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News: The Poor Guy Carrying in A Fry's Ad

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  1.  
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      CommentAuthorFrenchyFry
    • CommentTimeDec 23rd 2011 edited
     permalink
    It's kind of fun, to go to a Fry's store now a days.  
    Just walk over to the Laptops and pickup an Asus Zen, let's say.  
    Pick it up, and within seconds, a salesman will approach.  
    Then in the corner of your eye, you will see yourself, almost like a Target.  
    Then one after the other, approach you, and again, you can see them argue, over who approached you first.......  
    "My Customer, Well You walked away, NO I was there First"  
    All the time, a Customer ( CORPORATE READ HERE ) reads the Ad and after walking aimlessly through the Laptop section, with Ad in hand, finally finds what he came in for, and they get NO HELP at all, IGNORED ... ALL because YOU felt not to compensate a Salesman to HELP a customer. YOU CREATE BAIT AND SWITCH! IT is UNBELIEVABLE WHAT GOES ON IN YOUR STORES! You are setting up for a MAJOR lawsuit in California.  
    FRYS's Just pay the people who HELP People who come into Your Stores.
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  3.  permalink
    The other reason we ignore people holding the newspaper ad is that people looking for "deals" almost *never* buy the PSC, Norton, or any accessories. I feel bad for the customers, they have no idea why no one wants to help them with the item they saw in the ad. It must be bewildering because they know we get commission when we sell computers, and they want to buy a computer, so why won't we help them?  
     
    The best solution would be to stop selling products with negative GP. At least in our store, it just brings in Asian resellers and ghetto people with no money. Why try to attract people with no money? We're supposed to "upsell" them to a better (read: more profitable) computer, but that's tricky when the computer on ad is $100 less expensive than anything comparable. Let the deal seekers go to Newegg and Tiger Direct. Foot traffic would decrease, but the profits would stay the same if not increase.  
     
    Note to Fry's customers: If you really want to be left alone, just visibly carry around the ad and NO ONE will bother you. Sometimes customers get pissy because the salesmen ask them if they need help (with a dozen salesmen and two customers, all customers will be asked repeatedly if they need help). If you're "just looking", look online. Why drive and go through all the hassle of going to various retail stores when Google will tell you everything you need to know in minutes from the comfort of your own home?
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      CommentAuthorObiWan
    • CommentTimeDec 24th 2011
     permalink
    Great attitude there, Chris. There's a reason that Fry's the well deserved (bad) reputation it does.  
     
    While I don't agree with Fry's not paying commission on ad items and such to its salespersons, the attitude expressed by yourself is likely why "customers get pissy". It's also the reason many knowledgable customers avoid Fry's, and why Fry's attracts those that it does.
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      CommentAuthorFrenchyFry
    • CommentTimeDec 24th 2011 edited
     permalink
    Fry's should pay each and every Salesperson, that approaches a customer and sincerely helps them with their needs as a Positive shopping experience.  
    In no F***ing way should they be penalized for doing a price match.  
    How can a company $0.00 a commission for a salesperson following THEIR OWN POLICY?  
     
    The company will suffer, as many of people helped build it, watch its fall. I have no ill feelings, But what a shame Randy, you allowed Your Company to be ridiculed, and yet you have neglected and allowed many to leave who helped your company prosper.  
     
    So much with Fry's Customer Service....And Randy... That is the Key you promised, and yet it somehow got lost.
  6.  permalink
    I sold computers at store 7 (Fountain Valley ) for about 6 months this past year. I was completely disgusted by the non commission sale items. I spoke to the store management about it and they just blew me off. I could sell circles around 90% of the staff there but ultimately left out of frustration. Dealing with the Viet-Cong on a daily basis didnt help either.
  7.  permalink
    ObiWan: Great attitude there, Chris. There's a reason that Fry's the well deserved (bad) reputation it does.
     
    Obi, when I'm at work my goal is to make money. If a customer wants to buy something that makes me me no money, I will do my best not to sell it to them. We're not paid hourly, and the sale computers in the ad pay us $0. If Fry's paid me hourly wage, or even put $1 or $2 commission on the ad laptops, I wouldn't mind nearly as much.  
     
    It may surprise you, Obi, but I actually agree with you on one major point: go to Best Buy for computers. I bought a laptop from Best Buy and it was quite interesting (this particular laptop was, at the time, a better deal than I could have gotten at Fry's), almost a polar opposite of the Fry's experience. I stood there for at least 10 minutes comparing the laptops, examining them, deciding which one I liked best, while several people wearing blue polo shirts walked past, studiously ignoring me. Now, this didn't bother me because I know all about computers and I didn't need (or want) any help. When I decided which laptop to buy, I picked up the box and took it to the cashier. The extended warranty pitch was (literally): "Do you want to buy the extended warranty?" When I declined, the cashier said "oh okay" then I paid and left. The cashier didn't care much because she will get her hourly wage regardless of what I buy or don't buy.  
     
