Rate your local PC store.

[devSte]

I just noticed that you removed the link from my post... no problem with that, but dont you think that its a bit hypocritical you having links advertising someone (albeit a charity, but advertising none the less?)

[Tom]

Sorry about that...

We get a LOT of people come here, make their first post advertising a PC website, then never come back...

[devSte]

Fair enough...

As for the comments about PC World, did anyone see the gadget show (UK) this week, they did an under cover thing in major retailers to see if the staff knew what they were talking about (a surprising amount were correct considering...)

[madgit]

All local pc shops are really expensive! So are PC World! Plus the sales people there will tell you anything just to make a sale, they seriously dont understand computers.

Selling a cat 5 2 meter cable for about £14 is rediculous! I think it's unbelievable that they can con so many people just because that's the only place to go to.

I do admit to going to pcworld occsionally when i'm desperate, although personally i prefer to try and get stuff from maplins.

There should be more pc shops!

[syphus]

Originally Posted by madgit

All local pc shops are really expensive! So are PC World! Plus the sales people there will tell you anything just to make a sale, they seriously dont understand computers.

PC shops have overheads such as rent and salaries that require a margin greater than a web business. While it's true that you'll often encounter sales representatives that are prepared to tell you anything, you can also find genuinely skilled consultants.

On the other hand, you have absolutely no idea who's running the a web business. In many circumstances, they know even less than a sales representative, because they don't actually need to know anything and spend very little time with the product. Furthermore, without actual human interaction, they can distance themselves from the customer and really not care at all.

Ironically, a majority of the problems with PC shops is due to competition with websites. People, thinking only with their bank balance, will happily buy from a website, oblivious to the social and economic cost. This makes margins even tighter in the bricks and mortar business, ultimately forcing them to adopt poor business practises and cut the costs of more skilled and expensive technical consultants.

This is why it's important to share experiences and identify which business are having a negative effect on the IT retail industry. It certainly serves no one to push more people to faceless entities with zero customer service commitment.

[gunslinger]

i see my posts were removed. I guess it got a bit too personal. I do agree that we need to support local shops, if they turn out quality work.

[monksgeorge21]

I have a near computer store i rate it 10 out of 10 it is brilliant.

[Computwiz]

PC World - Good if you know what you are going to look for, becuase the techies know nothing. The prices are high aswell fo what you are getting, when you could build one whole system for less. And a better one at that.

All the tech guys are there for is to give you phone numbers to your system (that you brought from them) manifactors, and then they have the cheek to say "You will need to bring it back in, in 2 weeks time so we can fit the part" Like come on, they have to be kidding right?

Comet - Good for laptops, always seems to have good laptops in stock and at a reasonable price for collage students, And the business person. They have some top-end systems that are really good.

Computeuk - A really good shop, really friendly and helpful. Most of their stock are always in, Everything off the shelf. apart from some monitors but they can have them there for you in 2 to 3 working days.

The Computer Shop - Nothing really good to say about this shop, apart from this. The man isn't really helpful atall, He only stocks 3 Desktops and 3 Laptops for you to look at, and when you want to buy one he just gives you the one that has been on show with everyone else touching it. He is shut for almost all of the day, well he was never open when we went down there from the collage at a lunch time or break time.

And here is a review of shops i have used to buy stuff over the internet.

Overclockers - Really good shop, i think it is based in London. But the stock they have are awesome, all the latest stuff is there in one store. And the prices are not that bad either. I havn't tried there tech support there so i cannot comment on them. Alot of my friends have and still do use them and they all like them, infact they are the ones that told me about them.

Well there you have it guys, there is my low down on all the shops i have used.

Thanks for reading

Computwiz

[thefrecklepuny]

Hello peeps!!! My 1st post so be gentle on me!!!

Many if not most vendors these days will have a web precence backed up by a retail store or vice verca. Think of retailers such as Aria, Scan, CCL, Micro Direct and Ebuyer. They all have well reknowned websites with the ability to purchase from the in person. I have done just this with CCL in the past.

I have a local retailer, 10 mins walk from myself here in Leeds who give good service and they have a website advertising their latest wares. They can be cheaper not because the actually are but because shopping there elimnates postage costs!!!

With regards to PC World, remember they offer a "buy online, collect in store" service. If you know what you're after, it could be worthwhile as this service usually saves a few quid than the normal in-store price.

Yes PCW staff often leave a lot to be desired. However, I have worked in this environment. Not PCW, but Staples, god have mercy!!!!!!

Training was terrible - no non existent!!! It consisted of on the first day myself and anther chap (who had good sense not to take the job offer) being left in a store room and being shown a video on security measures. There was no other training after this apart from being introduced to a 5th rate training system called Insight U which was an interactive comuter based "training" system. It would ask daft questions such as "what is laser printer toner made from?" a) coal dust b) carbon c) burnt toast scrapings d) talcum powder. Not ojnly were the questions so simple, the whole system was open to abuse as you could get help from other members of staff. THIS is what Staples considered training.

