Vague Impressions of Customer Opinions

[HawaiianShirts]

Working in computers, I occasionally get customers with strong opinions. Some swear by Mac, some by Windows, some by Linux. Some tell me wireless is too much hassle; some think they couldn't live without it. Some say laptops are just as good as desktops, if not better; some say nothing can beat a good desktop system.

The most opinions come when brand names are concerned. One customer will swear by Gateway while the very next will swear AT Gateway. (If I listened to all my customers, I would NEVER buy a computer because I've heard horror stories about all the brands.) Most of the time, they just offer their opinions and move on with the conversation. But not this woman.

She was looking for something inexpensive for her husband who is doing military service in Iraq. He just needed something to tide him over for a few months until he could get back home to his nice 17" gaming laptop. I pointed out a sale Hewlett-Packard that I thought would be nice without costing too much. The price was right, but the brand was horribly wrong.

Scowling Woman: Oh, no. Is that an HP?
Me: Yes, it is.
SW: I don't like HP.
Me: Okay, we'll find you something dif-
SW: I mean I REALLY don't like HP. I had an HP once and it was just *expletive-ing expletive*. I will never buy an HP again.
(Now, this woman already sounded grouchy, and I guess that's understandable when computer shopping all over town in 100 degrees. But she also had that low, gravelly, scratchety voice that comes from decades of smoking.)
SW: (almost hissing) I absolutely HATE HP.
Me: Well, I also have this Tosh-
SW: (now loud) I will NEVER buy HP again. (yelling) I HATE HEWLETT-EXPLETIVE-PACKARD.

Her daughter, obviously severely embarrassed, butted in at that point and asked me what else we had. I showed them a couple non-HP computers, then was called away by the manager for something. I don't know what they bought, but I have this strange feeling that it wasn't an HP. I think she has a slight distaste for that company's products.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Man, isn't that the best? When the SC's KIDS are embarassed and jerk them back into line?

I saw a girl do this to her mom. Couldn't have been more than 12 or 13. Mom was dickering over minutae and driving me nuts in the process. Apparently, she was driving her far more stable and mature kid nuts, too, and the kid called her on it.

I wanted to adopt that kid and buy her a car.

[AFpheonix]

Did you just show her an e-machine then?

[Spiffy McMoron]

Back at the Crappy Tire parts desk, this happened all the time: People thought that Brand X was junk, and that Brand Y would solve all mankinds problems, up to and including world hunger. The guy behind him held the opposite opinion, naturally. This went double for the brand of truck you bought. If you ended up buying the wrong truck, it would be like bringing home a hooker as your new girlfriend: Your mom would start crying, and dad would write you out of the will. And don't even think about coming home for Christmas...

But I remember one guy, who ranted and rave about how he would rot in the grave before he ever even looked at a Chevrolet, and he was convinced that anyone who bought Chevs were little more then savages. The reason? The had used Torx-head (Star-shaped) screws to assemble the body.

[angelicafire]

Did you just show her an e-machine then?

Dirrrrrty.

[lordlundar]

Did you just show her an e-machine then?

You diabolical person.

(had an e-machine for about a year before it died on me. Will never go back. Though I never screamed about it like this woman)

[Boulder_Bear]

Compaq?

Tell her to buy a Compaq! hahahahaha.

[BlakeMP]

I'll never understand why they can't just say they don't care for that brand and move on to something else. Message received, stop harping on it, you nutcase.

[AFpheonix]

We did buy my mom an e-machine, and actually it's been pretty good for what she wants, which is mostly just email and word processing, and some minor desktop publishing.

But it's still funny

[Kiwi]

sorry computer illterate here

e machine?

[HawaiianShirts]

sorry computer illterate here

e machine?

eMachine is a brand of computer, currently owned by Gateway. Formerly eMachine was its own company and used almost nothing but refurbished parts from other manufacturer's warranty swaps and returns. They're not as bad as they used to be, but they still use very low quality mother boards and are extremely sensitive to power surges.

And, I think, if it wasn't for the daughter being so embarrassed, I just might have offered this woman a Compaq (Compaq is owned by HP) just to see what kind of demon she'd mutate into.

[trunks2k]

And, I think, if it wasn't for the daughter being so embarrassed, I just might have offered this woman a Compaq (Compaq is owned by HP) just to see what kind of demon she'd mutate into.

She'd probably say "OK." I'd be willing to bet she has no idea that HP owns Compaq

[Tria]

The had used Torx-head (Star-shaped) screws to assemble the body.

Thought those were called Phillips? *Mech illiterate*

[LostMyMind]

Philips are "plus sign" shape. He's talking about the weird star shape, pretty much looks like a hex gone bad.

[karma_gypsy]

Did you just show her an e-machine then?

Hey now, we use an e-machines, it's a good computer for us. We put upgrades into it, we use it as a gaming/internet computer. It's been running solid for 3 years now, and it's our second one in six years, it's getting on the old side though . . . I prefer our e-machines over this HP I'm on now (work computer), even over the Compaq that we used to have. Our next computer will probably be a custom though.

I wouldn't go as far as screaming and cursing HP's name though, especially in a store. . . I've had to wrangle in my mom a couple of times and tell her to "knock it off" when she started getting pissy with the customer service reps. . .