance? Some people might be sold a new set they could have avoided, but who doesn't want a new flat screen? That is certainly what the industry wants, and manufacturers are hoping that the switch to digital will be a bonanza. It also suits the government who will have to pay less in subsidies to wean everybody off that fat pipe of analog bandwidth.
OneLove @ Feb 15th 2008 12:34PM
so sales people who don't get commission are honest?
Joel Rose @ Feb 14th 2008 5:16PM
One issue I'm curious about with the transition is on-screen text. If content providers are creating content with HDTVs in mind primarily, what happens if someone views content with small text on a SDTV? Kind of a similar issue with the game Dead Rising on the Xbox 360. The text was impossible to read on a standard def TV because the designers didn't take standard def TVs into account when they did the fonts. I'll be interesting to see if we start hearing complaints from standard def owners after the HD switchover.
Christopher Vendemio @ Feb 14th 2008 5:19PM
The transition is to digital signals, not high definition.
Joel Rose @ Feb 14th 2008 5:21PM
Ah, gotcha- so both standard def and high def signals will still be broadcast- just in a digital format. I'm surprised I didn't know that. :)
DarkLightConnection @ Feb 14th 2008 5:21PM
But most digital signals will be HD...
I also have that problem when I connect my 360 to the SDTV, unreadable fonts...
Seattle Yonkers @ Feb 14th 2008 5:41PM
I had the same problem with Assassin's Creed on an SDTV. All of the mission objectives were written out in this teeny tiny font, making the game almost impossible. With HD adoption still under 40% you'd think game developers would use more readable fonts.
Sam Winter @ Feb 14th 2008 11:52PM
Who is playing an Xbox 360 on SDTV?? why not stick with a PS2? Assassins creed is a beautiful game, you do it no justice by playing it on a shit TV.
Boing @ Feb 15th 2008 4:22AM
sam
maybe we all aren't willing to spend £500 just to make a game look a bit better
kenny @ Feb 14th 2008 5:19PM
The only store that gets commission is radioshack I work for ccity and riping people of just to get the sale isn't me. Plus no commission. That and i think the stor is ganna go down cuz best buy sells MACs lol.
Allen @ Feb 14th 2008 5:20PM
I work at BestBuy, and I can certify we do not get commission. Hell if I did, do you think I'd be posting on Engadget? I'd be spending my time at the Porsche forums.
As far as employees not knowing about the boxes, obviously they did not talk to anyone at my store in Liberty, MO. I've known that if you receive cable or satellite you won't be affected and that all thats needed is the converter for OTA since.... 2006.
Who the hell did they survey, the newbies we carry at fluffers over the Christmas shopping season?
joe, @ Feb 15th 2008 1:11AM
No, most won't be HD. They will be SD but because its digital the appearance will be better than the old analog signal. Cause with digital you either have it or you have what looks to scrambled porn.
And as far as Radio Shack goes and its knowledge. They are "forced" trained on the subject.
John @ Feb 14th 2008 5:23PM
I'd blame the stores before the employees - as has been noted previously, BB/CC employees do not get commissions. However, the store does get more money on the bigger stuff, so I'd guess that they're just not training their employees on this issue. Best Buy isn't run by used car salesmen - yet.
tweak @ Feb 14th 2008 5:24PM
Best Buy employees don't get commission. They just don't want a supervisor or manager breathing down their necks because they're not trying to sell the top tier shit to pad their bonuses.
Nick @ Feb 14th 2008 5:35PM
dont forget the service plans... omg did my supervisors at Best Buy obsess over that
sprice82 @ Feb 14th 2008 5:31PM
I work at Geeksquad (its a good job for a 17 year old). Managers routinely ask me questions concerning this type of stuff, not to test me, but because they have no idea, I have to say though that most of the home theaters guys get this though..
Brent @ Feb 14th 2008 5:33PM
I'm amazed at how many people jumped to the defense of big box retail employees. A few of you on here is there?
It wouldn't surprise me to learn that BB/CC would take this opportunity to ask customers "Don't you think it's time you updated your TV?" rather than give the real goods on the switch. That said I also wouldn't be surprised to learn that there are idiots working at either of those stores.
