treblah
Sep 7, 11:52 PM
I was again expecting John Mayer being a huge Apple fan boy and all. I bet he reads MacRumors when he's not hooking up with Hollywood starlets and hanging out with rappers. ;)
P.S. Kanye West is a no talent ass-clown but at least he is trying to do something positive by calling Bush out.
P.S. Kanye West is a no talent ass-clown but at least he is trying to do something positive by calling Bush out.
aristobrat
Nov 23, 10:18 PM
One last thing...don't plan on getting much attention from the Mac Specialist tomorrow, they'll be busy ringing out sales.
What, none of the new 2-minute test drives tomorrow? :cool:
Thank god for Easy Pays.
What, none of the new 2-minute test drives tomorrow? :cool:
Thank god for Easy Pays.
rdowns
Apr 13, 12:48 PM
I'm going to duck out of this thread but I want to answer this one....
I could sharpen that butter knife to a lethal edge in less that 10 min. They did the right thing.
And I can get a knife or fork at one of dozens of restaurants inside the terminal post security. What's your point?
I could sharpen that butter knife to a lethal edge in less that 10 min. They did the right thing.
And I can get a knife or fork at one of dozens of restaurants inside the terminal post security. What's your point?
icsedge1
Oct 10, 06:49 PM
so sorry family, but i had to cut your Xmas present budget by 50% so i could get a new video iPod.
actually, as we are all Mac Addicts, i think they would understand...
Sedge
actually, as we are all Mac Addicts, i think they would understand...
Sedge
more...
longofest
Oct 2, 03:32 PM
Think about this: Apple is in hot water with some European countries for the "monopoly" Apple has with its iPod and iTunes Store.
Could DVD Jon's venture help alleviate some of those country's worries?
-Aaron-
Good point. Of note, I'm not aware of any pending lawsuits against Navio.
Also the article had a decent point. This all could help push Apple's hardware sales (aka, push iTV sales), which are the crutch of it all for Apple. Of course, I'm sure Apple won't be too crazy if hackers end up doing a bang-up job and ruin the experience for the end user (hence the reason why Apple hasn't allowed UI themes in OSX??? Let's not go there...)
Could DVD Jon's venture help alleviate some of those country's worries?
-Aaron-
Good point. Of note, I'm not aware of any pending lawsuits against Navio.
Also the article had a decent point. This all could help push Apple's hardware sales (aka, push iTV sales), which are the crutch of it all for Apple. Of course, I'm sure Apple won't be too crazy if hackers end up doing a bang-up job and ruin the experience for the end user (hence the reason why Apple hasn't allowed UI themes in OSX??? Let's not go there...)
wpotere
Apr 13, 11:07 AM
Very simple. The way MOSSAD has done it for decades on El Al planes. 2 armed Sky Marshals on the plane. Problem solved. And it's cheaper and less intrusive.
Great, a shoot out on a plane loaded with innocent bystanders. :rolleyes:
Great, a shoot out on a plane loaded with innocent bystanders. :rolleyes:
more...
djransom
Mar 17, 12:24 PM
With my flame suit on, i say this...
I might have done the same thing as the OP.
Regarding the kid, well, its probably a part time job for him. Furthermore, how much can BestBuy possibly be paying him? He could probably earn more if he worked else where. :)
Truth be told alot of people in this thread would've. People are quick to say what they will and won't do AFTER the situation, but had the opportunity presented not many would've passed on it.
I might have done the same thing as the OP.
Regarding the kid, well, its probably a part time job for him. Furthermore, how much can BestBuy possibly be paying him? He could probably earn more if he worked else where. :)
Truth be told alot of people in this thread would've. People are quick to say what they will and won't do AFTER the situation, but had the opportunity presented not many would've passed on it.
wlh99
Apr 26, 07:41 PM
...
wlh99, I'll step back when ever I want to, this is a public Forum and people are here to discuss and learn new stuff.
Any way.. if you guys can't help me, just go to another thread.
I'm more than happy to help, which is why I asked what you meant by "ON" and "OFF" and what exactly you want to do. Because I don't know. Timers are not "ON" or "OFF" so I need to know what you mean.
