What is Digg?131 Comments
- ziffel, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Good riddance.
me: "I'd like to buy this 79 cent wire, please"
RS: "OK, sir, but first we're going to need your full name, address, phone number, social security number, banking records, 3rd grade locker combination, your bowling average from that league you were in back in the 80's, mother's maiden name, and your dental records"
me: "uh, nevermind" - thashiz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I work at RadioShack. I love that I'm an "annoying guy" who is "working on commission selling overpriced generic crap". Whew, love the community spirit here.
When people buy our "overpriced generic crap" they usually don't mind paying a bit extra for the assistance that we provide. A lot of our customers are either school kids working on projects or senior citizens who aren't very high tech. We all know that things can be found cheaper online, but in a lot of situations, people would rather come to our store to get information and tips that clicks on a screen cannot provide them - if they can figure out where to click in the first place. ;)
Personally, I think it sucks that our inventory is transitioning to the on-demand instant gratification types of products, because now more than ever we will have old geezers b#tching and moaning that we don't have barrels of batteries or resistors that come in single packs like in the "good ole days". - zonk3r, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3i used to work at a ratshack a long time ago, fresh out of high school. i worked with a great team of folks who really knew their stuff (which coincidentally our store was the highest grossing in the region). i was by far the youngest person there, most of the folks i worked with had kids my age.
anyway, it was a good experience and when i walk into a radioshack today it makes me sad to see the "sales people" are little more than counter workers. the stores have been whittled down to micro-bestbuy's without any range or quality of products.
when i worked at radioshack there were definitely corporate problems but nothing like this. btw, most of problems with companies are due to problems with management, not at the store level. it is management's job to make stores function and not to let problems propagate at the bottom. - GrendelT, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I usually tell the RadioShack employee exactly what I'm looking for - 9 times out of 10 they don't have a flippin' clue what I'm talking about and leave me alone.
It's sad that RadioShack is now less concerned with the "Radio" in their name. They used to be a great outlet for buying electronic components for those need-it-now moments, as well as a source of buying true radio equipment (ham radio, scanners, SWL, etc.) - now, the closest thing you'll find in store is a Nextel/Sprint phone.
I'd hate to see them go altogether, but if they stop carrying capacitors and resistors and various lengths of coax for radio, I won't have much use for the store. - spectre_25gt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Bah, I'd be happy to see Radio Shack go bankrupt. They had their time in the sun, but they're nothing more than a glorified cell phone outfitter now. Get Jameco or Digikey to put up a brick and mortar store near me and I'd be thrilled.
- moylan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i thought they'ed saved millions by switching to windows?
http://www.linuxtoday.com/ - linuxrebel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Radio Shack IMHO still made the worlds largest mistake when in the late 80's they decided that the business of selling phones (home not cell) was better than the business of computers. Tandy corp (the parent) actually is responsible for some interesting tech. They ad the first viable consumer CD Roms (at one time BTW they were the only place you could go to buy CD music, it sucked as far as genre, but it worked) They were the first viable IBM Clone, (Trash 80's ruled) they had the first portable (Go Color 100) did CP/M, Basic, Dos or Pascal as the OS (multi boot even). They also IIRC had the first consumer model "Radio Phones" for homes. 700 stores is minor. It will result in fewer layoffs than Oracle produces as it "expands" it's market with buy outs.
- MoeB, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2will my battery club membership be cancelled?
- mogebier, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where will I buy my "thigymabob" that I need to hook my "hoozit" to my "watchadigger"??? - J_Omega, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Radio Shack : You've got questions. We've got blank stares.
- uptown, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Radio Shack ... You've Got Questions ... We've Got Blank Stares!
- ironwolf99, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Here is the bottom line. Everyone can bitch about RS, are there things that are overpriced, yes. Are there things at other retailers, BB, circuit city etc that overpriced, of course. But I am sorry if you go into BB or these other retailers and ask how to connect something, how to connect a network, a home theater system, combine resistors etc they will look at you and tell you to go on-line and figure it out yourself.
You can go to Wal-mart or on-line and by a cable for cheaper, but you wont get the help MOST average people need. If you need your hand held and spend twenty minutes with the associate, who yes, is on commission, it is not unreasonable to pay for the level of expertise most RS employees posses. In every business you will find the new person, or the part-time, one day a week employee that doesn't know anything. But, for the most part most RS employees are helpful and knowledgeable.
