Registered: May 2000
Location: Norfolk, MA USA
Posts: 2

DUMB QUESTION but should be asked.

Does Handspring deserve any blame for the lack of knowledge we are all running into?

How can you go to market without any prior training on a new product?

When launching a new product it is essential to market, train, use, demo. the thing before expecting someone to start selling it.

The Handspring reps whe sell to CompUSA, Bestbuy, and Staple should have done a far better job and not assume that everyone knew about this product. Most people do not.

Just my teo centss..........

------------------

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 42

quote:

---

Originally posted by Liam:
DUMB QUESTION but should be asked.

Does Handspring deserve any blame for the lack of knowledge we are all running into?

How can you go to market without any prior training on a new product?

When launching a new product it is essential to market, train, use, demo. the thing before expecting someone to start selling it.

The Handspring reps whe sell to CompUSA, Bestbuy, and Staple should have done a far better job and not assume that everyone knew about this product. Most people do not.

Just my teo centss..........

---

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 90

quote:

---

Originally posted by pbray:
Indianapolis CompUSA Experience:

1. Call...

<snip>

4. Bottom line - Maybe it's just a few bad apples, but these sales reps need to take the time to help you out, especially when you've done your research and know the thing's there!

---

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 42

quote:

---

Originally posted by fubar:

(HP - you're one of the good guys!)

---

Registered: May 2000
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 49

The ONLY reason I made a purchase at CompUSA is because they had the merchandise.

Now., the staff didn't know they had the merchandise. I found it on the corporate CompUSA web site. When I got to the local store, they couldn't find it on their DUMB TERMINAL tracking system (someone tell me why a technology store is using dumb terminal technology).

I made the clerk go to the corporate web site and look up the product number. HEYYY! They had 9 stowaway keyboards.

Of course, they were found under the digital cameras, and not the PDA's. Go figure.

CompUSA better be making its money now.... because it's not likely to be in business once the public becomes more computer savvy.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 48

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tan Kit Hoong:
Hmm...looks like things are the same in retail stores all over the world! Your horror stories of uninformed sales people sound exactly like the ones we have here in Malaysia.

---

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 90

quote:

---

Originally posted by bnjacobs:
(someone tell me why a technology store is using dumb terminal technology).

---

Beacuse it suits their staff...??

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 391

Dumb Terminal implies they're probably using UNIX (like VisorCentral) rather than Windows (like Palmgear). I think that's appropriate technology...

Registered: May 2000
Location:
Posts: 3

I actually had some sort of good luck buying mine...I had researched the Visor before i bought mine, and when I went to Best Buy to buy it, the person at the PDA/Cell phone area knew a lot about em. But, it was kinda funny when someone asked 'do these turn of automatically?' and she replies 'oh, theres the off button, it doesnt have an auto turn off feature' haha, what pda doesnt have an auto off feature? ::sigh:: people these days...

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Baltimore MD, USA
Posts: 717

Heh, this sounds like the makings of a hobby for bored VisorCentral readers:
Hang out at CompUSA near the Visor rack and correct the sales clerk when they spout inaccurate information about the Visor.

And while you are there, make sure all the display model Visors
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>have the prefs set so that the calender button activates Datebook+ instead of Datebook
<LI>have the calculator set to advanced mode
<LI>have http://www.visorcentral.com in the address and in a memo pad document
</UL>

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Posts: 13

&gt;Now., the staff didn't know they had the &gt;merchandise. I found it on the corporate &gt;CompUSA web site. When I got to the local &gt;store, they couldn't find it on their DUMB &gt;TERMINAL tracking system (someone tell me &gt;why a technology store is using dumb &gt;terminal technology).

Cost -- primarily. There's no reason to run a full PC since they don't need the functionalty.


[This message has been edited by briareus (edited 05-18-2000).]