I was referring to the "if" statement, not the comment. How and where do you declare myTimer and newTimer? Where are they assigned a value? Post that code. My assumption was (possibly incorrect) that they were assigned as the return value from when you created the timers.
In which case, they are pointers. If you declared them as a primitive type and assigned them a value not related to the timer objects, then they are not pointers. If that is the case, I am even more confused as to what you want the program to do.
Post your code, and let us know what you are trying to accomplish.
wlh99, I'll step back when ever I want to, this is a public Forum and people are here to discuss and learn new stuff.
Any way.. if you guys can't help me, just go to another thread.
I'm more than happy to help, which is why I asked what you meant by "ON" and "OFF" and what exactly you want to do. Because I don't know. Timers are not "ON" or "OFF" so I need to know what you mean.
I was referring to the "if" statement, not the comment. How and where do you declare myTimer and newTimer? Where are they assigned a value? Post that code. My assumption was (possibly incorrect) that they were assigned as the return value from when you created the timers.
In which case, they are pointers. If you declared them as a primitive type and assigned them a value not related to the timer objects, then they are not pointers. If that is the case, I am even more confused as to what you want the program to do.
Post your code, and let us know what you are trying to accomplish.
more...
Anthony T
Apr 15, 04:41 PM
I was all for having an aluminum design, but not if it looks like that. That thing is just ugly. I like this concept the most, just without the circle around the Apple logo, and none of those ugly colors like the pink, blue, green, etc.
http://cdn.erictric.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/iphone-4g-concept-3-march-4.jpg
http://cdn.erictric.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/iphone-4g-concept-3-march-4.jpg
SevenInchScrew
Nov 14, 05:07 PM
About the footsteps issue, while you may not hear someone else, your own footsteps are almost deafening now. I take the Ninja perk just to NOT hear my own footsteps.
Right, and that was what made it so good in MW2. You were super quiet, and could hear everyone else much better because of that. Now in Black Ops, while your own movements are certainly much quieter with Ninja, everyone else running around makes basically no noise, regardless of their Green perk. Because of that, no one HAS to use Ninja, and can still run around all stealthy, stabbing or shooting you in the back.
In MW2, you could easily hear people coming if you were paying attention, and get a jump on them. In Black Ops, since you can't hear anyone, ever, the game is a constant battle of internet connection and reflexes. What happens now is, you and an enemy both, surprisingly, come around a corner to face each other. What ensues is each person wildly spraying bullets until one of you falls over dead. That isn't very fun.
A new update or patch will be welcome, and I look forward to playing the game despite it's problems. Good fun.
I agree. Even though there are a few issues I have with the game, and a couple are close to game-breaking, the game has a lot of fun in it. With a good update/patch, it could be great.
Right, and that was what made it so good in MW2. You were super quiet, and could hear everyone else much better because of that. Now in Black Ops, while your own movements are certainly much quieter with Ninja, everyone else running around makes basically no noise, regardless of their Green perk. Because of that, no one HAS to use Ninja, and can still run around all stealthy, stabbing or shooting you in the back.
In MW2, you could easily hear people coming if you were paying attention, and get a jump on them. In Black Ops, since you can't hear anyone, ever, the game is a constant battle of internet connection and reflexes. What happens now is, you and an enemy both, surprisingly, come around a corner to face each other. What ensues is each person wildly spraying bullets until one of you falls over dead. That isn't very fun.
A new update or patch will be welcome, and I look forward to playing the game despite it's problems. Good fun.
I agree. Even though there are a few issues I have with the game, and a couple are close to game-breaking, the game has a lot of fun in it. With a good update/patch, it could be great.
more...
quagmire
Jul 27, 05:06 PM
The Volt should sell for no more than $20,000. What a ripoff!!!!
Name one vehicle that has the electric motors and lithium ion battery the volt and leaf has that goes for less then $20,000.
Name one vehicle that has the electric motors and lithium ion battery the volt and leaf has that goes for less then $20,000.
geerlingguy
Oct 4, 07:44 AM
I'll shoot you for mentioning PowerBook G5! :D
That wasn't an option.
