My computer has been knocking on death’s door for quite some time now. I’ve had it for 7 years and although upgraded a few times, it really wasn’t up to the job any more. It was designed way before scanners, modems, and CD writers were commonplace in the market, and although it worked with most accessories, it was painfully slow. When I started to get multiple error messages last week, I decided it was time for a change………..so off to PC world I went!
~~ The storeI visited the store in Harlow in Essex. I have been there a few times before to buy accessories and software, I have never bought anything major. After looking around the local electrical stores, the PC World prices seemed the most reasonable, plus they are supposed to be the experts, right?? The store itself was bright and spacious with the products all laid out in an easy to find fashion. They stock a wide range of computer products, varying from PC’s, laptops, games, and blank CDs, to cleaning products, mice and CD/DVD drives.
~~ The visitI first visited the store on a Saturday evening at about 5:30pm. I headed straight to the computer department and started looking at their range of PC’s, trying to look like a serious buyer! As they were closing at 6pm, I didn’t expect them to be bending over backwards to help me, however I did expect someone to ask if I was OK – I should have known better! I conceded to just get an idea of prices at that time and re-visit with buying in mind on Sunday.
I returned to the store on Sunday at about midday, expecting the staff to swarm round me, trying to get me to spend my hard earned pennies on a lovely new PC……..all I can say is that they can’t be on commission!! Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of staff around the department, but they just didn’t seem interested in approaching customers. I kept walking round acting interested, just to see how long it would take for someone to talk to me. After about half an hour, I was fed up of waiting and decided to actually ask someone for help. I approached a manager who quickly called a young lad over to help me.~~ The soft sell!
If I was unsure at this stage as to whether the sales people at PC World are on commission, then by now I was certain that they are not! Don’t get me wrong, the young lad who was “helping” me, was very friendly and seemed to have a sound fundamental knowledge of PCs. He asked what I was looking for in a PC, and I told him that I wasn’t interested in accessories such as CD writers and scanners, because I already have them. I pointed out that I was more interested in getting a good spec PC that I could add my own hardware to. He never really recommended anything and I seemed to do most of the talking. I got the feeling that either he didn’t take me seriously or that he simply wasn’t interested. Every time I pointed a PC out, he simply read off the card in front of it – he didn’t tell me anything that I didn’t already know. I asked the difference between an AMD processor and a Pentium processor and he bluffed (he didn’t know that I’m an electronics buyer!). To get his interest, I even told him that I was planning to buy that same day………..did it work? Did it hell! He just suggested that I look around some more and perhaps go to other shops as well!! He’s supposed to sell PC World products!!~~ More waiting!
I duly went back to choosing my PC, although I was pretty sure of which one I wanted. I left it for ten minutes and then TRIED to get a salesperson’s attention. Tried was the operative word here. They were all running around doing other things and helping other customers. Even when I spoke to them, they told me to find someone else. I was waiting for almost an hour when I decided to give up……..when all of a sudden a salesman actually came up to me with his clipboard and asked if I wanted any help!! I decided not to let this one go, and told him that I had already made my decision and let him to a Compaq Presario package that had taken my eye.~~ Now I experience the hard sell
My salesman said that he’d get a trolley and load the various parts of the package for me. He disappeared for about 10 minutes and then returned with the news that they didn’t have any 15” monitors, and that I’d have to pay an extra £50 for a 17” monitor – not that I minded because the 15” was too small anyway. He asked whether I would be taking out their maintenance package with the computer. After explaining that I’m pretty handy with a PC and that we have a neighbour who is a technician anyway, I thought that he’d get the message and drop it – apparently not! As I chose to offset some of the cost monthly, I was led to an office area of the store to do the relevant credit checks.After sitting down, he once again produced the dreaded maintenance contract leaflet and tried to sell it to me once more. I told him that I didn’t want a costing because I simply was not interested. I had heard bad press about PC World maintenance and I suppose that it influenced me somewhat. He gave me the contract and said that he had to make a phone call, and told me to have a read of the booklet!! He re-appeared with the sales manager who was there for one thing…….and, yes you’ve guessed it - to sell me a maintenance contract.
He started by saying that he wasn’t going to push me into it and was there to just say one thing and then leave me. He said that I was the first customer that PC World had sold a computer to that day and as such he would do me a deal. I pointed out that I had just seen at least three people before me wheeling computers out of the store – he didn’t respond! I won’t bore you with what he said, word for word. However, it is safe to say that he was very pushy and didn’t want to take ‘no’ for an answer. Unfortunately for him, as a buyer I negotiate with people all day long and he was fighting a losing battle. I can’t recall the exact figures but for a 3-year maintenance contract, I think they were quoting £179!! His first “deal” was to knock that down to £159, which I just laughed at. After some more negotiating, he brought the price down to £119. By this point I was fed up and tired and just told them in no uncertain terms that I was not interested. At this point, the sales manager left!~~ The sale and ending!
After getting it through the sawdust that I didn’t want any maintenance, we proceeded with the sale itself. The usual questions were asked and input into a terminal to determine my credit worthiness. I had to produce my AMEX card and driving licence as proof of ID. The credit was approved within seconds and the contract printed and signed – I think they wanted to get rid of me by this point!! We had to go to the checkout for me to pay the non-credit part of the computer. He then left me to take the computer out to my car alone – even though everyone else seemed to get help!~~Conclusion
The computer itself is fine – although from a reputable manufacturer, it should be! As for the PC World experience, all they did is prove that they are basically just an electrical retailer. They don’t seem to have any technical knowledge among their sales people and furthermore they don’t seem bothered whether or not they sell PC’s. The staff were friendly enough although a little uninterested at times. What I am quite certain of is that they must be on commission for the maintenance packages that they sell. I guess that because they sell a wide range of PCs there is no commission in it for them. However, as the maintenance is an in-store thing, there has to be incentives for them to come on so strong! It also proved that it is heavily overpriced, if he knocked a third off so easily! All in all? Don’t expect anything amazing; make sure you know what you want and what you are talking about, because they don’t. Finally don’t buckle under their pressure!
