Come to Wal-mart for free tech support!

[JesseCuster40]

I recently spent thirty minutes helping a rather fragrant fellow with his cell phone. He was Vietnamese, and I mention this only because there was a significant language barrier between us.

He couldn't figure out how to type text messages correctly. As we weren't that busy at the time, I decided to help him out. After fifteen minutes of him invading my personal space, and subjecting me to his substantial body odor, two things occurred to me:

1) He wasn't going to spend any money at the store after being assisted, and

2) I had no way of knowing whether he even bought the phone at a Wal-mart store or if he just decided it was the most convenient place to go for help.

My temper began to gradually erode after a while, but he was very polite, and I couldn't bear to tell him that I could offer no further assistance after showing him how to create new text messages five times in a row, and then being unable to figure out why he couldn't send picture messages.

Then I remembered that one of our associates spoke Vietnamese, and promptly trained the customer onto him. D'oh!

[DesignFox]

I hate that. People come to my store all the time who never purchased their phone with us...shit, some of the asshats go and buy them at your store "because it's cheaper" and then expect me to waste my time and lose customers to give them tech support!

Thankfully, we have a service center in our area. I can honestly do what's best for them and send them to the techs.

nothing annoys me more as a sales person than someone who demands tech support, asks 50 bajillionty questions...and then goes somewhere else to make the purchase. (when I've answered all questions, cheerfully offered suppor, etc.)

[HawaiianShirts]

Who goes to Wal-Mart for tech support?

nothing annoys me more as a sales person than someone who demands tech support, asks 50 bajillionty questions...and then goes somewhere else to make the purchase. (when I've answered all questions, cheerfully offered support, etc.)

Happens to me quite often. I don't mind too much if they're at least nice about it. Y'know--asking questions about stuff they don't understand and then just happen to buy elsewhere.

Had one guy, though, tell me specifically that he comes to my store to get information from the employees and techs and then orders all of his technology needs from TigerDirect or NewEgg. He then laughed and said, "It's cool because you guys HAVE to help me because I am a CUSTOMER!" I told him that, in that case, I'd be happy to answer his questions but ONLY when other customers (that is, BUYING customers) have all been helped and if he doesn't mind following me around the computer department as I take care of my side-work. I was hoping to dissuade him, but he was fine with that idea. So I just made sure everyone else was helped and found side-work that had me trekking back and forth from one end of the department to the other quite frequently, answering his rather mundane questions as I went. I eventually must have tired him out. He huffed, "I came here for computer information, not a two-mile jog. I'll come back when you're less busy."

[Alpha Strike]

Had one guy, though, tell me specifically that he comes to my store to get information from the employees and techs and then orders all of his technology needs from TigerDirect or NewEgg. He then laughed and said, "It's cool because you guys HAVE to help me because I am a CUSTOMER!"

At this point why couldn't you just cut him off and send him away? I always operated under the belief that a customer is someone who spends money at your store; this assclown was openly admitting that he freeloads off you, so why do you have to serve him?

[princess4life]

At least they are asking you at your place of work and know that it what you do for a living. Last state fair I ended up spending at least 30 minutes explaining to a lady how to send a picture message on her phone cause she wanted her husband to see the pigs. She said she saw me using my phone so I must know how to do it.

[wagegoth]

He then laughed and said, "It's cool because you guys HAVE to help me because I am a CUSTOMER!"

. . .

He huffed, "I came here for computer information, not a two-mile jog. I'll come back when you're less busy."

You don't spend money here, you're not a customer.

. . .

I love the way you handled him. I have a feeling you're going to be very busy with side work every time he comes to you with questions.

[smileyeagle1021]

I must agree with Alpha Strike... the person isn't a customer until they commit to spending money at your store... or at the very least shown a sincere interest in spending money. That is a line we actually use here, when someone says they should get a lower rate because the "customer is always right" or whatever variation they use, we are to tell them "yes, the customer is always right, but you aren't a customer until after you agree to our rates, terms, and conditions."

[Rapscallion]

Reminds me of something that travel agents over here started to do - charging consultancy fees. People were going in, finding out about destinations, then booking online at a substantial discount. If the person took the package, the consultancy fee was put towards the cost of the trip.

Not sure if that caught on or even still happens, but I can see why some places started.

Rapscallion