;)
That wasn't an option.
;)
more...
toolioiep
Apr 10, 02:08 PM
Samsung PN50C8000 x3.
Continuing to build my ultimate theater room - just need to paint the in wall speakers that were installed.
Continuing to build my ultimate theater room - just need to paint the in wall speakers that were installed.
DMann
Jan 14, 01:45 AM
ha, that was pretty good. and true really...
they didn't release iwork and ilife probably b/c of Amazon putting it up on their website early
and now poor ol' Amazon has egg on its face:o
they didn't release iwork and ilife probably b/c of Amazon putting it up on their website early
and now poor ol' Amazon has egg on its face:o
more...
RebeccaL
Apr 30, 07:28 AM
I hope they go back to the rounded buttons. The new square ones are too windows-like. Also that new iCal interface looks like crap.
azentropy
Oct 7, 05:58 PM
Great ad.
I'm still hopeful that when my contract is up next year that I'll have choices than AT&T to get an iPhone on. For the most part AT&T has been fine where I currently live and work. However I'm been looking at homes in a different area of town and noticed I was getting horrible coverage.
I'm still hopeful that when my contract is up next year that I'll have choices than AT&T to get an iPhone on. For the most part AT&T has been fine where I currently live and work. However I'm been looking at homes in a different area of town and noticed I was getting horrible coverage.
more...
chrisgeleven
Jan 5, 03:23 PM
Why did Apple do away with live feeds of the event? That seems like a good idea. What are they trying to avoid?
That little thing called bandwidth. You know how many people will be hitting that streaming video stream if it were live? With it being tape delayed, Apple can somewhat spread out the number of people who will be watching it.
Heck I have a hard enough time viewing the keynote hours after it was released, never mind trying to do it live.
That little thing called bandwidth. You know how many people will be hitting that streaming video stream if it were live? With it being tape delayed, Apple can somewhat spread out the number of people who will be watching it.
Heck I have a hard enough time viewing the keynote hours after it was released, never mind trying to do it live.
logandzwon
Apr 18, 02:00 PM
It looks like the only way M$ is "catching up" is by copying technologies with which we are already familiar. As Bertrand Serlet suggested, maybe M$ really DID start up their photocopiers :D
I saw a video on YouTube entitled "The Real Windows Vista (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QdGt3ix2CQ)", in which the audio from a (series of) M$ lecture(s) was combined with video showing a Mac user demonstrating the then-unreleased features of Vista on a Mac. It was originally in three parts, and at the end of each part the specific technologies mentioned were identified, as well as the year in which they were introduced. It appears also that, as Mr. Serlet also mentioned, "if you can't innovate, you must imitate, but it's never quite the same."
Heh, I've seen that video it's classic. However, if you were to say fair-is-fair, MS publicly announced their road map for what became Vista before XP even came out. Apple KNEW what MS was working on. No body knew what Apple was working on.
I saw a video on YouTube entitled "The Real Windows Vista (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QdGt3ix2CQ)", in which the audio from a (series of) M$ lecture(s) was combined with video showing a Mac user demonstrating the then-unreleased features of Vista on a Mac. It was originally in three parts, and at the end of each part the specific technologies mentioned were identified, as well as the year in which they were introduced. It appears also that, as Mr. Serlet also mentioned, "if you can't innovate, you must imitate, but it's never quite the same."
Heh, I've seen that video it's classic. However, if you were to say fair-is-fair, MS publicly announced their road map for what became Vista before XP even came out. Apple KNEW what MS was working on. No body knew what Apple was working on.
rtdgoldfish
Apr 5, 12:34 AM
Alrighty, since this thing got way too popular on Digg, I've had a lot of people trying to offer advice. A great deal more are saying this is all fake.
First of all, I am not breaking into my neighbor's house. I will not stoop to their level. I will not trash their place, spray paint their living room, nor leave dog droppings in their fridge. I will either let the police deal with this or let the stupidity of the criminals catch up with them in the end.