    For a customer who is less tech savvy or needs help though, Fry's is the better store. If I were a customer looking at the laptops at Fry's, I would have been asked if I needed help within *seconds* of entering the computer department. True, the salesmen will try to sell you on a more profitable laptop but most of them would at least try to make sure that the laptop suited the customer's needs.  
     
    FrenchyFry: Fry's should pay each and every Salesperson, that approaches a customer and sincerely helps them with their needs as a Positive shopping experience.  
    In no F***ing way should they be penalized for doing a price match.  
    How can a company $0.00 a commission for a salesperson following THEIR OWN POLICY?
     
    Because if Randy's not making money, you shouldn't either. This company is a joke.
    •  
      CommentAuthorskullywag
    • CommentTimeDec 24th 2011
     permalink
    Poor misguided Chris. Did your employment application list "money maker" as the job title? NO. EVERYBODY works to make money, Frys employees are not the first to discover this unusual idea. Fact is, no matter how your employer chooses to compensate you, your job is to help the customer.  
     
    Frys employees seem to concentrate on nothing BUT what pays commission, and who they can con into buying something that will pay them MORE commission. And that is why Frys is a sucky place to shop, and why you are a sucky employee.  
    The customer has abosutely NOTHING to do with why your employer screws you pay-wise. To treat a customer as a payroll target and not a human...is sh*tty to say the least.
  9.  permalink
    skullywag: Poor misguided Chris. Did your employment application list "money maker" as the job title? NO. EVERYBODY works to make money, Frys employees are not the first to discover this unusual idea. Fact is, no matter how your employer chooses to compensate you, your job is to help the customer.
     
    Yes, and if someone insists on purchasing the ad item, I will get it for them, write up a quote, etc because I have to.  
    Frys employees seem to concentrate on nothing BUT what pays commission, and who they can con into buying something that will pay them MORE commission. And that is why Frys is a sucky place to shop, and why you are a sucky employee.  
    The customer has abosutely NOTHING to do with why your employer screws you pay-wise. To treat a customer as a payroll target and not a human...is sh*tty to say the least.
     
    Imagine you're at a restaurant, a sit-down restaurant like Denny's or something. Now imagine you and your friends get seated, and you tell your server that you are NOT going to tip them, regardless of how well your server does at making sure your order is right, keeping your drinks refilled, etc. What kind of service can you expect? Yes, it's still the waiter's job to serve you but they know they will be doing it for free, so they will ignore you and focus on the people who might tip. Would they be a "shitty" server for ignoring you and focusing on the people who might tip? I don't think so.  
     
    Also, how is it a "con" to upsell? The worst we can do is recommend a product; the customer is free to purchase it or not. Is the person at McDonalds asking if you want to supersize your order trying to "con" you also? One time they asked if I wanted to supersize AND if I wanted an apple pie with my order. Those bastards were really trying to screw me over, I tell you what.
    •  
      CommentAuthorObiWan
    • CommentTimeDec 25th 2011
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    Chris_Tomkinson: Imagine you're at a restaurant, a sit-down restaurant like Denny's or something. Now imagine you and your friends get seated, and you tell your server that you are NOT going to tip them, regardless of how well your server does at making sure your order is right, keeping your drinks refilled, etc. What kind of service can you expect? Yes, it's still the waiter's job to serve you but they know they will be doing it for free, so they will ignore you and focus on the people who might tip. Would they be a "shitty" server for ignoring you and focusing on the people who might tip? I don't think so.
     
     
    There's a major flaw with you scenario/example - in the case of Fry's, the customer isn't aware whether you're making commission or not (and probably doesn't even know you're on commission in the first place). Skullywag is right - if your entire focus is on something that will pay you more commission, then that's what you'll push. Doesn't matter if it's the best choice of the customer - it only matters if it makes you commission. And he's right that's what makes Fry's a sucky place to shop (and work).
  11.  permalink
    ObiWan:There's a major flaw with you scenario/example - in the case of Fry's, the customer isn't aware whether you're making commission or not (and probably doesn't even know you're on commission in the first place). Skullywag is right - if your entire focus is on something that will pay you more commission, then that's what you'll push. Doesn't matter if it's the best choice of the customer - it only matters if it makes you commission. And he's right that's what makes Fry's a sucky place to shop (and work).
     
    Most, at least half, of them are aware we get commission but you are right: the customer does not know, nor should they care, about how much money I make from their purchase. The analogy was flawed, to be sure, but it was the best way I could describe what it's like for a salesman dealing with someone buying the advertised special. The ideal solution would be to keep the advertised stuff stacked on pallets on the sales floor so that customers can just grab it and go without much interaction.  
     
    When I say I'm out to make commission, I don't mean I try to hit them up for every last dime. I simply want a few dollars (ideally 5 or more) for my time and effort in answering their questions, getting the laptop out of the back and carrying it up to the front, and that sort of thing. For people like us computer shopping isn't intimidating at all because we know about computers. Every day I have customers who can't tell the difference between RAM and HDD, who think a laptop with a DVD-RW drive won't play CDs, who don't know the difference between WiFi and cellular 3g internet, etc, etc, etc. For these people, the advice of a knowledgeable salesman is invaluable.  
     
