If im outta line here please delete my post but im gonna do a SHAMELESS PLUG for a new pc repair & parts store that just opened it's doors by my house ** 2 or 3 blocks away ** First here's the PLUG

www.ePCservices.com

And now for my reasons, i went in to this place a week ago , one evening , as the guy was just setting up the products on the shelves, His name is Munish, and he didnt even blink or have the usual **for me, see'n how i look** "take a step back , this guy looks shady" attitude. He ask if he could help me, and i said i was into buildin' pc's and just wanted to see what kinda shop he was settin up. Well, he stopped what he was doin' and commenced to shootin the breeze with me as if i was a 20+ yr loyal customer. We got to talkin bout the OPTY 146, that im want SOOO bad and he say's, well bring me the ### for it and i'll see if i can get ya a better deal or i can order it for ya and i wont charge ya sept for the shippin' they charge me if ya like. I was FLOORED!!!! , it's rare to get service like that ANYWHERE. I went back today and got a stick of 256 pc2100 from him and it was like i was see'n an old friend, he remember'd my name,asked how my 1.8 AMD rig was commin along **i didnt even remember talkin bout it to him !!!** and we talked bout this and that for a bit. He even asked me what i thought about the return policy he was thinkin about settin up!!!!! ME, as if my input was important and actually mattered., AGAIN FLOORED !!!

Guess what i'm gettin at, in my own wierd rambling babblin' way is, its a rare thing to feel like you are the #1 customer in a store and that YOU matter more then a sale. Its a really cool feeling to know that when ya walk in a place ,weather yer buying browsing or just steppin out of the cold, you'll be treated like a friend and/or a VALUED customer.

I TIP MY HAT to Munish and i hope his shop is here for a long time, and i think even if his prices are a bit higher then FRY'S or ???????? for that kind of service im willing to pay the extra

Awesome!


Tell you what, It's great getting service like that from ANYWHERE

I used to work retail (skateboard shop) It helps when the people ACTUALLY care about what they work around - makes a huge difference. In saying that though, I find computer stores (here anyway) the WORST (next to fashion ones that is )
The people are passionate, but just can't seem to be bothered to even say hi to you - instant put-off for me. If they don't have the time to at least greet you, they don't deserve YOUR MONEY as commission.

Anyway... rant over

Tell yer buddy Munish that he's got a Kiwi (NZ'er) client if i'm ever in your (red) neck of the woods

To make a long story short you can take your big corporation, "big box" stores like CC, HD, BB and stuff em.
A lot of what they sell are 2nd's; in HD's case I know that for sure.
A "mom and pop' store can't give everyone the same deal, but part of doing business the old fashioned way was a good relationship between both parties. For instance, " I'll go to you first, and you give me your best deal. I'll only buy from the other guy if you can't service me, or your prices are way outta line". Business relationships GROW that way, and everyone profits.
The "big boxes" also have a retail attitude and dont really know the trade. HD executives think they can grab any unemployed body off the street and after a two week orientation period, that employee will be able to service an experienced contractor.
There's more to selling, than adding a markup and pushing it out the door.

That's one thing I look for in a retailer. To me, it's worth a couple bucks here and there. There are no mom and pop PC stores around my area, but there is a mom and pop gaming store. I go there for most things, and the prices are nearly always better than the big guys.

It's even in some e-retailers. NewEgg makes me feel like another number. Though they have decent customer support, it's just not exactly what I want. I really like Directron. I can call, speak to the same person I've spoken with before. Hell, I even have the YIM of two staff members there. I got a question, I ask them.

Damn, I sound old.

This might be a little Man i know your right there HigHTecHReDNecK, the same thing goes for a Mom and Pops restaurants i use to go to, who where a family owned one not far from where i live and i use to be greeted like a human being and respected as a individual but they are no longer around, it is like going to any type of other place now all they care about is getting there money and not asking how was your food or how you doing today. It is a shame that there is not more people like that around that had respect for you. Glad to here that you have some in your neck of the woods.

If I ever have kids and catch them being disrespectful or ignoring someone like many retail workers do, they will be in for a rude awakening when they get home. I was brought up to respect my elders (whether I liked them or not...... them being a douchebag lets me off the hook if I get a wild hair) and I'll be damned if my kids won't be taught the same.

I'm gonna rant here for a minute...

These days I'm suspicious if I get halfway decent service...

I've been treated like crap in the majority of places I've been in out here. I've been polite, understanding and reserved...

They've talked on their cell phones while I wait, talk to their coworkers, ignoring me entirely, looked at me like I'm putting them out if I ask where somethin' is... I've had to break up a game of hackysack to buy something...

One thing that happened fairly recently isn't really the cashier's fault, but it is...

I bought tickets to a movie for me and my girl this last Saturday with cash. Took the last 14 bucks I had.

My girlfriend asks, "You guys take cards?"

"Oh yeah... we take cards."

So we hung around an antique shop for a half-hour to kill time and went back to the theatre.

My girl says since I got the tickets, she'd get the coke/popcorn. She pulls out her card, and lo and behold...

They don't take cards from our bank... sorry. They ALSO DON'T TAKE CHECKS.

If she had told us they took SOME cards, I would have had time to run to an ATM and pull cash... but no... they let us believe we'd be able to just use our card... so I sat through the movie, wishing I had a coke to suck on 'cause I was thirsty.

It's crap like that, that keeps me annoyed at most of the stores in Montana at this point.

I've also been scoffed at in several places, including this suit store, a car dealership, and a bunch of furniture stores (they don't even bother to talk to me 'cause I usually look a little rough 'round the edges these days due to stress, the fact the place I work is hard on clothes and I haven't cut my hair in awhile).

Hell, I went to buy a car to see if I could park mine for the winter... told the guy I was looking for a throw-away car or truck. Something no-frills that ran. He asks me what kind of car I have, I tell him, and he proceeds to show me the NEW sportscars on the lot.

I was like, "Yeah, these are nice, but I'm looking for something I can beat to hell and not give a rat's ass about."

He proceeds to show me new trucks!

I miss customer service...

this is why i shop at newegg. because its so hard to find respectable 1 on 1 service now-a-days in retail stores...fry's pfft, it takes me about 20 min to get the attention of a employee and another 20 to find out that he doesnt work that department. (at least the frys by me )

and there is a small shop about 2 min away, i went there once. Had a couple kids working the front counter that could have given two ****z if i was there or not.

glad to see that thier are good people still out their.

Digi and Chrome use to work at a local mom and pop store. They had great service and all the employees were friendly. Sure their prices were a little higher than what I could find online, but you couldn't beat their service anywhere. I miss that store.