Second, I am not getting a lawyer. The amount it would cost me to get a lawyer would be way more than the cost of the 360 and games. This just doesn't make sense. The only reason I would get one is if they catch the guy and there is some sort of trial. Even then, I don't think I would need a lawyer, it would just be me testifying in court or something.
And finally, I don't really care if you think I am making this all up. The burglar broke in, took an Xbox and some games and left a good deal of other expensive stuff in the house. If you read the rest of my posts before saying "OMG WTF LIARZ WHO STEALZ JST A XBOX AND LEAVES A MACBOOK" you would know the situation. The cops have been following any leads I have given them, and things have happened.
If I get my Xbox back, wonderful. That is money that I don't have to spend replacing it. If I never see it again, oh well, life goes on.
I guess what I really wanted by getting this on Digg and all was some actual advice on what I should do now. Again, all I have gotten was advice from 15 year olds saying to throw bricks at my neighbor's house. This is not exactly the advice I was looking for and if anyone has any REAL advice to offer, that would be wonderful (such as names and numbers of someone at Microsoft).
I posted this on Macrumors because of the great community we have here. People are always friendly and open to discussion. Sometimes issues get solved, other times they don't. If getting this story on Digg brought some new (and unwanted) members to the forums, I am sorry.
Anyway, thanks for reading my post and I'll continue to update as things progress. :)
First of all, I am not breaking into my neighbor's house. I will not stoop to their level. I will not trash their place, spray paint their living room, nor leave dog droppings in their fridge. I will either let the police deal with this or let the stupidity of the criminals catch up with them in the end.
Second, I am not getting a lawyer. The amount it would cost me to get a lawyer would be way more than the cost of the 360 and games. This just doesn't make sense. The only reason I would get one is if they catch the guy and there is some sort of trial. Even then, I don't think I would need a lawyer, it would just be me testifying in court or something.
And finally, I don't really care if you think I am making this all up. The burglar broke in, took an Xbox and some games and left a good deal of other expensive stuff in the house. If you read the rest of my posts before saying "OMG WTF LIARZ WHO STEALZ JST A XBOX AND LEAVES A MACBOOK" you would know the situation. The cops have been following any leads I have given them, and things have happened.
If I get my Xbox back, wonderful. That is money that I don't have to spend replacing it. If I never see it again, oh well, life goes on.
I guess what I really wanted by getting this on Digg and all was some actual advice on what I should do now. Again, all I have gotten was advice from 15 year olds saying to throw bricks at my neighbor's house. This is not exactly the advice I was looking for and if anyone has any REAL advice to offer, that would be wonderful (such as names and numbers of someone at Microsoft).
I posted this on Macrumors because of the great community we have here. People are always friendly and open to discussion. Sometimes issues get solved, other times they don't. If getting this story on Digg brought some new (and unwanted) members to the forums, I am sorry.
Anyway, thanks for reading my post and I'll continue to update as things progress. :)
res1233
Mar 25, 04:10 AM
Odd choice of words. "Behemoth" is most often used to describe something that that it is so large that it is unpleasant. And "major behemoth" is redundant.
My Nerdar has gone off.
My Nerdar has gone off.
Mattie Num Nums
Apr 8, 02:49 PM
I'm a current employee at Best Buy and thought I'd offer my two cents on a few issues.
First, I don't really like Best Buy. I got a job there to work for around 4 hours a week to get the generous discount. It's particularly generous when dealing with open-box items. Even so, I am miserable leading up to heading in and I do not enjoy the time that I spend there. Thankfully, I have a good full-time job plus a lot of side work and I'm planning on quitting in the next month or so as the thrill of the discount has long worn off.
That said, I have no problem being very open and honest about Best Buy and my experiences there.
In regards to the iPad situation, I haven't been in since this issue came up and won't be in for awhile, so I don't really know what the buzz is on this matter exactly. I do know that they wouldn't put a freeze on selling new iPad 2 stock if they regularly had it for a random promotion, if only for the very reason that many think caused the initial problem: quota.
