Fry's and Processors

[PolarbearBigEd]

Well, i got a job at Fry's 2 weeks ago, and sad to say that my department co-workers are a bunch of clueless, lazy jerks. They are die hard intel fan boyz and hate AMD based processors because "AMD are liars because they have a model number saying 3500 but it actually runs at 2 something gigahertz..." Anyone who knows anything about processors knows that AMD based processors (AMD 64 vs P4 anyway) calculate more operations per clock cycle than the intel counterpart thus eliminating the gigahertz need. Anyway, the point is, just be wary of everyone except me at the Arlington, TX store who is a true PC hardware enthusiast and a fellow [H]'er . Oh, and did I fail to mention that they said the dual-core processors by AMD where terrible and not worth the money? Yeah......


...end rant

-P

 

[Waterhazard]

The best is to grab a Fry's employee and ask him to talk to you about the available mobos, then watch him go down the wall and read ver batem to you off the tags that any literate individual could read him/her self--line for line

 

[BioPort]

not only that, fry's also resells processors that have been returned by customers as new.

here in phx, almost evey motherboard on the shelf has an 'open item' sticker on it. if you ask for a new, unopened one they will get one from the back.

i find this to be a deplorable business tactic, and no longer purchase computer hardware at their stores.

 

[Dan_D]

not only that, fry's also resells processors that have been returned by customers as new.

here in phx, almost evey motherboard on the shelf has an 'open item' sticker on it. if you ask for a new, unopened one they will get one from the back.

i find this to be a deplorable business tactic, and no longer purchase computer hardware at their stores.

Same thing in Dallas.

Most people in computer related retail are clueless.

 

[PolarbearBigEd]

The best is to grab a Fry's employee and ask him to talk to you about the available mobos, then watch him go down the wall and read ver batem to you off the tags that any literate individual could read him/her self--line for line

LOL so true. I know a fair amount about the SLi board offertings, (Abit Fata1ty, Asus, DFI, Gigabyte) but beyond that, if I don't know, I tell them I don't know. At least I'm not lying, but I like to explain to customers what they need and how AMD and intel are different and I explain to them what to look for in a mobo such as integrated sound options, gigabit lan, serial ata, etc that way they know what they need. However my co-workers will "read the cards" to customers and they buy them because they are reading card "fill in the blank." It's sad really

 

[Dan_D]

Well, i got a job at Fry's 2 weeks ago, and sad to say that my department co-workers are a bunch of clueless, lazy jerks. They are die hard intel fan boyz and hate AMD based processors because "AMD are liars because they have a model number saying 3500 but it actually runs at 2 something gigahertz..." Anyone who knows anything about processors knows that AMD based processors (AMD 64 vs P4 anyway) calculate more operations per clock cycle than the intel counterpart thus eliminating the gigahertz need. Anyway, the point is, just be wary of everyone except me at the Arlington, TX store who is a true PC hardware enthusiast and a fellow [H]'er . Oh, and did I fail to mention that they said the dual-core processors by AMD where terrible and not worth the money? Yeah......


...end rant

-P

I'd suggest telling them to go do some actual research and look up some benchmarks before opening their mouths and talking about crap that they have no knowledge of.

 

[PolarbearBigEd]

Same thing in Dallas.

Most people in computer related retail are clueless.

Well I'm trying to add some form of hardware enthusiasm to the Arlington, TX store but it's a slow process. It's because they work on commission and will sell you junk thus not caring about the products themselves. I don't make commission and I don't work more than 20hrs a week and only took the job for pocket change. Uggg...

 

[Dan_D]

Well I'm trying to add some form of hardware enthusiasm to the Arlington, TX store but it's a slow process. It's because they work on commission and will sell you junk thus not caring about the products themselves. I don't make commission and I don't work more than 20hrs a week and only took the job for pocket change. Uggg...

I work at the Comp USA in Mesquite for extra spending cash. I work about 18 hours a week and outside the tech department where I work, theres nothing but retards in the store.

 

[Josh_B]

You guys realize that Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's, etc. don't pay $50K a year... hence they get the employees they pay for.

Not to be rude, but you guys are above your coworkers in knowledge... and yes it is frustrating. I feel your pain. I work with a bunch of "IT Professionals" who think P4's are better than anything, yet can't even spell AMD. (No really, I even asked one... "ADM? Who's that?".)

 

[Dan_D]

You guys realize that Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's, etc. don't pay $50K a year... hence they get the employees they pay for.

Not to be rude, but you guys are above your coworkers in knowledge... and yes it is frustrating. I feel your pain. I work with a bunch of "IT Professionals" who think P4's are better than anything, yet can't even spell AMD. (No really, I even asked one... "ADM? Who's that?".)

