[Coco] Another Radio Shack Article

[Rogelio Perea]

On Thu, Jan 2 2014, jeremy michea wrote:

http://www.businessinsider.com/five-problems-with-
> radioshack-strategy-2013-12
>
> I don't think this one has been posted but it's an interesting read. I
> agree heartily with this paragraph:
>
> *_/*Employees are largely clueless.*/_**_/"/_**_/They may be the most
> intimidating, least-female-shopper-friendly and all-in-all scary collection
> of people ever assembled by one corporate entity," Schoulberg gripes. /_*
>
> Reminds me of the old saying "Radio Shack - you've got questions, we've
> got blank stares"
>
> One of my last memories of a Radio Shack in my town was around 1992. They
> were clearing out all kinds of still new in box, left over Coco software
> for a whopping $1 each. Bought it all out. No hardware unfortunately.
> Walked out with a couple of boxes full of carts and disks. It was a good
> day.
>

No doubt for a good deal of long time customers of Radio Shack the demise
started when they pulled out of the personal computer and hobby electronics
area and started to focus on cell phones; early 2000's I saw the RS store
in Nogales AZ stocking Kit Kats and M&Ms... that was - for me - a sign that
the concept of the store had shifted in a weird and unwelcomed path.

Worked at an Edison NJ RS store as a part time gig, lasted only three
months back 2006. The push for cell phone sales was all the focus on the
district and employee meetings, the biggest commission for the employees
came from those sales *and* the accessories - store clerks were expected to
cram as much as possible of those 'revenue-drivers' at the time of sale. I
was a lousy cell phone salesguy, instead focusing to catering to the very
few and apart customers asking about electronics - little pat-on-the-back
to myself from myself as in those three months I managed to build a
reputation as the go-to-guy when needing something remotely tech sounding;
had one customer once bring his whole DJ'ing rig to the store and laying it
down on a good portion of the floor as he needed to do some fancy audio
wiring, bought a truckload of cables and adapters and was happily out on
his way. The other employees were college kids and their eyes only
brightened when the store got its shipment of new cell phones, the rest of
the stuff was 'boring' and 'gay' (their words).

Took the job at RS because I needed the extra $$$ (divorce) and to squish
the curiosity bug of working at the company once I admired - on the later
part it was a big disappointment, no only the staff was poorly aware of the
whole product line, the district management was equally set on pushing cell
phones like nothing else at the store - if I sold a stereo system or a
scanner or an electronic kit it was OK but I'd be told 'your cell phone
numbers are not showing Rogelio!'.

Once I took my PC-1 pocket computer to have the batteries changed. The
staff at the store could not believe the label on the computer branding it
as a Radio Shack item.

-- RP