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Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

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Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#261

Post by devoutsalsa »

ericbarrett wrote: post #125

Lots of nostalgia about Fry’s here. Well, I have a different take. Fry’s was my first job, and my first introduction to wage slavery. They never at any point cared about employee health or well-being. Breaks were the state minimum. Pay was the state minimum. The entire staff (and there were hundreds back in the day, when the checkout line would back up into the store even with 20 registers open) shared one 7x7 beige…

Reminds me of the Fry's Electronics Employment Application:

https://web.archive.org/web/20200130175501/http://homepage.s...

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#262

Post by dimmke »

duckfang wrote: post #250
dimmke wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with this. There are so many other stores that do loss prevention in a way that is effective but very muted if you aren't a thief. The way Fry's did it almost felt like disdain towards their customers.

Admittedly the very few times I went to Frys, I just walked around them. They yelled to stop. I yelled back to call the cops if they have proof. And... nothing happened. Nothing ever happens. Because I don't steal; I go through the register; and I leave with product that I now own.

I've done that at Walmart before. Walmart has this policy where if the item you bought is too big to be put in a bag the greeter tries to check your receipt.

You're right - they can't do anything. But it still is a very unpleasant interaction. Also, not very effective anyways. Target on the other hand doesn't check receipts, but they have a well trained loss prevention team that watches the cameras and they know when someone is stealing. The only person who gets a bad experience is the person committing the crime.

Overall though, I just hate the experience of going into stores in general these days. Not just because of COVID, it's because in almost all cases, the staff is incentivized to sell you things that make the company the most profit. Either because they get a commission or because if they don't they get their hours cut etc... They aren't actually trying to help you solve your problem, which is the whole point of having sales associates.

So now I end up doing independent research on whatever I'm going to buy, it's usually cheaper online and I don't get asked if I have a rewards account, what my phone number/email is, what my zip code is, do I want to open a credit card? etc etc...

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#263

Post by sokoloff »

kingaillas wrote: post #258
sokoloff wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That Samsung thing is annoying and maybe counter-productive for them. Pre-COVID, I went to a BestBuy for a specific Samsung microSD. Looked all over the flash memory and they didn’t have it, despite it showing in-stock online. Now, because I needed it, I asked for help, employee sighs and walks me over to flash area, we don’t find it. I show them my phone and they realize “oh, that’s over in the Samsung section!” Wha…

Keeping some SKUs separate may be annoying, but the employee not realizing that until you showed your phone is not an insurmountable problem. Some training and/or an internal memo and the next person in looking for that item will be directed properly.

I'm sure the next person will be directed correctly, provided they bother to ask.

I think more common will be someone will find the flash area and buy a non-Samsung part than it will be that someone will find the Samsung area and being torn between buying a television or some flash storage.

Fixing it so shoppers can serve themselves effectively seems more beneficial for shoppers and BestBuy than fixing it so employees can more effectively cover over the inability to self-serve.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#264

Post by sodality2 »

bitwize wrote: post #237
halfmatthalfcat wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Worked at Best Buy, same exact experience.

Geek Squad personnel are paid FBI informants.

Surprisingly, true: https://www.cnet.com/news/fbi-paid-geek-squad-staff-to-be-in... However, they aren't all FBI agents (duh).

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#265

Post by cainxinth »

linuxlizard wrote: post #256
cainxinth wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My first real job was at CompUSA. And my experience was identical to what you just described.

I liked CompUSA. The employees I interacted with were great. Boise, ID. Was sad when they closed.

It wasn't the worst job I ever had, but the place was really poorly run, and they took advantage of me.

I was just a high school kid stocking shelves, but knew as much or more about the computers as the fulltime commissioned sales people. I was constantly getting paged to assist a salesperson.

I would do all the work, explaining the product and helping the customer make a decision, and then the salesperson, would say "Thanks, I'll take it from here."

Also, their theft control was atrocious. The cameras were not on, the guy checking receipts at the door barely looked, and people just walked about with expensive stuff all the time.