I'm betting 1 of 2 things happened:
1) They did indeed get in trouble with Apple for something. Sure, it's possible, and it's the easiest reasonable conclusion. I don't know why this would be though, and I'm skeptical about the whole hording thing. And again, this is coming from someone who has access to the inventory systems and all the places that would hide "horded" iPads. Plus, I have a good enough relationship with multiple managers (ones who know the score about Best Buy in an objective world...) who would be honest about this with me.
Generally speaking, when they say there are no iPads for sale, there are no iPads for sale. It's really that simple. Demand is real, and supply is lacking. When we have them for sale, they're in the cages, and this would occur after passing through the pre-order system. White Verizon iPads tend to be the ones most often available, usually just a couple, and they're gone almost immediately all the same.
Another factor in the equation though is processing shipments. I saw someone noted that after an open-box controversy between two customers, the manager was able to procure a new iPad 2 for a disappointed customer when apparently there were none for sale. Well, there probably weren't. He either bumped someone back on the pre-order list to be nice to the pissed off customer in the store or perhaps a shipment came in on the truck that had yet to be processed and he worked it out with the ops team to get them to process one so he could get it out. Oftentimes the managers do actually try to make the customer happy, even if it's somewhat unreasonable. The ops guys have their procedures, and it's rarely slimy in intent so much as rooted in overall efficiency, so sometimes a shipment won't go to the floor for sales until the next day because the processing takes time. If the manager pushes to work something out in that situation, the manager is doing you a favor and pissing off some ops guys to do so.
Anyways, on to the 2nd scenario...
2) This is what I'd really venture to bet is the problem: the pre-order system is a huge mess. It was a rush job authorized by corporate at the last minute and handled by less-than-informed employees who were also in a rush. From day 1 it was clear that problems were going to creep up, and they absolutely have. Nobody in store is happy about it. The employees don't like telling customers that they have to wait on a pre-order list, they don't like the 48 hour pickup window, they don't like having to deal with customers pissing and moaning and crying about conspiracy theories when only a 64 GB white Verizon iPad 2 is available once in a blue moon when a pre-order turns it down. It's not fun, for anyone, and unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it.
So what I'm guessing is really happening is that Best Buy is just digging out of this pre-order mess as fast as possible and skipping anything else until they get past the ramifications of a stupid decision. Considering there's little to skip seeing as supply is so low and we rarely have the most in-demand models available anyways, it's easier for them to just bow out of this for a couple of weeks and in a sense re-launch the normal sales when supplies are less constrained and they don't have a stupid pre-order process hanging over their heads. It's a cut and dry move that will allow them to gear up again in a more normal, focused way. Considering how things have gone there in the last month in dealing with anything iPad related, this might be the best decision for them.
All in all, Best Buy is Best Buy: a brick and mortar retailer lost in an internet-connected world. Best Buy isn't nearly as evil as they are lost and longing for the 20th century. Sure, there's a lot of margin on accessories, but it's because there's more often than not no margin on anything else. They don't make much money at all on TV's and Computers anymore. If they're on sale, and at Best Buy, almost everything is always "On Sale," it's likely at cost or within a few dollars of cost. There's little margin in the shrinking physical media world either. The only departments with major products that have margin still are appliances and for certain stores, musical instruments. This is why Best Buy will likely be dead in 5 years if they don't drastically change their business model. They did a better job at adapting to the new world than other electronics chains, but they haven't done nearly enough. It's not an easy business at this point though as it has as much to do with dealing with suppliers suffering the same pinch and customers who want to have it all but don't want to pay for it.
Also, in regards to stupid employees and sleazy mangers, yeah, they do exist. But more employees know their stuff than you might think. And there are quite a few managers who actually do care about trying to do a good job and help the customer.
As far as the employees, the biggest shock to me after working at Best Buy was realizing that so much of the supposed employee ignorance has more to do with incessantly having to dumb things down to the most absurd of levels with customers. 90% of the people who come in are nice people who just don't know much of anything about what they're buying. You have to learn to communicate on their level and not over-complicate things for them. It's easy to get stuck in that default mode and you have to actively snap yourself out of it on the rare occasion when you get customers who can actually hold their own in a conversation about the technology. And make no mistake, it's a huge relief for most of us when that happens because most of us that work there actually are pretty excited about the technology.