I work at a Company in IT and our corporate offices have flat out told us not to buy any AMD based systems as they aren't as reliable as the Intel machines, and they won't approve their purchase.

 

[(cf)Eclipse]

I work at a Company in IT and our corporate offices have flat out told us not to buy any AMD based systems as they aren't as reliable as the Intel machines, and they won't approve their purchase.

i'll be willing to bet they're pretty conservative too

 

[Oline61]

I bet they run Windows instead of a Unix based OS also.

 

[Dan_D]

i'll be willing to bet they're pretty conservative too

In some ways yes, and in others no. They really embrace technology and we've got some cool stuff, I just don't know why that can't pull their heads out of their asses and stop buying Xeon's and embrace Opteron goodness.

 

[mpcamer1220]

Is this the Frys by the big Walmart with the red top? My grandparents live down in Arlington and whenever I visit, my dad and I go into the store... Unfortunetly, yes, most are clueless.. atleast the ones I have talked too

I went in with an AMD shirt one..(Heh.. ) and some sales dude laughed at me and said they sucked

 

[PolarbearBigEd]

Is this the Frys by the big Walmart with the red top? My grandparents live down in Arlington and whenever I visit, my dad and I go into the store... Unfortunetly, yes, most are clueless.. atleast the ones I have talked too

I went in with an AMD shirt one..(Heh.. ) and some sales dude laughed at me and said they sucked

Yes it is. That's the one I work at. Tell ya what, next time you go in, look for me. That way we can both laugh at my co-workers uninformed arses and laugh together. You'll know who I am because of my [H] name And if you find out the name of the sales dude that laughed at you let me know. There are sales people (dumbass commission workers) and accessory sales people (me no commision). I don't care for commission, I care that people know what they buy.

 

[AaronP]

Well, i got a job at Fry's 2 weeks ago, and sad to say that my department co-workers are a bunch of clueless, lazy jerks. They are die hard intel fan boyz and hate AMD based processors because "AMD are liars because they have a model number saying 3500 but it actually runs at 2 something gigahertz..." Anyone who knows anything about processors knows that AMD based processors (AMD 64 vs P4 anyway) calculate more operations per clock cycle than the intel counterpart thus eliminating the gigahertz need. Anyway, the point is, just be wary of everyone except me at the Arlington, TX store who is a true PC hardware enthusiast and a fellow [H]'er . Oh, and did I fail to mention that they said the dual-core processors by AMD where terrible and not worth the money? Yeah......


...end rant

-P

The majority of the people in my department know really nothing about processors, but they know aswell as I do that AMD is where it is at . It's sad the # of times they come and ask me questions to answer a customer's question.

 

[Josh_B]

The majority of the people in my department know really nothing about processors, but they know aswell as I do that AMD is where it is at . It's sad the # of times they come and ask me questions to answer a customer's question.

I have no problem with people who are still learning. I DO have a problem with people who THINK they know all about PCs, and who spread misinformation.

(I know nothing about PCs, either, so don't think I'm trying to be a prick!)

 

[Project_2501]

This is why I nearly dread having to get a job, because I know I'd wish to work in such a place (other than a hockey shop) and most of my co-workers would be too busy with their tumbs up their asses...

 

[GilmourD]

I went in with an AMD shirt one..(Heh.. ) and some sales dude laughed at me and said they sucked

I've worked in retail for 11 years, and that right there is the #1 no-no. Making your customer feel bad for prior purchases and making him feel stupid is the #1 way to lose customers. Morons... Whatever happened to basic retail training? God, I got better training than that when I worked at Software Etc. for $5.75 an hour. These morons are probably making closer to $7.50 and don't know how to make a customer happy.

Thank God I'm out of retail, though... It's also a big no-no to correct a fellow sales-associate in front of customers, yet I've been tempted to when said SA would blatantly lie to a customer... I couldn't take that anymore.

 

[CSx-2011]

I worked at compusa several years ago.. I had the same experience. Ignorant sales people for a mostly ignorant customer base... it works out ok.

The only time I even talk to workers at Fry's is to have them get me something or write up a sales ticket.

 

[Dan_D]

I worked at compusa several years ago.. I had the same experience. Ignorant sales people for a mostly ignorant customer base... it works out ok.

The only time I even talk to workers at Fry's is to have them get me something or write up a sales ticket.

Same here. I sometimes ask where I can find something. They can sometimes handle that task.

 

[tommo]

I worked at compusa several years ago.. I had the same experience. Ignorant sales people for a mostly ignorant customer base... it works out ok.

