Ok, in my last post, i told you all that BANS had bought me a new laptop!  What i didn't tell you was how the buying part went down!  I thought i'd throw this out there and get YOUR response.  Was i too arrogant?  Was i mean?  You be the judge and tell me, and you won't hurt my feelings!

Ok, i have worked on computers in one way or another since high school, which means a LONG TIME!  HA!  Twenty plus years!  Not to sound braggedy but i have learned quite a bit about computers over the years.  At least i think i have until i talk to someone like my nephew hahaha.....  But anyway,  having built them, worked on them, took classes on them etc etc.. i can do "most" things related to computers.  And if i don't know the answer, then i have friends, family and google that will help me out!

Well, at work i am always giving suggestions on this, that and the other.  Somebody is always wanting to know what to buy, when to buy, how to buy.  And i do enjoy it, i learn a lot and can usually find the best deals for people and let them know what they do and don't need.  So when a friend was looking for a laptop for his church, i set up an alert at one of the places i watch for deals and when the deal came that i thought would suite him, i let him know.   And, they bought it.

Now, backing up a bit...   i bought my 1st computer in 1991 i think it was.  I still have the receipt somewhere.  I know what i'm about to say won't mean anything to some of you, but to some you will get a kick out of it.  My first computer was a 286/16 with 1 MEG, NOT GIG, of ram hahaha.  It has a 40 MEG hard drive, not GIG hahaha.  It came with a dot matrix printer and that's it.  $1,200.00 bucks!  I look back at my old receipts sometimes, and in the past i have paid almost as much for hard drives and video cards as i did for this new laptop!  Man have times have changed in the world of electronics!

Ok, so since the purchase of my first computer back in the early 90's, i have built or upgraded everything on my own.  I never did purchase another "complete" computer since that first purchase.  And, over the years, i have either recommended or purchased many laptops for others, but never owned one myself.  Well, my websites have been doing better than expected, so i thought, what the heck, i work hard, i would LOVE to have a laptop of my very own and get away from the desktop and get an upgrade at the same time.  So after recommending that laptop for the guy at work, i knew it was a great deal and i thought i'd jump on it for myself.  Yeah there are always better deals, but this one had everything i needed and will hopefully serve my purpose well for years to come!

Now, the day came that i made the decision to make the purchase.  Best Buy had the laptop in stock and i'm about 45 minutes away from the nearest Best Buy.  So, me being Mr. Impatient, i didn't want to buy online and have it shipped to work, although i would have gotten it in about 3 days, i felt like i had to have it NOW!  So off to Best Buy i go!  I had called ahead of time to make sure they were in stock so i was ready to walk in, point it out, pay and get back to Mayberry!  Yeah right!!!!

It had been a while since i had set foot in Best Buy's doors, and now i remember why it had been a while.  Now, i realize those folks have a job to do, but good grief, it gets a little ridiculous sometimes.  I was in "kind of" a bit of hurry and needed to get back to town, so i wanted to get in and out.  Here's how the purchase went down.....

I walked in the store, walked straight to the laptops, walked around the displays until i saw the one i was looking for.  At about the time i found it, an ASSociate walked up and asked could he help me.  I said, YEP, and pointed at the one i wanted and said, get me that one right there.  He kinda made a funny look and said, well let me check stock, i said, you have them, i just called and you have plenty.  So he proceeded to walk off and i THOUGHT he was going to get my laptop.  The next thing that happened, totally got under my skin.

Now like i said, i realize these folks have a job, and maybe i felt like i didn't need any advice that day or whatever, but here's what happened.  As i was standing there waiting for him to bring me the laptop i had ask for, about 2 minutes passed.  I'm leaned up against a table directly across from the laptop i had pointed out with my arms crossed just waiting.  Well, there's a little display table to my left with a different brand of computer on it and it came with a software package or something.  So help me, the guy came came back with another employee and they both walked to that display table with the other laptops for sale, which was about 2 foot from me.  Here is the conversation between the two employees and i quote:

1st guy "Wow, is he gonna by that laptop when he could get this deal? This one has a much faster processor and comes with a bigger hard drive"

2nd guy "Gosh, you are right, i don't know why he would want that DELL when he could get this deal, it DOES have a better processor"

1st guy "And it comes with this essential software package that the one he's looking at doesn't have"

2nd guy "You're right, it is a much better deal"

Now i'm standing there, thinking to myself, surely, these to knuckleheads don't think i'm this stupid.  They are carrying on this conversation 2 feet from me, knowing i can hear it and i guess they think i'm going to go OH MAN, WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING BUYING A DELL?  I SHOULD GET THIS WONDERFUL DEAL YOU ARE POINTING OUT SUBLIMINALLY TO ME!  NOT!!!!!!!!!   I just stand there in amazement with my arms crossed and still staring straight ahead.  So the other guy walks off and the original guy i had asked to get me the laptop i pointed out, was still standing there holding the OTHER box they were trying to push, just looking at it.  Finally i looked over at him and he said, sir, wouldn't you like to get this one instead?  I said, bud, i'm in a hurry, then i pointed at the DELL i had ALREADY told him i wanted and said, can you just go get me that one so i can get outta here?  He put the other one down and walked off, never said a word.

So finally after about another 5 minutes, he comes walking up with my laptop.  I kinda reached out for it and he kinda turned away and was like, i have to take this up there for you.  I'm thinking, oooo k, are you afraid i'm gonna make a mad dash to the door and try and get past that 450 pound guard?  Oh well, we start to walk off and low and behold, instead of heading to the checkout, he heads toward the software section and proceeds to ask me what software i'll be needing today.  Ok, at this point i'm really starting to get a little ticked and i said, bud, i got it ALL covered, i don't need anything but what you have in that box.  So we finally turned towards the checkout and started walking up the isle.  THEN, he kinda stopped and said, you should take advantage of our Black Tie Geek Squad plans blah blah blah, we can remove virus's, spyware and before he could say another word, i turned and looked at him and i said listen...  i've worked on computers for 20 years, if i can't fix it, i sure as heck don't need teh Geek Squad!!!!!!   I am ready to check out!

I don't think he liked my tone of voice or my attitude, so he sat it down on the counter and walked off.  JERK!  haha  Then to beat all, the lady checking me out started to ask me the same crap he had started, about service plans, warranty's and i just said, "he's already tried, i'm ready to check out now".

Now i don't know if Best Buy just hates they are having to sell Dell products, or if they are just trying to push certain deals they have a lot of stock on or what. I know that when Dell started having financial problems, Walmart and Best Buy saved their butts by selling Dell products. I DO know that Best Buy departments have certain quota's they have to meet as far as extended service plans, etc etc. But when i walk in to a store, and know what i want and tell them what i want and i'm ready to go, i DO NOT want to be hammered by every sales pitch in the book! I can only imagine what they push on people who don't know a lot about computers, tv's cameras, etc etc...

I realize i could have shopped online and not even visited the store, so i know i put myself in that situation. But being Mr. i gotta have it now, i went to the store.

Sooooo, do you all think i was too harsh? Should i have just been Mr. Nice Guy and been more polite? I honestly could have been a LOT worse but i held back hahaha!

Have you had any experiences like that at Best Buy or any other store?

Anyways, Dude i've got a Dell, finally got me a laptop of my very own! Now i can sit in here with my sweetie and work and not have to be in 2 separate rooms!

So, talk to me, tell me if i was a butt or if i over reacted. What ya think?

And thanks again BANS for the new laptop!

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