    I try my hardest to find a solution that fits the customers needs and also compensates me. Our commission is based on the profitability of the computer, not the price. If someone comes in looking for a computer that's not expensive, I'm more than willing to help them find one that fits their budget.  
     
    My job (like any other job) is not something I do for enjoyment, and I don't see anything wrong with being compensated for the stress and drudgery I go through. If this makes me some kind of thieving liar con man, then so be it. If you want to sell computers in the ad and answer questions for no money as a sort of community service, then come by the store and drop off an application. You can sell to the people looking for the good deal they saw in the paper, and I can sell to people who don't care about prices that much. We'd be a great sales team -- what do you say, Obi?
  12.  permalink
    The biggest determining factor in the way a customer is treated isn't "is it on ad". A lot of salesmen are okay with helping someone who's looking for the i7 at a great price. The thing that gets customers treated like garbage is when they're GARBAGE CUSTOMERS. No one cares about you when you're looking for that "329.99 POS that bearly runs windows". If customers could understand a sense of value instead of looking for the cheapest junk they can find, they'd be treated with respect. If they can't afford a laptop that functions on a basic level, they should save their food stamps for something that will at least benefit them.
  13.  permalink
    Guest: The biggest determining factor in the way a customer is treated isn't "is it on ad". A lot of salesmen are okay with helping someone who's looking for the i7 at a great price. The thing that gets customers treated like garbage is when they're GARBAGE CUSTOMERS. No one cares about you when you're looking for that "329.99 POS that bearly runs windows". If customers could understand a sense of value instead of looking for the cheapest junk they can find, they'd be treated with respect. If they can't afford a laptop that functions on a basic level, they should save their food stamps for something that will at least benefit them.
     
    I find it amusing when customers come in and say "THIS COMPUTER IS FOR MY 12 YEAR OLD!!" when I try to tell them that the $329 craptop on ad with a 1.2GHz AMD E250 will not be enough for adequate Windows 7 performance. Because kids definitely won't mind a slow computer.  
     
    I still don't care for making $0 sales though.
  14.  permalink
    True, but I still love the best of customers. "I want to play crisis 2 on this!" *points to the 299.99 celeron*
  15.  permalink
    And that's when I point them to the AMD C-50.
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      CommentAuthorGuest 8196
    • CommentTimeDec 28th 2011
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    There's a big picture to this besides "scamming" or"conning" a customer into buying a laptop or television that pays: This item has to satisfy their want orneed otherwise it'll be returned and all commission will be lost anyway. A good salesman can find that balance that meets this requirements and also pay them well; on other hand you have to agree that a stubborn customer walking in with the ad wanting to buy a laptop because it's the cheapest will not be a happy ending not because Frys is bad customer service but because the customer has made an irrational impulse decision that will not satisfy themselves.
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      CommentAuthorislandwank
    • CommentTimeJan 2nd 2012
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    The only reason company's put ads out there is to get people into the door and buy the products. Many companies get a limited stock of products, its not like Fry's or Walmart has unlimited stock. Some customers think they're the only individuals in this world and they're the only one buying an item. I'm sorry, but there are other individuals on this Earth that are looking for a good deal as well. You can't expect an employee just to whip out a wand and make the item appear. It is all about marketing and how to make the most money for the company, without braking rules.
  18.  permalink
    "I'm sorry, but there are other individuals on this Earth that are looking for a good deal as well." In reality, Fry's is doing the humane thing. selling junker laptops super cheap with a 15% restocking fee. In a lot of countries, once you buy something, it's yours and you cannot return it. By teaching people that when they buy complete junk it will cost them, maybe customers will realize 'oh wait, maybe I should do some RESEARCH and see what kind of items suit my needs, because that 149.99 laptop struggled running word...'. If i get one more person trying to get a tablet for 68 dollars that will run angry birds... I may need to blow my brains out... right after taking them down with me.
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      CommentAuthorObiWan
    • CommentTimeJan 4th 2012
     permalink
    Guest: In reality, Fry's is doing the humane thing. selling junker laptops super cheap with a 15% restocking fee..
     
     
    Seriously? You think it's ok that Fry's foists junk onto the public and advertises it as a "good deal"? Really?
  20.  permalink
    I personally do. Survival of the fittest, if you're dumb enough to waste your money, I'll gladly take it. People don't get rich by being uneducated.
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      CommentAuthorObiWan
    • CommentTimeJan 4th 2012
     permalink
    Guest: I personally do. Survival of the fittest, if you're dumb enough to waste your money, I'll gladly take it. People don't get rich by being uneducated.
     
     
    You sound like the perfect Fry's employee. Another reason friends don't let friends shop at Fry's.
  22.  permalink
    ObiWan:  
    You sound like the perfect Fry's employee. Another reason friends don't let friends shop at Fry's.
     
