What is Digg?397 Comments
- reeder, on 03/02/2008, -1/+151Support your local IT company.
- rpi22, on 03/02/2008, -3/+123Staples, that was easy!
- Lugan2k, on 03/02/2008, -1/+107I worked at a computer repair store (not big box) and we were AMAZED at how much people were willing to pay for services that require barely any effort at the Best Buy down the street. They try to gouge people every chance they get (we didn't, but I guess that's why I got laid off and the company folded)
- Lixie, on 03/02/2008, -0/+103Your notebook's battery is dead. We can recharge it for $29.99 Or we can give it the "Premium Select Customer's Choice ReCharge" for $39.99.
- rootadmen, on 03/02/2008, -6/+103You don't really seem digg-worthy
- tj111, on 03/02/2008, -2/+94This 70 year old must being a power user if hes gonna need $150 worth of RAM to get that thing running again.
- k1erkegaard, on 03/02/2008, -14/+98Staples = Geek squad.
- Ajajadude, on 03/02/2008, -0/+68or college kid
- thesonofdarwin, on 03/02/2008, -2/+70I received a phone call while at work the other day from Best Buy. My parents had decided to take their computer there to be checked, as evidently it was BSoDing quite frequently and the only thing they have installed is Firefox. Thankfully the warranty was in my name since I purchased it for them, and therefore they need my approval for any work they did on it. I was shocked that not only were they trying to get my parents to pay $120 for them to just reinstall Vista with my parents' OWN CD, but that the employee actually laughed when I asked him how the hell they get away with ripping off customers for a simple task that a trained gerbil could get going in 5 minutes. Needless to say I didn't authorize any work on it and ordered the employee to return the tower and not touch it any further. The better part is that my mother told me he refused to make the phone call to me in front of them.
Hopefully the bastard was reprimanded for leaving their super secret MRI diagnostic CD in the tray. - Gregsaw, on 03/02/2008, -0/+60I work at Staples and I don't tell anybody they need anything they don't. Someone came in and almost bought an Office pack (that didn't have Outlook) and Outlook and I just told them to save the extra $100 and try Thunderbird. I'm a bad employee, I guess.
- Akaji, on 03/02/2008, -1/+60Here's the problem: people TRUST "big box" retail stores to know their crap. People need to start realizing that almost no one working at any major retail store has a clue; they're paid crap, and they don't care a bit about the customer. If you want something done right, go to a store that specializes in what it is that you want done (then they have to do a good job, as most of their customer base is generated through word of mouth).
- Ajajadude, on 03/02/2008, -0/+55You know those old folks and their need for video editing.
- jaxter2010, on 06/17/2009, -0/+53This story made me furious. Having helped my grandfather learn the basics of using a computer (compose a word document, use a search engine, etc) I can appreciate how confusing computers are to senior citizens, and how foreign this technology is to them. Overcharging seniors for tech support is like robbing the blind. Shameful!
- inactive, on 03/02/2008, -4/+52Reply, use it.
- Cid420, on 03/02/2008, -4/+47Your machine won't start now? I'm telling you viruses these days are nasty -- this might not be easy to fix. I'll have to add another couple hundred to the original price and you'll be good to go sir.
- oMeSSiaHo, on 03/02/2008, -21/+64I'm an "Easy Tech" (hey, I gotta eat) and I really want to call bs on this. Virus removal is $90 not $150. There is no SKU that cost $150 so there is no way for the tech to ring that up. Also a RAM install is $30 not $150. We dont even sell RAM that costs $120.
I think some liberty was taken with those numbers... - legendxx, on 03/02/2008, -5/+43going into a world they know nothing about? Let me see if I can use a metaphor to help you understand how they feel... Imagine talking to girls.. that should do it.
- coheedcollapse, on 03/02/2008, -12/+47All of them do this crap. Best buy charged my friend's grandparents something like $70 to come out and reset their router. Literally reboot the thing. I really hope that I keep up with technology because I'd seriously hate to be that friggin helpless.
- cyclades, on 03/02/2008, -2/+33Staples are good for buying cheap copy paper. That's it.
- katrayun, on 03/02/2008, -2/+32A quick glance at the Staples website lists one RAM at $150, and another for $250. I realize this isn't in a retail store, but still.
Yes, Staples sells RAM that costs $120 or more. - Awspire, on 03/02/2008, -1/+31Staples = Jiffy Lube
- solarwind24, on 03/02/2008, -1/+29Image the cd and send it to me? Or... thepiratebay!
- ph0nk, on 03/02/2008, -0/+27I'm an Easy Tech too, and I can honestly say that at my store we do not make it our business to rip people off. I'm the only tech there, and I try my best to keep things as inexpensive as possible for our customers, to the point where I often don't charge customers for all the work I do because it only takes a few extra minutes. I work in Princeton, and its not like our customers don't have the money to spend either.
I would agree, however, that a lot of the techs are salespeople and not technicians. Of the techs that I know, I'm the only one with any type of formal training (AS in network engineering) and the training that Staples provides is mostly on how to upsell services and products. - albator, on 03/02/2008, -22/+48@mystikraven
First Read the whole story, not just the title
Then comment. - VinnieDaMac, on 03/02/2008, -2/+28My advice: Be nice to your grandchildren and give them tons of money every time you see them, because all the money you give them will still be less than the money you would spend at these "computer repair" shops. Chances are, your grandchildren will know just as much as these "technicians."
- derek20cali, on 03/02/2008, -0/+25*Whoosh*
- skyshock1, on 03/02/2008, -4/+28So they drove out on location to do this? Which means they had to pay for the transportation, gasoline, corporate income tax, car insurance, employee salary, employee training, etc... I mean, if you already know how to do it, yeah $70 is ridiculous. However, if you have to pay a professional business to do it - then don't be surprised when they pass along their overhead costs to you.