ZeroCorpse @ Feb 14th 2008 6:22PM
Well, gee-- I mean, who would expect that if you walk into a retail STORE that SELLS high definition televisions for thousands of dollars, that if you asked them "Do I need a new TV?" they would answer in a way that might possibly result in a sale?
I mean, what do they think they are? Salespeople?
Best Buy and Circuit City are retail stores. It's their JOB to get you to buy something. If you give them a lead-in like "Do I need to get a whole new TV?" they will answer "YES!" because they want to sell you a TV.
They're not the ministry of information. They're not a non-profit charity that directs people on how to deal with the changeover. They're businesses, and when someone walks in and asks a salesperson "Do I need this?" the answer will almost always be "yes", whether it's a dishwasher, car, media player, or pair of jeans. It's a salesperson's job to sell things. It's NOT their job to say "No, you don't need this. Go get one for free at this web site."
Again, I'm really annoyed at the bloggers who seem to think that people in electronics retail are some sort of evil, misinformed mass. You try working a job like that, getting inundated with questions that range from the inane to the threatening, all the while being pressured by your job's definition to sell something, and try to come off looking like America's sweetheart.
I CHALLENGE every writer, editor, and reviewer on the Internet to GO GET A JOB WORKING RETAIL at a place like Best Buy or Circuit City. I dare you. Go during DECEMBER (when all these sorts of "polls" are conducted) and try to sort the wheat from the chaff on the week leading up to Black Friday.
I think most of these writers who bash Best Buy, Circuit City, and their employes are wimps who couldn't hack ONE WEEK in retail.
Brent @ Feb 14th 2008 7:40PM
WOW! Easy boy, easy. The article says the research showed WRONG information. There's no excuse for that. You can still sell something and give the right answers.
"Do I need a new TV?"
"No, you don't, but if your TV is old enough to need one of the boxes perhaps you might want to look at some of the new stuff that's out there. You'll get better picture quality and in a lot smaller package. Today's newer TVs aren't anywhere near the cost they were when they first came out. Depending on how big you're looking for a couple hundred rather than the couple thousand will get you a good set. If you don't want a new TV there is a website where you can request a voucher that'll get you $40 off. It doesn't come out of our pockets, there's no reason for me to recommend against."
"Wow, thanks, you've been really helpful and I might not DETEST SHOPPING IN THIS STORE!"
Shitty salespeople make me sick. Have a little pride and learn how to do your job right. It's not just about being able to make the sale. Don't ever come ask me for a job until you can do it right.
I can't believe that you would say that the bloggers wouldn't be able to hack it. (I'm almost certain some of them were retail employees) It's not a hard job. It's just that you think you're so superior and the customer must be stupid. Bad outlook man. You wouldn't last in my store. Not a week before I fired your ass. Strangely, less than you think a blogger could last in yours.
ZeroCorpse @ Feb 15th 2008 3:58PM
Who said I'm working retail now?
I'm just stepping up for the people who do. I think it's pretty shitty to dump on them all the time.
ZeroCorpse @ Feb 15th 2008 4:18PM
Oh, and by the way-- I wouldn't work *for* you. I'm management... And I've owned a few businesses as well.
So bite me.
I have an attitude in my writing because I get sick of seeing bloggers dump all over the people who bust their asses to deal with customers. I'm an excellent salesperson, and I DO NOT LIE, but I'm not going to tell people to leave my store and come back in a year when they need the product, either. If someone gives me an opening, I'll give them the CORRECT information, but I will also try to make a sale. I was in retail for almost twenty years, so please spare me your "hey buddy, lose the attitude" speech, because I've seen it all. When you've had a customer point a gun in your face in Detroit, you can lecture me about customer service skills under pressure. When you've had to fire 27 people a week after Christmas (against your will) because the corporate powers-that-be told you they weren't "aggressive enough", you can tell me about "shitty salesmen."
Which reminds me: You seem to forget that a lot of these big box stores will terminate people if they don't make enough sales. They're under a lot of pressure. Sure, it would be nice to just hang out and shoot the breeze with customers, but when these guys have a shitload of corporate muscle above them, and they're told that they need to make a certain number of sales or hit the bricks, they do what is necessary to ensure their survival.