Now on the other hand, sleazy managers and supervisors can screw so much of this up. While most of the employees aren't making a career out of working at Best Buy, the sups and managers typically are on some level at least, and it takes a certain, umm, level of person to get, err, stuck, yes, at that level if you know what I mean. There's a lot of inconsistency in these types of people. If you get good ones though, they tend to hire good employees and foster a good environment for customers. My store has good management. It's the only thing that makes it remotely tolerable to me. The employees actually know their stuff and are honest with the customers. They also work as a team because the management pushes it and thankfully we don't have commission to muck things up. And customers do love us for it. You'd be shocked by how often a selling relationship turns into a friendship practically at our particular store. We get invited out after work all the time. Honesty goes a long ways, and when you're helping people save money by making sure they make a smart decision for their needs, it goes a long ways. And our managers are objective enough (and not locked into Best Buy corporate brainwash mode) to know that the only thing Best Buy has to offer over Amazon is the possibility of a good customer service experience. They do all they reasonably can to ensure that it happens.
But again, this simply isn't the case everywhere at all, and it so often boils down to the luck of the draw on management. Good managers hire good people leading to good teams leading to generally happy customers and good sales. Bad managers hire their dumb friends, play games with customers, lie, cheat, and usually they don't put up good numbers.
At the end of the day though, the good stores and the bad stores are equally screwed because the industry is a mess, the world is changing, and Best Buy corporate utterly and completely lacks the talent and leadership to be innovative in the 21st century. They refuse to reasonably acknowledge change, they're too scared to piss off manufacturers who have lines all across the store that vary dramatically when it comes to success and quality, and they're wildly inconsistent and disorganized with their processes and as they put it, "solutions." As said, if things don't drastically change, and I don't believe they will without a major shift in leadership, they'll be dead in 5 years. It's a sinking ship. I'll be happy to be out of there.
Again, I don't think they're near as evil and corrupt as they are just lost. When you're lost, things can get confusing real fast. Bear in mind that oftentimes when employees appear aloof, they're probably confused because corporate changes things all the time and does little to help keep us informed of these changes. Also, don't mistake conspiracy theories for sheer stupidity. Like we saw in this whole conversation, people will say some wild things. It's easy to think it from the outside. I can assure you from the inside, that oftentimes what looks like scheming and maneuvering is really just disorganization, stupidity and/or confusion due to the muddled processes and the ever-foggy way in which corporate outlines these processes.
I don't blame people for not liking Best Buy. I don't like them either. Just go easy on the guys on the floor and in the back. Unless they're the total goof-off employees which do exist, what you're pissed about is probably not their fault at all.
As a former BBY employee I can tell you a few things that are flawed.
#1 no former or current Best Buy employee would call themselves BBemployee, BBYEmployee would seem more likely. I know its stupid but it is the culture of Best Buy to shorten it to BBY.
#2 You would have no clue if Best Buy was in trouble. As a simple Blue Shirt or even a Black Shirt you would not have this information passed down to you.
#3 Your rant show that you either hate Best Buy for personal reasons or possibly a former employee who has a huge vendetta against the company.
#4 Your rant does nothing to support this discussion.
First, I don't really like Best Buy. I got a job there to work for around 4 hours a week to get the generous discount. It's particularly generous when dealing with open-box items. Even so, I am miserable leading up to heading in and I do not enjoy the time that I spend there. Thankfully, I have a good full-time job plus a lot of side work and I'm planning on quitting in the next month or so as the thrill of the discount has long worn off.
That said, I have no problem being very open and honest about Best Buy and my experiences there.
In regards to the iPad situation, I haven't been in since this issue came up and won't be in for awhile, so I don't really know what the buzz is on this matter exactly. I do know that they wouldn't put a freeze on selling new iPad 2 stock if they regularly had it for a random promotion, if only for the very reason that many think caused the initial problem: quota.
