What's the appropriate waiting time

[Bones]

At the counter of a large retail electronics store where they keep the RAM behind the counter so you have to talk to one of their"Geeks" (their name not mine). Is it overeacting to walk out after standing their for 5 solid minutes after the busy Geek said "someone will be right over to help you."

Maybe it was the anticipation of having to be interviewed about what I was going to do with the RAM and verifying I was not in need of their expert in home services, but man, at the five minute mark of standing there in an empty store full of employees and not even getting a glance, I had t o excuse mysel and drive down the road to another store.

[mudbean]

Isn't it cool that RAM stores are nearly as common as Starbucks these days?

mud

[Bones]

Originally Posted by mudbean

Isn't it cool that RAM stores are nearly as common as Starbucks these days?

mud

Yeah, as my ears were turning red I suddenly remembered there were 3 other places within a mile that sold RAM and they kept it stocked where you could see it and just grab what you want and pay.

[Bluej58]

I was just in a geek store yesterday and had a bad experience.

Not for RAM and no stores close to go to so I guess I'm going to order online.

Oh yeah, I waited about ten minutes and then no help, which I guess is ten
to long.

[Bones]

Originally Posted by Bluej58

I was just in a geek store yesterday and had a bad experience.

Not for RAM and no stores close to go to so I guess I'm going to order online.

Oh yeah, I waited about ten minutes and then no help, which I guess is ten
to long.

interesting, you would think with the way things are currently, they would be putting a little more emphasis on serving the customers they have coming in.

[Post Toastie]

If its the same Geek Store that has those black geek cars driving around,try seeing how long it takes to return an item...

[Nodremark]

I would rather take an a$$ whipping that spend my hard earned beer tickets in the Geek Store. For anything! They have got to have the worst customer service (because I don't have a word for what they have).

[TeleTim911]

Back about ten years ago or so, I walked into COMPUSA to buy a computer. I had been online, had a good idea what I wanted, and I had a pocket full of cash.

My wife and I walked up to the counter and stood there for at least five minutes, while the THREE (count them) guys waited on ONE customer...apparently he was ordering some huge expensive system.

A guy turns around, sees us, and says, "Someone will help you in just a minute"...and then goes back to the other mass on the other side.

About five more minutes go by, a FOURTH guy steps into the counter area, sees us, and asks, "Can I help you?". "Yes, I'd like to buy a computer". He turns around, looks a little bewildered, and looks at me and says "Someone can help you in just a minute". Fourth guy leaves.

Now I'm a pretty patient guy, having worked in some type service industry almost all my life. I wait about ten more minutes, and finally say really loud, "Excuse me!" and someone turns around and in a rude voice says, "just a minute", then turns back around.

Enough. I grab wife by the hand and start for the door, the whole time I'm cussing...I know I shouldn't do that, I was good and ticked by now...a guy at the door stops me and says something like, "I'm sorry is something wrong?" And I say, "Are you a Manager?" and he says "Yes I am as a matter of fact" and I just lay into him...sorry service, bad attitudes, waiting too long, money to spend, so on. By now, I am FURIOUS!

My wife is gripping my right hand tighter and tighter, she knows what's next...I'm fixing to deck him....but she hangs tight. Manager starts backing up. People start gathering, the place goes silent listening to me. I finally tell him something like, "There's one thing this place hasn't got, and never will have...MY MONEY" and I reach in my pocket and pull out a wad of bills and wave it at him, as my wife is dragging me out the door.

I left there, went about a mile down there road to a Gateway store, got EXCELLENT service, and went home having bought a computer which arrived on my doorstep just two days later.

[stxrus]

retailers everywhere seem to not give a crap about selling product. i need the left & right pieces that a suzuki sidekick soft top hooks into. this is called a garnish. cant't find it locally, can't find it online, so i locate sizuki dealers and no one wants to get the part & mail it to me. WTF?

gonna look in junk yards and maybe jack some poor fools sidekick in the hope that their left & right garnishes (sic?) aren't trashed, as mine are, and will work

i hate having to beg for some clown to take my $$

steve

[Mark Davis]

Good service is a lost art.

If I do find a place where I get the service I used to get in "The Old Days" they get ALL my business.

[tazzboy]

It depends if they were help other customer and/or on the phone. If that's the case I give extra time. If they standing there with their hands in their pockets and not doing anything to help and ignoring you then it's time to leave and go somewhere.

[Buckocaster51]

Appropriate waiting time?

I was going to say, "Six months, unless she didn't go to the funeral, then you could ask her out next week."

But I guess this is the wrong thread for that.

I have walked out of many places where people have ignored me.

A particular pet peeve are "fast food" joints. Many of them seem to direct everybody's efforts to working the drive-through window, leaving the counter barren.

[Post Toastie]

Originally Posted by tazzboy

It depends if they were help other customer and/or on the phone. If that's the case I give extra time. If they standing there with their hands in their pockets and not doing anything to help and ignoring you then it's time to leave and go somewhere.

As far as I'm concerned, no phone call should get taken care of before a live person in the store!!

[jimd]

I walk out a lot, restaurants particularly. Find someone who wants your money, they will treat you better. It is very annoying when a place has poor service and gets away with it because they are the only game in town.

[popthree]

the last time i bought any RAM it was from an ebay super seller ... amazingly dirt cheap

[Bones]

Originally Posted by Post Toastie

As far as I'm concerned, no phone call should get taken care of before a live person in the store!!

I feel this way as well, you have someone in front of you with money burning a hole in their pocket, you take care of that person first.

Also I had no problem with the busy Geek, he was actually taking care of a customer and called to the back for someone to come up and help.

[studio1087]

5 minutes should be plenty.

It's not just Best Buy....dingbats are everywhere.

I wanted to buy a video game for my son last week. We stopped at Walmart. The electronics counter guy was explaining a cell phone to a couple that didn't know anything about cell phone. They were asking questions like "Can you make a long distance call on a cell phone?...."

They were first...fine...ok.

We circled the department for 20 minutes and the guy just kept chatting with the couple while about 5 people lined up to pay for things at his cash register and there were about 5 more sets of families who needed things from the locked up area.

The cell phone shoppers didn't buy anything.

The people who bought things all glared at the guy when we finally got to pay.

I'm glad that he was kind to the older couple but I think he could have excused himself from the older couple for a few moments to spread his time around to the other shoppers.

If I am in a camera store and if I need 20 minutes of advice I sure don't mind if the person speaking to me helps other people. Seems decent.

Goofy.

[mistermullens]

You said the rep was "busy" but didn't specify. Was the rep helping a customer or just noodling on the computer or with some paperwork? If the rep is helping a customer, I always cut the rep some slack. Some customers need to ask more questions than others and also, there may come a time where I am that customer needing a little extra attention. It all works out.

[tweedtone]

I've never bought RAM from a brick-and-mortar store.

http://www.ramwatch.com/index.php

[Slow Reflexes]

RAM is always a "direct from manufacturer" thing for me. Free shipping, guaranteed compatibility, lifetime warranty. CRUCIAL.COM is my first stop.

Most of those "Geeky" stores are closing now, aren't they? I can't imagine why...