Re: Role of ignition condenser in a distributor?

From: ~^Johnny^~ (nospam_at_gyrogearloose.com)
Date: 09/24/04 

Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 08:13:32 -0700

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 16:39:19 GMT, Don Bruder <dakidd@sonic.net> wrote:

>Unless, of
>course, you're at Radio Shack, where you'll get a look that's not just
>puzzled, but positively bovine in its utter lack of anything resembling
>the spark (Errr... no pun intended) of intelligence.

Be nice! A lot of RS stores have gone to Hell in a hand basket, but I resent
the stereotype, nonetheless.

Up until fairly recently (I'm talking 6 or 7 years ago), my local RS stores
had quite knowledgeable staff.

But let me tell you what happened to me about 19 or 20 years ago.

There was a local RS office in downtown ("Old Town") Eureka. It was a few
years prior to the start of the "Urbanization of Eureka" project. God Damn
the city council!

In this event, there was an employment ad run in the local job market, for a
"manager trainee" position. This point is important to note! I did not want
to be a salesman. I like dynamics, not stagnation. Thank you very much!

Well, it turns out that the so-called "manager trainee" position was a hoax:
A come-on. Truth is: ANY employee can be later considered, trained, and
promoted. I didn't realize that then, but I do now.

Let's backtrack.

OK. I applied for the job.

At the interview, we talked turkey. This is where I probably shot myself
down, but I didn't care at the time. I was blinded by intellect. During the
course of the interview, I was alarmed to learn that RS was phasing out the
"smart salesmen", in a quest for volume sales push. The interviewer started
to explain the policy to me. Here is what I heard him say:

"Actually, we are not looking for manager with electronics knowledge. The
less they know about electronics, the better."

I asked, "Why?" (big mistake)

"Well, it's a distraction. We don't want customers calling up our store to
pick our brain. We want to be able to keep sales on an even keel, and
basically just run the store."

I proceeded to tell him, quite frankly, what I thought about that protocol.
I didn't get the job, needless to say. But at least I left an impression.

Yeah, it's sad.
In the past 20 years, ost of the knowledgeable staff in my area RS stores have
either been transferred, fired, or have gotten frustrated and quit! 

-- 
  -john
            wide-open at throttle dot info

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Role of ignition condenser in a distributor?
    ... but positively bovine in its utter lack of anything resembling ... At the interview, we talked turkey. ... ost of the knowledgeable staff in my area RS stores have ...
    (sci.electronics)
  • Re: Role of ignition condenser in a distributor?
    ... A lot of RS stores have gone to Hell in a hand basket, ... > At the interview, we talked turkey. ... we are not looking for manager with electronics knowledge. ... > In the past 20 years, ost of the knowledgeable staff in my area RS ...
    (sci.electronics.misc)
  • Re: Role of ignition condenser in a distributor?
    ... A lot of RS stores have gone to Hell in a hand basket, ... > At the interview, we talked turkey. ... we are not looking for manager with electronics knowledge. ... > In the past 20 years, ost of the knowledgeable staff in my area RS ...
    (sci.electronics)
  • Re: My 15 minutes of fame
    ... the increasingly annoying practice of stores like Walmart shaking you down at ... Here interview was based on the reply I wrote to this blog entry ... I haven't yet made up my mind how I feel about bag rooting on entry, except to say that it currently doesn't bother me much. ...
    (rec.outdoors.rv-travel)