I hope Circuit City survives...

Serendipity

After all this news about bankruptcy and the like, I just hope they don't go under because I actually like Circuit City.

Where I live there are quite a few electronics stores nearby - RadioShack, P.C. Richard & Son, and Sears are all within walking distance. Circuit City is a bike ride away but not that far.

I don't know about you guys - but if I'm looking for a cable or last minute computer accessory, I like the fact that all these stores are right around the corner. So not having Circuit City around would mean having to buy online or elsewhere, i.e. less convenience.

WilliamM2

You will still have the other stores, why would you have to buy online?

Our CC closed up about 5 years ago, haven't missed them at all. Sale items never in stock, pushy sales people, junk selection, no wonder they are folding.

Kex

I haven't found Circuit City to be that bad. The staff aren't always that knowledgeable, and the stores aren't always all that tidy and/or there can be lines sometimes at the checkout (which is my only real concern), but I do like some of the deals they offer and I especially like the ability to order stuff online and then go pick it up at the store. However, both CC and BB face stiff competition from the internet, and to some extent IMO, deservedly so. Perhaps they both need to reinvent themselves to do better in the future.

There are lots of reasons why it would be nice if CC could survive, but I wouldn't hold your breath ...

Serendipity

WilliamM2 wrote: »

You will still have the other stores, why would you have to buy online?

There's lots of stuff that's only carried at Circuit City!

mantis

Kex wrote: »

I haven't found Circuit City to be that bad. The staff aren't always that knowledgeable, and the stores aren't always all that tidy and/or there can be lines sometimes at the checkout (which is my only real concern), but I do like some of the deals they offer and I especially like the ability to order stuff online and then go pick it up at the store. However, both CC and BB face stiff competition from the internet, and to some extent IMO, deservedly so. Perhaps they both need to reinvent themselves to do better in the future.

There are lots of reasons why it would be nice if CC could survive, but I wouldn't hold your breath ...

I find this the very reason they are where they are. Why the hell do you put people on the floor who have no effin idea about anything. The training there sucks. This is exactly why all these damn companies go under.

You need good people to sell your product. Not a bunch of kids who could give a damn about anything other then there lives outside of work. If CC had a team of hot shot professional salesman and killer kick **** Installers, they could easily turn things around.

At Tweeter , this is the very destruction that killed our company. We had a bunch of Managers who hired a bunch of in experienced people in to our company, gave them watered down training and thought by saving now, it would pay off in the end. Well that effing back fired us right out of business.
I voiced my opinion so many times that you can't make moves like this and expect to stay in business.

We offered killer speakers and no separates or power amps to drive anything properly. I was told by someone in training that the reason we don't carry separates is that our sales staff doesn't have the ability to sell them. I knew after that conversation our company was finished.

So many decisions like this gets made and the end result is always the same. I'd rather have a smaller business with highly trained people offering a service with top notch class and pride. It's how I conducted my Van and all my customers after I got done cleaning up the mess our salesman would make out of each and every job. You wouldn't believe the stories I could tell about jobs that could have been fantastic with just the right knowledge on the sales and engineering side.

It amazes me all the time when I read about companies like this. There is absolutely no excuse in the world that justifies running your business like this. NONE. Run top notch or don't run at all. Anything half **** is just that.

No I'm not angry, I'm effin pissed off!!!!!!!:mad::mad::mad::mad:

Serendipity

So you're saying that CC has a lot of inexperienced sales staff? It's not just Circuit City, I notice this at other stores like Best Buy!!

mantis

appadv wrote: »

So you're saying that CC has a lot of inexperienced sales staff? It's not just Circuit City, I notice this at other stores like Best Buy!!

Best Buy is a lot like CC in that way. But CC seems to be a favorite for software and walk in purchases. Everybody knows the name and I even shop there myself. I don't walk into a CC anymore. I have no reason when BB is easier to deal with. Not to mention BB seems to have the software I want in stock most of the time.

treitz3

mantis wrote: »

You wouldn't believe the stories I could tell about jobs that could have been fantastic with just the right knowledge on the sales and engineering side.

I could. My Tweeter boys told me horror stories every time I saw them. Made for good entertainment while playing Frisbee disc golf.

It's amazing how in the same company, yet different states, their thoughts echoed yours almost word for word.

