Does anyone else hate Radio Shack?

[Canada]

That is where I buy those yellow, red and white cables from. Oh yeah an audio switcher and audio cables, I have never spent more than about $ 50 at one time in Radio Shack. The only thing that is more than $ 50 that I may buy there is an analog db meter.

[hoogoosedmoose41]

Its sad to see what Rat Shack is now... they used to be a pretty cool electronics and hobbyist store... now I dont think they know what they want to be anymore.

I bought my first pair of speakers at the rat shack... the first version of the Mach 1....saved up my cash big time for them... i was only 16 at the time.
they were quite the rage on ebay a few years back almost going for more money than when they were new.
I borrowed this pic from the net... this is i belive version 2 of the mach 1 the cheaper version. they had bad problems with foam rot on the surrounds of the woofers. the first version was much beefier it had rubber on the surrounds i belive.

[tron3]

Originally Posted by john_1958

is that why radio shack is history where i live
...

Actually, they downsized a little a few years ago. Supposedly closing the stores with the least earnings and/ or high shop lifting ratio.

[Variable]

I work in a radioshack. in fact, I'm posting in one right now!

yeah, it's a really bad store. we have no image or special product selection or anything to set us apart from ANYother store. there is virtually no reason to come here. I'll get more into it after I read the thread through.

[aristotles]

All of the Radio Shack stores in Canada were bought out by Circuit City to become "The Source".

I actually don't mind getting asked if I need help and I find it frustrating when I'm ignored in Futureshop. Ironically, I will often get pestered when I'm just browsing but when I go in looking to buy a big ticket item nobody is interested in taking my money.

This happened to me when I went looking for a colour laser printer. I found a model that I was interested in but nobody would come to answer my questions about compatibility.

I ended up leaving and buying the same model for less than the FS website price at Staples after the sales clerk answered my questions.

I don't understand why they ignore me when I probably have a far greater purchasing power than most of the customers they ignore me in favour of.

[ryoohki]

Yeah it's The Source here in Canada.. the greatest place to buy a 6' HDMI cable at 90$ LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. I NEVER EVER shop there..

[Marcusarilius]

I'm amazed Radio Crack has survived for so many years.

[tron3]

Originally Posted by Marcusarilius

I'm amazed Radio Crack has survived for so many years.

Some places in America are so rural that Radio Shack is their only option.

[Xerious]

Originally Posted by tron3

Some places in America are so rural that Radio Shack is their only option.

word... i went to school in a podunk town in idaho... they had radioshack, kmart and walmart. they actually had a gamestop for a bit, then they closed down. radioshack was the only place you could get anything nerdy... walmart was where you'd get anything else. lest you drive 30 minutes to the closest best boob or ckt shitty.

[IMind]

I've always had a lot of distaste for the average Radio Shack employee. It makes more sense now that it's a policy... but I always sort of figured them asking if you needed help was a character flaw of the people that worked there.

I always loved (like the way I love a really bad movie) the Realistic, Archer, and Optimus products.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by aristotles

All of the Radio Shack stores in Canada were bought out by Circuit City to become "The Source".

Actually, Circuit City bought InterTan in 2004, which had a license deal with Tandy Corp. for RadioShack in Canada. Just after Intertan was purchased, Tandy went to court to cancel the deal claming breach of contract, and won, and Circuit City was forced to convert all their RadioShack's to something else.

Gary

[King03]

I used to like Radio Shack when they sold hard-to-find wiring components, custom cables, etc. As soon as they thought they'd do better as a satellite/cell phone/trinket retailer, I stopped giving them my business.

They have a serious identity crisis, and now people have to go to Target to find the splitters/connectors/etc because radio shack is too busy selling mobile phones.

[Variable]

Originally Posted by King03

I used to like Radio Shack when they sold hard-to-find wiring components, custom cables, etc. As soon as they thought they'd do better as a satellite/cell phone/trinket retailer, I stopped giving them my business.

They have a serious identity crisis, and now people have to go to Target to find the splitters/connectors/etc because radio shack is too busy selling mobile phones.

everytim I turn someone away looking for a small product I want to quit. being completely honest, I don't know all that much about the little connectors and whatnot, parts and all that... but I still feel bad for the loyal customers who can no longer get what they need here. it's shitty service plain and simple.

