Torn Between 2 Systems

Last week Sony released the latest version of its PlayStation gaming system. This week Microsoft is releasing their latest Xbox unit. At $399 and $499 respectively, these systems are nowhere near cheap. Add the cost of at least 1 game to each and you are at a $1,000 if you invest in both systems.

Yes, that is a 1 with 3 zeroes attached. Too much for many people to afford especially given that many people can’t even afford to put food on the table. Even the cost of 1 system could send anybody well over $750 if they buy even one of the systems. Even that is too much for many.

This is why I have never been swayed into buying a gaming system. Never. Ever.

Oh yes I used to sell video game systems back in the days of Woolworth. Back then, it was Nintendo versus Sega. Both were around the same price, but each had their strengths and weaknesses. I always preferred the Sega Genesis system because the games looked better and seemed less glitchy. However, the biggest difference was that the Sega display was the game “Sonic the Hedgehog”, whereas the Nintendo display was a laserdisc playing a loop of various titles with the ability for the users to press buttons to watch various categories of titles.

At one point, I asked the reps of both companies if they had any sales brochures on how to sell the units. Both companies response was that they didn’t and felt that the systems could stand on their own merit. In other words, no salesperson was necessary to sell the units and the employee like me was left being unable to answer customer questions unless I did my own research mostly from reading magazines in the bookstore across the way on my lunch break. It was my own opinion that usually swayed the customer. I was probably the most researched employee who was the most knowledgeable on these products even more so than the department head. In fact, the department head preferred the Nintendo system because it was a better seller. Not a great selling philosophy to me.

Fast forward to today and we still have some companies running playable game displays whereas others are still using loop DVDs to show off their systems. Unfortunately now, employees are still left stumped about the merits of the systems they sell.

This of course will lead to much customer buyer remorse this holiday season. It is expected that retailers will see many returns with the customers saying that they should have bought the “other system” or “none at all”. Back in the Woolworth days, this was very common right after Christmas and there was nothing that could be done about it. It came with the territory.

When Woolworth was selling out of video game systems, the Nintendo and Sega systems were marked down dramatically, to the point where $200 systems were selling for as low as $50. As much as I wanted to buy, I still resisted. Today, I regret that a bit, but given that obsolescence is guaranteed when new systems are released and old games don’t work on new systems, I thought better of it.

So, my advice to those million people who bought the new Sony or the million who will probably buy the new Xbox, stop and think of the following:

Do I really not need this?

Will the price come down right after Christmas?

Did I buy the WRONG system?

Will my money be better spent elsewhere?

After answering any of these questions with a yes, then walk away like I did. As I have done through every evolution of the video game industry.

Have a happy Black Friday!

Please note: There will be no posting next week in celebration of thanksgiving. I will be back in 2 weeks with a new posting at that time.

Shaw’s’s Hidden Policy

Just when you thought that Staples was the only bad company (actually I have discussed others here), I now introduce Shaw’s to the bad company crowd.

For those of you who don’t know what Shaw’s is, it is a grocery store chain located in the New England/New York area. Up to a few months ago, the chain was owned by the Supervalu chain of stores, but now is independent. Apparently independence has not done the chain well as I describe here.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the local Shaw’s store where I was purchasing 8 dental products, which each of them had a 55 cent off coupon on the package. After I scanned all the items at the self-serve register, I started scanning my coupons from the packages. Everything was fine for the first 4 items so I continued scanning the remaining coupons.

After I finished scanning all 8 coupons, it required management approval for some reason. So when the woman supervisor scanned her employee card, I noticed that the register only doubled the value of the first 4 coupons and not the last 4.

The woman supervisor told me that it was policy that there was a limit of 4 coupons to be doubled. When I asked where it was stated, she either did not hear me or ignored my question. As she started taking the items off the receipt to void the transaction, the other coupons started doubling themselves over the limit of the 4.

Being irritated over the whole thing, the woman supervisor told me to go to a “regular checkout with my items” and she threw my coupons back at me as if I was to be blamed for the system not to work the way it should.

So off I went to the regular checkout grudgingly. I decided to checkout as 2 transactions my 8 products to eliminate any possible problem. The first transaction went fine, however the second one stopped me in my tracks as my credit card was not accepted because the same amount was in 2 consecutive transactions. I have used my card many times at other places with same amount consecutive transactions with absolutely no problem whatsoever. This is apparently a Shaw’s’s problem and not a credit card issue. After a couple of minutes, the transaction did go through but this embarrassment could have been avoided if the registers were programmed correctly. To insult to injury to all this was that the cashier was sort of rude to me while doing my transaction. This is true of many of the cashiers who work at Shaw’s being rude. This is why I use self-serve registers and recommend anybody with any intelligence to use self-serve when available.

