Today the ragtag team of Best Buy employees were encouraged to make technology fun and exciting. After all, technology is a fast changing phenomenon these days and one of the best ways to get a customer who has no experience with the technology genuinely interested, is to create a demostration that will be both fun, and... well yes. Exciting. After all, in the day, I'll talk to customers who's knowledge of computers is comparable to common man's knowledge of the inner schematics of a woman's mind. Severly lacking at best. But while our retail store does not sell the inner schematics of women's minds, we turn our focus towards the comprehension of product. Like computers. The best ally in a sale is if the customer knows what is good in technology and what is bad in technology, and then he asks you just test you and you follow through and say exactly what he knew in the first place. The reason for such purposelessness is mostly to confirm to the customer that we know what we're talking about, and give him or her the silent thrill of actually, for once, knowing what they were talking about. After all, it doesn't happen often in the category of modern technology. That's why we're here I guess.
I didn't make my in-home's goal today by the way. Sold a ton a service plans and advanced security set ups though... Everyone wanted laptops, selling an in home system set up on a laptop is like trying to sell an in home set up demonstration... on a folding lawn chair, two hundred dollars. A laptop, even for being a part of the great unknown category of "technology" is not actually all that complicated for a piece of machinery. At least as far as set up. In fact, if I were a Geek Squad agent assigned to an in home set up of a laptop, I'd probably feel pretty stupid upon arrival. I mean... what do you do?
"Alright, we're going to get your computer set up now. I'm going to take the laptop and uh... plug it in, and turn it on... well there you go. That will be 200 dollars." Okay okay, so its a little more complicated than that. Best Buy goes inside the software, makes about 100 changes here and there, deletes a lot of programs that will just pop up and annoy a new user, and generally speed up the computer by 35%. All of which can be done in store, but then again... you can do the same with a desktop computer. The main selling point for an in home set up with a computer is the hassle of components and wiring, and internet. When we do an in home on a desktop, we unpackage all of it, your monitor, your tower, keyboard, mouse, peripherals, connectors, power cables, EVERYTHING. Then we ask you where you want it. You tell us, and we put the entirety of it together in perfect working order in a nice, neat little compilation of... (drum roll) technology... Following that, we'll also set up your internet so that it operates seamlessly, and we'll do the 100 or so enhancements, the excess program removal, and the 35% speedbooster. The best way to sell that to someone, at least so far, is explain the entire process to them and then tell them that we can send people to their house at your leisure and have them do all of it, or you can do it yourself... would you like me to go through the process again?
And then they all buy in-home set ups from me. But you just can't make that kind of pitch to someone buying a laptop. At least... I can't, not yet. I haven't found it yet. But I will. So far, a laptop is simple (not a lot of parts to coordinate), mobile (so even if there were parts, theres no "set up" to be done because it is designed specifically to not needto be stationary), and the internet is automatic wireless (so no need to seamlessly connect wirelessly.)
It seems to me that our recent trend is to develop 'technology' to be smarter and smarter, while the people buying it become less and less intelligent. That, for us, can be a good or bad thing. Normally we prefer our customers to be intelligent, mainly because stupid customers don't buy things they need with a computer (like antivirus or a service plan) and come back in angry that our "piece of junk" didn't work. Those are our "I told you so." Customers. We get a lot of those. A smart customer can be a great sale or a boon depending on the smart-level (someday I'm going to draw up a graph for all of this.) A smart customer may not necessarily be an informed customer, the difference is that an informed customer will immediately recognize the importance of a good antivirus program and set up. And is also more prone to comprehend the value of a 3 year service plan for their hardware. Now the 'smart' customer will read a brochure and assume he/she knows anything and everything ever needed to know about computers (or whatever they're buying) and will be convinced that they can do all of the stuff our 4 year university graduated and certified technical experts can. Which means, 'Ah, I don't need that anti-virus stuff... I could just delete it myself..." or, "Yeah... I don't need that service plan, I've worked on computers and I could probably fix anything that goes wrong with it." These are also the guys that come back in a few weeks later telling us that our 'piece of junk' didn't work. Which is when we say- "So did you have a service plan? Oh you didn't? Oh sure we can still fix it... it'll be about $300."
I think next blog we'll cover the "my friend is a computer genius and knows everything" customer. Those types are great... (smacks self in head) Anyway, on to the overall point of this blog.
We're encouraged to make technology fun and exciting, naturally, its a great selling point. Being that I'm not the most average of persons (much less, employees) I figured as long as we're making technology fun and exciting, and technology is getting to the point where it is smarter than our customers, it shouldn't be beyond the bounds of reason to screw with its head... right?
For example, Best Buy sells a microwave with what is called new GeniusSense or something like that, that allows the microwave to alter the power level of the microwave as its cooking, based upon the amount of steam coming out of the food. Like... it actually measures the steam and adjusts itself so that the food cooks absolutely perfectly till done. And I figure, hey... its a new smart microwave, its got a big, fancy smart brain in it, lets mess with its head.
So we take a cup of boiling water, set it in the microwave, and turn it on, just to see what it does. I mean from the initial the thing was generating a ton of steam, and there was nothing the microwave can do to reduce the amount of steam coming from a pot of boiling water, and the microwave can't undercook it... because its just water. So I watched the little thing toy with itself, dropping the power level, finding out that it didn't work, raising it again... bsaically it ran circles around itself and gave the impression that it was very confused. Which I thought was, naturally, fun and exciting. It was like I had proved my mental facilities to be superior that its own...
Yeah... I outsmarted a microwave...
I suppose in retrospect, actually thinking that a microwave is actually capable of being confused is pretty unintelligent of me in the first place. So at the end of the day (which is when all of this took place) I chalked it up to a draw. So for those of you interested in following this competition, the standings are:

ME :: 1
MICROWAVE :: 1

Now my battery is going to die. I've been here typing for some time now and I only had about 25% of it in the first place. These blogs have made me realize the power embedded in an extremely fast typing speed. Jess, if you're reading this, I know you're in uni... or you were before you got home and read this... I hope those classes weren't too troublesome for you, and I might be on later tonight. I have to go home and recharge this thing. Some good news for you though! I have finally compiled enough random music that I love to write your CD, I will probably do that tonight. For everyone else reading this...
Yeah... all none of you. ^_^
I'll see you again some other time. Next time we'll cover that other customer type and perhaps have a funny story to tell you.