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:rotflmao: Great story, GM!! I love the tirade you went on.I, too, hate Best Buy with a passion.
I don't know if it is just me, but their customer service has just sucked a fatty whenever I've been in there. For years, I have pledged to never go there if I can get what I want somewhere else. In fact, I don't mind going out of my way and paying more to do so, just so it means I didn't give Best Buy my $$$.
It's a modified form of it. They splash this 47 inch TV on the front page of a full color circular with a big red $999.00!!! on it, then have 35 TV's to sell over two states? They did just enough to coax you in under the belief you could get this TV, then when you're in there can sell you a similar version that's just a little more expensive.If it wasn't a bait and switch, they'd allow you to purchase the TV at the 999.00 price on a rain check.
Sorry, I thought you were referring to Best Buy. In mnost states, if they do not offer rainchecks, they have to state, on their flyer or circular, how many each store will have in stock, or at least an average of the item each store will have.
I guess maybe I missed something, but I was thinking the same thing too. Best Buy did nothing wrong in your story, it was the other store that was trying to get people in the door with a cheap deal and then only ordering a limited number (which will obviously sell out), and then they point you to the "next best" item which costs more. That other store was the one at fault.For the record I like Best Buy, I have bought a ton of stuff from them and never had a problem. (but then again I like Target and Walmart too) I think what they did to GM is sad, but it just is a reflection on the type of society we live in where the law abiding are punished because of the scam artists out there. I think if you want to have fun (and are bored) look at your Sunday ads, select 5 items, and just (mentally) see how much you could make in just acouple of hours of buying at one store and returning to another.
Where are you located?Do you have a website?
Do you mind a little poop on it?
yeah, if you have a website, you might have just earned another customer for life...assuming you don't screw me out of 8 dollars one day
Why? Did you shove it up the Best Buy manager's ###?
I just think Best Buy's "promise" of beating the best price out there is smoke. You need to basically scour the ads on Sunday morning and then hightail it to the store first thing Sunday morning. That's not really what I'd consider truly representing yourself as the place that has the best prices. It's someone that says "We'll beat the best price out there, if we HAVE to. But you have to jump through hoops and all beat the loopholes we have in place first."Bernie's was the bait and switch joint.
Well what was your sister's price structure? What was her return policy? Our days of wishing for mom and pop's ignore the many problems in those stores. And in my experience, for every good mom and pop that goes under, you had three knuckleheads that were unwilling to adjust to the big corporate monster in their midst. I know they can better afford loss leaders and other gimmicks to bring foot traffic into the store, but most mom and pops do have the advantage of being the established vendor in town. That is unless they've already pissed off the local base and driven them away. Mom and Pops need to bring something to the table other than being local. I can try to patronize them all I want, but if I can't get a new release for a month, and I'll pay three times as much for it whe I get it, well life isn't short and it isn't a charity. Most have turned to porno, and that would be fulfilling a need not met by the big guys. As for the other Mom and Pops, I'll support them the best I can, but business is Darwinian. If you can't compete, don't look for a consumer subsidity of mercy.This topic really pushes my buttons. I could give you a few dozen similar stories of where some "big name" store screwed me over. But the fact of the matter is that it's nobody's fault but OUR OWN. The mom and pop stores are gone because we sold our souls to the "big corporations". About 10 years back my sister owned a very profitable small electronics store. Profitable that is, until "Best Buy" and "Circuit City" came to town. They were out of business within a year because they just couldn't compete with the big guys. Saw the same thing happen to our small town video store - "Hollywood Video" came into town and sold video rentals for $1. The "mom and pop" video store went out of business in 3 months and then Hollywood changed their video rentals to $3. This has happened all across America. So what do we have now? Nothing but the same old stores EVERYWHERE you go. The malls look almost identical everywhere you go - Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, Radio Shack, Best Buy, Wal-Mart (the WORST of them all). Personal service has been replaced with "corporate policies" that take common sense and throw it out the door because when you enter a store now, the "owner" is no longer there. The "owner" is some big, fat, rich, CEO who sets "corporate policies" and only looks at numbers (instead of customers) to determine how successful his business is.I'm not saying that you can't go to Olive Garden for dinner or Home Depot once in a while but when you constantly give your money to these big "super saver stores" and then expect fantastic customer service - Sorry your living in a dream world. WE made this bed, guess what? WE have to lie in it also. Maybe when we are all handing out friggin "smiley" stickers at Wal-Mart for minimum wage, then maybe somebody will get it... doubt it though......
