debcook

When was the last time you knew more about the gadget you were buying than the sales person? I would venture to guess that is has not been long ago.

Were you trying to buy a new computer or an MP3 player? When you bought a new cell phone from a big box store was it a nightmare? Did buying that new car full of complicated electronics truly show that you did more research than the so-called expert?

I am not a salesperson basher. For heaven sakes, I have sold everything from ski boots to potted plants. I prided myself as an asset to the potential customer. Bingo – that is the key. I cared about my customers.

Today I am more likely to buy a product off the Internet than I am to buy it from a local brick and mortar store. The cost of shipping is less expensive than driving to the store and waiting around to be helped. In these frustrating economic times this is not the way to win over customers.

It is impossible to know everything about everything but it is good to know something about something. The last time I tried to purchase a game CD for my husband I experienced this phenomenon. When I could not find it on the shelf I searched out a salesperson in the Internet gaming section.

Well, yea they had heard of it but they thought that it might still be in stockroom. Then again, they thought that the release date was a few days away and that is why it was not on the shelf. I am not a gamer but I absolutely knew more about the game and its release date than the salesperson did. Too bad the salesperson did not realize that. I could have taught him a thing or two.