Re: B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)

On 2007-05-26 15:22:43 -0700, David Nebenzahl <nobody@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
said:

> Rita Ä Berkowitz spake thus:
> 
>> [...] And my local store is great, but they usually don't have the
>> items I want when I want them. Of course, they could order them, but
>> why when I could do the same and have the item sitting in my hands
>> the next business day?
> 
> Yes, why indeed would anyone want that? Leaving aside:
> 
> o being able to talk with a real human being

The real human being is nice, but B&H has real human beings, too.

> o maybe a human being who actually *knows* something about what they 
> sell, instead of some marketroid on the other end of the phone

This has been a real problem with the local camera stores. Usually they 
are staffed by kids who know almost nothing about photography. If I go 
in and ask for an umbrella, most of them look at me like I have grown a 
second head. One finally asked me why I would shop for an umbrella at a 
camera store?

It is the kids at the local camera stores that are the major sources of 
misinformation. Most judge a camera by the number of megapixels, 
nothing else, or they are just pu****ng Canon without having the 
faintest idea why.

> o doing research on where to get stuff (research you could do yourself, 
> but that they'll do for you)

Hah. Usually the local camera store people are too busy talking to each 
other about their private lives than to actually help a customer.

> o possibly giving discounts to repeat customers and those who buy a lot 
> of stuff

Oh, yeah. If you buy $10,000 worth of stuff, maybe we will discount 
your next lens cap. Or we will let you attend our 'introduction to 
digital photography' class for free. Or we will give you a discount on 
photo printing -- a discount that can't beat Wal-Mart or Costco for 
either price or quality.

> o spending money in your own community, instead of enriching someone 
> else out of town

Or even better, keeping some of my hard-earned money for myself. You 
can't get more local than that.

> 
> Yeah, other than that, I guess local shops are useless and a waste of
time.

They most certainly are useless and a waste of time.

> 
>> Local shops are a thing of the past.
> 
> Perhaps; more's the pity.

Bet you miss buggy whips, too.

-- 
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor