Dicksmith Powerhouse (1 Viewer)

[noneother]

Ok I've been training (on the job) at DSE for a few days. I'm in the electronics department and its really pissing me off. They expect you to learn everything about the TVs, home theatre, speakers etc., how store works, & procedures. Fuck!

The pay sucks shit. $10 p/hr and you earn most of your dough from commission. All I do is tag along with a "buddy" and learn off them. Also I sort of wriggle my way into convos and eavesdrop and try and pick up technological terminlogy and sales technics. I think its kind of bullshit. It's hard to hear other people talking without actually being next to them and it feels awkward standing next to the people while they're asking questions. And when you ask a question about products they give you a freaking lecture. I don't care! FUCK!

DSE is not what most people percieve it to be. It's so shit...it might get better but making sales when you don't know anything is crap. I'm hating training thus far...

 

[fire away]

lollerskates!

 

[Skittled]

Tip from an veteran DSE employee: read the boxes. 90% of customer questions can be solved by reading the boxes. Then the POS, can sometimes answer a few more. Sometimes. :roll:

Listen to customers who know what they're talking about. Don't be afraid to admit you don't know if you're getting along with the customer well - in this case, they're often willing to help you out and explain.

Take time and a use bit of logic. Most manufacturers don't want their products to be confusing, so they make them easy. If you were trying to solve the problem, what solution would YOU come up with? Chances are, that's exactly the solution that's been thought up: most of it's pretty intuitive, and the small minority that's stupid you've just gotta remember.

...you get training?? We don't at the DSE (not powerhouse) stores... Lucky bugger!

Read up some consumer magazines. (but don't buy them: go to boreders and flip through -- even jsut flipping through lets you pick up a lot of BS tidbits) Take a look at howstuffworks.com if you need, to get a basic understanding. Sales, in general, is a bullshit test. The number of customers who come in with their decision already made is very high - they just want reassurance that either they've made the right decision, or, when you make the decision for them, you know what you're talking about. ie. I explain DECT (the current mainstream system of cordless phones) as "digital over an analog system". Anyone who understands the differences knows that that's completley a dodgey explination, but noone's looked at me strangley yet - they just assume I understand more than they and I'm dumbing it down for them. Flat screens look better because our braindoesn't like looking at something thats almost flat but not quite; Kinda like the parthenon was made imperfect so it looked perfect...

The pay sucks. No comments on that. So do the managers. So do the customers. So does head office. So does every other company where you're the bottom of the rung, I'd imagine... (but, admittedly, maybe not as much as DSE!). Go stack shelves at Woolworths. It's 10,000x more boring, but you'll get the same amount. I hate retail, but I prefer it to other things...

Don't try to sell the most expensive item because it is. Tempting if you work on commission, but you'll sell more, and do so more convincingly & without refunds if you legitimately find a product which fills the customer's needs effectively at a reasonable price.

Basically, to survive in retail, I reckon you've gotta develop an infinite patience, become nice and cynical to stop yourself being ground down, cling onto the good customers and piss off the bad ones. Learn to argue and stand up for yourself, but also to take responsibility when it's your fault and passify them without giving them anything.

...and finally, and possibly the hardest, is to learn to resist the urge to laugh at stupid, stupid questions...

Give me a buzz if ever you have troubles. Additionally, if you're ever stuck on a sat/sun, feel free to call me at Hornsby (I'm Steve) and i'll see what we can work out. It always looks good to say you'll ask someone else who might know.

...and SMILE!

 

[noneother]

cool thanx for the tips! I'm beginning to pick up a lot of knowledge and sold a set top box today..but it was easy..the customer wnated it ne ways. Still its a start. The training isn't really "training", there's this orientation booklet thing they take you through to explain certain procedures eg. bomb threat. I've found I learn more on the job from experience than anything else. I put a DLP projection TV on display today and began to talk to customers which is much more interesting than buddying up with another staff member.

 

[Sabbo]

Well I don't work at DS but I work in the Sound & Vision Department at Target so it's kind of the same (although we don't work on comission).

Reading the boxes is so true hahaha, we don't receive any training about items so it's basically all our own knowledge.

If you don't know something and tried everything to find the answer make an educated guess, eg the other day someone asked me if some dvd player would play multi-regional dvds. After looking at the box and manual and not finding anything relevant I told her that I didn't know but that since the DvD player was only $99 it would be unlikley + it would be advertised, She seemed happy with that.