As far as taking your information, I know it has been said before, that stopped several years ago. If you do a return or write a check you have to give your info. All the clerk asks for now is your zip code, and its not even required that you give it.
I enjoy going in and having an associate after they take care of me show me something new and cool. I like seeing phones you can watch live TV on. I like seeing the new robot kits, I like Sirius satellite, I haven't listened to regular radio in almost eight months.
If you want to go have an anonymous shopping experience go to Wal-Mart or BB and shop there you don't have to worry about running into an employee, if you want to go somewhere, where people actually want to help you and know what the hell they are talking about go to RS. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1overpriced crap is all I have to say
- Syphon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think you all are going to the wrong Radio Shack. My team is never pushy, and they are all about their customers. Yes we are told to offer, but after the offer, its done. The customer either bites or they dont, simple as that. It isn't every Radio Shack that is bad or dont know what they are talking about, but just one bad experience makes us all look bad. That could be one of the reasons they are closing 700 stores, because they have bad customer service, less traffic, it could be a millon diffrent things. The company is trying to make a sound business decision, and they have. They are putting more emphasis on the bigger, well manned, well trained stores. To me that is a good business decision. As for the Best Buy Express, you're describing what we already own and sell....also, they would have to bring a Radio Shack team member in to actually show them how to give great customer service, which by the way, Radio Shack is known for.
- iregretjumping, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1What you guys are forgetting, is, sure you can buy your Doodads on line for less, however YOU are not our target audience. At the Radio Shack I work at, all of us are way overqualified for our jobs. Yeah, there are a lot of High School punks that don't know anything and don't give a crap, but there are a lot of really smart people that work for the company, usually retired folks or smart kids... not too many in the middle tho. Also, Yeah we used to stock tons of diodes, transistors, ICs, and whatnots, but that was back when people actually bought them. We will get maybe one person every other day looking for the tech parts, and usually its some father trying to get parts for his kid for a science experiment. and every now and then, its an engineer looking for a last minute part. But building your own radio and circuit design went out in the 80s. All we did was change with the times. Binsons Electronics refused to, that's why they went out of business. People come to my Radio Shack, usually because they can't figure something out and they don't have anywhere else to go. You guys might hate radio shack because they really don't have anything to offer you. You don't need me to draw you a wiring diagram for your Home Entertainment system, or help you set up your wireless network, both of witch I do SEVERAL times a week. If you didn't have a clue how to do either of these, you are usually willing to spend a little more for a cable you can easily purchase on line. Sure there is the occasional person who buys a wireless router at Best Buy on sale and brings it over to us to get help setting it up... but oh well, I'm not going to deny help just because the store that they bought it at did. Also, Yeah we push to sell Wireless phones, Service Plans, and Sirius, because that is by far the biggest part of our business. Without them, we would have folded years ago. But again, people who buy these things from us really don't want to go at it alone. They need someone with experience to walk them through it. Alright... I've said my peace.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The RS in my town used to be stocked with electronic componets. When I went into one looking for LEDs they gave me a catologue because you now have to have it ordered. Screw that!
And to be honest, I loved alot of that cheap junk they used to sell in the 80's - cdman98, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Best Buy should buy whats left and have a Best Buy Express. Good products (thingmabobs also) - the typical Best Buy BS. They could work it in but they arnt a very bright company either.
- aelias, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I know an employee in management, and he said that's really not a huge deal. The bottom performing 10% either get shut down or relocated. Good employees will keep their jobs, bad ones won't. Some places have even stopped paying commision, so they actually just get what you came in for without trying to sell you every stupid thing under the sun.
There's still 6300 stores left for god's sake. Wally world and every dollar store has them beat to hell on price, but try asking the 3rd world person sweeping the floor how to hook up your surround sound system your grandson just bought you.
They do need to get their act together though. Stocks a good buy at under 20. They will certainly bounce back to at least 25 within a year. - tidu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Where will I buy my "thigymabob" that I need to hook my "hoozit" to my "watchadigger"???"
Who cares about those? I need my ZipZaps! - gotamd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I like Radio Shack for random junk that I need. I hope they stick around.
- vegasbright, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1They have always been a ***** retailer. Period.
- nekoewen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I worked at Radio Shack for a while too. My manager was a cool guy but not the greatest manager, the Distict Manager was a jerk who always had to use multiple exclamation points in his memos, and we had so much competition that the high-margin stuff was the only thing we could be even vaguely competitive on. For everything else we had to try to push no-brand stuff that cost more, which is kind of hard when Target and Fry's Electronics are right down the road.