Little wonder that one morning, a customer comes in wanting to purchase a laptop. He asks if it included a built in CD-RW. The deputy manager(ess)
looked quizzical and concluded that it did not but that you could back up using memory sticks!!!! Another member of staff helped her out by poining to the CD-RW drive!!!

In another case, a team leader though AMD was a GERMAN company for some reason. I pointed out many times it was an AMERICAN one. He was only conviced when I bought in a printout from AMD's website highlighting its US headquaters!!! God knows what he was telling customers!!!

I feel companies such as Staples and PCW fail on training. They proble see training and decent training as an afterthough which can be cut back or even discarded. They also probably apply the Peter Principle where each member of staff is promoted to his / her leve of incompetence. See:
Peter Principle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This seems very true in the case of Staples store management.

[the100thmonkey]

Interesting.

I think some of AMD's fabrication plants are in Germany, which is perhaps where your boss got the idea that they are a German concern from.

[thefrecklepuny]

Yeah I thought about this too. You could say Intel are an Israeli company as they produce chips there too. Still, nothing like research, eh?
Sorry about the double post. The layout of this forum threw me for a bit.

[Wally]

There are 2 stores local to me. One I had to use to fix new build problems but they couldn't tell me what was wrong with......won't be using them again. The other I haven't bought anything from yet, prices for hardware is as you expect but they are very friendly and the prices for actually doin the work ie upgrading is quite cheap.

[Braggy]

• Name: Forgotton the name sorry
• Where: Whitehaven, Cumbria, UK
• The level of technician expertise available: None
• Friend went in asked if they had any CPU Fan and Heatsinks.... They said..... "What are they?"
• Thats just pittiful!
• How do you spell Zero?

[windowsvista]

I love my local computer store i rate it 7 it is good for all your daily computer goods.

[Tom]

And what would that store be called

[gunslinger]

The local store here is expensive and turns out low quality work.

[Keeston]

Mine is PC World & I rate it .5 out of 10, [no, that's not a typo!] poorly managed, no staff about to ask advice, & when you do find someone they don't know squat, they get out a thick book & thumb through it for ages, then when they do find something it's usually completely the wrong thing!!, hopeless

[windowsvista]

My store is called computer supplies.

[bdb25]

• Name of the store - PC World
• Where the store is located (Country, City, District) - Nottingham
• The level of technician expertise available - Shockingly bad
• The problem you had and if it was solved, partially solved or unsolved - Sent my parents to pick me up a stick of RAM gave them the specs of 512mb PC3200 DDR400, all i wanted was cheap generic stuff. the girl they first spoke to said there wasn't such a thing, the next lad asked what computer make and model it was to search for what they needed (computer says no for those of you who watch little britain), then the MANAGER telling them that he wasn't able to help as he doubted they stocked individual components of that type (stood under the big purple sign saying "component center" at this point). finally they decided just to go and hunt it down themselves, there were 3 big pieces of text on the packet "512mb RAM DDR400 PC3200"
• How you felt about the service - you pay peanuts you'll get monkeys
• Rate your experience out of 10 - 1 out of 10 its bad when your staff dont know the basics

As for decent places, Maplins have always been ok if you need it there and then off the highstreet, their prices can sometimes be a little higher though.

If your in no desperate need or can wait a couple of days the internets always better, i've bought things from Overclockers UK, MicroDirect, Scan, Aria and eBuyer, all have been great, prices, and delivery wise, i've had RMA's (faulty parts) with MicroDirect and OCUK too, both have been excelent retuns wise, no arguments and quick delivery of the new component.

Another thing that might not be so relevant is Google Checkout, its amazing, makes buying a million times easier, rather than having to remember hundreds of passwords and input your details every time you want to purchase something.

[nath2008uk]

Mattick Computers LTD
35, Yorkshire Street, Morecambe, LA3-1QE
Ok
I went around town, gamestation, computer shops on the street,the market, and asked for a crossover ethernet cable, NOTHING!
went to this little shop, and asked for it. the old guy at the till said
"We do do them yes" or something, and off he went. They freshly made a 2-3 m ethernet cable in a few mins for just £3.50, almost as cheap as amazon, although I did wait a little, other things in there seem a little cheap to
A good service, Beats pcworld :P they know what they talk about.
rating 8/10. very good but a little slow, although they did make it infront of me.

@thefrecklepuny. I know :P its actually somewhat funny. manager! Can this customer get the internet v1.5 on this ram stick? reply : sure! gimme here il copy it over!.
god their dumb