Wow… So for the fourth time in a row I’ve gone to Fry’s, only to be disappointed in the selection of what I’m looking for. Each time I go I seem to not find what I’m looking for. It’s not because I just can’t find it, because I ask. Sometimes I get the “deer-in-the-headlights” look of total clueless-ness. Sometimes I get somebody that knows what I’m talking about, but gives me the look of “what are you crazy? We haven’t carried that for a decade…” look along with the standard “sorry, we don’t carry that” answer.
Regardless, it has become clear to me that unless you’re either a total consumer, or a total electronics geek (and even then sometimes it’s questionable), Fry’s is not for you. Even if you’re a total consumer, you need to do your homework first, because about half of the time, it seems as if the salesperson doesn’t have a clue what you’re asking, or what they’re talking about.
Well, maybe I’ll stop venting. Maybe it’s just me that needs to catch up and realize that technology that was sold as standard 2 years ago just isn’t being supported anymore… Maybe I just didn’t stock-pile the right parts. Whatever, I’m still not going back to Fry’s unless it’s for a clearly “consumer” item and I’ve done my homework as to 1) what the best part is, 2) whether Fry’s carries it, and 3) if the local shop has it in stock.
Frankly, I’m sub-consciously starting to compare them to CompUSA (now out of business, probably for very similar reasons). That is to say, derision is becoming more and more prevalent in every thought or conversation I have about these guys. Their support and subject-knowledge have always been questionable though at best, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
