The Era of the Clueless - Fiberglass RV
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Old 03-31-2012, 10:20 PM   #1
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The Era of the Clueless

Soo.. today I went to Napa to buy some bulk wire to redo my brake runs on the Leocraft.

I go to the wire section, and there is nothing there long enough. Off to the counter I go.

"Hi, do you sell wire in bulk?"
"Yes we do"
"Great. I need 30 feet of 10 gauge copper stranded wire, Blue, and 30 feet of White"

I kid you not.. this was his next question

"Is that electrical wire?"
"Uhm, yes."

Then the inevitable question I HATE...

"Well, What are you trying to do?"
"I am rewiring the brakes on my trailer"
"Oh, we don't have trailer parts here"
"It's wire..it doesn't care where it goes, really."

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Old 03-31-2012, 10:44 PM   #2
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LOL, I know exactly what your saying! It isn't really all that funny! But I have had the same experience.

And though I would never tackle my trailer brakes. I, to hate the cross examination. Hang in there Gina, You rock!
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Old 03-31-2012, 10:56 PM   #3
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Well, did they come up with the wire you wanted, or not? We want to hear the rest of the story!
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Old 03-31-2012, 11:37 PM   #4
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oh, he eventually did yes. After he found the Electrical section :-P

What amazed me is that he had no clue that that type of wire had an electrical application, but he still attempted to "help" me troubleshoot.

I personally find it very annoying when you go into any type of parts store and give them a very specific request. The request is based on your own troubleshooting and analysis. I have already spent the time determining the correct part I require, I don't want to go through it all over again at the parts counter, especially for something so simple. If I don't know what I need, I will ask.

"I need an 8x32 pan head phillips sheet metal screw, 1 1/4", stainless"

The counter troubleshooting begins, even if I didn't request it.

"What are you doing? (Or "what do you need it for")
"I am remounting my fridge"
"what kind of fridge"
"Its a Dometic RM211"
"We don't carry Dometic parts. Are you sure it's loose?"
"Yes, because it wiggles"
"Does it have a metal frame?"
"Yes"
"OK, let me look that up"
*Taps foot and grinds teeth*
"We don't have Dometic parts, but I bet you could just use an 8x32 pan head phillips sheet metal screw, 1 1/4" at least. And because its gonna see moisture, I would recommend you go with stainless steel"

Its a "Gurrr" and Giggle at the same time.
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Old 03-31-2012, 11:51 PM   #5
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LOL..............


But I am glad you got what you needed in the long run!
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Old 04-01-2012, 02:09 AM   #6
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Peter Principle

It is Peter Principle at works; if they would know more they would not be working at that capacity.
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Old 04-01-2012, 03:29 AM   #7
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I'm surprised he didn't try and sell you some brake line. The worst is going to a hardware store looking for hardware. Toasters and grills they have. Hardware??? Raz
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Old 04-01-2012, 06:59 AM   #8
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Customer service, when you don't want that kind of customer service! I refused to be interrogated. When asked what I need (part) for... I saw "Why do you want to know"? They usually come back with... "I might be able to give you a better solution." So, I say "Do you carry (part) or do I need to go someplace else"? That usually shuts them up and I get out of the store faster.
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Old 04-01-2012, 07:09 AM   #9
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In the same vein I think is when I ask someone for their address and they say"where are you coming from?"?

I usually respond asking if it might change depending on my location and normally they have no idea what I am asking?

People kill me.
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Old 04-01-2012, 07:15 AM   #10
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"I need some stainless steel screws, where might I find some?"

"They're right over here. How long do you need 'em?"

"Well, I'm going to need them a long time!"

Spanke
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Old 04-01-2012, 07:18 AM   #11
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LOL, I like that one Ed. Although I have been guilty of asking "Where are you coming from" myself b/c I then know the best route to take them. I've been asked where I was coming from even though I specifically said I'm going to use my GPS and just need the street address. Like the GPS cares where I am starting from, LOL.
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Old 04-01-2012, 10:09 AM   #12
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yep..

Just tell me where I am going, not how to get there. (Unless I ask)
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Old 04-01-2012, 11:35 AM   #13
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Hi: Gina D... Here's one for your book. I was installing a MaxxFan in our former Boler. I took one of the mounting screws in to my supplier as I'm used to poor quality hardware in those tiny packets supplied. I put it on the counter and said "I want 24 of these in S/S". She tried to pick it up with a magnet and couldn't so handed it back and said "It already is".
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 04-01-2012, 01:58 PM   #14
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Customer service people have lost the simple ability to listen. They pick up one or two words and assume from there. It's a PITA, but if the person is of no help, go to see the manager, tell him/her you spoke to so and so, but they were unable to help. If the manager has to do that persons job enough, he'll either train him properly (which companies no longer do either) or hire someone knowlegable who needs a job. At Home Depot one time, I asked a fella where the drill bits were. He took me over to where there were screwdrivers with interchangable bits. I said those are screw drivers, not drill bits. He said, "they have bits you can change out". DUH
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Old 04-01-2012, 02:40 PM   #15
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It helps, if you live long enough in an area, to be able to get the scoop on where the knowledgeable ones are. For example, I have had reliable and knowledgeable service at Winks Hardware and Parkrose Hardware here in Portland. I think there are others.