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 165

I've been in two different Best Buys, a Staples, and a CompUsa poking around for Visor Accessories, and each time I get more and more worried about the fate of Handspring's products in the hands of these morons (Exception: Hellion Prime, of course. )

Two weeks ago I accompanied a friend to Best Buy on Pico blvd in Los Angeles, where he hoped to pick up a Visor Deluxe (I bought mine in the pre-retail days He's convert number 4). The belligerent clerk behind the cellphone/PDA counter sulked "Well, OK, but you'll have to pay for it here because there's nobody to walk you up front." He got the box out, and went into the extended warranty spiel... when my friend had politely refused it THREE TIMES, the guy pulled out a form that Best Buy apparently requires you to sign stating that you understand that after 30 days, you have to return the product to the manufacturer if anything goes wrong. In other words, you have to sign a document certifying that you're not a moron to purchase electronics from Best Buy.

A few days ago I went into Staples in Studio City to see if they had the Stowaway, and maybe pick up a serial cradle for work. I accosted a red-shirt who took 10 minutes to find somebody to open the case to pull out a cradle, and condescendingly told me that the Stowaway keyboard isn't out yet.

That evening I went to CompUSA in Burbank, CA to get a Stowaway... once again, no sales staff in sight. When somebody finally wandered over I practically had to climb over the counter and pull the damn thing out of the display case myself, because he couldn't understand what I was pointing at and didn't know what a Stowaway is.

I will put in a good word for the CompUSA product availability line, though - I called them twice and they were fast and very courteous in steering me to the Burbank store.

But I hope Handspring can overcome the outright falsehoods being disseminated about Handspring and what the Visor has to offer... it really pisses me off that these dolts are effectively the end representative of Handspring to the retail customer!

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 42

Stoppit, I'm blushing already. =)

Seriously though, I can definately see why so many people have trouble in retail stores that sell the higher end equipment like PDAs and electronics, especially the stores that carry a wide variety of product lines like Best Buy or Frys or &lt;insert J. Random Megachain here&gt;. For what these jobs pay, there is no way they can normally attract the type of geeky people that really know the products (myself being a semi-exception, but as soon as my B.S. is finished, I fully expect to get a Real Job someplace that will enable me to actually be able to get my own place). I try to tell people where they can go to get the information that they need to make informed decisions (for the PDA/Visor crowd, that always includes this site.. I've got a memo I keep with about 20 pda links I beam to anybody I sell a PalmOS device to... which has so far been all Visors since their introduction at the store).

To paraphrase somebody famous who's name escapes me at the moment, "There is no knowledge that is not power." The information is out there waiting for you, you just have to go and get it.

As always, your milage may vary.

--HP

------------------
That which does not kill me had BETTER do enough damage to keep me from firing back!

[This message has been edited by Hellion_Prime (edited 05-19-2000).]

Registered: May 2000
Location: Aurora, CO
Posts: 15

Hehe, funny stuff... having to about climb the counter to show the clerk what you needed. Funny how something like that seems so universal.

As for my CompUSA experience, I knew what I wanted before even going in, having spent the time surfing the Net about PDA's. Luckily for me, the Visor Dx was in plain site at the front display case. Had my choice of colors, got the blue model. In retrospect I should have gotten the darker one, but mine is fine.

I did have an older salesman try to show me the device, but he didn't know the product well. I walked out with it probably within 10 mins of entering the store due to reading up beforehand.

Heck, I'll bet I've already sold about 6 people at work on them already, just showing the Visor around

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Usonian:
[B]I've been in two different Best Buys, a Staples, and a CompUsa poking around for Visor Accessories, and each time I get more and more worried about the fate of Handspring's products in the hands of these morons (Exception: Hellion Prime, of course. )

That evening I went to CompUSA in Burbank, CA to get a Stowaway... once again, no sales staff in sight. When somebody finally wandered over I practically had to climb over the counter and pull the damn thing out of the display case myself, because he couldn't understand what I was pointing at and didn't know what a Stowaway is.

Registered: May 2000
Location: Pensacola, FL
Posts: 5

I need to add my 2 cents' worth here -- I was at the CompUSA in Newport News, VA 3 weeks ago to purchase an 8m flash module. No sooner had I got to the PDA counter when I was accosted by a fellow shopper, asking me what I knew about these new Visors. I told him I had mine for about a month and explained the Springboard concept to him. Was he surprised! He said the sales associate he talked with gave him practically no info, and in the 10 minutes we talked, he learned more about PDAs in general and I think I swayed him to purchase a Visor. Definitely, Handspring has to to a better job at educating the sales associate corps re: Visor products. I shoulda asked for commission!