Its not really over - Blu-ray Forum

hijeff1 · 01-21-2008, 04:54 PM

I was at best buy yesterday picking up Mr. Woodcook. (Thankfully it wasn't sold out), when I decided to check out the HD DVD players and see if they where even still stocked.

The shelf appeared to be full of them, BUT there was a salesman actually leading the customer into believing that HD was the player to get and not Blu Ray. I watched and listened while he even took the person over to the HD DVD movie section and showed them the selection. (There are 2 shelves to HD and 5 for Blu Ray).

The customer asked "so basically the same movies are put out on both formats?" "So it doesn't matter which one I get." The salesman said "basically it really doesn't matter". WHAT!!!! Thats when I jumped in and talked about studio support, and about WB's leaving HD and how Paramount and Universal are the ONLY TWO studios in may making HD movies. I even showed the customer and the salesman as proof that Blu sells more that Best Buy had tons of shelf space for Blu and very little for HD.

I actually had a small crowd when I was done selling Blu. Comeon whats that all about. When I was walking away someone else who worked at Best Buy stopped me and said "actually, HD DVD hasn't paid us for their display so we have to take it down too." I don't know what display he was talking about but that was funny to me. Like icing on a cake.

But with salesman misleading people to buy HD DVD its not going to be over for a while.

bajor27 · 01-21-2008, 04:58 PM

I guess they think it might be a little easier to sell a cheap player, but in 3-6 months when HD-DVD has actually completely died off and the customer feels like they were misled, does that guy really think the customer is going to come back their to buy his or her blu-ray player?

tiger roach · 01-21-2008, 04:59 PM

I bet you made that salesperson's day!

And yes, he deserved it.

hijeff1 · 01-21-2008, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiger roach

I bet you made that salesperson's day!

And yes, he deserved it.

Ohh you should have seen his face. He was pissed

overdrive00 · 01-21-2008, 05:02 PM

Thanks for saving the day and not letting those poor people get ripped off on buying a dead format!

cajun1975 · 01-21-2008, 05:03 PM

Sounds like he was trying to make a commission on a cheep and easier to sell HD DVD player. In my opinion he was not trying to help the costomers he was trying to screw them!!!
Good to see that you were the one to help them make the right choice. BTW did they get the HD player or go with a Blu one instead?

Scorxpion · 01-21-2008, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hijeff1

I was at best buy yesterday picking up Mr. Woodcook. (Thankfully it wasn't sold out), when I decided to check out the HD DVD players and see if they where even still stocked.

The shelf appeared to be full of them, BUT there was a salesman actually leading the customer into believing that HD was the player to get and not Blu Ray. I watched and listened while he even took the person over to the HD DVD movie section and showed them the selection. (There are 2 shelves to HD and 5 for Blu Ray).

The customer asked "so basically the same movies are put out on both formats?" "So it doesn't matter which one I get." The salesman said "basically it really doesn't matter". WHAT!!!! Thats when I jumped in and talked about studio support, and about WB's leaving HD and how Paramount and Universal are the ONLY TWO studios in may making HD movies. I even showed the customer and the salesman as proof that Blu sells more that Best Buy had tons of shelf space for Blu and very little for HD.

I actually had a small crowd when I was done selling Blu. Comeon whats that all about. When I was walking away someone else who worked at Best Buy stopped me and said "actually, HD DVD hasn't paid us for their display so we have to take it down too." I don't know what display he was talking about but that was funny to me. Like icing on a cake.

But with salesman misleading people to buy HD DVD its not going to be over for a while.

very well done this is what i will do when someone talk with the customers lies , he or she should elaborate everything the truth and then the customer will decide not the salesman.

Midnightsailor · 01-21-2008, 05:03 PM

I read about this same situation every day.

Elandyll · 01-21-2008, 05:04 PM

Was the salesperson from Tosh/HD DVD or from BB?

Because if he was from BB, they were just probably trying hard to empty their stock

Which doesn't excuse trying to mislead the customer really... But I could see Tosh doing that more than BB who might lose customers over this.

