Cts - 2006 :: VIP HDTV WTF?

[Bob Crabtree]

Distributor VIP had one of the biggest and best-located stands at last week's CTS. There, pride of place was given to a considerable array of HD ready TV sets. So why didn't the company have the wit to give its stand staff a decent crash course in HDTV? It must surely have splashed out a small fortune on appearing at an event where it chose to give such prominence to this potentially lucrative technology and where so many possible would-be stockists were in attendance.

So why, you may be asking yourself, are we having this little pop at VIP; surely there were lots of other firms at CTS about which similar criticisms could be made? Well, yes, that's true. And that's the very reason why we're bothering to tell you about our experience.

Read our take in this HEXUS.headline then let us have yours right here.

[nichomach]

It's no surprise when we discover that the sales staff in a DSG store are clue-deficient; we expect that, and if anyone asks, we'd probably say so. Not their fault; they're underpaid and undertrained, and that's partly the stores' fault and partly ours. We want products cheaper and cheaper, but the easiest way for stores to cater to that is by cutting the softest expense they have - staff wages.

That said, a trade show like CTS is one where the manufacturers are showing stuff off to people who are far more likely to ask searching questions, and understand the answers. It's a poor show if they can't do a little better than your typical Saturday-only walking zit farm at a DSG store; it wastes the time of the people at the show, and if they're not competent to explain and demo the product it wastes the exhibitor's time and money too.

They definitely need to buck up, as opposed to what they're doing now which is one consonant removed...

[Funkstar]

The poor quality of sales staff is not a UK only phenomenan, the US has it's fare share too. The staff in CompUSA, Best Buy, Frys, etc are not known for their knowledge either.

Although for sales reps on a trade stand i do think it is shocking

[Rack]

I think it stems from the US way of cheap expendable staff. Why do you think it's so easy to get into britain? The government is giving in to the needs of big business.
The turn-over of staff in these stores is incredible, and our system of employment (few worker rights, etc) make it easy to do too. The US is worse IMO. I'm in the US right now, will have to try and bamboozle someone in a electronics store.

I lived in Denmark for a couple of years, and the staff in any shops are usually long-term permanent staff, well trained. It is part of the society, but also the government makes it difficult to have high staff turnover. Even waiters have a union.

Companies are doing it how they can, low margins mean low overheads, high turnover of product and staff. If the government and the consumer do not make it clear that this sort of behaviour (poorly trained staff, high staff turn over, low pay) is not acceptable, then why stop?