Salesmen and the one-size-fits-all myth.

[Simon Tupper]

When you go in an electronics store and ask for a product that would fit you, you automatically get proposed an iPad, MacBook, Mac or an Android device. Even if you took your time to explain that you need a device for real work. It seems like the consumer market is so focused on entertainment that salesmen forget that some people have different needs. Whatever your needs are, you are always being pushed towards a device that you don't even need.

When I buy a product I want the one that fits the most my needs, I am not the one who will buy a product simply because the cool kids have it. I want a product that is versatile and will be able to do whatever I want it to do at a given time. And most of the time, Microsoft offer that product.

Windows Phone does what I ask of a phone and can be handy if I need to edit a Word document or a PowerPoint that I must finish ASAP for a presentation. This is what I need in a phone.

Windows 8 Tablets does what the iPad can do and I can use it as a real work device from times to times and this is why I will buy one.

Windows 8 is my good old Windows 7 with a fun, intuitive and convenient interface that is there to entertain me when I'm not into the "real work" thing. It adds so much to the OS I already loved that it was a "Must have" to me.

I owned a MacBook Pro Retina and I sold it to a friend two months ago. Why? I was not using it anymore... I became a boring device with no "soul" while Windows 8 seemed to fit all my needs.

My Lumia 920 is now my MP3 player and my iPod is getting dusty... Why? Because I don't need an iPod anymore, I have a phone with sufficient battery life to be my MP3 player.

I think there s no one-size-fits-all, but Microsoft did such a good job with it's newest products that it's almost there.
I love the new Microsoft and I am not going back as long as their products fill my needs.

Everybody is different, but salesmen are pretty much all the same.

 

[IE sucks less]

Salesmen are annoying and miss leading people errr'time!

 

[Simon Tupper]

I'm starting to believe that I would make a wonderful salesman

 

[AngryNil]

I still think that one-size-fits-all is a myth, but great point with salesmen. It's sadly just the way retail works, since you aren't required to be objectively educating your customers and selling your products equally. You just need to sell them on something and get them out of your face, meaning you direct them to something popular and preferably high-margin so if they have any problems, they just assume it's the way things are or ask a friend, and don't bother support.

 

[Simon Tupper]

I still think that one-size-fits-all is a myth, but great point with salesmen. It's sadly just the way retail works, since you aren't required to be objectively educating your customers and selling your products equally. You just need to sell them on something and get them out of your face, meaning you direct them to something popular and preferably high-margin so if they have any problems, they just assume it's the way things are or ask a friend, and don't bother support.

Of course there is no real one size fits all, but some products are more useful than others. Therefore they should fit a larger public... But it's not always going this way

 

[squire777]

The worst are the know it all types that try to convince you that their opinion is right even when they know that you have done your research on the product you are after. I find this a lot when I'm looking for camera stuff - you maybe after one thing but the salesman will try to convince you that some cookie cutter DSLR is better than everything else. I feel bad for all those people that walk out of the store after spending a lot more money than they wanted, and have more camera than they will ever need.

The same also happens these days with salesman who keep using buzzwords like "open source" to sell you an Android phone when they see you want something else.

 

[Simon Tupper]

I went to buy a Surface which was sold old because they only had 2... and the salesmen spent 30 minutes trying to change my mind and make me want an iPad....

I ended the conversation with: "I want a tablet PC not an almost useful tablet. I will simply buy my Surface elsewhere."

 

[brmiller1976]

To be fair, for most people, any device would work "well enough."

 

[andraeseus]

windows 8 intuitive? i beg to differ but I get yoru point. lumia 920 as an mp3 player? perhaps better than ipod but but for osm eone who does "real work" I would imagin you might want more functionality then 920 has to offer as far as editing music info. creating and managing play lists so forth and so on. But I get your point. Sales people are in the same business as every one else. the business of MAKING MONEY. they are going to sale according to that business model. . <--- thats a period. it's sad but it's the way of the world.

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

The worst are the know it all types that try to convince you that their opinion is right even when they know that you have done your research on the product you are after. I find this a lot when I'm looking for camera stuff - you maybe after one thing but the salesman will try to convince you that some cookie cutter DSLR is better than everything else. I feel bad for all those people that walk out of the store after spending a lot more money than they wanted, and have more camera than they will ever need.

The same also happens these days with salesman who keep using buzzwords like "open source" to sell you an Android phone when they see you want something else.

Do like I did. When it came to buying my windows phone the tone was "either sell me this phone or I take my money elsewhere." I was happy with that result as I got the phone I wanted with no attempted push onto iPhone or Android. Carphone Warehouse just outside Kirkgate Bradford.

 

[Simon Tupper]

windows 8 intuitive? i beg to differ but I get yoru point. lumia 920 as an mp3 player? perhaps better than ipod but but for osm eone who does "real work" I would imagin you might want more functionality then 920 has to offer as far as editing music info. creating and managing play lists so forth and so on. But I get your point. Sales people are in the same business as every one else. the business of MAKING MONEY. they are going to sale according to that business model. . <--- thats a period. it's sad but it's the way of the world.

Who does real work on an iPod? All I ask of a MP3 player is to play music when I select a song..

 

[TonyDedrick]

The worst are the know it all types that try to convince you that their opinion is right even when they know that you have done your research on the product you are after. I find this a lot when I'm looking for camera stuff - you maybe after one thing but the salesman will try to convince you that some cookie cutter DSLR is better than everything else. I feel bad for all those people that walk out of the store after spending a lot more money than they wanted, and have more camera than they will ever need.

The same also happens these days with salesman who keep using buzzwords like "open source" to sell you an Android phone when they see you want something else.

Can't say that I do. Chances are if you have money to drop on stuff such as an DSLR, you have the means to do your homework before making a purchase like that.

And at this point if you haven't caught on to the game of your typical salesman, then you are asking to be had. In my opinion, of course.