Serendipity

Well, most of the time when I go to CC to buy something, I've done my research and know what I am looking for.

I also bring a printout of the lowest price I can find online and ask them to do a price match. Usually I get the price match, but sometimes they only allow it if the price is from an authorized dealer. But most of the time the price match goes through...

Kex

appadv wrote: »

Well, most of the time when I go to CC to buy something, I've done my research and know what I am looking for ...

Yup, and Best Buy is no different IMO. It's rare to find someone that really knows their stuff and can really direct you to the right choice. For the level of technical assistance that they offer, you might as well go to Frys, which is the Wal-Mart of electronics stores on this side of L.A. ... and that's actually an insult to some Wal-Marts (Frys in Burbank is more like a zoo than a store most of the time, and the staff are just as wild as some of the other animals there). Even Frys can have trouble competing on price with the internet.

The "clicks and mortar" model stands IMO, but nobody has got it just right at this point. Look at the interest in the Internet Direct stores for audio. Look at the interest generated by Polk Direct on eBay, and Harman Audio on eBay. Take some good clicks, add some mortar (for trials, and/or technical assistance, and/or free shipping or returns) and decent customer service (which Polk have also understood) and you may still be able to do business ...

sucks2beme

Fry's takes the "who cares about service, the stuff is cheap" to a new level.
Everyone in the store seems miserable. No one knows crap, nor are they
interested in engaging the customer. BB at least tries.
They used to sell motherboard/cpu combos on their "Fryday" deals
that wouldn't work together. They used to also sell returned broken
stuff as new. They at least have addressed that now by labeling the
boxes as returned with a lower price.
Let's face it. We're all whores. We like good service, but keep going to
the low price places. The hard part is balancing the two to the proper
level. Tweeter lost track of their target customer. So did CC.
Know who would shop at your store and match. Tweeter maybe had one
high end set-up in each store. LSi speakes were run of Ht receivers that
were packed in confined places. The 4 ohm load and heat would put the
receivers into protection in short order. Fry's is almost as bad. You couldn't
tell the sound of an LSI from any other speaker in the place.

phipiper10

The margins are already so thin on most of those products it's tough out there for brick and mortar places to compete with online retailers.

There are a lot of costs for stores that don't impact manufacturer direct or even the online retailers. Cost to get product from the manufacturer to the store is just one. You could come up with any number of others.

Keep in mind too that for most people the kid at circuit city is good enough if he can tell the difference between a power cable and RCA cables or a flash drive and a hard drive based mp3 player.

While I'm sure they could have managed things better/differently it may be inevitable in the long run that a large retail store like this could survive or at least that 3 couldn't survive all within a mile or two of each other. This is how it is in NAshua, NH. Tweeter is just 1/2 mile from CC and Best Buy and the latter share a walkway between the stores!

Serendipity

To be honest with you guys -

I've never gotten "bad" service from CC, ever. I'm actually quite happy with their service.

However, their extended warranty service sucks, but that's through a 3rd party...

Rivrrat

When I was looking to spend 3k+ at CC on a plasma a couple of yrs ago, I couldn't get a single individual to stop talking to their buds and help me.

I didn't buy a plasma there. I wonder how many 3k sales they've lost over piss poor customer service.

Serendipity

There's always someone willing to help at my local CC, not sure about other locations though...

bigaudiofanatic

WilliamM2 wrote: »

You will still have the other stores, why would you have to buy online?

Our CC closed up about 5 years ago, haven't missed them at all. Sale items never in stock, pushy sales people, junk selection, no wonder they are folding.

I agree with you man every time i have went in there no one wants to help with anything. Junk

mantis

I perfer not to buy online unless I know everything about a product , have heard it go and touched it in all the right places(Not like that you dirty people).

So I'm sad to see all these stores go down. Where am I suppose to go to check out new cool stuff. Everyone is leaving. I hope BB steps it up. They should be able to with CC and Tweeter going away.

VR3

I remember back about 3-4 years ago when I unfortunately bought a set of RTi70. Crutchfield had them on sell for 600 and Circuit City had them for 650 local --- they would not, absolutely, without any effort would not match Crutch Fields price (which was also free shipping)

They wouldnt do it. I have never, to this day bought something from Circuit City.