I calling BS on this. If her pricing was better and her service was better, she'd still be in business. I find some of the crappiest service at Mom & Pop stores (and some of the best). Maybe it's from years of sitting on their butts when they were the only game in town. Bottom line is that change happens and people who don't or refuse to recognize this will go under. The small stores need to carve out their own niche...high-end product, used product, deliver it to your door, free installation.LOL! My sister's price structure and return policy had absolutely NOTHING to do with why they went under. They were very successful until the corporate monster came into town and gobbled them up. They just didn't have the same capital as the "big boys".I'm not saying the big stores are all bad, the only point I'm trying to state is that on the average (not in all situations) you're going to lose common sense customer service in a big corporate store.Well what was your sister's price structure? What was her return policy? Our days of wishing for mom and pop's ignore the many problems in those stores. And in my experience, for every good mom and pop that goes under, you had three knuckleheads that were unwilling to adjust to the big corporate monster in their midst. I know they can better afford loss leaders and other gimmicks to bring foot traffic into the store, but most mom and pops do have the advantage of being the established vendor in town. That is unless they've already pissed off the local base and driven them away. Mom and Pops need to bring something to the table other than being local. I can try to patronize them all I want, but if I can't get a new release for a month, and I'll pay three times as much for it whe I get it, well life isn't short and it isn't a charity. Most have turned to porno, and that would be fulfilling a need not met by the big guys. As for the other Mom and Pops, I'll support them the best I can, but business is Darwinian. If you can't compete, don't look for a consumer subsidity of mercy.This topic really pushes my buttons. I could give you a few dozen similar stories of where some "big name" store screwed me over. But the fact of the matter is that it's nobody's fault but OUR OWN. The mom and pop stores are gone because we sold our souls to the "big corporations". About 10 years back my sister owned a very profitable small electronics store. Profitable that is, until "Best Buy" and "Circuit City" came to town. They were out of business within a year because they just couldn't compete with the big guys. Saw the same thing happen to our small town video store - "Hollywood Video" came into town and sold video rentals for $1. The "mom and pop" video store went out of business in 3 months and then Hollywood changed their video rentals to $3. This has happened all across America. So what do we have now? Nothing but the same old stores EVERYWHERE you go. The malls look almost identical everywhere you go - Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, Radio Shack, Best Buy, Wal-Mart (the WORST of them all). Personal service has been replaced with "corporate policies" that take common sense and throw it out the door because when you enter a store now, the "owner" is no longer there. The "owner" is some big, fat, rich, CEO who sets "corporate policies" and only looks at numbers (instead of customers) to determine how successful his business is.I'm not saying that you can't go to Olive Garden for dinner or Home Depot once in a while but when you constantly give your money to these big "super saver stores" and then expect fantastic customer service - Sorry your living in a dream world. WE made this bed, guess what? WE have to lie in it also. Maybe when we are all handing out friggin "smiley" stickers at Wal-Mart for minimum wage, then maybe somebody will get it... doubt it though......
Off my rocker? I DO see some Mom and Pops able to survive and thrive in the face of the monolyths. You sister and ANY mom and pop do not have a divine right to stay in business. You sister obviously identifyed a market whenever she decided to open her store and was able to flourish until competition arrived in town. Now, I don't know you, your sister or her store, but I think I can infer a reasonable guesstimate that she must have been doing something VERY wrong to let even one of these giants sink her in a year's time. And I don't expect you to criticize your flesh and blood, but how do YOU know it wasn't her customer service or lack of competitive pricing that sank your sister? Would you really expect one of your friends to come up to you and tell you how much her store stinks?Too often Mom and Pops will piss and moan that their monopoly has been sunk and woe is me, and how will we compete? And some get out there and find a way. They will decrease their profit margins. A small profit is better than no profit, right? If Best Buy is selling CD's for 12 bucks, than a mom and pop has to be stupid, arrogant or ignorant to sell the same product for 18 bucks. No amount of customer service in the world is worth a 50 percent markup. They want to sell for 14 bucks, I'll consider it, and they will still make a small profit on the deal. And on up the food chain of electronics and all goods. Get busying selling or get busy closing.You're calling BS on a situation you know nothing about. You questioned her customer service and pricing? Customer service in their store was outstanding - anything extra they could do for their customers they did. Pricing? - You're absolutely right - their prices weren't as competitive as Best Buys and Circuit City's - That's my whole point! - There's NO WAY for a small time business to compete and give the same prices as a big corporation that can buy in large quatntities and sell for a reduced price. The main point of my original post wasn't to discuss my sisters situation ( I just used it as ONE example). The whole point of my post is to show that Customer Service is not what drives people from one business to another - it's usually price. Anyone who thinks that some family could open up a small store next to one of the "big boys" and compete is off their rocker!I calling