    You're right, Obi, you should have them go to Best Buy and pay $24.99 for a generic Dynex printer cable instead of the $1.99 that cable costs at Fry's (from one of our many no-name brands, I forget which one).  
     
    Also, Obi, you can just walk right past the receipt checkers (or "courtesy associates" as we call them inside Fry's - though I've never seen them do anything courteous). Unless you've stolen something, they can't touch you. They can ask to see your receipt (just like I can ask a customer to do the hokey pokey), but they can't make you.
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      CommentAuthorObiWan
    • CommentTimeJan 6th 2012
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    You're using printer cables as an example? Seriously? I'd hate to tell you now many times a Fry's drone has used that example here. Pretty lame. I seriously doubt that USB cables are a high demand item. Try again.  
     
    As to Fry's receipt checkers (we call them Door Nazi's), you're correct that they're not courteous. I've seen them create a line of customers waiting to exit by taking their time to check everything (reminds me of a TSA screening).
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      CommentAuthorskullywag
    • CommentTimeJan 6th 2012 edited
     permalink
    Chris_Tomkinson:
    ObiWan:  
    You sound like the perfect Fry's employee. Another reason friends don't let friends shop at Fry's.
     
    You're right, Obi, you should have them go to Best Buy and pay $24.99 for a generic Dynex printer cable instead of the $1.99 that cable costs at Fry's (from one of our many no-name brands, I forget which one).  
     
     
     
    Quite funny you should use cables as a price indicator. Frys is NOTORIOUS for pumping Monster cables on unsuspecting customers. I have personally been lied to countless times while browsing their TV aisles, and asked about certain models.... "You can't get TRUE 1080p without the Monster cable", "You're liable to get static in your picture if you use the cheap cables, I reccomend Monster cables", "If you don't get the Monster cable, you're gonna be replacing your HDMI cable constantly".  
     
    And I'm quite sure Frys does not sell ANY HDMI cable for $1.99 (which is what I pay for mine on eBay). Even tho the cheap cables have been proven to give the same picture quality as the $$$ brands.....it's not really about price, is it? It's about commission.  
    http://www.pcworld.com/article/203732/technologys_biggest_myths.html
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      CommentAuthort0rrent
    • CommentTimeJan 7th 2012
     permalink
    Well being it's a sell monster or get fired world at Fry's, are you surprised at the least Skully? I despise Frys and everything they do to employee's with a passion, but yes when it comes to cables (and you'll be amazed at how many printers get sold without a cable due to customers "insisting" they have a spare at home when they don't), and have to run out to buy one. Best Buy jacks the prices up on all cables big time versus Fry's.  
     
    And yes, if people are smart, they plan ahead and order the cables they need from monoprice.com and have it all ready for when they go buy their new tv/printer/etc.
    •  
      CommentAuthorskullywag
    • CommentTimeJan 7th 2012 edited
     permalink
    t0rrent: Well being it's a sell monster or get fired world at Fry's, are you surprised at the least Skully? I despise Frys and everything they do to employee's with a passion, but yes when it comes to cables (and you'll be amazed at how many printers get sold without a cable due to customers "insisting" they have a spare at home when they don't), and have to run out to buy one. Best Buy jacks the prices up on all cables big time versus Fry's.  
     
    And yes, if people are smart, they plan ahead and order the cables they need from monoprice.com and have it all ready for when they go buy their new tv/printer/etc.
     
     
    True. I'm not a big fan of Best Buy either....  
    At the Frys stores where I live, they don't have the selection of cables their dot com store has. I once was working on a pc out of town, needed a SATA cable, and HAD to go to Frys for one....cheapest I could get was $10 (Rip-Off)....and the damn thing was YELLOW!!! Crappy thing looked like a string of snot in my friend's UV lit case. I DID send my freind a UV-SATA cable replacement when I got home.
  27.  permalink
    ObiWan: You're using printer cables as an example? Seriously? I'd hate to tell you now many times a Fry's drone has used that example here. Pretty lame. I seriously doubt that USB cables are a high demand item. Try again.
     
    That's odd, I must help at least a dozen people a day with USB cables and the cable aisle is the busiest in the department. It's a pretty smart strategy though, because most of Best Buy's cables are from their private label Rocketfish and Dynex brands, which means that they cannot be price matched.  
    skullywag:  
    Quite funny you should use cables as a price indicator. Frys is NOTORIOUS for pumping Monster cables on unsuspecting customers. I have personally been lied to countless times while browsing their TV aisles, and asked about certain models.... "You can't get TRUE 1080p without the Monster cable", "You're liable to get static in your picture if you use the cheap cables, I reccomend Monster cables", "If you don't get the Monster cable, you're gonna be replacing your HDMI cable constantly".  
     
