Why does Radio Shack make me feel like a criminal?
Why is it that every time I go to Radio Shack, I leave feeling like I'm a criminal? I ended my three-year boycott of the store yesterday (because of the way I was treated the last time I was there), out of desperation.
I needed an RCA-to-mini plug adapter to test a microphone system for the puppets. Simple enough, right? I went into the store, know exactly what I wanted. I managed to navigate to the wall they kept the cables and adapters on and started looking. Within seconds, a clerk showed up and practically stood on the same ground I was standing on.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Yeah -- I'm looking for an RCA to miniplug adapter."
She looked at me with the blankest expression I've ever seen. "An... RCA what?"
How can you work at Radio Shack and not know what an RCA plug is?! It's like the most basic of cable attachments. You pretty much have a mini plug, a microphone jack or an RCA plug on the back of any piece of stereo equipment manufactured within the last 30 years!
Anyway, I turned and there it was. "Oh, here it is," I said, as I grabbed one off the hook. I started to walk to the register and she tailed me. Then, I realized I wanted a different adapter as well, and turned back to the wall. I swear, within seconds, she was right there in my face again. I got the impression she was there to make sure I wasn't about to shoplift something.
Finally, I got out of there for $17 (three adapters and a 9-volt battery... what a deal). I felt like I couldn't find what I wanted, the staff knew nothing and I was overcharged. What kills me is this was the exact same treatment I received the last time I was at Radio Shack three years ago... and it was a different location and different clerk! This can only lead me to believe this is part of the training process for all Radio Shacks.
I guess it'll be another three years before I darken their doors again. Either that, of I'll go to Best Buy.
I needed an RCA-to-mini plug adapter to test a microphone system for the puppets. Simple enough, right? I went into the store, know exactly what I wanted. I managed to navigate to the wall they kept the cables and adapters on and started looking. Within seconds, a clerk showed up and practically stood on the same ground I was standing on.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Yeah -- I'm looking for an RCA to miniplug adapter."
She looked at me with the blankest expression I've ever seen. "An... RCA what?"
How can you work at Radio Shack and not know what an RCA plug is?! It's like the most basic of cable attachments. You pretty much have a mini plug, a microphone jack or an RCA plug on the back of any piece of stereo equipment manufactured within the last 30 years!
Anyway, I turned and there it was. "Oh, here it is," I said, as I grabbed one off the hook. I started to walk to the register and she tailed me. Then, I realized I wanted a different adapter as well, and turned back to the wall. I swear, within seconds, she was right there in my face again. I got the impression she was there to make sure I wasn't about to shoplift something.
Finally, I got out of there for $17 (three adapters and a 9-volt battery... what a deal). I felt like I couldn't find what I wanted, the staff knew nothing and I was overcharged. What kills me is this was the exact same treatment I received the last time I was at Radio Shack three years ago... and it was a different location and different clerk! This can only lead me to believe this is part of the training process for all Radio Shacks.
I guess it'll be another three years before I darken their doors again. Either that, of I'll go to Best Buy.
posted by Steve Troop @ 1:03 PM
8 Comments:
At 4:31 PM,
Anonymous said…
Cyberguys.com - If they don't have it, I don't need it.
At 4:10 PM,
Anonymous said…
My younger brother used to be a radio shack manager for a time. All of the employees are on some sort of commission based incentive program, so they will be in your face and follow you because if the sale that is made is connected to them, they make more money. Even a sale like your purchase, where you knew what you wanted and grabbed it yourself with out any help from the sales clerk would have counted on her sales slip because she was the one who asked you if you needed help.
At 9:31 AM,
Anonymous said…
The thing I hate is when they ask for your phone#, email, address…..pet name, blood type, first of kin……
At 12:58 PM,
Anonymous said…
Everyone I know who applied to work there who actually knew anything was turned away as overqualified. They seem to want people who don't know anything, combined with all being on commission it makes for a place I don't darken the door of except to window shop, and seldom at that. Frankly I generally do my store shopping at Frys. The staff may not know anything, but at least they have decent prices and a good variety.
At 10:29 AM,
CrustyJoe said…
Yea... I get the same treatment too. I know I can go to an online store and find anything I need, but I hate paying $5.00 in shipping for a $2.00 doo-dad. They also seemed to have stripped their inventory a little as of late, getting harder to get the really odd stuff there anymore. Which is why I used to love the place growing up.
At 6:36 PM,
Anonymous said…
ditto to all the above, they tend to be morons. I wish I had been around for the days when you had to actually build a Radio to work there. The little tiny places are great though
At 8:58 PM,
Anonymous said…
My town has one of those tiny little places in which two guys who've always been there are still there and know every damned item in the store. It's nice, but yes, still expensive.
At 4:25 PM,
Anonymous said…
Guys,
Let me throw a perspective from the other side of the fence at you. I work at a RadioShack. I know what a mini plug, RCA, toslink, BNC, F, RJ11, RJ59, HDMI, component, composite, TNC, SMA, reverse-SMA, etc connector is. I know what an ethernet cable is as well. I do not trail people around like toilet paper on a shoe when they just want to look at parts and connectors, but I am there to answer questions if they have any.
Oh, and to the idiot who implied that the associate did that because "even a $17 sale counts", you're completely mistaken. A $17 sale is well below the average ticket and hurts your numbers. The commission you would earn on it is about 8 cents. Probably just a dumb newb.
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