BS on this. If her pricing was better and her service was better, she'd still be in business. I find some of the crappiest service at Mom & Pop stores (and some of the best). Maybe it's from years of sitting on their butts when they were the only game in town. Bottom line is that change happens and people who don't or refuse to recognize this will go under. The small stores need to carve out their own niche...high-end product, used product, deliver it to your door, free installation.LOL! My sister's price structure and return policy had absolutely NOTHING to do with why they went under. They were very successful until the corporate monster came into town and gobbled them up. They just didn't have the same capital as the "big boys".I'm not saying the big stores are all bad, the only point I'm trying to state is that on the average (not in all situations) you're going to lose common sense customer service in a big corporate store.Well what was your sister's price structure? What was her return policy? Our days of wishing for mom and pop's ignore the many problems in those stores. And in my experience, for every good mom and pop that goes under, you had three knuckleheads that were unwilling to adjust to the big corporate monster in their midst. I know they can better afford loss leaders and other gimmicks to bring foot traffic into the store, but most mom and pops do have the advantage of being the established vendor in town. That is unless they've already pissed off the local base and driven them away. Mom and Pops need to bring something to the table other than being local. I can try to patronize them all I want, but if I can't get a new release for a month, and I'll pay three times as much for it whe I get it, well life isn't short and it isn't a charity. Most have turned to porno, and that would be fulfilling a need not met by the big guys. As for the other Mom and Pops, I'll support them the best I can, but business is Darwinian. If you can't compete, don't look for a consumer subsidity of mercy.This topic really pushes my buttons. I could give you a few dozen similar stories of where some "big name" store screwed me over. But the fact of the matter is that it's nobody's fault but OUR OWN. The mom and pop stores are gone because we sold our souls to the "big corporations". About 10 years back my sister owned a very profitable small electronics store. Profitable that is, until "Best Buy" and "Circuit City" came to town. They were out of business within a year because they just couldn't compete with the big guys. Saw the same thing happen to our small town video store - "Hollywood Video" came into town and sold video rentals for $1. The "mom and pop" video store went out of business in 3 months and then Hollywood changed their video rentals to $3. This has happened all across America. So what do we have now? Nothing but the same old stores EVERYWHERE you go. The malls look almost identical everywhere you go - Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, Radio Shack, Best Buy, Wal-Mart (the WORST of them all). Personal service has been replaced with "corporate policies" that take common sense and throw it out the door because when you enter a store now, the "owner" is no longer there. The "owner" is some big, fat, rich, CEO who sets "corporate policies" and only looks at numbers (instead of customers) to determine how successful his business is.I'm not saying that you can't go to Olive Garden for dinner or Home Depot once in a while but when you constantly give your money to these big "super saver stores" and then expect fantastic customer service - Sorry your living in a dream world. WE made this bed, guess what? WE have to lie in it also. Maybe when we are all handing out friggin "smiley" stickers at Wal-Mart for minimum wage, then maybe somebody will get it... doubt it though......
Well my BS call was correct according to your own words...You're calling BS on a situation you know nothing about. You questioned her customer service and pricing? Customer service in their store was outstanding - anything extra they could do for their customers they did. Pricing? - You're absolutely right - their prices weren't as competitive as Best Buys and Circuit City's - That's my whole point! - There's NO WAY for a small time business to compete and give the same prices as a big corporation that can buy in large quatntities and sell for a reduced price. The main point of my original post wasn't to discuss my sisters situation ( I just used it as ONE example). The whole point of my post is to show that Customer Service is not what drives people from one business to another - it's usually price. Anyone who thinks that some family could open up a small store next to one of the "big boys" and compete is off their rocker!I calling BS on this. If her pricing was better and her service was better, she'd still be in business. I find some of the crappiest service at Mom & Pop stores (and some of the best). Maybe it's from years of sitting on their butts when they were the only game in town. Bottom line is that change happens and people who don't or refuse to recognize this will go under. The small stores need to carve out their own niche...high-end product, used product, deliver it to your door, free installation.LOL! My sister's price structure and return policy had absolutely NOTHING to do with why they went under. They were very successful until the corporate monster came into town and gobbled them up. They just didn't have the same capital as the "big boys".I'm not saying the big stores are all bad, the only point I'm trying to state is that on the average (not in all situations) you're going to lose common sense customer service in a big corporate store.Well what was your sister's price structure? What was her return policy? Our days of wishing for mom and pop's ignore the many problems in those stores. And in my experience, for every good mom and pop that goes under, you had three knuckleheads that were unwilling to adjust to the big corporate monster in their midst. I know they can better afford loss leaders and other gimmicks to bring foot traffic into the store, but most mom and pops do have