    And I'm quite sure Frys does not sell ANY HDMI cable for $1.99 (which is what I pay for mine on eBay). Even tho the cheap cables have been proven to give the same picture quality as the $$$ brands.....it's not really about price, is it? It's about commission.  
    http://www.pcworld.com/article/203732/technologys_biggest_myths.html
     
    I'm a computer salesman so I can't speak for the Audio/Video department, but none of us in computers try that hard to sell Monster. Mainly because $50 for an HDMI cable is absurd, and most customers know it. It's also harder, because we have the cheap cables from Atlona and Inland and all the other no-name brands right next to Monster. According to this Gizmodo article (http://gizmodo.com/268788/the-truth-about-monster-cable-part-2-verdict-cheap-cables-keep-upusually), the Monoprice cables did suffer some problems with 1080p video at longer cable lengths so the A/V salesman may not have been lying to you. But again, I'm not an audio/video expert.  
     
    I have seen HDMI cables go on sale for $1.99, and sometimes free after rebate, and we have them starting at $4.99 regular price which seems fairly reasonable.  
     
    Best Buy typically has very competitive pricing on computers and big ticket items, but all of their accessories are marked up to an absurd level.
  28.  permalink
    ok, i read a lot from here n i take everyone's point of view into account. i know who some of u are simply by the stuff you post. i have worked w some of you guys before and some that i still do.. this is my two cents to all;
    i work there cuz i love the product i sell. im not gonna say where and what i do but just know that what i sell is my hobby. i dont work for money. i actually come to work n know that some days i work are gonna be a lost to me ( owe money at the end of the day). however, i offer the best customer service to those that i talk to. i love talking about what i do, i do it for fun and i love to take in input from those that also practice the hobby/ profession. however, i feel your guys' pain when it comes to items on sale. not because it doesnt pay me any money,( i got plenty of it) but because of the usual type of people that buy Ad items are.. cheap, obnoxious, hard-head dumbasses that i would never would talk to. seriously, they annoy me. i rather lose a sale than deal w someone who is an idiot, no matter how much it pays. i been close to punching dumb asses, been sarcastic, even told some to go somewhere else. however, the problem here is that its tough times for everyone, even customers. its hard for someone to validate a 600 dollar item when that can pay for their rent/ mortgage. fry's is a business that is also in the market to make money, and by placing items in the ad and hoping that salesman will upgrade them is part of this economy. with all that being said, frys has to realize that a lost must be taken when compensating their employees. employees are an expense for the business, not an experiment to see which one survives the sales floor. expenses are made as an investment in the business. frys seems to have forgotten that. good sales people are hard to come by, and dedicated sales people are even more. my point here is, frys, pay your employees accordingly, for their work that keeps YOU in business. realize that sale items are just that and deserve the same amount of attention as other items. customers, petition frys to pay hourly cuz ultimately you are the ones getting fucked in the ass hard by our shitty customer service. including me.

    by the way, i hate people that only want the sale item and want the finest customer service from EVERYONE working in a 10 meter radius. im a people person but i am not a idiot's assistant.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGuest 3576
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2012
     permalink
    @ Guest 57454, I agree and disagree with you in a lot of ways. The people coming in for the cheapest thing possible are in fact... Idiots.. I hate every one of them, and I'll be happy to see them when their computer slows down in a year and they don't understand why. As for loving the product I sell? How can you love a pre-fab unit with a 280 watt power supply? Most of what I sell is junk. As a business IT, and a freelance technician up until I landed this pathetic job, I've seen the industry decline. The machines we both sell are total garbage. There's a 31% failure rate over the next 3 years projected over the computers we sell. Fact of the matter is cheap customers are dumb, but most of the OEMs are even dumber. Ditch the industry and find some place that isn't based out of china if you plan on selling anything worthwhile. I guess the moral of the story is let people like Obi whine, let people who work at this store stand up for values (which not all of us sales people have lost), let customers come in informed and uniformed, and let this industry continue it's downward spiral. Look up frys' plu # 6775155. You'll see what computers have come to. Either evolve and learn to create your own, or realize whatever I sell you is junk and accept that.
  30.  permalink
    Guest: Look up frys' plu # 6775155. You'll see what computers have come to. Either evolve and learn to create your own, or realize whatever I sell you is junk and accept that.
     
    LOL! We have the signage for that computer, but we never got any in, sadly. I don't think we ever will. It's like some kind of joke. How am I supposed to sell cardboard computers and Fanny Wang headphones with a straight face? What's next? A paper-mache tablet?  
     