Wasn't surprised when they folded.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#266

Post by prpl »

ericbarrett wrote: post #125

Lots of nostalgia about Fry’s here. Well, I have a different take. Fry’s was my first job, and my first introduction to wage slavery. They never at any point cared about employee health or well-being. Breaks were the state minimum. Pay was the state minimum. The entire staff (and there were hundreds back in the day, when the checkout line would back up into the store even with 20 registers open) shared one 7x7 beige…

You may not be aware, but this mostly describes every supermarket grocery store (save for the commissions).

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#267

Post by frosted-flakes »

dimmke wrote: post #262
duckfang wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Admittedly the very few times I went to Frys, I just walked around them. They yelled to stop. I yelled back to call the cops if they have proof. And... nothing happened. Nothing ever happens. Because I don't steal; I go through the register; and I leave with product that I now own.

I've done that at Walmart before. Walmart has this policy where if the item you bought is too big to be put in a bag the greeter tries to check your receipt. You're right - they can't do anything. But it still is a very unpleasant interaction. Also, not very effective anyways. Target on the other hand doesn't check receipts, but they have a well trained loss prevention team that watches the cameras and they know when…

I often open packages so I can actually see the product before buying it (if the package is not sealed shut), and I've always wondered whether this catches the attention of people on the cameras. I've never done this in electronics stores, but for stores like Princess Auto (similar to Harbor Freight), particularly in the surplus section, it's practically required because so much stuff comes in generic boxes with no or poor pictures amd very little labelling. Other stores, too.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#268

Post by LeifCarrotson »

Cd00d wrote: post #254
ericbarrett wrote: post #125

Lots of nostalgia about Fry’s here. Well, I have a different take. Fry’s was my first job, and my first introduction to wage slavery. They never at any point cared about employee health or well-being. Breaks were the state minimum. Pay was the state minimum. The entire staff (and there were hundreds back in the day, when the checkout line would back up into the store even with 20 registers open) shared one 7x7 beige…

Honestly, except for the commissions bit (I never had a commission job), that describes every retail job I had as a kid. I think margins are too thin to focus on cleaning, maintenance, and break rooms. I usually took my breaks anti-socially in my car.

It certainly describes the retail job I had as a high school kid at Advance Auto Parts. Minimum wage, minimum breaks, awkward hours, pushy sales requirements from corporate, auto repair education was a joke and it basically self-selected for the few weekend wrenchers willing to work for $7.25/hr.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#269

Post by BTCOG »

ericbarrett wrote: post #125

Lots of nostalgia about Fry’s here. Well, I have a different take. Fry’s was my first job, and my first introduction to wage slavery. They never at any point cared about employee health or well-being. Breaks were the state minimum. Pay was the state minimum. The entire staff (and there were hundreds back in the day, when the checkout line would back up into the store even with 20 registers open) shared one 7x7 beige…

This describes Walmart, Best Buy, Circuit City, Staples, etc or pretty much any low level retail job. I don't think any employer at all really gives a flying fuck about their employees though. You start making $70k+ and they seem to care, just a tiny little bit but I think it's all mostly to put on a show and really only about making money. Reality hurts.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#270

Post by K2h »

shawn-furyan wrote: post #186
brundolf wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have reason to believe this was endemic to the whole company, or could it have just been your store?

As a possibly former employee (who among us can recall every place they've worked in the past?) who may not have looked at any number of prior employment agreements in an awfully long time, and completely apropos of nothing, I just want to note that endemic is such a good and relevant vocabulary word for current events. I mean, there's the global pandemic, and other things people are talking about, all kinds of uses!…

Nice bait - you pull me out of lurker mode to respond. I remember most jobs I have had that were paid - including that one kelly temp services job I had that I drove 1.5 hours out into the middle of no where to stand on the start of a one way bridge with a stop sign on a pole and wear a hard hat in the hot sun to 'help' direct truck traffic to a quarry. I was only there 4 hours, but still remember why I was so determined to complete an education.
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