the advantage of being the established vendor in town. That is unless they've already pissed off the local base and driven them away. Mom and Pops need to bring something to the table other than being local. I can try to patronize them all I want, but if I can't get a new release for a month, and I'll pay three times as much for it whe I get it, well life isn't short and it isn't a charity. Most have turned to porno, and that would be fulfilling a need not met by the big guys. As for the other Mom and Pops, I'll support them the best I can, but business is Darwinian. If you can't compete, don't look for a consumer subsidity of mercy.This topic really pushes my buttons. I could give you a few dozen similar stories of where some "big name" store screwed me over. But the fact of the matter is that it's nobody's fault but OUR OWN. The mom and pop stores are gone because we sold our souls to the "big corporations". About 10 years back my sister owned a very profitable small electronics store. Profitable that is, until "Best Buy" and "Circuit City" came to town. They were out of business within a year because they just couldn't compete with the big guys. Saw the same thing happen to our small town video store - "Hollywood Video" came into town and sold video rentals for $1. The "mom and pop" video store went out of business in 3 months and then Hollywood changed their video rentals to $3. This has happened all across America. So what do we have now? Nothing but the same old stores EVERYWHERE you go. The malls look almost identical everywhere you go - Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, Radio Shack, Best Buy, Wal-Mart (the WORST of them all). Personal service has been replaced with "corporate policies" that take common sense and throw it out the door because when you enter a store now, the "owner" is no longer there. The "owner" is some big, fat, rich, CEO who sets "corporate policies" and only looks at numbers (instead of customers) to determine how successful his business is.I'm not saying that you can't go to Olive Garden for dinner or Home Depot once in a while but when you constantly give your money to these big "super saver stores" and then expect fantastic customer service - Sorry your living in a dream world. WE made this bed, guess what? WE have to lie in it also. Maybe when we are all handing out friggin "smiley" stickers at Wal-Mart for minimum wage, then maybe somebody will get it... doubt it though......
"My sister's price structure and return policy had absolutely NOTHING to do with why they went under.""Pricing? - You're absolutely right - their prices weren't as competitive"Electonics is a tough nut to crack. In addition to the "big box" stores, you have the internet. Also, store of the big stores sell for less then what the mom and pop can buy a product for.Off my rocker? I DO see some Mom and Pops able to survive and thrive in the face of the monolyths. You sister and ANY mom and pop do not have a divine right to stay in business. You sister obviously identifyed a market whenever she decided to open her store and was able to flourish until competition arrived in town. Now, I don't know you, your sister or her store, but I think I can infer a reasonable guesstimate that she must have been doing something VERY wrong to let even one of these giants sink her in a year's time. And I don't expect you to criticize your flesh and blood, but how do YOU know it wasn't her customer service or lack of competitive pricing that sank your sister? Would you really expect one of your friends to come up to you and tell you how much her store stinks?Too often Mom and Pops will piss and moan that their monopoly has been sunk and woe is me, and how will we compete? And some get out there and find a way. They will decrease their profit margins. A small profit is better than no profit, right? If Best Buy is selling CD's for 12 bucks, than a mom and pop has to be stupid, arrogant or ignorant to sell the same product for 18 bucks. No amount of customer service in the world is worth a 50 percent markup. They want to sell for 14 bucks, I'll consider it, and they will still make a small profit on the deal. And on up the food chain of electronics and all goods. Get busying selling or get busy closing.You're calling BS on a situation you know nothing about. You questioned her customer service and pricing? Customer service in their store was outstanding - anything extra they could do for their customers they did. Pricing? - You're absolutely right - their prices weren't as competitive as Best Buys and Circuit City's - That's my whole point! - There's NO WAY for a small time business to compete and give the same prices as a big corporation that can buy in large quatntities and sell for a reduced price. The main point of my original post wasn't to discuss my sisters situation ( I just used it as ONE example). The whole point of my post is to show that Customer Service is not what drives people from one business to another - it's usually price. Anyone who thinks that some family could open up a small store next to one of the "big boys" and compete is off their rocker!I calling BS on this. If her pricing was better and her service was better, she'd still be in business. I find some of the crappiest service at Mom & Pop stores (and some of the best). Maybe it's from years of sitting on their butts when they were the only game in town. Bottom line is that change happens and people who don't or refuse to recognize this will go under. The small stores need to carve out their own niche...high-end product, used product, deliver it to your door, free installation.LOL! My sister's price structure and return policy had absolutely NOTHING to do with why they went under. They were very successful until the corporate monster came into town and gobbled them up. They just didn't have the same capital as the "big boys".I'm not saying the big stores are all bad, the only point I'm trying to state is that on the average (not in all situations) you're going to lose common sense customer service in a big corporate store.Well what was your sister's price structure? What was her return policy? Our days of wishing