How can I make this clear - I think this store is terrible.
Getting a staff member to help you is tough. I'd probably keel over dead if someone ever came up and said "Can I help you?" Usually I hear them giving long droning comments about stuff to customers who have no clue what they are talking about.
I needed two things in the store.
One was easy, one was a little tougher.
Lets' start with the tough item. A USB cable. USB Mini to USB Micro. Not the standard cable. The shelf had lots of items but I couldn't find it.
I managed to step in front of an employee who was desperately trying to avoid eye contact.
The employee glanced at the wall for what could have been 2 seconds "Well, you will just have to look for it." Thank you Captain Obvious, all this time I was just admiring the wallpaper. I told them I can't locate it. Then they said "Maybe we have some in the back." This was his opportunity to vanish.
After a while of waiting I gave up... cornered another employee like a scared cat trying to avoid me.
The easy item - I needed an Android tablet for one purpose and one purpose only - but not all android tablets can do what I needed - so I asked what the return policy is. 14 days. Good.
I asked for the cheapest android tablet they had - $139. They were trying to talk me into the $200 samsung. No thanks..
Sorry buddy, I just want the least expensive one. Again he refers to the more expensive Samsung.
I don't want the Samsung, I just need any android tablet with a display and I want the least expensive one.
He says Sorry we are out of those, but we have one for $149.
Hmmm... sounds like bait and switch (which I mention to him) but I'll take the $149.
He spends 10 minutes talking about why I should buy the extended warranty plan. No thanks. I just want the tablet. He went on and on about the quality of the tablet. Wow, what a salesman telling me what crap you sell. Just for laughs I ask him how much the extended warranty is. $50 for a 2 year warranty (product already has 12 month warranty). Basically its $50 to replace it between year 1 and 2. I ask him if he really thinks the odds of this product breaking is 1 in 3 since it is 1/3 of the price. Again he goes on and on about the low quality. Since he seems to be ignoring my refusal I the warranty, I have to get angry and tell him I don't want the warranty, just get me the tablet.
He disappears and tells me it's the last one. Whatever. I'll take it. He explains no returns on this. Final sale. And then he tries to push the $200 one he was pushing in the first place.
That was it. I was done. On my way out I saw the employee who was "looking in the back" for a USB cable talking with another customer.
I went to Staples - right next door - and had someone offer to help as soon as I came in. They brought me to someone who knew about tablets right away and I left with one.
I also waved goodbye to Tiger Direct for good.
Tiger Direct - 1) Learn about customer service. When a customer walks in say "Can I help you?" When you are busy with a customer acknowledge the fact that there is another customer waiting. MAKE EYE CONTACT!!! Hire staff who know about the products AND know how to treat customers.