[Blu Haze]

My radioschak is awesome, They rush to you to ask if u need help etc. There like family.

[BB3]

Originally Posted by Variable

everytim I turn someone away looking for a small product I want to quit. being completely honest, I don't know all that much about the little connectors and whatnot, parts and all that... but I still feel bad for the loyal customers who can no longer get what they need here. it's shitty service plain and simple.

Or they could just go to monoprice.com

[Marcusarilius]

Originally Posted by tron3

Some places in America are so rural that Radio Shack is their only option.

I have no dought thats true, but there IS this new fangled thing called the Inter Net? Wireless? Guess not for that rural of places.

[Lucy Diamond]

My local Radio Shack has a pretty good attitude about retuning stuff, so I won't rag on them.

I wanted silver solder though for guitar electronics and they had no idea what I was talking about.

It's up in the air.

[Hecmor]

I currently work for Radioshack actually have been for the last 4 years.

I'm not one of those wireless sharks or pesty sales associate. I greet every customer that walks in, for the most part our customers already know what they are looking for but lets face it guys (every member of Blu-ray.com) some people don't know anything about electronics. I have customers that don't even know that the UHF/VHF is going away on Feb '09 and being replaced with OTA Digital HD. Most of my time is spent filling out customer's forms for the $40.00 coupons from DTV2009.gov. I also get customers still buying coax cable and S.Video for there new 46in HDTV.

All RS associates are not the same. I have a steady customer base and work usually on referrals by other satisfied customers. I am one of the top sales guys in my region and for that reason RS has been kind to me. I purchased a home, car and all my HT component with my RS pay and comminsion.

RS bussiness sales model hasn't changed much and its unfourtunate, we don't even sell Blu ray players yet except PS3. But lets face it, its much better than BB and CC. My store isn't dusty or dirty and thats thanks in part of a great manager. RS tends to fall behind many mainstream tech stuff. Trends change constantly and its hard to keep up while making a profit.

If you hate RS, just don't shop there.

If you do shop at RS well just PM me ur email and I'll send you a $10.00off printable coupon.

[U4K61]

2008 April: Radio Shack is like McDonald's. We know the food is nothing to rant and rave about, but we still go. It's where I got my first Archer TV antana, some speaker wire, and HDMI cable - but I did pass up on the TRS80.

2009 July: The store in my area has been looking for help while other companies have been going out of business, go figure.

[rragland]

Originally Posted by tron3

This never really dawned on me until now. When you walk into any other electronics retailer you see something new and different. Sure, everyone has the clearance bin of $5 DVD's, and discounted stuff they want to sell off, but it turns over pretty fast.

In the time I had with Radio Shack, and even now when I walk in, I can still find the same toys they tried to sell from last Christmas, or even the years prior. Much of it is dirty, and you can often see old dusty stuff sitting on pegs for MONTHS. I made mention of a dirty, dirty store at a RS hate site and the corporate heads must have seen it. Word got out to all the stores to clean off the stock!

This has been the Radio Shack model for decades to my best memories. Walking into a Radio Shack is often like walking into the past. They should not be allowing that old dirty Christmas stock to be sold on the floor. Let alone those oddball electronics older than last year.

This is an incredibly bad business image. It's the mom and pop mentality of "we keep it until it sells". Meanwhile the package is filthy and fading from light exposure.

It doesn't matter how many stores you make over when you bring out the same old filthy stock from the basement or back room. In some cases covered in roach crap, or other excrement. Is RS TRYING to get a health violation? I bet some stores would be closed down for some of what they sell.

This is made worse by how RS is almost never on top of the trends of popular consumer electronics. Always a year late and a dollar more. Need I continue?

I went to Radio Shack to purchase a 12v power supply. The clerk had no clue as to what I was asking for. She tried to sell me a cigarette-lighter adapter. I found a 15 amp model on the shelf and asked her if that was the biggest one she had. Still clueless. I bought the power supply and left, just shaking my head.