• Why RadioShak Sucks And Why I’ll Never Give up My Mac…

  Filed under rants
  Jul 15

  Homer: We’ll search out every place a sick twisted solitary misfit might run to.
  Lisa: I’ll start with Radio Shack.
  –Simpsons – Treehouse of Horror VII

  Why oh why do I ever go to Radio Shak for anything other than cables? Every time I’ve gone there to get anything related to computer equipment, the stuff never works. And yet I go back because it is convenient. Feh.

  My mother just learned about Skype and she is all excited about the idea of being able to see the person you are talking to. Sort of like the future-istic telephone you saw on Star Trek and the Jetsons. So, I ran by the Radio Shak to get her and Dad basic web cams. I didn’t want anything complex or fancy..just a camera with a mike. Easy right?

  Neither one of the web camera software cd’s that came with either of the web cams would even register on the computer as having anything on them. Heck, the DVD drive didn’t even show up in My Computer. So, I went to the Radio Shak site to download the software. Downloaded the software, ran it, and

  Nothing.

  The only thing about this entire process that I am grateful for is that I was actually at Dad’s computer trying to do all this myself instead of trying to talk him through it on the phone. While my Dad is very intelligent and good at many things, double clicking on the computer mouse is still a relatively new concept for him. But like Mom says “I can’t raise Soybeans to save my soul.”

  I think the thing that gets me is that I really want to believe in Radio Shak. I want to think that maybe, possibly, a little store could do better than the huge Fry’s computer type warehouses. So far, however, it hasn’t happened. Their computer stuff is always crap. Always Always.

  Thing is, I’ve never had to set up a web cam because my little Macbook — the cheapest one that Apple sells no less — came with the web cam already installed. I love that Apple just does stuff like this and I don’t have to mess with drivers and hardware that may or may now work.

  5 Comments

5 Responses to “Why RadioShak Sucks And Why I’ll Never Give up My Mac…”

1. 

   BillMan said on August 21st, 2009 at 6:34 pm

   Aw, c’mon. I’ve gotten some decent batteries there, and my Combination Indoor/Outdoor Weather station/Atomic Clock is from there. So is the Atomic Clock above my computer and my Weather Alert Radio/Alarm Clock. Ever since my days with Comaq (pre-HP Takeover) Tech Support (speaking of thankless jobs!) however, I’m NOT even certain I would trust them for cables.

2. 

   Betty Joe Savage said on February 23rd, 2010 at 11:37 am

   Here is a letter I just sent them:

   Hello -

   I wanted to tell someone about my recent (2-21-10) experience in your Oregon City store.

   I’ll just list my issues:

   1. The untrained person who helped me couldn’t wait to get me out of line so he could help the person behind me, even though it was the store computer that was holding us up. I was made to feel totally embarrassed and like I was a burden.

   2. The person who helped me was so untrained that he had to ask another person for help. The other employee would blurt an instruction and take off, over and over. I was not sure I would ever get what I needed.

   3. I was buying a Tracphone. When I asked how much minutes were, I could not get a clear answer. Back and forth, I asked in every way I could think of to get a sensible answer, but there was none forthcoming. HOWEVER, after I had made my purchase, one of them said, “if you’d paid $10 more you could have gotten twice the minutes.” WELL FOR GOD’S SAKE, COULD SOMEONE HAVE MENTIONED THAT BEFORE I PAID??? I would have been happy to pay the $10 if I could have gotten the information out of these dunderheads, one of whom was untrained, one running around, and one having a personal conversation.

   Do I need to mention that there are dozens of good electronics stores in our area?

   Do I need to mention that most of them have well-trained people serving customers?

   Do I need to mention that they no doubt know how to explain cell phone minutes, rather than say, “It’s kind of complicated.” I have a Masters Degree. I’ll bet if someone had taken the time to explain, I could have understood it.

   And finally, your company may rest assured that I will take all my business to your competitors in the future, and will pass on my experience with you to all my friends, relatives, and coworkers.

   Sincerely,

   Betty Joe **************

3. 

   Heather said on February 23rd, 2010 at 5:46 pm

   Holy Wow, Betty. That is a bad experience. I’d be interested in hearing what, if anything the management of Radio Shak does…

4. 

   Betty Joe Savage said on February 23rd, 2010 at 11:46 pm

   Heather, so far I’ve gotten a form letter thanking me for my email, and promising to get back to me. We’ll see if anything comes of this…well, I just feel better writing it down!

5. 

   Heather said on February 24th, 2010 at 1:31 pm

   Ah yes, I can well relate. In the words of author Kathy Lette, “I write because it’s cheaper than therapy.”

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