Comments on: Just open the damn case and let me buy my Nano http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/08/23/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/ Fascinating, Inspiring, Rewarding and Engaging kinded spirits. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:39:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: a@a.com http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/08/23/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-13054 a@a.com Sun, 10 Dec 2006 16:32:05 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-13054 I can assure you there are no incentives to sell one item or another there. I can assure you there are no incentives to sell one item or another there.

]]> By: Nathan http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/08/23/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-6189 Nathan Thu, 31 Aug 2006 17:08:16 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-6189 While I agree that the extent by which this BestBuy employee went to try to get you to purchase the Creative Zen is a bit extreme, I'm suprised at the level of complaint you're dishing out. Now, I love a good rant. But really, we aught to be thanking the employee for his initial desire to try to sell the competitors product, and slapping him for being so adament as to give a bad experience. Customers aught to be informed, but they aught not be aggitated. And certainly, as Jennifer stated, if someone obviously has their mind made up, don't pester them (I used this method often in sales). All in all, competition is a great thing and the Creative Zen is really the only solid competitor to the iPod. All of my friends own an iPod. I decided to buy a Creative Zen to support competition (and because it supported more video formats). I made this purchase at CircuitCity and got the same situation but reversed. While I agree that the extent by which this BestBuy employee went to try to get you to purchase the Creative Zen is a bit extreme, I’m suprised at the level of complaint you’re dishing out.

Now, I love a good rant. But really, we aught to be thanking the employee for his initial desire to try to sell the competitors product, and slapping him for being so adament as to give a bad experience. Customers aught to be informed, but they aught not be aggitated. And certainly, as Jennifer stated, if someone obviously has their mind made up, don’t pester them (I used this method often in sales).

All in all, competition is a great thing and the Creative Zen is really the only solid competitor to the iPod. All of my friends own an iPod. I decided to buy a Creative Zen to support competition (and because it supported more video formats). I made this purchase at CircuitCity and got the same situation but reversed.

]]> By: Jennifer http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/08/23/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5867 Jennifer Thu, 24 Aug 2006 20:20:44 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5867 regardless of whether or not this guy was winning an all-expense-paid trip to who-knows-where, it seems that this boils down more to 1) a lousy customer service experience provided by Best Buy and 2) a clash of the brand advocates. You know I am by no means an Apple fan. In fact, I grumble about my stupid iPod every chance I get. Sometimes Apple fans are so quick to leap in and defend their brand that it makes non-supporters all the more resistant... the fact that there is NOTHING if it is not an Apple and there can be no discussion can be frustrating. And, being someone in contact with informed and uninformed customers on a daily basis, it's likely that he has frustrating customers every day and it just came out. In general, I think it comes down to the fact that brand advocates need to pick their battles. It's great to love and evangelize your brand... but don't bother doing it to the people who aren't going to change their minds. We need to find room as brand fans to agree to disagree from time to time. regardless of whether or not this guy was winning an all-expense-paid trip to who-knows-where, it seems that this boils down more to 1) a lousy customer service experience provided by Best Buy and 2) a clash of the brand advocates. You know I am by no means an Apple fan. In fact, I grumble about my stupid iPod every chance I get. Sometimes Apple fans are so quick to leap in and defend their brand that it makes non-supporters all the more resistant… the fact that there is NOTHING if it is not an Apple and there can be no discussion can be frustrating. And, being someone in contact with informed and uninformed customers on a daily basis, it’s likely that he has frustrating customers every day and it just came out. In general, I think it comes down to the fact that brand advocates need to pick their battles. It’s great to love and evangelize your brand… but don’t bother doing it to the people who aren’t going to change their minds. We need to find room as brand fans to agree to disagree from time to time.

]]> By: Stan Lee http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/08/23/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5837 Stan Lee Wed, 23 Aug 2006 23:10:15 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5837 What we have here it seems is a channel incentive program. They're pretty common, especially when you are a challenger brand. I worked on one for Ericsson many years ago. Phone dealers earned points for every Ericsson they sold. They were regularly incentivised to recommend Ericsson over Nokia or Motorola. The biggest incentive I remember was tickets to the soccer World Cup. To win these you needed to build a high point score. To do this you needed to sell a lot of Ericsson phones. Best...Stan What we have here it seems is a channel incentive program. They’re pretty common, especially when you are a challenger brand.