- oMeSSiaHo, on 03/02/2008, -7/+31I just wanted to ad that the majority of "Easy Techs" I've met are pretty dumb. Staples started the program in May and I guess they just grabbed salespeople. I swear I've gotten a memo that detailed how to turn off the screensaver in Vista. While the ones I've met are pretty dumb, they are honest. I highly doubt any of them would rip a customer off.
- Samsong, on 03/02/2008, -3/+24I've noticed WAY too many retards commenting on Digg articles recently. Come ON people!
- Slade605, on 03/02/2008, -0/+19I tried that once, now I've got four screws and a lid to take off, or as they prefer to call it, a restraining order.
- HaloZero, on 03/02/2008, -1/+19Oh, so your a master of all things? Car maintenance, home repair, construction, plumbing?
Plus the guy is a senior, we've only had personal computers for the past 20 years, so lay off *****. - blorguehad, on 03/02/2008, -1/+19it seriously is a shame. I help out my dad and uncle with their problems. My uncle steve took his old gatway to best buy and asked if there was anything they could do to "tune" it up. They said either it was unupgradeable and he needed to buy "this new computer with vista for 2000". I hooked him up with a better processor, and i got him a gig of ram. Installed xp over his 98 and its running excellent now. not to mention the pci geforce card i put in. like 100 dollars spent in supplies and used old parts. yeah its good now.
- inactive, on 03/02/2008, -0/+17What's worse is this happens all the time.
- hushcolours, on 03/02/2008, -0/+17well, you're a quality employee and customers will want to get attended by you. I also attend to the public and I prefer not to sell than selliing something not proper. Sometimes I'll even point another store. This way, I may not sell that day, but the potential customers knows that I'm there to help and will remember me.
- joel8x, on 03/02/2008, -1/+17The article seems all well and good, and then takes quite the left turn at the end when it throws in a jab at senior citizens using AOL to forward bogus email. Nice job consumerist - kick the old guy while he's down!
- Ajajadude, on 03/02/2008, -3/+19Given the number of buries so far, I'd say not.
- inactive, on 03/02/2008, -1/+17With a gold plated adapter.
- Dundasbro, on 03/02/2008, -0/+15They just don't understand it though. It is an unknown world full of wires and ***** and all they know is that once they go in they could end up causing some damage, that scares people.
- inactive, on 03/02/2008, -3/+18Oh noes, a spy.
- diggonator2007, on 03/02/2008, -0/+14So you wouldn't care then if someone was trying rip off your grandparents, parents or whatever? Give me a break, that is a stupid outlook on things. What is so asinine about the old man wanting to get his computer fixed? He probably uses it to talk with his family and/or share pictures of the grandkids.
What is asinine, is people like you that have no moral boundaries and don't mind taking advantage of people that need help with something. Shame on you, you get buried by me! - derekivey, on 03/02/2008, -0/+13Yeah put it on thepiratebay so we can see whats on it!
- Cuongfu, on 03/02/2008, -1/+14Read the rest of the article and you'll find out they were charging for more, PLUS the 39.99 you see.
"..a free tune up that suddenly cost $39.99, didn't understand why he needed to spend money on a "diagnostic screening ($49.99), virus removal services ($150), and more RAM (~$150)." - Lixie, on 03/02/2008, -0/+13Big box retailers hire and fire people based on sales performance not job performance. That should tell everybody everything they need to know about, and what to expect from, the big retail stores.
- Ajajadude, on 03/02/2008, -0/+13That's exactly right: most people working in major retail chains don't care because they're working to pay the bills and aren't getting paid enough to give a ***** about customers. Most normally don't give a ***** about customers because most customers don't give a ***** about them. Basically: retail sucks for all involved.
- zanderw00t, on 03/02/2008, -1/+13A sign that the world is overpopulated: when a "small" town is considered around ~150,000.
- hereisandy, on 03/02/2008, -0/+12There was a time i worked for staples and i just happen to know they vacuum out your case when you bring it in for a tune up. So the tech probably bumped the button. Either way, the free tune up is their just to get you to buy more easy tech crap.
- bipolar, on 03/02/2008, -0/+12Maybe they are worried about the Apple Trademark, and Apple's lawyers.
- rizenality, on 03/02/2008, -2/+14AMEN brother! Also, the agent obviously felt sorry for the guy. THe minimum charge for networking like that is 89 dollars plus tax. I always give my customer's a break when it is that easy, but if you come back and you productivity is low because you are handing our free service. You can't expect a job tomorrow.
- inactive, on 03/02/2008, -0/+12Well lets take a look see here, yep yep, just what I thought. Sir it looks like your Flux Capacitor is shot.
- Ohimesama, on 03/02/2008, -0/+12Hmmm.. well, I work at Staples as well. (though, I am in the process of quitting as I also get 30+ hours at Starbucks and go to school full-time).
The biggest thing about working at Staples, at least the one I work at is giving the customer what they want. My friend is an Easy Tech, and a lot of times he or the manager will do a lot of the easy stuff for free for a customer, especially if they bought the product from the store. In fact, my Easy Tech friend will often go to a customer's house and repair their computer for whatever the person wants to pay him. (He's gotten anywhere from 20$ to 150$. Though the 150$ was for 3 days of work.)
In fact, as Gregsaw said above, we always tell the customer if they don't need something, and try to give them the best deal.
I think that the problem is not with Staples, (though, as a corporation, I'm sure that there are issues a-plenty) but with the Easy Tech. He was either incredibly stupid or just plain dishonest. -
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