I find it's always important to make an effort. People always ask me if we have certain DvDs and since we don't have a system where I can look stock up I go to the shelve where I think it would be and have a look for it; I could just say "Sorry we don't have it" but in my experience people are quite grateful when you make an effort to find it (if it's not too busy/the person is really nice I'll even look out the back )

I think my speciality would be digital cameras/mp3 players because once you understand it/have some experience with it it's quite easy to answer any question on it basically. I love explaining the difference between optical and digital zoom haha

I guess it must be harder for you guys though. I don't think people really expect us to know everything since Target doesn't just specialise in electronics so I think they're more understanding.

 

[Skittled]

Noneother, also, ask your manager about what conditions need to be met for a redund. At DSE's, it seems the staff member can almost make the decision him/her self. At Powerhouses, my experience is it's all a bit more strict.

We advocate the 14 day refund policy we have (read the back of the receipts) - ANY product can be returned within 14 days. We use that to encourage customers to buy, try, and if they're not happy, bring it back. Most of the time, they get the TV home and we never see it again for whatever reason. Often, when a customer's enthusiastic but just needs some more reassurance, it's a good line to have.

Whatre your lines, Sabbo, for explaining the diff between opt and digi zoom? I've not got a smooth, consistent explination for that yet!

 

[Sabbo]

Well with optical zoom the lense actually extends while with digital it doesn't and all it does is make part of image larger (like if you zoom in on a picture on the computer) hence optical is better quality. That's how I explain it.

This is quite an interesting article I just found: http://www.photoxels.com/article_zoom.html

 

[Collin]

I just started work at the Business Machines department of Officeworks, so it's kinda similar.. just going around being a technology salesman. Pay is around $12.5 right now, but it goes up to about $14.60 once I get off my probation period. Same deal with you, I get a 'buddy', although alot of the times I'm not with him and just wander the place by myself helping customers.

This is pretty much what I thought it would be like....... what did you think DSE was gonna be? Getting paid $30/hr chatting with customers about computer games and DVDs?

Like already mentioned, just be happy with what you've got. With the attitude you've asserted so far, if you landed a job at another Woolworths Ltd. subsidiary like Big W or a Woolies supermarket stacking shelves, you'd kill yourself.

 

[noneother]

Yeah I've gotten used to the job now so it feels alright. Its the intial start that had me pissed off. I'm now grateful for working at DSE...because surprise surprise I landed a 2nd job at Woolies!

 

[xeuyrawp]

Ok I've been training (on the job) at DSE for a few days. I'm in the electronics department and its really pissing me off. They expect you to learn everything about the TVs, home theatre, speakers etc., how store works, & procedures. Fuck!

The pay sucks shit. $10 p/hr and you earn most of your dough from commission. All I do is tag along with a "buddy" and learn off them. Also I sort of wriggle my way into convos and eavesdrop and try and pick up technological terminlogy and sales technics. I think its kind of bullshit. It's hard to hear other people talking without actually being next to them and it feels awkward standing next to the people while they're asking questions. And when you ask a question about products they give you a freaking lecture. I don't care! FUCK!

DSE is not what most people percieve it to be. It's so shit...it might get better but making sales when you don't know anything is crap. I'm hating training thus far...

HAHAHAHHAHAHAH Dodgey Dick.

Ah, what a terrible place. The fact that it is the biggest grossing retailer in NSW affirms Selma's call that humanity has crumbled.

I work for a specialist sony retailer, and it makes me laugh when I walk into those shops- cheap, REALLY cheap shit like NEC tvs, 10$ speakers, etc. ah man, so many people walk into my shop with DSE dvd players and quietly ask "the difference". ahh, gold.

 

[Collin]

HAHAHAHHAHAHAH Dodgey Dick.

Ah, what a terrible place. The fact that it is the biggest grossing retailer in NSW affirms Selma's call that humanity has crumbled.

I work for a specialist sony retailer, and it makes me laugh when I walk into those shops- cheap, REALLY cheap shit like NEC tvs, 10$ speakers, etc. ah man, so many people walk into my shop with DSE dvd players and quietly ask "the difference". ahh, gold.

You sound like an elitist fag. What's wrong with DSE? The fact that SOME of it's stock range is cheap?

 

[Sabbo]

Well if Sony wouldn't have such high prices more people would probably buy their stuff. It's just like Nike in clothing/shoes. I think these days you pay more for simply owning the Brand name then quality

Just because it isn't Sony doesn't mean it's shit.

 

[xeuyrawp]

Well if Sony wouldn't have such high prices more people would probably buy their stuff. It's just like Nike in clothing/shoes. I think these days you pay more for simply owning the Brand name then quality

Just because it isn't Sony doesn't mean it's shit.

correction- people buy sony stuff, perhaps you're viewing from the Oceanic perspecive (NZ, Australia, Indonesia etc) represent between 1 - 2% of its revenue.

anyway, i didn't mean to sound rude (lol at me being elitist fag, I mean, you're having a cry at me because I'm better than you? That makes no sense.), but seriously, "some of its stock is cheap"?