The company generally seemed to only care about whether employees sold certain items (cell phones, satellite dishes, service plans; what was "important" changed with their whims) and collected enough names and addresses so people could get flyers. Having really good sales of high-margin items somehow didn't cut it. And of course the company's "training" was booklets and multiple-choice tests. I'm surprised there are people there who do actually know what they're doing.
At the time the only "hobbyist" people were the ones who wanted to build illegal cable descramblers, and they were inevitably disappointed to find we didn't carry variable capacitors.
After I left Radio Shack I haven't even walked into one since, and I've never regretted it. - shiftless, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1They suck anyway! All of their stores are cramped, silent and awkward places to walk into. I haven't had a trip to one that wasn't incredibly awkward.
- JoMama, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Reasons RadioShack still exists
- Usually the only electronic store in the mall.
- Sure you can buy "anything" online for cheaper, the marketing and operational cost is a dust compared to that off a B&M store. And at the same time giving your name, address, phone number, credit card number, email address, etc (may be your ssn, bank account numbers to those fake Nigerian, if you are dumb enough). Pay for shipping, and wait at least 3-5 days, if not more. Now if you decide to return ore received something unexpected, receive RMA#, pay for the shipping the item back, re-stocking fees, god forbid your package got lost in the mail. You get the idea.
- Prices at RadioShack are the same for popular consumer electronics compared to CC and BB, not only that BB is usually slightly over priced in cables and accessories compared to rest. RadioShack is slightly overpriced in small A/V components, which are hard to find elsewhere (but paying $4.99 for $2.99 doesn't really bother most, unless they are buying bulk)
- Most of the times RS is better priced in wireless for a B&M store.
- Service is great, I am usually in - and - out in 10-15min if not less, and always offered help, and accessories that I may need. Yeah, I've been to a few RS stores that had horrible service, but there are 3 stores within 10mile radius (compared to only one CC and no BB), and found the one where most sales associates know what they are talking about.
I do shop CC, BB, other retailers, and online but I am glad that RS exist. - jrblaze, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is exactly the reason RadioShack is looking into closing between 400-700 stores. They want to get rid of the Corporate stores that have bad associates trying to sell stuff they have but don't know they have:
"Me: Do you have a 3 prong to 2 prong power cord adapter?
Them: I don't know, look around and see if you find it."
Wrong Thing to do. Get off your butt and help the customer find what they are looking for. If you don't know you have it jump on the computer and type it in the search field of the RadioShack.com website or even walk around the store and goto the Power Section and look around you will be surprised to find that 95% of the time you have what the customer is looking even if you don't know what they are asking for.
Follow the selling rules:
1.Greet The Customer
2.Help Them With What They Came In For.
3.Suggest (but do not push) accessories for the product.
4.When Done helping show them something cool (if they have the time) They might take interest.
5.Sell the stuff to them
Not to hard just don't be a lazy A** and take the time to walk over to the computer and search for what the customer wants.
Yes the company is WAY TO Focused on Cell phones but Corporates want the Employee to Push cell phones and the associates are just doing what they are told.
If you really don't like the way you local store is run or have any problem with an associate just saying:
"I don't know, look around and see if you find it."
Don't hesitate call 1-800-THE-SHACK or get the District Manager's phone number from the store and report them. Get rid of the lazy associates and make the store a better place.
If you don't, call corporate has no idea and nothing can be done to correct your problems. - FaNtAsMa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1What the hell do you expect to happen when you charge $10-$15 for a cord that can be bought online for like $3? Radio Shack is pretty much synonymous with overcharging.
- Dabellah, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Who cares about those? I need my ZipZaps!"
Word up... - Cyberdactyl, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Here is corporate blah-blah if I've ever read it. . .
http://www.radioshackcorporation.com/media/edmondson.html - Corgana, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I work at Radio shack, alot of your complaints are quite valid, we are asked to push cell phones and in turn we ignore the other more technical questions (unless we have time).
call the DM's and complain. i know mine's quite an *****. - Tetra, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Radio Shack stopped being 'radio shack' years ago. No big loss. Now they are more akin to franchises of cell phone companies that also sell radio-controlled 4x4s.