Sometimes the clue, fairly or unfairly, is when I, as a 70 year old, meet up with a salesperson older than I am. That often means they have been hired because they know something and have the experience, not because of their cuteness factor or their willingness to work for next to nothing.
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Old 04-01-2012, 06:31 PM   #16
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Hi folks! Having recently worked at Home Depot I found your comments interesting. It is true that the retailers pretty much do a crappy job of training their help. Ace Hardware (at least here ) seems to be the exception. They apparently hire knowledgeable people. Home Depot does have a few professionals in various departments who really do know what they are doing but as you might guess they are not always there. Most of Home Depots employees are part-time and are making only a little above minimum with no benefits and are instructed to "help" people even if it is in another department. This, of course, sets them up for failure. Picture yourself working for $9.35 an hour and try to cut these people a little slack. You might even do them the favor of teaching them so that the next time someone comes in with a similiar request thay actually could be of some assistance. I know it's annoying but it is not always their fault. When I worked there I was always willing to let people know that I might not know the answer but if I could find someone who worked there who did I would track him down.
As a side note, for every customer who knows what he wants there are any number who want to buy "That little thing that holds the framitz on the back of the doohickey. I think they are blue."
For every annoying sales person there are dozens of annoying customers. I try not to be one. Life is too short to let little things annoy me.
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Old 04-01-2012, 06:42 PM   #17
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The most important Sales advice I ever got was

You have 2 ears and 1 mouth use them accordingly".

True that!
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Old 04-01-2012, 06:49 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Fackler View Post
As a side note, for every customer who knows what he wants there are any number who want to buy "That little thing that holds the framitz on the back of the doohickey. I think they are blue."
.

The best laugh I have had today!




Yeah, but why is it, when I know what I need, I get the 5th degree? But when I need that blue doohickey thingmabob, there isn't a sales person within a bazillion miles? Murphys Law?
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Old 04-01-2012, 08:23 PM   #19
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Robin --

One of the primary reasons that you will get the "what do you want to use it for" question is because people who work at these stores field hundreds of questions a day. Sometimes it takes them a second to zone in on exactly what you are asking.

Secondly, some items have a dozen or more names, depending on who is asking, and some of the names are used for multiple items. Many times a day, someone will ask for an item by name that could reference several items in the store, possibly in different departments.

Thirdly, it would surprise you how often a customer will ask for something very, very specific, and when you take them to that exact item, they will berate you and call you ignorant and march off, eventually picking up something totally different. Just because a customer SOUNDS like he knows what he wants doesn't mean he does. The salesman's job is to get the person the right item.

I worked at an Ace Hardware for a number of years. I recall a customer who came in and asked for a gas water heater. I took him to the water heaters, and pointed out our selection of gas water heaters. He said, "No, this is the one I want, here." I said, "That one is electric, not gas". He said, "No, it isn't. It's gas." I said, "No sir, these are the gas ones over here." He said, "Listen buddy, I work in a trailer factory all day, and my job is to hook up the gas lines to the water heaters. I know what I'm talking about." I said, "So, then, where do you plan to connect the gas line on this water heater?" He pointed to the drain valve. I then realized that his job at the factory was to hook up the drain line that drains the water heater under the floor, and all along he though he was hooking up gas lines. This did not sound like a good situation, so I refused to sell him a water heater. He clearly did not know what he was doing. He called me almost every name I was aware of, and stormed out. He went to the other hardware store up the street, and bought himself a "gas" water heater. That night, his home exploded.
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Old 04-01-2012, 08:24 PM   #20
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I second that ACE seems to be the exception. I think it is because Ace is a franchise and is usually locally owned and run. I believe Home Depot is corporate owned. It also helps when you get to know the people that work there. The people at our local ACE love when I go visit them because I am always working on some weird project. In the beginning, they would try to help me by showing me how my creations couldn't possibly work. After several successful experiments they became legitimately curious about my projects and my unusual methods. One of the guys even wanted to duplicate my magnetic guitar pickup. I try to remember that it is hard for some people to think outside the box.
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