I'm betting 1 of 2 things happened:
1) They did indeed get in trouble with Apple for something. Sure, it's possible, and it's the easiest reasonable conclusion. I don't know why this would be though, and I'm skeptical about the whole hording thing. And again, this is coming from someone who has access to the inventory systems and all the places that would hide "horded" iPads. Plus, I have a good enough relationship with multiple managers (ones who know the score about Best Buy in an objective world...) who would be honest about this with me.
Generally speaking, when they say there are no iPads for sale, there are no iPads for sale. It's really that simple. Demand is real, and supply is lacking. When we have them for sale, they're in the cages, and this would occur after passing through the pre-order system. White Verizon iPads tend to be the ones most often available, usually just a couple, and they're gone almost immediately all the same.
Another factor in the equation though is processing shipments. I saw someone noted that after an open-box controversy between two customers, the manager was able to procure a new iPad 2 for a disappointed customer when apparently there were none for sale. Well, there probably weren't. He either bumped someone back on the pre-order list to be nice to the pissed off customer in the store or perhaps a shipment came in on the truck that had yet to be processed and he worked it out with the ops team to get them to process one so he could get it out. Oftentimes the managers do actually try to make the customer happy, even if it's somewhat unreasonable. The ops guys have their procedures, and it's rarely slimy in intent so much as rooted in overall efficiency, so sometimes a shipment won't go to the floor for sales until the next day because the processing takes time. If the manager pushes to work something out in that situation, the manager is doing you a favor and pissing off some ops guys to do so.
Anyways, on to the 2nd scenario...
2) This is what I'd really venture to bet is the problem: the pre-order system is a huge mess. It was a rush job authorized by corporate at the last minute and handled by less-than-informed employees who were also in a rush. From day 1 it was clear that problems were going to creep up, and they absolutely have. Nobody in store is happy about it. The employees don't like telling customers that they have to wait on a pre-order list, they don't like the 48 hour pickup window, they don't like having to deal with customers pissing and moaning and crying about conspiracy theories when only a 64 GB white Verizon iPad 2 is available once in a blue moon when a pre-order turns it down. It's not fun, for anyone, and unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it.
So what I'm guessing is really happening is that Best Buy is just digging out of this pre-order mess as fast as possible and skipping anything else until they get past the ramifications of a stupid decision. Considering there's little to skip seeing as supply is so low and we rarely have the most in-demand models available anyways, it's easier for them to just bow out of this for a couple of weeks and in a sense re-launch the normal sales when supplies are less constrained and they don't have a stupid pre-order process hanging over their heads. It's a cut and dry move that will allow them to gear up again in a more normal, focused way. Considering how things have gone there in the last month in dealing with anything iPad related, this might be the best decision for them.
All in all, Best Buy is Best Buy: a brick and mortar retailer lost in an internet-connected world. Best Buy isn't nearly as evil as they are lost and longing for the 20th century. Sure, there's a lot of margin on accessories, but it's because there's more often than not no margin on anything else. They don't make much money at all on TV's and Computers anymore. If they're on sale, and at Best Buy, almost everything is always "On Sale," it's likely at cost or within a few dollars of cost. There's little margin in the shrinking physical media world either. The only departments with major products that have margin still are appliances and for certain stores, musical instruments. This is why Best Buy will likely be dead in 5 years if they don't drastically change their business model. They did a better job at adapting to the new world than other electronics chains, but they haven't done nearly enough. It's not an easy business at this point though as it has as much to do with dealing with suppliers suffering the same pinch and customers who want to have it all but don't want to pay for it.
Also, in regards to stupid employees and sleazy mangers, yeah, they do exist. But more employees know their stuff than you might think. And there are quite a few managers who actually do care about trying to do a good job and help the customer.
As far as the employees, the biggest shock to me after working at Best Buy was realizing that so much of the supposed employee ignorance has more to do with incessantly having to dumb things down to the most absurd of levels with customers. 90% of the people who come in are nice people who just don't know much of anything about what they're buying. You have to learn to communicate on their level and not over-complicate things for them. It's easy to get stuck in that default mode and you have to actively snap yourself out of it on the rare occasion when you get customers who can actually hold their own in a conversation about the technology. And make no mistake, it's a huge relief for most of us when that happens because most of us that work there actually are pretty excited about the technology.