I've gone in there twice, once to buy DVDs, another to buy a cable, each time it's almost impossible to get help, the guys stand at the counter and talk, stock everywhere, bleh. I've had so many people coming into my store wanting a better product because their dse one's gone to shit. more importantly, the staff wear terrible uniforms.

 

[Collin]

What do you mean, 'some of it's stock is cheap'? Of course it's cheap. It's cheap because the store has to remain competitive in the price wars to rival corporations such as ColesMyer (and it's subsidiary brands). Who's gonna buy from DSE if their rivals offer the same products at way lower prices; is that not common sensical?

Are you not aware that Dick Smith stock a vast range of Sony products?

Also, how is it reasonable for you to make an objective conclusion on the entire DSE brand when you've only gone in there twice? Does the specific time you went into 1 or 2 stores out of hundreds where you saw some of the staff chit chatting imply that all DSE in every single store are lazy bludgers? Perhaps it would be fair for me to conclude that all Sony retail employees are bludgy bastards if I went into one of your stores and at that time the employees on shift were chit chatting.

 

[Sabbo]

Yeh I must have misinterpreted what you said before. Of course Sony has tonnes of sales and I don't say they're bad quality either.


We've had a 2nd hand NEC TV for ages and the only thing that recently broke it was when the big storms were on (please don't tell me Sony TVs are imune to lightning ).
Insurance replaced it with a model up (since ours was dicontinued) and I'm very happy with it.

Yeh, you do basically get what you pay for but I think some of these companies are just starting out in the market/competing to brands like Sony and hence keep their prices low (although there are always "bad apples")

 

[Collin]

I agree, you do generally get what you pay for.. but I'm totally baffled as to how or why PwarYuex would classify DSE's range of products as cheap, when there are a range of both inexpensive to expensive products. Last time I checked, DSE wasn't a two dollar shop.

As for Sony, I've been loyal to them in the headphones field for over 6 years now. I've been using those silver street headphones (don't know their proper name, cost around $70-80), and they offer great sound and they are extremely durable.

My parents had a bad experience with their TVs though.

 

[velox]

HAHAHAHHAHAHAH Dodgey Dick.

Ah, what a terrible place. The fact that it is the biggest grossing retailer in NSW affirms Selma's call that humanity has crumbled.

I work for a specialist sony retailer, and it makes me laugh when I walk into those shops- cheap, REALLY cheap shit like NEC tvs, 10$ speakers, etc. ah man, so many people walk into my shop with DSE dvd players and quietly ask "the difference". ahh, gold.

Sony is shit. Loewe, Denon, Marantz is the lick.

See how stupid your post was now?

DSE Televisions actually use Toshiba tubes u dickface, and Toshiba makes comparable Tv's to Sony.

 

[Sabbo]

Yeh the cheaper prices at least stir up competition

I don't see anything wrong with DSE. Heck I even send people to Tandy if we don't have stuff (even though it's Woolworths )

 

[xeuyrawp]

What do you mean, 'some of it's stock is cheap'? Of course it's cheap. It's cheap because the store has to remain competitive in the price wars to rival corporations such as ColesMyer (and it's subsidiary brands). .

You know exactly what I mean. So much of DSE's stock are bad products, compiled by the fact that none of the staff know what they're talking about.

Are you not aware that Dick Smith stock a vast range of Sony products?

Yes I am.

Also, how is it reasonable for you to make an objective conclusion on the entire DSE brand when you've only gone in there twice?

Because the position I'm currently in is one step below that of Sony Sales Rep, ie I've gone into sales meetings, with DSE jerks, although to be fair I really just sit there and listen.

Perhaps it would be fair for me to conclude that all Sony retail employees are bludgy bastards if I went into one of your stores and at that time the employees on shift were chit chatting

All my staff know that they're free to chat, chit chat, chat chit, etc, but if I see them talking when there's a fucking customer waiting, they're going to be in shit.

Toshiba makes comparable Tv's to Sony.

Are you SERIOUS? I'd say the only comparable product, TV-wise, would be the LCD screens, which Sanyo makes for Sony. In any case, Toshiba don't "make" the tubes, "u dickface", they're assembled by Toshiba factories, I don't know where the actual tube comes from, and I'm too lazy to check for someone who uses "dickface" in a sentence.

 

[xeuyrawp]

My parents had a bad experience with their TVs though.

Ok, the thing to remember is that if you have a bad experience with Sony TVs, half of the "bad" experience can be solved by buying it with a warranty (usually 7% of the price), or getting it from a better place.