http://bsalert.com/ - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0They sold me a 220V to 110V converter + converter plug, for $51.00+tax
This is for my boss, so I didn't care about the price. But I could've gotten the same thing on ebay for $22.00, see this item:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-100-Watt-Voltage-Converter-Step-Up-Down-110-220_W0QQitemZ5858788620QQcategoryZ88759QQssPageNameZWD10VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
this is how over-priced they are, they probably bought these made in China items for less than $15 at wholesale. They charge a 300% premium, and they wonder why they are not doing too good? - expotice, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0radio shack still exists? who in their right mind shops there?
and what's the deal with them asking for your phone number when you buy batteries?? - gtr86, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Where is the radio in the shack? Where are the tube testers, antennas, radios? Gadget store junk, cell phones, cell phones, cell phones, cheaper made RC cars and no electronics at all is what you get. Employees that have no clue about electronics, huh what do you want? They wonder why we don't rush in the door? What do they have we need in Amateur Radio anymore, NOTHING AT ALL, We gave them the start, we gave them the name, we left them dry when they gave up on us, They SUCK anymore, "Radio Shack" HUMMM 10-4 NO, DISH TV YES, BREAKER BREAKER NO, CELL PHONES YES, THEY SUCK
- sannayak, on 04/20/2009, -0/+0Are they all closed by now? I liked them as I can find some sockets easily.
http://www.sannayak.com - Remus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Radio Shack sells laptops, computers, and large LCD displays... now does anyone actually buy those things at Radio Shack?
- paolonorte, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I think the Best Buy express idea is really good... but if not, they should really know that RS does have two distinct customer bases, and they should be doing all they can to support both... a way to do this is to stock all the geek stuff in the back, and have a computer shopping kiosk up front. Stash the capacitors, the soldering iron holder, the XLR to RCA female cables, the lithium batteries, the bags of minicassettes, put all that stuff in the back, like an autoparts store. Then stock the front shelves with sell-thru crap. The crossover customer is the one that makes them their money, someone who comes in for a RC truck and leaves with an A/V switch box.
- p014k, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Radioshack is pretty useless. But as was said earlier when you need a ""thigymabob" that I need to hook my "hoozit" to my "watchadigger"" RS is the place.
- cymaster007, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I sit here in the back on our dumb training system, I work for radioshack, and they are closing my store because we are a "low volume" income store. Ive been here for a year and Ive seen 3 managers go through, because we werent a highvolume store we worked without commission.
I probably should have been fired a long time ago, because I immediately recognized the price markup and have always reccomended people to go to a different retailer for certain items (most of the time cables). I actually like helping people find what they need, but I dont like ripping them off, or trying to sell them crap I know they dont want. Come on, seriously, a person who came in for a resistor, was NOT thinking of buying a 400$ cell phone. Ive gotten constant lectures on "Not offering enough"
My employee reviews always have 100% on customer service though, because I know my parts and basic repair for electronics, so people I help always compliment me in front of my boss. And this is not because of radioshacks training system, this was because my dad works for the department of defense as an electronic warfare technician and taught me basic electronics.
Other than that, the coworker I have is a blatant idiot and gives people that dumb stare when they ask for anything that would be found in the horribly unorganized parts drawer. Then tries to forcefeed them anything over 200$ on the price tag. He has been chosen to be the Manager in training. (To show you, dollar over quality value or fhe company) there are good people, and there are good sellers, there is a difference between them.
Going the extra mile, or getting extra service comes from the person helping you, not the company. I dont think the company does anything training wise, or employee screening wise during hiring to find people that might actually be able to help others. If you just hire someone who says "I like electronics" I doubt they are going to help anyone outside of work.
I helped a lady install a surround sound system, a dvd player, and a satellite dish after work one day. Turned out she works for the major engineering company Jacobs. She ended up being the assistant to the CEO and the vice pres. of the company called me, set me up with an interview at the office closest to my house, and now I have an engineering internship.
Watching free movies on the demo Tv when the store is dead, and the internship are about the only good things ive gotten from Radio Shack. Ill probably never go into another radio shack again. Thats my peace. - loveslapdances, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Corporate Suits like Stu "Mossy Ass" Assimus forment these behaviors and punish and bully those who do not follow these intrusive rude policies
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It's really funny, there are no real competition to Radioshack at the retail level, and they are still failing. How incompetent can you be.
