msc@qubix.UUCP (Mark Callow) (03/07/84)
> Next time you buy something from a Radio Shack store, give them the > address of another Radio Shack store instead of yours... Louis A. Mamakos That's *hilarious*. I'll have to go and buy something from them just so I can do that. -- From the Tardis of Mark Callow msc@qubix.UUCP, decwrl!qubix!msc@Berkeley.ARPA ...{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!qubix!msc, ...{ittvax,amd70}!qubix!msc
prophet@umcp-cs.UUCP (03/07/84)
I also used to work for Radio Shack. I worked there for about 6 months, then
I quit. I always shuddered when asking a customer for his name and address.
I was told to always get as many names and addresses as possible. When a
customer refused his name and address, I was told to "coax" him by offering
a free "battery-a-month" card. If the customer was really nasty about it, I
was then instructed to inform the customer that no warrentees or returns
would be honored without a name and address.
It is indeed true that the manager of each store is pressured to get as many
names and addresses as possible. I gradually got tired of the way Radio
Shack treats its employees. They essentially train us to do "high-pressure"
sales. I had a moral conflict trying to convince a customer that a certain
Radio Shack product was "State of the Art" when I knew in fact that is was
not. Have you ever wondered why Radio Shack never seems to be the first with
a new inovative product? The reason is that the Radio Shack way of doing
business is to let the other companies do the innovating, then follow up with
a cheap (often inferior) alternative to another company's product. I think
they do this because it is cheaper for them to do it this way. I disagree
strongly with this philosophy, which is why I quit.
I do not mean to put Radio Shack down, some of their products can be good
bargains if you catch them on sale. I just had a hard time working for the
company because I feel the same way as many of the netters here on net.consu-
mers do. To any of my former customers out there: I am sorry I had to pres-
sure you so much for your name and address, but I had to keep my job so that
I could afford school.
Dennis
--
Call-Me: Dennis Gibbs, Univ. of Md. Comp. Sci. Center.
UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!prophet
CSNet: prophet@umcp-cs
ARPA: prophet.umcp-cs@CSNet-Relaymark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) (03/08/84)
Have you ever wondered why Radio Shack never seems to be the
first with a new inovative product? The reason is that the
Radio Shack way of doing business is to let the other
companies do the innovating, then follow up with a cheap (often
inferior) alternative to another company's product.
I would never buy a computer or a stereo at Radio Shack, because they
are always overpriced. ("Never discounted" is probably more accurate;
I never buy at certain department stores that don't discount either.)
However, it probably isn't fair to claim that all TRS products are
obsolete before they are out. The TRS-100 was the first handheld
portable computer out, and for its time was technically excellent.
(It still is, modulo the tiny screen size.)
On the other hand, I stuck my head in a local Radio Shack store the other
day to pick up a box of DSDD 5.25" floppies. They wanted 80 bucks for
a box of 10! The computer store 3 doors down had them for 45, and I could
have gotten them for 39 across town or even less by mail order.doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (01/31/86)
> carries the same high quality standards as everything else Radio Shaft > puts out. :-) I really can't let this slide. Radio Shack does not just peddle junk. Some of the stuff they sell is the best you can get. Most is neither really bad nor really great. And yes, some is junk. If I wanted to make a snide comment about R/S, it would be about their prices. They set prices as if everything in the store was premium quality, which not everything is. -- Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {hardy,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug
mazlack@ernie.berkeley.edu.BERKELEY.EDU (Lawrence J. &) (02/03/86)
>If I wanted to make a snide comment about R/S, it would be about their >prices. They set prices as if everything in the store was premium >quality, which not everything is. Yah, this is my major problem with R/S. Things like speaker wires and cables with RCA connectors are 2-3 times more expensive than elsewhere. You would think that they would price items like this at near market - so you would go into R/S whenever you needed electronics. ....Larry Mazlack
glenn@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Glenn C. Scott) (02/03/86)
> ... Radio Shack does not just peddle junk. Some of the stuff they sell is > the best you can get. ... I've been in Radio Shack a few times and I was never impressed by any of their merchanise as being "the best you can get." Do you have anything specific in mind ? I'm not flaming - I really want to know. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Glenn C. Scott (glenn@sdcrdcf.UUCP, Scott@DOCKMASTER.ARPA) System Development Corporation, 2525 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA. 90406 213-820-4111 X5653
tj@alliant.UUCP (Tom Jaskiewicz) (02/08/86)
>> ... Radio Shack does not just peddle junk. Some of the stuff they sell is >> the best you can get. ... My brother-in-law once worked for a Radio Shack. His opinions were: 1. You can get some good quality stuff from them. 2. You can also get some real junk from them. 3. Given any item, you can't determine its quality. When he worked there and knew who the suppliers were, he would buy the good stuff. Since he stopped working for them, he won't go near the place. -- #################################################################### # uucp: decvax!linus!alliant!tj ## Bernese are mountains of love. # ####################################################################
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (02/09/86)
> >If I wanted to make a snide comment about R/S, it would be about their > >prices. They set prices as if everything in the store was premium > >quality, which not everything is. > > Yah, this is my major problem with R/S. Things like speaker wires and cables > with RCA connectors are 2-3 times more expensive than elsewhere. You > would think that they would price items like this at near market - so you > would go into R/S whenever you needed electronics. I find that two particular categories of items are EXCEPTIONALLY overpriced at Radio Shack: batteries and telephone accessories like jacks, cords, etc. Apparently Radio Shack feels they have a captive market when a customer buys some OTHER Radio Shack item (like a telephone, calculator, etc.) requiring an additional accessory purchase. List price for a package of Mallory or Eveready alkaline batteries is LESS money that what Radio Shack charges for an equivalent battery; given the choice, I would always take Mallory or Eveready to some battery of unknown quality and origin which carries the Radio Shack name. In general, Radio Shack telephone jacks, cords, etc. are twice the price of equivalent items sold at K-Mart, drug stores, etc., and do not appear to be of great quality. ==> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York <== ==> UUCP {decvax|dual|rocksanne|rocksvax|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <== ==> VOICE 716/741-9185 {rice|shell}!baylor!/ <== ==> FAX 716/741-9635 {G1, G2, G3 modes} duke!ethos!/ <== ==> seismo!/ <== ==> "Have you hugged your cat today?" ihnp4!/ <==
EN1@PSUVMA.BITNET (02/15/86)
I am a former R/S employee. I totally agree with the price complaints
I have seen. However, the quality of R/S merchandise is not always that
bad. A
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brett@ucla-cs.UUCP (02/18/86)
> The Radio Shack wireless burglar alarm systems are made by Universal > Security, in Owen Mills, Maryland. It is an excelllent system seen > advertised in many other reputable catalogs. Universal has been very > responsive to several questions I had. One of the Radio Shack terminals is made by WYSE technology in San Jose; they just remove the WYSE logo and put a Radio Shack one on. The WYSE terminal is quite good for the price. It tilts, has quite a few function keys, the keyboard has a good feel, the screen has extra large characters w/ 132 column 80 column by flipping a software toggle. -- Brett Fleisch University of California Los Angeles LOCUS Research Group 3804-f Boelter Hall Los Angeles, CA 90024 Phone: (213) 825-2756, (213) 474-5317 brett@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU {...sdcrdcf, ihnp4, trwspp, ucbvax}!ucla-cs!brett -------------------------------------------------------------------------