Now on the other hand, sleazy managers and supervisors can screw so much of this up. While most of the employees aren't making a career out of working at Best Buy, the sups and managers typically are on some level at least, and it takes a certain, umm, level of person to get, err, stuck, yes, at that level if you know what I mean. There's a lot of inconsistency in these types of people. If you get good ones though, they tend to hire good employees and foster a good environment for customers. My store has good management. It's the only thing that makes it remotely tolerable to me. The employees actually know their stuff and are honest with the customers. They also work as a team because the management pushes it and thankfully we don't have commission to muck things up. And customers do love us for it. You'd be shocked by how often a selling relationship turns into a friendship practically at our particular store. We get invited out after work all the time. Honesty goes a long ways, and when you're helping people save money by making sure they make a smart decision for their needs, it goes a long ways. And our managers are objective enough (and not locked into Best Buy corporate brainwash mode) to know that the only thing Best Buy has to offer over Amazon is the possibility of a good customer service experience. They do all they reasonably can to ensure that it happens.
But again, this simply isn't the case everywhere at all, and it so often boils down to the luck of the draw on management. Good managers hire good people leading to good teams leading to generally happy customers and good sales. Bad managers hire their dumb friends, play games with customers, lie, cheat, and usually they don't put up good numbers.
At the end of the day though, the good stores and the bad stores are equally screwed because the industry is a mess, the world is changing, and Best Buy corporate utterly and completely lacks the talent and leadership to be innovative in the 21st century. They refuse to reasonably acknowledge change, they're too scared to piss off manufacturers who have lines all across the store that vary dramatically when it comes to success and quality, and they're wildly inconsistent and disorganized with their processes and as they put it, "solutions." As said, if things don't drastically change, and I don't believe they will without a major shift in leadership, they'll be dead in 5 years. It's a sinking ship. I'll be happy to be out of there.
Again, I don't think they're near as evil and corrupt as they are just lost. When you're lost, things can get confusing real fast. Bear in mind that oftentimes when employees appear aloof, they're probably confused because corporate changes things all the time and does little to help keep us informed of these changes. Also, don't mistake conspiracy theories for sheer stupidity. Like we saw in this whole conversation, people will say some wild things. It's easy to think it from the outside. I can assure you from the inside, that oftentimes what looks like scheming and maneuvering is really just disorganization, stupidity and/or confusion due to the muddled processes and the ever-foggy way in which corporate outlines these processes.
I don't blame people for not liking Best Buy. I don't like them either. Just go easy on the guys on the floor and in the back. Unless they're the total goof-off employees which do exist, what you're pissed about is probably not their fault at all.
As a former BBY employee I can tell you a few things that are flawed.
#1 no former or current Best Buy employee would call themselves BBemployee, BBYEmployee would seem more likely. I know its stupid but it is the culture of Best Buy to shorten it to BBY.
#2 You would have no clue if Best Buy was in trouble. As a simple Blue Shirt or even a Black Shirt you would not have this information passed down to you.
#3 Your rant show that you either hate Best Buy for personal reasons or possibly a former employee who has a huge vendetta against the company.
#4 Your rant does nothing to support this discussion.
SilentPanda
Apr 24, 11:02 AM
Has there been any word from the higher-ups on why this feature was implemented now after years of asking and for seemingly no good reason?
Doctor Q addressed some of this in post 149 (http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=12442007&postcount=149).
Doctor Q addressed some of this in post 149 (http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=12442007&postcount=149).
fiddlestyx
Apr 14, 09:41 AM
Picked up a new coat for the colder runs and other outdoor activities:
http://gearist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/mistralmens.jpg
I'm a big fan of the First Ascent gear.
http://gearist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/mistralmens.jpg
I'm a big fan of the First Ascent gear.
samcraig
May 2, 11:55 AM
The only way to remove the cache after 4.3.3 will be to disable location services. They wont have poor location service performance, they will have none. :rolleyes:
On or off - like the switch says. Makes sense and is logical.
On or off - like the switch says. Makes sense and is logical.
No comments:
Post a Comment