for mom and pop's ignore the many problems in those stores. And in my experience, for every good mom and pop that goes under, you had three knuckleheads that were unwilling to adjust to the big corporate monster in their midst. I know they can better afford loss leaders and other gimmicks to bring foot traffic into the store, but most mom and pops do have the advantage of being the established vendor in town. That is unless they've already pissed off the local base and driven them away. Mom and Pops need to bring something to the table other than being local. I can try to patronize them all I want, but if I can't get a new release for a month, and I'll pay three times as much for it whe I get it, well life isn't short and it isn't a charity. Most have turned to porno, and that would be fulfilling a need not met by the big guys. As for the other Mom and Pops, I'll support them the best I can, but business is Darwinian. If you can't compete, don't look for a consumer subsidity of mercy.This topic really pushes my buttons. I could give you a few dozen similar stories of where some "big name" store screwed me over. But the fact of the matter is that it's nobody's fault but OUR OWN. The mom and pop stores are gone because we sold our souls to the "big corporations". About 10 years back my sister owned a very profitable small electronics store. Profitable that is, until "Best Buy" and "Circuit City" came to town. They were out of business within a year because they just couldn't compete with the big guys. Saw the same thing happen to our small town video store - "Hollywood Video" came into town and sold video rentals for $1. The "mom and pop" video store went out of business in 3 months and then Hollywood changed their video rentals to $3. This has happened all across America. So what do we have now? Nothing but the same old stores EVERYWHERE you go. The malls look almost identical everywhere you go - Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, Radio Shack, Best Buy, Wal-Mart (the WORST of them all). Personal service has been replaced with "corporate policies" that take common sense and throw it out the door because when you enter a store now, the "owner" is no longer there. The "owner" is some big, fat, rich, CEO who sets "corporate policies" and only looks at numbers (instead of customers) to determine how successful his business is.I'm not saying that you can't go to Olive Garden for dinner or Home Depot once in a while but when you constantly give your money to these big "super saver stores" and then expect fantastic customer service - Sorry your living in a dream world. WE made this bed, guess what? WE have to lie in it also. Maybe when we are all handing out friggin "smiley" stickers at Wal-Mart for minimum wage, then maybe somebody will get it... doubt it though......
edit to note that retail personally doesnt give a #### whether they lose youre busniess or not..you're just another dollar sign to them cruel as that may sound....go to circuit city or target....doesnt matter...its all the same.....so yea let them kiss youre fanny good bye but I guarantee youll go back.....they always do..
They actually are entitled to do some things against the company policy and it happens more often than you think. The manager can do quite a few different things to make things go away but this is one thing they absolutely cannot do anything about. You get exactly what comes up in their computer as the lowest amount nationally in the last 30 days.I asked my GF about it and she said the one thing that they could have done would have reuired GM to remember what day, what time of day, and what register he purchased the product at. This would have been tough given his mental state at teh time and it sounds like ti would take a lot of time to do it so if they were busy it would have been less likely they would have gone out of their way to do it.
No I don't think anyone could or would be wise to compete with a Best Buy in this climate. But I don't think it would be wise to open a general store today either. Some retailers outlive their practicality. My point was in relation to Mom and Pops who had established themselves in a market prior to a chain entering the picture. Those are the stores that I see compete. I wouldn't open a hardware store next to a Home Depot in 2003, but I can rattle off quite a few who've survived in my local area despite having 10 Home Depot's and Sears Hardware's within 15 miles of my doorstep(and 2 Lowe's on the way). And I wouldn't call it a "wild ###" guess to suppose that something was fubar'ed with your sister's management. What sorts of changes did she try to compete with the chains? People are very much creatures of habit, and while some people would buy a widget from Hitler over Mother Theresa if he was selling a widget for a dollar less, most would not switch allegiances quite so fast. For her to go under inside of a year, even if the pricing was wildly uncompetitive(which is not your sister's fault as you say, and I'll give her that) smacks of there being a greater issue. I don't know what the problem was, can you enlighten us? Because if her customer service was that overwhelmingly over the top, I just don't see her folding after 10 years in 10 months. I"m not saying your sister is the anti-christ, but plenty of mom and pops have made a go of things without a 10 year jumpstart on the market.Hey Muff, the "off your rocker" comment wasn't directed at you personally (I probably should have worded that differently). But please don't take wild *** guesses about a situation you know nothing about. My sisters business was doing very well for 10+ years. She didn't "all of a sudden" lose her business sense and "do something wrong" as you've stated. C'mon, your telling me that some schmo who takes out a loan to open up an electronics store can actually compete and beat out a Best Buy store? - You have got to be kidding!? My sister could NOT lower their prices(to compete) anymore and still stay in business. A big store can easily lower their prices more than the little guy and still keep going.Off my rocker? I DO see some Mom and Pops able to survive and thrive in the face of