The only time I even talk to workers at Fry's is to have them get me something or write up a sales ticket.

Yeah, since my first system purchase at Fry's I generally don't ask for advice. I got BS'ed into buying more expensive RAM because I was told a cheaper alternative was incompatible with my chosen motherboard (I had no experience with DDR mobo's at the time).

Also,
I don't see how those hardcore Intel fans can't see their hypocrisy. Intel have started to give their processors numbers instead of clockspeed.

 

[Dan_D]

Yeah, since my first system purchase at Fry's I generally don't ask for advice. I got BS'ed into buying more expensive RAM because I was told a cheaper alternative was incompatible with my chosen motherboard (I had no experience with DDR mobo's at the time).

Also,
I don't see how those hardcore Intel fans can't see their hypocrisy. Intel have started to give their processors numbers instead of clockspeed.

Because they don't understand why Intel did it. They have no idea. They still think that AMD processor model numbers are in reference to Pentium 4 equivalency. That hasn't been the case in some time.

They are just model numbers now. Nothing more.

 

[Soymilk]

woah now, slow down. we dont need to start some intel/amd bashing. well, there probably wont be, because barely any intel fans post cuz they know they'll get attacked by 932748 amd fans... but at least that doesn't mean massive flame wars like in the vid card section.

 

[E4g1e]

A MicroCenter store which I went to recently is of the opposite extreme: Most of the employees in the BYOS department are pro-AMD and anti-Intel...

 

[HighwayAssassins]

haha yea i sometimes try to ask someone at compusa what good overclocking mobos they have or something, and they just read verbatim off teh label like someone mentioned, and whichever says 'overclocking' the biggest or most they always tell me is the best one...and it usualy tends to be a via...then i will ask whether they like via or nFx and they just get confused...lol

I just like to fuck with them...i woudl never take advice from someone liek that. And i do all my shopping at newegg.

 

[Dan_D]

haha yea i sometimes try to ask someone at compusa what good overclocking mobos they have or something, and they just read verbatim off teh label like someone mentioned, and whichever says 'overclocking' the biggest or most they always tell me is the best one...and it usualy tends to be a via...then i will ask whether they like via or nFx and they just get confused...lol

I just like to fuck with them...i woudl never take advice from someone liek that. And i do all my shopping at newegg.

At our store we would tell you different. The best overclocking board we carry would be the DFI SLI-DR.

 

[AaronP]

Thank God I'm out of retail, though... It's also a big no-no to correct a fellow sales-associate in front of customers, yet I've been tempted to when said SA would blatantly lie to a customer... I couldn't take that anymore.

Pfft, I never held back, if it was such a load of shit or if it was something critical, I definetly corrected them, because at Fry's people do a shitload of returns, so it really matters to me when mis-information is given because usually we'll see that item back. Like this dude bought all the parts to build a PC, but a video card. We told he him he'd need to buy a video card. Next day he comes back and returns ALL of the parts and then states that "it didn't have the blue port thing" (exact words! People like that shouldn't be building a PC) I had to explain to him that was the video port and that you needed a video card for it. I gave him back to the original sales person, who by some unusal change of the wind, he sold him a better set of parts than the first run through. That may sound good, but it's really not that good at all, espicially since how Fry's does their merchandising.

Sales people make 6.50 an hour, I make a 7.50 an hour. I know more than anyone else out on that floor, and I get stuck with the shit job. That is one of hte main reasons I actually don't like Fry's. They give NO raises to their employees. I could work there for 10 years as the same position, and unless they raised like a minimum wage law, I would still get paid 7.50 (no commission).

And to anyone that doesn't know. Fry's buys ALL of their products up front. Which means if it's returned, they have to re-sale it at a reduced price which is shit cause sometimes all the stock we have for 1 item is just returns, cause it keeps coming back *cough* ECS boards *cough*.

 

[Andross182]

At our store we would tell you different. The best overclocking board we carry would be the DFI SLI-DR.

at my store CompUSA #274 in Albuquerque, NM, we try to talk people outa buying intel products for gaming....Intel is a dirty word in my techshop...every tech and service writer uses AMD Hell, half the time i have my machine and a demo intel dual core machine displaying temps on our counter.....the intel rep about pissed his pants when he overheard me talking about the differences between the chips at IDLE temps....

 

[LanceDiamond]

Ahh since it seems there are a couple of Fry's guys on here, I am curious about something...

I go to the Fry's in Irving a good bit - used to go to Arlington but Irving is way closer to me. Often I'll be back in the PC area and have an item in hand and a guy will want to input it into the computer for me and print me some paper to carry up front with me when I buy it. Are they doing that because then they get a commission on the item? Just curious about it - I generally run away as I don't want to stand around, wait for him to enter it, wait for it to print, etc.