I worked on one for Ericsson many years ago. Phone dealers earned points for every Ericsson they sold.

They were regularly incentivised to recommend Ericsson over Nokia or Motorola.

The biggest incentive I remember was tickets to the soccer World Cup. To win these you needed to build a high point score. To do this you needed to sell a lot of Ericsson phones.

Best…Stan

]]> By: FI Chris http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/08/23/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5833 FI Chris Wed, 23 Aug 2006 22:02:21 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5833 Having said the above, I have to confess: one of my biggest pet peeves was when customers would come in without having done any research at all on the product they came to purchase. They just wanted whatever it was because their friends or neighbors had one and society dictated that they must have one, too. At that point, they would ask me to tell them what they needed. You can't imagine the number of times I was tempted to say, "If you don't know what you're going to do with it, you don't need it at all. Go away." It sounds like the kid hadn't looked into what he wanted from an mp3 player or how their respective differences might affect his experience with the product. And yet, he was willing to fork over $300 for it. Buyer beware, indeed. On the other hand, you and Spike knew exactly what you wanted and why you wanted it. Those were my favorite kind of customer. There, that's better. Thanks. Having said the above, I have to confess: one of my biggest pet peeves was when customers would come in without having done any research at all on the product they came to purchase. They just wanted whatever it was because their friends or neighbors had one and society dictated that they must have one, too. At that point, they would ask me to tell them what they needed. You can’t imagine the number of times I was tempted to say, “If you don’t know what you’re going to do with it, you don’t need it at all. Go away.” It sounds like the kid hadn’t looked into what he wanted from an mp3 player or how their respective differences might affect his experience with the product. And yet, he was willing to fork over $300 for it. Buyer beware, indeed. On the other hand, you and Spike knew exactly what you wanted and why you wanted it. Those were my favorite kind of customer.

There, that’s better. Thanks.

]]> By: FI Chris http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/08/23/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5830 FI Chris Wed, 23 Aug 2006 21:48:00 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5830 I used to work at Best Buy. Their salespeople do not get commissions (or any other kind of incentives); in fact, we were supposed to inform customers of that during our sales. The closest they get to any kind of a sales bonus is the top three PSP and PRP (service plan) sellers get recognized (i.e. pointed out to everyone else, but not actually given anything of real value) at the monthly store meetings. So he may have actually been concerned with getting his customer the best product, although not going about it very well. Or he could have been a fanboy with a retail sales job; I knew plenty of them, too. I used to work at Best Buy. Their salespeople do not get commissions (or any other kind of incentives); in fact, we were supposed to inform customers of that during our sales. The closest they get to any kind of a sales bonus is the top three PSP and PRP (service plan) sellers get recognized (i.e. pointed out to everyone else, but not actually given anything of real value) at the monthly store meetings. So he may have actually been concerned with getting his customer the best product, although not going about it very well. Or he could have been a fanboy with a retail sales job; I knew plenty of them, too.

]]> By: Geno http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/08/23/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5820 Geno Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:21:54 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5820 Jackie he could, that would explain things a little. It was an odd experience for me. I don't usually go to Best Buy but they were offering a Madden special. It might be a long time before I make another purchase at Best Buy. Jackie he could, that would explain things a little. It was an odd experience for me. I don’t usually go to Best Buy but they were offering a Madden special. It might be a long time before I make another purchase at Best Buy.

]]> By: Jackie Huba http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/08/23/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5816 Jackie Huba Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:40:28 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/just-open-the-damn-case-and-let-me-buy-my-nano/#comment-5816 Geno, Do you think that Best Buy sales guy gets a commission or incentive for selling a Creative Zen? Maybe that's why he was trying so hard to persuade people out of buying the iPod. Geno,
Do you think that Best Buy sales guy gets a commission or incentive for selling a Creative Zen? Maybe that’s why he was trying so hard to persuade people out of buying the iPod.

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