the monolyths. You sister and ANY mom and pop do not have a divine right to stay in business. You sister obviously identifyed a market whenever she decided to open her store and was able to flourish until competition arrived in town. Now, I don't know you, your sister or her store, but I think I can infer a reasonable guesstimate that she must have been doing something VERY wrong to let even one of these giants sink her in a year's time. And I don't expect you to criticize your flesh and blood, but how do YOU know it wasn't her customer service or lack of competitive pricing that sank your sister? Would you really expect one of your friends to come up to you and tell you how much her store stinks?Too often Mom and Pops will piss and moan that their monopoly has been sunk and woe is me, and how will we compete? And some get out there and find a way. They will decrease their profit margins. A small profit is better than no profit, right? If Best Buy is selling CD's for 12 bucks, than a mom and pop has to be stupid, arrogant or ignorant to sell the same product for 18 bucks. No amount of customer service in the world is worth a 33 percent markup. They want to sell for 14 bucks, I'll consider it, and they will still make a small profit on the deal. And on up the food chain of electronics and all goods. Get busying selling or get busy closing.You're calling BS on a situation you know nothing about. You questioned her customer service and pricing? Customer service in their store was outstanding - anything extra they could do for their customers they did. Pricing? - You're absolutely right - their prices weren't as competitive as Best Buys and Circuit City's - That's my whole point! - There's NO WAY for a small time business to compete and give the same prices as a big corporation that can buy in large quatntities and sell for a reduced price. The main point of my original post wasn't to discuss my sisters situation ( I just used it as ONE example). The whole point of my post is to show that Customer Service is not what drives people from one business to another - it's usually price. Anyone who thinks that some family could open up a small store next to one of the "big boys" and compete is off their rocker!I calling BS on this. If her pricing was better and her service was better, she'd still be in business. I find some of the crappiest service at Mom & Pop stores (and some of the best). Maybe it's from years of sitting on their butts when they were the only game in town. Bottom line is that change happens and people who don't or refuse to recognize this will go under. The small stores need to carve out their own niche...high-end product, used product, deliver it to your door, free installation.LOL! My sister's price structure and return policy had absolutely NOTHING to do with why they went under. They were very successful until the corporate monster came into town and gobbled them up. They just didn't have the same capital as the "big boys".I'm not saying the big stores are all bad, the only point I'm trying to state is that on the average (not in all situations) you're going to lose common sense customer service in a big corporate store.Well what was your sister's price structure? What was her return policy? Our days of wishing for mom and pop's ignore the many problems in those stores. And in my experience, for every good mom and pop that goes under, you had three knuckleheads that were unwilling to adjust to the big corporate monster in their midst. I know they can better afford loss leaders and other gimmicks to bring foot traffic into the store, but most mom and pops do have the advantage of being the established vendor in town. That is unless they've already pissed off the local base and driven them away. Mom and Pops need to bring something to the table other than being local. I can try to patronize them all I want, but if I can't get a new release for a month, and I'll pay three times as much for it whe I get it, well life isn't short and it isn't a charity. Most have turned to porno, and that would be fulfilling a need not met by the big guys. As for the other Mom and Pops, I'll support them the best I can, but business is Darwinian. If you can't compete, don't look for a consumer subsidity of mercy.This topic really pushes my buttons. I could give you a few dozen similar stories of where some "big name" store screwed me over. But the fact of the matter is that it's nobody's fault but OUR OWN. The mom and pop stores are gone because we sold our souls to the "big corporations". About 10 years back my sister owned a very profitable small electronics store. Profitable that is, until "Best Buy" and "Circuit City" came to town. They were out of business within a year because they just couldn't compete with the big guys. Saw the same thing happen to our small town video store - "Hollywood Video" came into town and sold video rentals for $1. The "mom and pop" video store went out of business in 3 months and then Hollywood changed their video rentals to $3. This has happened all across America. So what do we have now? Nothing but the same old stores EVERYWHERE you go. The malls look almost identical everywhere you go - Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, Radio Shack, Best Buy, Wal-Mart (the WORST of them all). Personal service has been replaced with "corporate policies" that take common sense and throw it out the door because when you enter a store now, the "owner" is no longer there. The "owner" is some big, fat, rich, CEO who sets "corporate policies" and only looks at numbers (instead of customers) to determine how successful his business is.I'm not saying that you can't go to Olive Garden for dinner or Home Depot once in a while but when you constantly give your money to these big "super saver stores" and then expect fantastic customer service - Sorry your living in a dream world. WE made this bed, guess what? WE have to lie in it also. Maybe when we are all handing out friggin "smiley" stickers at Wal-Mart for minimum wage, then maybe somebody will get it... doubt it though......
no. that was GRIDIRON ###.I rarely shop.
GA .... GM same difference
lol at your signature.