Alex Pallas · 01-21-2008, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cajun1975

Sounds like he was trying to make a commission on a cheep and easier to sell HD DVD player. In my opinion he was not trying to help the costomers he was trying to screw them!!!
Good to see that you were the one to help them make the right choice. BTW did they get the HD player or go with a Blu one instead?

best buy doesnt make commissions. chances are he's just an xbox fanboi trying to do what he can to damage the effort.

stockstar1138 · 01-21-2008, 05:06 PM

the vast majority of sales ppl are pushing blu, this guy is a very small minority. he is either a bitter dudster or is trying to get hd dvd out of his store because he is stuck with a bunch.

meckel · 01-21-2008, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cajun1975

Sounds like he was trying to make a commission on a cheep and easier to sell HD DVD player. In my opinion he was not trying to help the costomers he was trying to screw them!!!
Good to see that you were the one to help them make the right choice. BTW did they get the HD player or go with a Blu one instead?

Best Buy sales people are hourly not commission, they get paid the same no matter what you buy or if you are happy with. My guess just some completely misinformed part time sale person.

Midnightsailor · 01-21-2008, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

the vast majority of sales ppl are pushing blu, this guy is a very small minority. he is either a bitter dudster or is trying to get hd dvd out of his store because he is stuck with a bunch.

Sounds about right.

Coltboy · 01-21-2008, 05:13 PM

I have noticed that when i go into BB, i engaged in a conversation with the sales people and they told me that BD was going to win, because of studio and technical support. But it depends on which sales person you talk to because some say BD will win and others give you the stare down when you talk about BD, guess they are HD fans. But it is funny to listen to them talk about HD DVD being so much better.

tron3 · 01-21-2008, 05:16 PM

The sales people are being told to push HD DVD out the door, I guarantee it. The business terminology is "putting lipstick on a pig".

Glad you squeeled on him.

IvanDrago · 01-21-2008, 05:20 PM

Meh. I tend to leave the salespeople alone even if they are spouting blatant disinformation. They are just trying to make it in this world just like the rest of us, the only difference is that their jobs are open to direct criticisms from the general public. How would you feel is Joe 6 Pack off the street walked into your office and tried to screw with how you did your job?

I've pretty much felt this way since I read all of those idiotic forum posts on techie sites where no life losers would go into Best Buy for no other reason than to try and prove the sales people wrong on their technical knowledge of CPUs/GPUs/Memory etc.

To this day, I don't really care if a salesperson sells a person a betamax player or a two hundred dollar monster cables. If they feel they need to screw the customer (and they probably do to keep their job) or remaining ignorant on the facts, then that is the choice of the sales person. Customers can see that the people working at Best Buy are underpaid teenagers and if they choose to put their faith in such a person and not do any research on their own.

Well then

Caveat Emptor

mgonzo2u · 01-21-2008, 05:27 PM

If I was working at an electronics store and someone asked me about what HDM brand to go with, I would have a field day making $ as it would be so easy to simply let the facts sell the higher priced player every time.

You always probe clients before suggesting anything. It lets them feel involved in the purchasing process even though in this case, the product and the simple fact they want such a product will sell itself.

1st question to shopper: What is your reason for wanting to get into hi def movies?
A simple fact sheet I would have would point out the greater pros of blu that would meet their reasons

2nd question: How long do you foresee yourself using this type of medium?Every consumer wants longevity out of their purchase. Its what brings value. The simple fact blu will be the only medium to have a future is a slam dunk reply when you advise them that only one brand (Blu) will be on store shelves in the not too distant future.

3rd question: Do you prefer quality or is price point your main concern?To your face, every consumer is going to say they want quality out of any item they are dropping dimes on. If price is their selling point, you tell them the truth.

"I will be very honest with you, today you can buy this HD-DVD player for $$$. Yes, it will serve the desired purpose in the short term IF the current movie catalog suits your needs. And better yet, you will save money TODAY. And I know that is important to you.

However, if you enjoy this type of medium and want to move far into the future with this type of medium like you told me earlier, you will be back at some electronic store, be it my store or some other store, looking to buy costly new equipment all over again in the not so distant future.

Like the old saying goes, you should measure twice and cut once. I have given you all the info to measure twice, now you need to decide if you want to just cut once."

If you have any other questions, I'll be happy to answer them for you."