    What gets me is the people coming in for the $77 Idea/Maylong/Sumas (or whatever garbage generic brand it is this week) tablet. They *always* get returned, and people act all hurt and surprised when I tell them that the tablet is a very nice paperweight. At least with the $299 ad piece laptop, you can check your Facebook and maybe even write a Word document. The cheap tablets are just unmitigated garbage.
  31.  permalink
    @guest 3576, i dont meant im in love with every single product.. some of that shit we sell is garbage. i meant it as in i like what i do because it is one of the few electronics that interest me as a whole. but ur right, shit out of china is shit. n im more than happy to tell a customer to save their money and get something better, even if it means no sale. i rather not sale a liability ( return) than a crappy sale.
    •  
      CommentAuthorskullywag
    • CommentTimeJan 12th 2012
     permalink
    People who come in looking for the cheapest item are idiots who deserve to be hated??? Classic Frys rationale. With all the b*tching, p*ssing, and moaning about the "need to make money" and how you're "not making any money" on this or that...I would think you might understand that SOME PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD ANYTHING BUT THE CHEAP ITEM. Do you arrogant little eggheads think the economy has affected only you? Are you the only one on a BUDGET? YOU are the only people that may be getting screwed pay wise? GROW UP. You have no right to question WHY a person wants the sale item. If they want it, they want it. You are not on a mission from God to sell people what they do not want.  
    The customer pays your salary. Screw him, and he will STOP paying your salary. The costomer has no say in what pays commission, and what does not, your EMPLOYER does. If you have a major chip on your shoulder about what you get paid, take it up with your employer...or QUIT. There are plenty of jobs out there that will pay you a decent hourly wage for work, and not challange your entegrity to make a dollar more than the guy working next to you.
  33.  permalink
    skullywag: People who come in looking for the cheapest item are idiots who deserve to be hated??? Classic Frys rationale. With all the b*tching, p*ssing, and moaning about the "need to make money" and how you're "not making any money" on this or that...I would think you might understand that SOME PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD ANYTHING BUT THE CHEAP ITEM. Do you arrogant little eggheads think the economy has affected only you? Are you the only one on a BUDGET? YOU are the only people that may be getting screwed pay wise? GROW UP. You have no right to question WHY a person wants the sale item. If they want it, they want it. You are not on a mission from God to sell people what they do not want.
     
    Skullywag, I know some people can only afford the $299 bargain basement special. But a lot of people try to save money and end up being miserable for it. Like my parents who buy the cheapest store brand trash bags and then get unhappy when they keep breaking open and spilling garbage everywhere. If they spent the extra dollar and got Glad or Hefty bags, they would be much happier. It's the same when people come in and buy the $79 cheap Android tablet and then return it (with 15% restocking fee!) two days later because it's junk.  
    The customer pays your salary. Screw him, and he will STOP paying your salary. The costomer has no say in what pays commission, and what does not, your EMPLOYER does. If you have a major chip on your shoulder about what you get paid, take it up with your employer...or QUIT. There are plenty of jobs out there that will pay you a decent hourly wage for work, and not challange your entegrity to make a dollar more than the guy working next to you.
     
    Under the current business model, SOME customers pay our salary. If you go in and buy the $299 laptop on ad with no extended warranty or attachments, you are not paying anyone's salary. Even if you buy a candy bar in the checkout line, it's still a net loss for the company. The guy who comes in and buys the $1000 gaming laptop with a 3 year warranty, Norton, bag, and printer *does* pay our salary. None of us would really miss the ad piece buyers, because they only buy the ad item with no attachments.  
     
    In all honesty though, Best Buy usually has better ad deals than Fry's, and the people there are paid hourly so they don't care which laptop you buy. Fry's should cater to people with money, and send the ad customers to Best Buy.  
     
    I understand it's not the customer's fault, and the customer should not be concerned with our wages. In our store, a lot of the people coming in to buy the ad laptops are foreigners sending it back to wherever they came from, or resellers, neither of whom buy anything profitable. It reminds me of another thread on here when they discontinued the motherboard/CPU combo deals in components, and you and Best Buy (the FrysForum poster) had an argument about whether or not this would reduce profits.  
     
    Basically, not all customers are equal. Just because you're giving the store money doesn't mean they're making a profit. It's not your fault that Fry's management is obstinate and retarded. The real problem is Fry's strict promote from within policy, which ensures that fresh ideas will never reach Fry's home office.
    •  
      CommentAuthorskullywag
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2012
     permalink
    Chris_Tomkinson:
    skullywag: People who come in looking for the cheapest item are idiots who deserve to be hated??? Classic Frys rationale. With all the b*tching, p*ssing, and moaning about the "need to make money" and how you're "not making any money" on this or that...I would think you might understand that SOME PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD ANYTHING BUT THE CHEAP ITEM. Do you arrogant little eggheads think the economy has affected only you? Are you the only one on a BUDGET? YOU are the only people that may be getting screwed pay wise? GROW UP. You have no right to question WHY a person wants the sale item. If they want it, they want it. You are not on a mission from God to sell people what they do not want.
     