- justmichael, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Did any of the Radio Shack executives bother to try and shop during the Holidays in their stores? We found our shopping attempts to be one of the worse shopping experiences of the holidays. Each time we went into the neighborhood store the staff were busy talking to each other, no one bothered to greet us, they simply ignored us. The tiny store was arranged so if you moved a foot in the wrong direction you trip over the merchandise stacked all over on the floors. There are no aisles wider than one person. Products are scattered so you either have to get on your hands and knees to read a box label or packed high on shelves that require help. The stores were kept so warm that you would break out in a sweat after about 5 minutes. The staff were more concerned about their personal phone calls then customer service, and more than once we actually found several staff members sitting outside the store on a bench. Appropriate merchandising is non-existent. The stores are poorly lit and dirty. The glass cases are scratched, fingerprinted and poorly lit, making them difficult to see through. After several attempts to buy items that were advertised for the holidays, and after being confronted with having to walk into a disorganized closet they call a retail store, we gave up and shopped anywhere but Radio Shack. As an aside, their prices on simple items like stereo speaker wires, or cords are twice as high as you can find on the internet. Radio shack charges 14.99 + tax for an item available at several online stores for 6.99 - no tax and free shipping. When a staff member was asked about the large price difference, we got that famous Radio Shack shrug of the shoulders response. Radio Shack stores look the same as they did 15 years ago, and executives wonder why their profits keep declining. Was his visit to the neighborhood Radio Shack that day, one of the reasons David Edmondson was arrested for drunk driving?
- RSManager, on 10/12/2007, -0/+01) Radio Shack electronics are a bit high in some respects, but there are several products in the store very competitively priced.
2) Radio Shack at least attempts to train it's employees. You cannot say the same for Best Buy, Circuit City or Wal-Mart. As a matter of fact, I get 20-30 customers EVERY week because customers cannot get ANY service at the electronics dept. in the WalMart across the street. Can you really put a price on incredible customer service?
3) Radio Shack stopped asking for all that information from every customer during Christmas of 2001. Now we are supposed to ask every customer for Zip Code, but that has demographic research reasons and many many retailers do the same. If you return a product, write a check, purchase a service (cellular or dish, etc), THEN we require that information. Otherwise, my team only asks for Zip code.
Oh and charging a large mark up for an itme is not communism, it is CAPITALISM. When a friend of mine sold cars for a local dealer, he told me most used cars were marked up 3 and 4 THOUSAND dollars over cost. Every retailer in the USA has markup. Think that $70 monster cable you bought at Best Buy did not have a ridiculous mark up? think again.
You've got questions, I'VE got your answers. - boson3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Radio Shack: tried to sell my friend a Monster-brand optical cable instead of a lesser optical cable but couldn't explain why except that it was "better". (Monster cables: marketing at it's finest. There is no Easter Bunny, and Monster copper cables aren't any better than generic cables either.)
- RSManager, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0We never carried 8ft ethernet. We have always carried 7ft ethernet, which retails at $14.99. Our Crossover cables are 10ft not 8ft and cost about the same. The huge price difference was because either 1) there was a wrong price tag on the item, or 2) you mistakenly looked at the wrong item. Most likely the wrong price tag was on the item. Unfortunately, that happens. We all make honest mistakes from time to time.
You've got questions, I'VE got your answers. - RSManager, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Me and My Staff would ALL reply: yes, we have the 3 prong grounded outlet to 2 prong non grounded outlet adapter. It is over here on the power wall. Here, allow me to retrieve that for you. PERIOD. My guys are trained.
- multifaceted, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I went into radio shack ask for the usb memory (granted I should have siad usb drive) they had on sale he handed me a memory card for a digital camera.
- RSManager, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Amen.
- da03, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Reality check - DM's do as corporate says, stores managers do a DM's say. If you have a legitimate complaint call 800-THE-SHACK. Remember that today's world is CONSUMER ELECTRONICS, not a hobby shop.
- alphaterminus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0They need to put RS in the corner of every Best Buy store. Radioshack fills the need for gadgets, wires, connectors, etc for the crap I buy at Best Buy. Most discount stores, Best Buys, and Circuit City's neglect tat stuff. If they close RS, it will be a loss.
(They do sell a bunch of overpriced crap too, but they also sell little things that you cannot find at other Brick and Morter stores) - RSManager, on 10/12/2007, -0/+015,000 customers bought at my Radio Shack last year alone. That accounted for a 47% increase in overall business. Oh, and my store with 15,000 customers ranked 19th out of 23 stores in my district for # of customers helped. My District only account for about 150 square miles of this vast country. So yeah... we have a lot of intelligent customers who buy a ton of electronics at Radio Shack.
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