Overall, I was very dissatisfied with my experience this particular day. I filled out a survey on their website expressing my displeasure with how things went. Thankfully, unlike Best Buy, I never received an email asking me to respond to them with either a phone call or an email. Apparently Shaw’s does respect the privacy of their customers unlike companies like Best Buy and Staples.

What is the takeaway from all of this?

First, the woman supervisor was extremely rude to me unjustifiably. She tried to create policy where no existed. Nowhere is there a coupon limit posted in store or located (easily) on their website. Therefore, the policy really does not exist.

I saw this type of event happen many times over the years at Staples. However, unlike Shaw’s, the supervisor was NEVER rude to the customer despite sometimes not satisfying the customer. As far as I am concerned, this woman supervisor should be terminated. Shaw’s is no position anymore to lose customers or have people like me making postings like this explaining how bad the customer is treated.

Shaw’s like Staples is desperate to keep customers, but creating hidden policies that don’t exist is no way to retain customers. Hopefully, Shaw’s unlike Staples will correct their problems and unhide their policies and post them where all can see them.

This is a lesson that both companies could learn from.

Maine Politics Winners and Losers (Sorry, Just Losers)

The following special post is being presented in all my blogs this week.

This has been a very interesting week for the political climate here in Maine and mostly not in a good way.

Let’s start with the admission by U.S. House member Michael Michaud coming out to admit he was gay. Michaud was trying to beat the gossipers to the news, which he probably never wanted to release publicly. As someone who wants to become Maine’s next governor, he may have put himself out of the race with this revelation. He claims that he is the ‘same old Mike as yesterday”, but I believe that people won’t adjust to the “New old Mike”. I really have my doubts about his political future.

On the same day, current governor Paul LePage launches his reelection campaign. He claims that he has lowered taxes, paid off our hospitals, and getting rid of welfare fraud.

Is he serious?

He has raised taxes by raising the sales tax to 5.5% and allowing taxing on items not previously taxed. He has cut the homestead exemption therefore raising property taxes on many citizens of the state to new highs. Paying off the hospitals just added to the expenses that Maine taxpayers have had to suffer especially given the non-expansion of the MaineCare system (Medicaid). Finally, welfare fraud came at the expense of not enrolling anybody who shouldn’t be on the rolls, which includes people like me who are uninsured and currently unemployed. Certainly, not a smart move for those whore really need it.

Now onto the Election Day mess.

For those people living in Lewiston, congratulations. You got more time with your loudmouth Robert Macdonald as mayor. This is the guy who wanted to get rid of the Somalia people from the city as they were a drain on the city’s resources. Expect him to compete well against LePage for more offensive comments during the coming year or so.

For people of Portland, congratulations on legalizing marijuana of 2.5 ounces within the city limits. Bad news is that the people can’t get it from the medical dispensaries and there is no regulation of how this will be implemented. However, considering that it’s still illegal at the state and federal level, expect that those who want their pot will get it somehow illegally. Just don’t step over the city line or you will risk being arrested for possession.

For my fellow citizens of South Portland, congratulations are in order double. First, you approved big oil to win in a close vote (under 200 vote difference) to allow tar sands to come into the waterfront region and allow big oil to build nice smokestacks in the city as well. Apparently many of the citizens of SoPo were smoking their weed in Portland to realize the future pollution in South Portland. Secondly, the stupid people of the city voted to build a $14 million public works garage, when something about half that price was once suggested. Add this to the $50+ million approved for the high school a couple of years ago and you will realize that property taxes will go through the roof. Don’t people realize that the city doesn’t have any money trees growing in the city?

And finally, congratulations to all the citizens of Maine for approving 5 bond issues totaling around $150 million. Can we afford all this debt? After all, we are already the worst state in the nation to do business. Did we want to make more debt a priority in raising taxes even more when this is combined with the $450 million hospital bill? Who will pay the $600 million back? Certainly not getting any money from those money trees growing around the state.

Overall, the state is pretty much screwed up and the people are screwed paying for years for things that really are not needed or required. Maybe next year, we can get something right for once and get back from the bottom of the deck of states and stop being the butt of all jokes.