Next person please.

marzetta7 · 01-21-2008, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tron3

The sales people are being told to push HD DVD out the door, I guarantee it. The business terminology is "putting lipstick on a pig".

Glad you squeeled on him.

Exactly what I was thinking. Time to CLEAR INVENTORY! EVERYTHING GOES!

Don't HD DVD look sexy!!!

mgonzo2u · 01-21-2008, 05:37 PM

My theoretical sales approach below would satisfy my company line to move HDDVD but the sales tactic would sell more blu as the informed consumer would make the wise choice 3 out of 4 times.

Phane · 01-21-2008, 06:07 PM

At my local best buy, I saw the HD-A3 for sale, it was labeled...

"Upconverting DVD and HD-DVD Player"

I chuckled and pointed out to my friend and a sales guy that they had labeled it as an upconverter FIRST and listed HD-DVD playback second, as though it was a bonus.

01-21-2008, 04:54 PM	#1
hijeff1 Active Member Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Long Island, NY 4K collection:144 Blu-ray collection:341 DVD collection:153 Blu-ray reviews:4 Trading Score:3	Its not really over I was at best buy yesterday picking up Mr. Woodcook. (Thankfully it wasn't sold out), when I decided to check out the HD DVD players and see if they where even still stocked. The shelf appeared to be full of them, BUT there was a salesman actually leading the customer into believing that HD was the player to get and not Blu Ray. I watched and listened while he even took the person over to the HD DVD movie section and showed them the selection. (There are 2 shelves to HD and 5 for Blu Ray). The customer asked "so basically the same movies are put out on both formats?" "So it doesn't matter which one I get." The salesman said "basically it really doesn't matter". WHAT!!!! Thats when I jumped in and talked about studio support, and about WB's leaving HD and how Paramount and Universal are the ONLY TWO studios in may making HD movies. I even showed the customer and the salesman as proof that Blu sells more that Best Buy had tons of shelf space for Blu and very little for HD. I actually had a small crowd when I was done selling Blu. Comeon whats that all about. When I was walking away someone else who worked at Best Buy stopped me and said "actually, HD DVD hasn't paid us for their display so we have to take it down too." I don't know what display he was talking about but that was funny to me. Like icing on a cake. But with salesman misleading people to buy HD DVD its not going to be over for a while.

01-21-2008, 05:20 PM	#16
IvanDrago Active Member Member since:Nov 2007	Meh. I tend to leave the salespeople alone even if they are spouting blatant disinformation. They are just trying to make it in this world just like the rest of us, the only difference is that their jobs are open to direct criticisms from the general public. How would you feel is Joe 6 Pack off the street walked into your office and tried to screw with how you did your job? I've pretty much felt this way since I read all of those idiotic forum posts on techie sites where no life losers would go into Best Buy for no other reason than to try and prove the sales people wrong on their technical knowledge of CPUs/GPUs/Memory etc. To this day, I don't really care if a salesperson sells a person a betamax player or a two hundred dollar monster cables. If they feel they need to screw the customer (and they probably do to keep their job) or remaining ignorant on the facts, then that is the choice of the sales person. Customers can see that the people working at Best Buy are underpaid teenagers and if they choose to put their faith in such a person and not do any research on their own. Well then Caveat Emptor Last edited by IvanDrago; 01-21-2008 at 05:22 PM.

01-21-2008, 05:27 PM	#17
mgonzo2u Expert Member Member since:Jul 2007 Location:O.C. KOOK FOR LIFE Blu-ray collection:112	If I was working at an electronics store and someone asked me about what HDM brand to go with, I would have a field day making $ as it would be so easy to simply let the facts sell the higher priced player every time. You always probe clients before suggesting anything. It lets them feel involved in the purchasing process even though in this case, the product and the simple fact they want such a product will sell itself. 1st question to shopper: What is your reason for wanting to get into hi def movies? A simple fact sheet I would have would point out the greater pros of blu that would meet their reasons 2nd question: How long do you foresee yourself using this type of medium?Every consumer wants longevity out of their purchase. Its what brings value. The simple fact blu will be the only medium to have a future is a slam dunk reply when you advise them that only one brand (Blu) will be on store shelves in the not too distant future. 3rd question: Do you prefer quality or is price point your main concern?To your face, every consumer is going to say they want quality out of any item they are dropping dimes on. If price is their selling point, you tell them the truth. "I will be very honest with you, today you can buy this HD-DVD player for $$$. Yes, it will serve the desired purpose in the short term IF the current movie catalog suits your needs. And better yet, you will save money TODAY. And I know that is important to you. However, if you enjoy this type of medium and want to move far into the future with this type of medium like you told me earlier, you will be back at some electronic store, be it my store or some other store, looking to buy costly new equipment all over again in the not so distant future. Like the old saying goes, you should measure twice and cut once. I have given you all the info to measure twice, now you need to decide if you want to just cut once." If you have any other questions, I'll be happy to answer them for you." Next person please. Last edited by mgonzo2u; 01-21-2008 at 05:42 PM.