    Skullywag, I know some people can only afford the $299 bargain basement special. But a lot of people try to save money and end up being miserable for it. Like my parents who buy the cheapest store brand trash bags and then get unhappy when they keep breaking open and spilling garbage everywhere. If they spent the extra dollar and got Glad or Hefty bags, they would be much happier. It's the same when people come in and buy the $79 cheap Android tablet and then return it (with 15% restocking fee!) two days later because it's junk.  
    The customer pays your salary. Screw him, and he will STOP paying your salary. The costomer has no say in what pays commission, and what does not, your EMPLOYER does. If you have a major chip on your shoulder about what you get paid, take it up with your employer...or QUIT. There are plenty of jobs out there that will pay you a decent hourly wage for work, and not challange your entegrity to make a dollar more than the guy working next to you.
     
    Under the current business model, SOME customers pay our salary. If you go in and buy the $299 laptop on ad with no extended warranty or attachments, you are not paying anyone's salary. Even if you buy a candy bar in the checkout line, it's still a net loss for the company. The guy who comes in and buys the $1000 gaming laptop with a 3 year warranty, Norton, bag, and printer *does* pay our salary. None of us would really miss the ad piece buyers, because they only buy the ad item with no attachments.  
     
    In all honesty though, Best Buy usually has better ad deals than Fry's, and the people there are paid hourly so they don't care which laptop you buy. Fry's should cater to people with money, and send the ad customers to Best Buy.  
     
    I understand it's not the customer's fault, and the customer should not be concerned with our wages. In our store, a lot of the people coming in to buy the ad laptops are foreigners sending it back to wherever they came from, or resellers, neither of whom buy anything profitable. It reminds me of another thread on here when they discontinued the motherboard/CPU combo deals in components, and you and Best Buy (the FrysForum poster) had an argument about whether or not this would reduce profits.  
     
    Basically, not all customers are equal. Just because you're giving the store money doesn't mean they're making a profit. It's not your fault that Fry's management is obstinate and retarded. The real problem is Fry's strict promote from within policy, which ensures that fresh ideas will never reach Fry's home office.
     
     
    Trying to have a conversation with you is like beating ones head against a brick wall. Shine on. You and Frys are a perfect match.
    •  
      CommentAuthorObiWan
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2012
     permalink
    Chris_Tomkinson: Fry's should cater to people with money, and send the ad customers to Best Buy.
     
     
    The reality is though - Fry's attracts the bottom feeders, and Best Buy seems to attract a higher end (smarter) clientele.  
     
    Chris_Tomkinson: It's not your fault that Fry's management is obstinate and retarded.
     
     
    Pretty accurate on that statement. It does beg the question though - why continue to work there when there are opportunities elsewhere.
  36.  permalink
    ObiWan: The reality is though - Fry's attracts the bottom feeders, and Best Buy seems to attract a higher end (smarter) clientele.,
     
    This puzzles me, because every day someone comes in with a Best Buy ad and they show me a computer in it and they ask "can you beat this?" and I have to say no. Fry's does offer a much better price on cables and accessories, but for computers they're usually higher than Best Buy, with older stock. I'm not sure if the same is true for audio/video and appliances, but it wouldn't surprise me. I guess the clean, modern, atmosphere of Best Buy scares them off and they think they'll get a better deal in a place that looks like a dump with half empty shelves full of dirty, beat up, opened boxes? It's a time warp, you step in the door and it's like 1985 in there with DOS systems and salesmen in (wrinkled, torn, and dirty) dress shirts and ties. Fry's is like a living museum exhibit of what computer stores used to be like. Even the website looks (and acts) like it's from 1998.  
     
    What amazes me most about Fry's is the merchandise. Often, I'll sell a customer a printer (or desktop) and, miraculously, we have it in stock so I go to the back and have to decide whether to bring out the unopened one that has been crushed and torn, or the one in the okay box that's clearly been opened and returned. Laptops are usually okay, but everything else is just destroyed. I've worked for other retailers, and never saw this problem, nor have I seen any crushed or torn boxes at Best Buy.  
     
     
    Pretty accurate on that statement. It does beg the question though - why continue to work there when there are opportunities elsewhere.
     
    I can't seem to find anything that would pay as well for the amount of work I do. The money is not that bad for retail (about $11 an hour for bottom feeders, top salesman makes about $20 an hour, I'm nowhere near top sales, but not I'm not at the bottom either), but I'm getting sick of the stress though and I would like to get a "real job". Do you have any suggestions for getting a "real job"? Even most entry level positions seem to want a degree and experience.  
     
    I'm not averse to getting a degree, and I do in fact have about 30 credit hours of college. I just don't want to put a bunch of time and money into something that won't get me anywhere. Some of my co-workers at Fry's have degrees (from real colleges too, not the sleazy for-profit ones you see on daytime television) and they're not doing much better than me career-wise. Do you think getting an A+ certification would help any? If it's as easy as it seems to be, then it can't mean much as a credential. I would like to go into IT or accounting. I'm just skeptical of the claim that once you have a degree everyone will be beating a path to your door to give you a high paid cushy job. I've seen too many people with bachelors and masters degrees in retail.  
     
