"WTF? JUST ANOTHER DAY IN RETAIL PARADISE…"

Today's "WTF?" © stevenn beck

Today I needed to get speakers for a USB turntable that I had given to someone as present. It seemed natural to return to "Tekserve" since I had purchased the turntable there. The young man working in the audio department answered my questions by stating that there was only one set of speakers in the entire store that was compatible with the USB turntable - and that the price of the speakers was $299. I looked at him in amazement - the damn turntable had only cost $129, why would I spend more than twice that amount just for speakers? He returned my look with astonishment…"Look Man" he said "what does one thing have to do with another?"

Uhhh….this generated my next two comments:

#1. DON'T address an adult male customer (in this case) as "Man". (Nor - now that I think about it - as "buddy" or "friend". And female customers needed to be similarly addressed.) and... #2. NOT going to explain myself, just completely unnecessary and an inappropriate topic for discussion - do your job, provide assistance - and thank you very much.

Leaving Tekserve - perhaps for good - I walked over to "Best Buy". The salesman in THEIR AUDIO department sent me to the MP3 section; the saleswoman in the MP3 section told me to go to the COMPUTER section.

The person in the computer section - he introduced himself as "Ralph" -took me rover to where the speakers - row and rows of boxes - but when I told him exactly what I needed, he shook his head and quickly said that "Best Buy" did not carry speakers that were compatible with the USB turntable (perhaps I should look online?") I asked him if he was positive - he assured me that he was correct and then left (I assumed to help other customers). As soon as he was gone I started looking at the boxes of speakers - what the hell did I have to lose? - and of course immediately found a brand with the type of connection I needed. I walked over to the video department where I noticed Ralph had gone to chat with a female co-worker. " Showing him the box I'd found I pointed out that these speakers WERE compatible with the USB turntable. No reaction - no r embarrassed - or semi-embarrassed apology - or even a professionally delivered insincere apology... "Ralph's" ONLY response was to wave me in the direction of the checkout counter.

Tomorrow I am going to contact the corporate headquarters at both "Tekserve" and "Best Buy". (for whatever that will be worth Not much I fear.) In the meantime, to all the hard-working, helpful and eminently professional young people I encountered today, here's a big - and heartfelt - "WTF?"

Bye for now, be safe!

Stevenn