I do not think ALL customers are stupid, but you're a liar if you say NONE of them are. I do not think I'm superior to customers. In fact, I'm taking the blogs to task for acting like THEY are superior. I'm not the one bashing people for doing their jobs.
No, I wouldn't want to work for you, or with you, because you seem to lack listening/comprehension skills, and you're probably that guy who operates under the (very) false premise of being the customer's bestest buddy, when in reality, they think you're just another salesman. You may smile, or give them a shit-ton of information and think you're being helpful, but what they're thinking is "When will this geek shut up and just tell me which TV is the best deal? I haven't got all day."
So I reiterate: BITE ME. Don't lecture me about retail. I've lived it, almost died doing it, and know it better than I know my own spouse. That doesn't mean I have to have any illusions about it, though. It DOES mean I think bloggers should cut retail salespeople a break. They're just doing their jobs, and don't deserve this shit.
Brent @ Feb 15th 2008 4:44PM
Meh, I listen and comprehend pretty well. There was nothing about your comment I missed. I worked big box too, it's where I got hired into my current job because the guy that owned the store I work in now was impressed. It was my numbers in this store that got me to the point of running it. The only times I haven't been the best seller in a store were when good friends and I were working side by side and I never really cared about being the best, so long as I was near my best. Nobody is number 1 all the time. I'll close a sale as quick as anyone else. Keep it simple stupid right? Grandma doesn't need to know how or why it works, but that doesn't mean she needs the very best, the very most expensive or the very highest margin either does it? I know my shit so I can make it easy for a customer, and it doesn't take me long at all to figure out what they're looking for. Ask questions, make strong recommendations and get the hell out of there. It really isn't hard at all. You make it sound so dramatic. I wonder at what it was that made a customer pissed enough to point a gun at you. I wonder what you have against capitalism and the fact that if 27 of your employees weren't good enough at their job they deserved to be fired. If you can't make the grade there is no reason to expect to keep your job. You ought to be embarrassed if you know retail better than your wife. She ought to divorce you simply for saying it.
Patuxentbball @ Feb 14th 2008 5:33PM
it's not an HD switchover, it's analog to digital OTA bgroadcasts. Any type of HD switch is YEARS away.
Patuxentbball @ Feb 14th 2008 5:38PM
that was @Joel Rose, and the comments system needs an overhaul.
Curtis the Claw Game Master @ Feb 14th 2008 5:35PM
They don't get commission but if it's still the same as when I applied for the Geek Squad a couple months ago they do get rated for their sales. When I was getting interviewed the manager told me that they overhire and then drop the people that don't perform as well as the rest.
Notos @ Feb 14th 2008 5:46PM
I have had this conversation so many times I actually am annoyed with it now.
mac @ Feb 14th 2008 7:54PM
Working over the summer at a Target, I had so many people ask me that I got sick of it already. To explain the difference between OTA switchover and their cable service not necessarily switching, digital vs. HD, what channels a new HDTV can actually get without a tuner box, why the company would want to give you one anyway. I got a lot of grateful older moms out of it, but it got tiring.
Karl Hackswell @ Feb 14th 2008 6:03PM
I personally have never liked Best Buy.
Sirocco @ Feb 14th 2008 6:39PM
ZeroCorpse, well stated. Ads or salespeople don't give "objective opinions", they will not "teach" you about anything. They give a sales pitch - nothing else should be expected.
Notos @ Feb 14th 2008 6:53PM
Where I work (wal-mart) everyday is a day of teaching for me. I do not up sell something just because. I also take the time to make sure they understand features and what not.
Ok here is one thing I am not objective about: Apple products. I just never will be. I hate them.
jperry2010 @ Feb 14th 2008 8:49PM
@ Notos
Apple products, eh? You said that you work at Wal-Mart, right? If I'm not mistaken, the only Apple products Wal-Mart sells are iPods. Nice attempt to make a jab at Apple, though.
Notos @ Feb 14th 2008 11:09PM
exactly. I wont recommend apple products at all. Even Ipods.
p.s. find a test wal-mart and tell me all the apple products you see are IPods.
Notos @ Feb 14th 2008 11:27PM
On other thing is I am from the belief that you shouldn't have to use software to movie music on to your mp3 player. I don't suggest Zunes either if that makes you feel any better.