Maybe I'll go to Arlington this week and ask about building an AMD system hehe...

 

[AaronP]

Ahh since it seems there are a couple of Fry's guys on here, I am curious about something...

I go to the Fry's in Irving a good bit - used to go to Arlington but Irving is way closer to me. Often I'll be back in the PC area and have an item in hand and a guy will want to input it into the computer for me and print me some paper to carry up front with me when I buy it. Are they doing that because then they get a commission on the item? Just curious about it - I generally run away as I don't want to stand around, wait for him to enter it, wait for it to print, etc.

Maybe I'll go to Arlington this week and ask about building an AMD system hehe...

Yes, the paper is how they make commission.

 

[Dan_D]

Yes, the paper is how they make commission.

I don't talk to anyone unless I have to.

 

[Josh_B]

I don't talk to anyone unless I have to.

Precisely. Buy what you need and avoid eye contact and all other forms of communication if possible. My head hurts in talking with said sales associates.

One time at EB, (when they used to still sell graphics cards), a sales associate asked me why I was buying a TNT2 card when the Voodoo3 was faster. I told him only idiots buy 3DFx cards with inferior image quailty and fewer features. He looked at me as if I'd taken away his reason to live.

 

[GilmourD]

Precisely. Buy what you need and avoid eye contact and all other forms of communication if possible. My head hurts in talking with said sales associates.

One time at EB, (when they used to still sell graphics cards), a sales associate asked me why I was buying a TNT2 card when the Voodoo3 was faster. I told him only idiots buy 3DFx cards with inferior image quailty and fewer features. He looked at me as if I'd taken away his reason to live.

Sadly, I'm a former retail sales associate... And one of two things happens to me when I go into stores. Either I get hounded, and my deflection techniques don't work, or I get asked by every customer to help them, even if I'm wearing ripped jeans, a band T-shirt, and my hair isn't in a ponytail.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

And to anyone that doesn't know. Fry's buys ALL of their products up front. Which means if it's returned, they have to re-sale it at a reduced price which is shit cause sometimes all the stock we have for 1 item is just returns, cause it keeps coming back *cough* ECS boards *cough*.

lol blame it on all of their cheap ECS CPU combos

 

[PolarbearBigEd]

lol blame it on all of their cheap ECS CPU combos

And sadly, in my store in Arlington, TX people keep buying them ECS mobo's

 

[Project_2501]

And sadly, in my store in Arlington, TX people keep buying them ECS mobo's

Well, cheap people get what they deserve, no?

 

[Dan_D]

We always get the cheapass toothless rednecks that come in asking "What's the cheapest thing ya got?"

 

[Ashtaka]

The Fry's in Illinois used to be cool when it opened up. The people working there were quite intelligent and could recommend a pretty good system depending on your price range and what you were trying to do. For the first month, I thought I was in computing heaven. I would go into the store after work and chew the fat with a few associates, talk about games, hardware, etc.

Then one day, one of the guys said "So and so and I are looking for new jobs..." Uh oh

After they left, they had a "gaming" machine set up. SLI'ed 6800's, a P4, it was all water cooled, pretty nifty. Cept... wtf. There's a water block on the Sound Blaster? So I asked the new kid who reminded me of the Dell guy about it. "Oh, I put that system together. -Everything's- water cooled. You get faster frame rates that way."
'Was it necessary to put a block on the sound card? You have no extra PCI slots now...'
"If you want the best frame rates, you have to cool -everything-"

Fast forward to a little over a year later. I went in to pick up an A8N-SLI Deluxe, but figured I'd take a look at some other boards. A SA comes up to me and asks me if I need help. Told him I was going to pick up an A8N and look at some of the other options.

"Oh. So, what are you looking for? Is that a case?"
'A motherboard.'
"Oh, okay, here, let me take you to them."

He takes me over to the Intel boards...

My friend and I walk over and start looking at the AMD boards. I decide to grab the A8N and as soon as I pick the box up, the same associate comes running up asking to write up a sale's quote.

It's gotten to the point where I just put the piece of paper back on the shelves. Its one thing if the guy looks stuff up, goes and checks inventory, and actually helps, but its another thing when they shove a piece of paper in my hands.

The games department at that Fry's though... is freakin' awesome. There's one girl there who -really- knows her games and another guy there who has release dates practically memorized. Half the high scores on their DDR setup are mine

 

[Oline61]

The best retail computer parts store I have ever been to is the Raleigh, NC TigerDirect. The people in there really know their stuff, or at least 9/10 of them do.