Dude you brought your sister up. It's not my fault she was selling 8 track tapes in the 90's, so relax for a moment. And incase you did miss this line:Muff you don't deserve a response. My Sister didn't fubar and you know NOTHING about my sisters situation. You want to talk big biz. vs. small biz? - fine. You want to talk about which one generally gives better prices or customer service? - fine.No I don't think anyone could or would be wise to compete with a Best Buy in this climate. But I don't think it would be wise to open a general store today either. Some retailers outlive their practicality. My point was in relation to Mom and Pops who had established themselves in a market prior to a chain entering the picture. Those are the stores that I see compete. I wouldn't open a hardware store next to a Home Depot in 2003, but I can rattle off quite a few who've survived in my local area despite having 10 Home Depot's and Sears Hardware's within 15 miles of my doorstep(and 2 Lowe's on the way).Hey Muff, the "off your rocker" comment wasn't directed at you personally (I probably should have worded that differently).Off my rocker? I DO see some Mom and Pops able to survive and thrive in the face of the monolyths. You sister and ANY mom and pop do not have a divine right to stay in business. You sister obviously identifyed a market whenever she decided to open her store and was able to flourish until competition arrived in town. Now, I don't know you, your sister or her store, but I think I can infer a reasonable guesstimate that she must have been doing something VERY wrong to let even one of these giants sink her in a year's time. And I don't expect you to criticize your flesh and blood, but how do YOU know it wasn't her customer service or lack of competitive pricing that sank your sister? Would you really expect one of your friends to come up to you and tell you how much her store stinks?You're calling BS on a situation you know nothing about.I calling BS on this. If her pricing was better and her service was better, she'd still be in business. I find some of the crappiest service at Mom & Pop stores (and some of the best). Maybe it's from years of sitting on their butts when they were the only game in town.LOL! My sister's price structure and return policy had absolutely NOTHING to do with why they went under. They were very successful until the corporate monster came into town and gobbled them up. They just didn't have the same capital as the "big boys".Well what was your sister's price structure? What was her return policy? Our days of wishing for mom and pop's ignore the many problems in those stores. And in my experience, for every good mom and pop that goes under, you had three knuckleheads that were unwilling to adjust to the big corporate monster in their midst. I know they can better afford loss leaders and other gimmicks to bring foot traffic into the store, but most mom and pops do have the advantage of being the established vendor in town. That is unless they've already pissed off the local base and driven them away.This topic really pushes my buttons. I could give you a few dozen similar stories of where some "big name" store screwed me over. But the fact of the matter is that it's nobody's fault but OUR OWN. The mom and pop stores are gone because we sold our souls to the "big corporations". About 10 years back my sister owned a very profitable small electronics store. Profitable that is, until "Best Buy" and "Circuit City" came to town. They were out of business within a year because they just couldn't compete with the big guys. Saw the same thing happen to our small town video store - "Hollywood Video" came into town and sold video rentals for $1. The "mom and pop" video store went out of business in 3 months and then Hollywood changed their video rentals to $3. This has happened all across America. So what do we have now? Nothing but the same old stores EVERYWHERE you go. The malls look almost identical everywhere you go - Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, Radio Shack, Best Buy, Wal-Mart (the WORST of them all). Personal service has been replaced with "corporate policies" that take common sense and throw it out the door because when you enter a store now, the "owner" is no longer there. The "owner" is some big, fat, rich, CEO who sets "corporate policies" and only looks at numbers (instead of customers) to determine how successful his business is.I'm not saying that you can't go to Olive Garden for dinner or Home Depot once in a while but when you constantly give your money to these big "super saver stores" and then expect fantastic customer service - Sorry your living in a dream world. WE made this bed, guess what? WE have to lie in it also. Maybe when we are all handing out friggin "smiley" stickers at Wal-Mart for minimum wage, then maybe somebody will get it... doubt it though......
Mom and Pops need to bring something to the table other than being local. I can try to patronize them all I want, but if I can't get a new release for a month, and I'll pay three times as much for it whe I get it, well life isn't short and it isn't a charity. Most have turned to porno, and that would be fulfilling a need not met by the big guys.
As for the other Mom and Pops, I'll support them the best I can, but business is Darwinian. If you can't compete, don't look for a consumer subsidity of mercy.
I'm not saying the big stores are all bad, the only point I'm trying to state is that on the average (not in all situations) you're going to lose common sense customer service in a big corporate store.
Bottom line is that change happens and people who don't or refuse to recognize this will go under. The small stores need to carve out their own niche...high-end product, used product, deliver it to your door, free installation.