    Also, Skullywag, if you think I'm unpleasant, you should meet the top salesmen in my store.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGuest 3576
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2012
     permalink
    Skullywag, people who are impoverished don't deserve to be hated. The uneducated do. If you're planning on buying a computer, either do your research or expect something that sucks. I don't walk into work wondering how I'm going to rip off the next customer. If they find a $350 dollar I3, I'm okay with selling them that. But when there's an I3 for $350, and the AMD C60 is $329, They deserve the garbage they're buying. If you're cheap (not a value customer, but cheap), expect to be hated.
    •  
      CommentAuthorskullywag
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2012
     permalink
    Guest: Skullywag, people who are impoverished don't deserve to be hated. The uneducated do.
     
     
    Still disagree with you chris...When I ask a Fry's salesman a technical question, that I already know the answer to, only to see the "deer in the headlights stare" or receice a total B.S. answer he made up on the spot.... I don't HATE him...uneducated as he may be.  
    When I walk into a store, I know EXACTLY what I want...but sometimes can't help but yank the salesperson's chain. I have encountered quite a few Fry's employees that know ca-ca about what they are selling.
  39.  permalink
    skullywag:
    Guest: Skullywag, people who are impoverished don't deserve to be hated. The uneducated do.
    Still disagree with you chris...When I ask a Fry's salesman a technical question, that I already know the answer to, only to see the "deer in the headlights stare" or receice a total B.S. answer he made up on the spot.... I don't HATE him...uneducated as he may be.  
    When I walk into a store, I know EXACTLY what I want...but sometimes can't help but yank the salesperson's chain. I have encountered quite a few Fry's employees that know ca-ca about what they are selling.
    I think you meant to reply to Guest 3576, but I'm sure there are quite a few Fry's employees who know little about what they sell. A lot of people take the job because it's a job, but they have no interest in technology. For merchandisers (the people who stock shelves and clean up), it's not a big deal but anyone whose badge says "sales" should know what's in their department. If a customer asks me something I don't know the answer to (not often, but it happens - no one knows everything), I will tell them I don't know and refer them to the associate who is most likely to know. But some people feel embarrassed about not knowing.  
     
    You could go to any specialty retailer though and do the same thing. I'm sure a lot of people at, say, Petsmart don't know or care about pets, and there are people at Home Depot who don't know about home improvement stuff, etc.
  40.  permalink
    @chris.. ur right, n it actually has to do with the change in management. there is this arabian ASM that will not be named..*cough* Alfons. that began the whole ordeal w putting numbers on the floor, not quality employees. his method work. but ever since, we've had soo many ppl go thru our dpt with no luck of a future at frys. before, it would take time to train an associate, heck.. i got interviewed and QUIZZED on the product. not just the product itself but the stuff we carry. not anymore. w that kind of philosophy (numbers over quantity, there is gonna be a major downgrade in customer service. heck, one of my coworkers just got let go cuz of numerous negative tell randy things. he didnt think he was doing anything more unethical than frys.
    it all starts w the pay system. happy employees means happy customers. bottom line
  41.  permalink
    Guest: @chris.. ur right, n it actually has to do with the change in management. there is this arabian ASM that will not be named..*cough* Alfons. that began the whole ordeal w putting numbers on the floor, not quality employees. his method work. but ever since, we've had soo many ppl go thru our dpt with no luck of a future at frys. before, it would take time to train an associate, heck.. i got interviewed and QUIZZED on the product. not just the product itself but the stuff we carry. not anymore. w that kind of philosophy (numbers over quantity, there is gonna be a major downgrade in customer service. heck, one of my coworkers just got let go cuz of numerous negative tell randy things. he didnt think he was doing anything more unethical than frys.  
    it all starts w the pay system. happy employees means happy customers. bottom line
     
     
    He ran Customer Service into the ground. So they made him ASM.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGuest 3576
    • CommentTimeJan 16th 2012
     permalink
    @skully, I don't just hate uneducated customers. I hate uneducated people in general. People shouldn't apply for a sales job unless they have a VERY thorough understanding of the items they're selling. I wouldn't go sell cars if I didn't understand the difference between a steering wheel and a hood. But people still do it. I guess the lesson for everyone is that if you're an uneducated customer. And if you're an uneducated worker, you're an idiot. Fry's has a way of hiring the least qualified people to sell the least qualified machines at the least qualifying prices. For those out there who do their research and find a good deal, good job. For those that see a laptop for 299 and think they found a good deal. I'm glad to see you waste your money. (and skully, I don't mind your opinions, but please realize that there are a [albiet a select few] people at Fry's who know their shit. And we love to see stupid people waste money like retards. We're there to make a living, but the entertainment makes up for the lack of income from cheap people.)
    •  
      CommentAuthort0rrent
    • CommentTimeJan 18th 2012
     permalink
    All this talk reminds me of when I was in computers as both accessory sales (glorified stockman) and telesales and every salesman would come to me to help close a deal then try to weasel out of kicking part of the commission to me. Made my day when I became sales and told them unless it's a 50/50 split they are on their own. Probably explains why they tried to steal my customers before I transferred to service.
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