I'm sure we all have stories like this. I know I do. I live in a small
town, an hour's drive from the 'city' (Halifax-Dartmouth, popl'n of about
200 000). There is *one* software store within a reasonable distance of
where I live (Wolfville, popl'n of 2500 during the summer).
This software store is called "Software City." All of the people who
work at this place are men (foreshadow ;). Usually when I go to this
store I am with Paul (my boyfriend, who has a car). I have spent a
lot of money at this place...some small hardware stuff, a joystick,
several games, lots of non-fiction software, disks, etc.
The thing is, whenever I go to the counter to pay for my chosen
purchase they *always* talk to Paul, even if *I'm* the one with
the bank card and software in hand. Paul is a CS major, but doesn't
own a computer (he uses mine). Paul, now aware of how much it pisses
me off that they assume that I know nothing about computers, has taken
to simply saying, "Hey, don't talk to me, I don't know anything about
computers...it's her's" :> He always gets a big kiss for that ;>
Then, when they finally condascend to speaking to me (with software
and bank card still in hand) they treat me like I'm a pudding-head.
"Are you sure your system has all the requirements for this package?"
(Like it's not written on the outside). "Are you sure that your
system is an IBM or clone, not a Mac?" (Oh fer fuck's sake.)
Last time I went through this idiocy, I just got mad. I ranted.
"Listen," I said, "I've got an IBM 486 DX-4 100 with 16 Mgs Ram,
a 1.6 gig harddrive, a vesa local bus 2 Mg video card, a soundblaster
16 sound card. I have DOS, Windows 3.11, and Linux as my operating
systems. I have been using computers for 15 years, 9 years IBM
and clone, 4 years UNIX based Sun Microsystems Minicomputers. I
maintain my own web pages, and have been working as a desktop
publisher and computer consultant for the past 4 years. I have
references if you need them."
*grin*
I've not set foot in that shop again, and won't unless I'm in
dire straits (Quake, perhaps, will force me back ;)
I am so sick and fucking tired of people (read: "men") who are
involved in the computer end-user market assuming that women (read:
"me" :) don't know anything about computers. When they began
talking to Paul, they didn't treat him like an idiot. Why the
hell would they do so with me? Hmm??
*Argh!*
Fran, I feel for you. In the hardware department, I have managed to
finally find a small, locally owned business that does excellent
work at excellent prices, and who are *wonderful* about service etc.
They went so far as to drive up to my place to replace a faulty
battery because they knew I had no transportation. And they charged
me *nothing*, not even for the part. They're angels. And they,
at no point, treated me like an idiot. Naturally, any time anyone
asks me where they should go for a system or upgrades, I send 'em
there. I've probably got them about $15,000-$20,000 in business in
the past 3 years. I know for a fact that one guy (my advisor)
dropped $7000 in their lap for the best system it would buy. It got
quite a system :>
I think that it is very very very important in this day in age that
businesses realize that 'word of mouth' is the best advertising they
can get. Especially in the computer business. Computer shops and
software shops are (in most places) a dime a dozen, and people tend
to go on the recommendations of others.
More often than not, the customer *IS* right, and I wish they'd get
of their fucking pedastal and realize it again. Grr.
okay...that's my rant of the day.
Have fun, y'all :>
- Deb
-- __________Debra L. Richardson______________002134r@dragon.acadiau.ca___________ _______________________http://dragon.acadiau.ca/~002134r/______________________