01-21-2008, 04:58 PM	#2
bajor27 Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Location:BC, Canada Blu-ray collection:1031 DVD collection:2 Trading Score:5	I guess they think it might be a little easier to sell a cheap player, but in 3-6 months when HD-DVD has actually completely died off and the customer feels like they were misled, does that guy really think the customer is going to come back their to buy his or her blu-ray player?

01-21-2008, 04:59 PM	#3
tiger roach Special Member Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Houston, TX Blu-ray collection:141 Blu-ray reviews:1	I bet you made that salesperson's day! And yes, he deserved it.

01-21-2008, 05:02 PM	#5
overdrive00 Member Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Dallas, Texas	Thanks for saving the day and not letting those poor people get ripped off on buying a dead format!

01-21-2008, 05:03 PM	#6
cajun1975 Active Member Member since:Oct 2007	Sounds like he was trying to make a commission on a cheep and easier to sell HD DVD player. In my opinion he was not trying to help the costomers he was trying to screw them!!! Good to see that you were the one to help them make the right choice. BTW did they get the HD player or go with a Blu one instead?

01-21-2008, 05:03 PM	#8
Midnightsailor Special Member Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Los Angeles, CA Blu-ray collection:32 Blu-ray reviews:1	I read about this same situation every day.

01-21-2008, 05:04 PM	#9
Elandyll Blu-ray Knight Member since:Aug 2007 Location:MD Blu-ray collection:188 Trading Score:1	Was the salesperson from Tosh/HD DVD or from BB? Because if he was from BB, they were just probably trying hard to empty their stock Which doesn't excuse trying to mislead the customer really... But I could see Tosh doing that more than BB who might lose customers over this.

01-21-2008, 05:06 PM	#11
stockstar1138 Banned Member since:Apr 2007	the vast majority of sales ppl are pushing blu, this guy is a very small minority. he is either a bitter dudster or is trying to get hd dvd out of his store because he is stuck with a bunch.

01-21-2008, 05:13 PM	#14
Coltboy Active Member Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Mar 2007 Location:OHIO Home Theater Gallery:72 Blu-ray collection:14 Blu-ray reviews:13	I have noticed that when i go into BB, i engaged in a conversation with the sales people and they told me that BD was going to win, because of studio and technical support. But it depends on which sales person you talk to because some say BD will win and others give you the stare down when you talk about BD, guess they are HD fans. But it is funny to listen to them talk about HD DVD being so much better.

01-21-2008, 05:16 PM	#15
tron3 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Aug 2004 Location:New Jersey Blu-ray reviews:3	The sales people are being told to push HD DVD out the door, I guarantee it. The business terminology is "putting lipstick on a pig". Glad you squeeled on him.

01-21-2008, 05:37 PM	#19
mgonzo2u Expert Member Member since:Jul 2007 Location:O.C. KOOK FOR LIFE Blu-ray collection:112	My theoretical sales approach below would satisfy my company line to move HDDVD but the sales tactic would sell more blu as the informed consumer would make the wise choice 3 out of 4 times.

01-21-2008, 06:07 PM	#20
Phane Active Member Member since:Nov 2007 Location:Rochester, MN	At my local best buy, I saw the HD-A3 for sale, it was labeled... "Upconverting DVD and HD-DVD Player" I chuckled and pointed out to my friend and a sales guy that they had labeled it as an upconverter FIRST and listed HD-DVD playback second, as though it was a bonus.

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