You questioned her customer service and pricing? Customer service in their store was outstanding - anything extra they could do for their customers they did. Pricing? - You're absolutely right - their prices weren't as competitive as Best Buys and Circuit City's - That's my whole point! - There's NO WAY for a small time business to compete and give the same prices as a big corporation that can buy in large quatntities and sell for a reduced price. The main point of my original post wasn't to discuss my sisters situation ( I just used it as ONE example). The whole point of my post is to show that Customer Service is not what drives people from one business to another - it's usually price.
Anyone who thinks that some family could open up a small store next to one of the "big boys" and compete is off their rocker!
Too often Mom and Pops will piss and moan that their monopoly has been sunk and woe is me, and how will we compete? And some get out there and find a way. They will decrease their profit margins. A small profit is better than no profit, right? If Best Buy is selling CD's for 12 bucks, than a mom and pop has to be stupid, arrogant or ignorant to sell the same product for 18 bucks. No amount of customer service in the world is worth a 33 percent markup. They want to sell for 14 bucks, I'll consider it, and they will still make a small profit on the deal. And on up the food chain of electronics and all goods. Get busying selling or get busy closing.
But please don't take wild *** guesses about a situation you know nothing about.
My sisters business was doing very well for 10+ years. She didn't "all of a sudden" lose her business sense and "do something wrong" as you've stated. C'mon, your telling me that some schmo who takes out a loan to open up an electronics store can actually compete and beat out a Best Buy store? - You have got to be kidding!? My sister could NOT lower their prices(to compete) anymore and still stay in business. A big store can easily lower their prices more than the little guy and still keep going.
And I wouldn't call it a "wild ###" guess to suppose that something was fubar'ed with your sister's management. What sorts of changes did she try to compete with the chains? People are very much creatures of habit, and while some people would buy a widget from Hitler over Mother Theresa if he was selling a widget for a dollar less, most would not switch allegiances quite so fast. For her to go under inside of a year, even if the pricing was wildly uncompetitive(which is not your sister's fault as you say, and I'll give her that) smacks of there being a greater issue. I don't know what the problem was, can you enlighten us? Because if her customer service was that overwhelmingly over the top, I just don't see her folding after 10 years in 10 months. I"m not saying your sister is the anti-christ, but plenty of mom and pops have made a go of things without a 10 year jumpstart on the market.
But you know NOTHING about my sisters personal situation. And your beyond arrogant to think so.
Once again, and for the final time - THIS ISN'T ABOUT MY SISTER! I just simply used my sister as an example! My point is that in many situations there is no way the little guy can compete against a big store. Your comments are ignorant and I'm done with this conversation.
Go watch MTV Dude. I think the "Real World" is on for you.
or this
Of course I know nothing about your sister's situation, I admitted this and ASKED for more information. It's not my fault she ran her business into the toliet, I was trying to figure out what might have caused this situation.
:rotflmao:Nice job being obnoxious.There all kinds of small businesses that go under, even in a years time, when one of the monoliths move into town. To insinuate it was mismanagement is pure foolishness.It's not my fault she ran her business into the toliet, I was trying to figure out what might have caused this situation. Anyway, I'm off to watch the Real World
Ive been working in retail for awhile and can say thats our policy as well...no receipt...you get the lowest selling price which is usually the online price of the item...thats how it is. In an age of dishonesty you can't cut anyone slack...no matter how much you rant and rave theres tons of scams going around so without a recepit no one gets the benefit of the doubt. On a side note..its customers like you that make working in the retail industry a pain in the ### and the number one reason im on my way out soon to grad school no doubt.......you were drunk...u lost your receipt...####### live with it....its 8 bucks man....it probably cost you that much to get hungover rin the first place....you could have dealt with that way better.
I'd work on my grammar before applying to grad school, champ.
I was hungover, not drunk. And it's the principle behind the matter, not the cost. Best Buy will sell the same DVD for 27.99 - that's not right no matter how you slice it.
you gotta be f'n kidding me. Unless I'm drinking Sterno, $8 is a tip to the bar back for me.
Is that a fact? I'll be sure to include that in my letter to the CEO and CFO. I suspect that deep down, the customer DOES matter. Because afterall, Charlie, losing business means losing market share. And when you dice it up like this to white collars on Wall Street, it does matter. I may be just another dollar sign to the minimum wage jagoff that pissed me off....but to the CEO/CFO, I'm a guy who runs 200 million dollars and has influence over other hedge funds.
Nope. I won't be back. There are many stores that sell DVD's.....LOL at you thinking I'll come back to buy anything from Best Buy. If retails sucks so bad for you, get out of it. But don't you dare come down on honest people who just want what's right in this world. Best Buy ####ed me over b/c I didn't have a receipt. That's BS....The fact that they'll sell the same DVD for $27.99 is a farce to justice and slap in the face to honest citizens.
Did you see what he said about Real World?