The store and company sucks and they brought this on theirself

mantis

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »

I remember back about 3-4 years ago when I unfortunately bought a set of RTi70. Crutchfield had them on sell for 600 and Circuit City had them for 650 local --- they would not, absolutely, without any effort would not match Crutch Fields price (which was also free shipping)

They wouldnt do it. I have never, to this day bought something from Circuit City.

The store and company sucks and they brought this on theirself

Unfortunately thats true.

Serendipity

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »

I remember back about 3-4 years ago when I unfortunately bought a set of RTi70. Crutchfield had them on sell for 600 and Circuit City had them for 650 local --- they would not, absolutely, without any effort would not match Crutch Fields price (which was also free shipping)

They wouldnt do it. I have never, to this day bought something from Circuit City.

The store and company sucks and they brought this on theirself

That's odd, they usually price match unless the store is not an authorized dealer or is using a rebate.

Joe08867

Lasareath wrote: »

Every time I walked into a CC I walked out with nothing. The sales associates are kids, they couldn't handle a paper out.

The one time I actually found something the price was wrong and they wouldn't let me have it.

BB is better with their staff, but I know more about Music, TV's & Computers than any of their staff, I don't need their staff, I walk in, go to the isle I need, take the stuff and go pay. That's it.

Let them Die!

+1

I feel the same about CC. Never purchased a thing from them. BB is better but not by much.

Serendipity

With so many resources such as online and in forums, why ask the sales staff?

Most of the time for me CC is very convenient - go in, buy the product, and get out.

MikeC78

Amazon baby!!:)

Eff CC and BB, I go there to look and get annoyed. I get the item shipped to my house for free and no tax, and then the price is usually 20% cheaper too!

swerve

i've worked at both bb and cc. back in my cc days i really enjoyed helping people, but now it is just a pain in the ****. being a full time student it is hard for me to motivate myself to even put my uniform on and go into work.

mantis

swerve wrote: »

i've worked at both bb and cc. back in my cc days i really enjoyed helping people, but now it is just a pain in the ****. being a full time student it is hard for me to motivate myself to even put my uniform on and go into work.

Well thats terrible to hear. Pity for you. If you can't go in there and perform at your best at all times then I suggest you do yourself and everyone else a favor and quit today, right now, please leave, get out.

Or turn yourself around and get it done man. being a student is hard work, I understand, I once was a student and out in my line of work, I'm always a student. But when you are at work, be at work. Have pride in yourself and respect for your fellow employees.

treitz3

Take that from someone who knows.......

polkatese

In the past 20 years, I've seen so many audio/video national chain that went belly up, and these were stores that I frequented a lot: Federated, Rogersound Labs, Silo, Good Guys, Tweeter, and now Circuit City. Isn't sad? Back then, there is no internet, so the whole argument that online electronics business depriving the B&M stores from surviving doesn't really hold water. What does BB do differently, compared to these failed chains?

mmadden28

appadv wrote: »

There's always someone willing to help at my local CC, not sure about other locations though...

Not in the several in my area. Its the same--kids that don't give a crap standing aorund yapping. When you do ask for something, they can't seem to figure out how to check stock or you get handed off to someone else a couple times in a row.

Thing I hate most? When looking at a camera or somebody else is and the DAMN alarm goes off because they have them set so damn sensitive, then it takes 10 minutes before somebody finally mosies on over to turn it off. :mad::mad::mad:

Its hard to find good deals anymore in CC. Or stock.

Their audio dept, if they have one, at least in my experience in a few CC stores, is usually in disarray. Seems they put their customer returns or damaged items in there for display-looks like crap.

I think CC is going under because they have 1000 flat panel displays hooked up and on display. That had to cost a bundle :rolleyes:

mmadden28

polkatese wrote: »

In the past 20 years, I've seen so many audio/video national chain that went belly up, and these were stores that I frequented a lot: Federated, Rogersound Labs, Silo, Good Guys, Tweeter, and now Circuit City. Isn't sad? Back then, there is no internet, so the whole argument that online electronics business depriving the B&M stores from surviving doesn't really hold water. What does BB do differently, compared to these failed chains?

The Tweeters in my area used to be called Bryn Mawr Stereo, not sure if that was a national chain or not, but I don't think it was since Bryn Mawr is a local town (to me).

Check out this little read on Tweeter and the reason for their demise
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweeter_(store)

Serendipity

Like CC or not -

At least they are keeping people employed, and I hope they survive through this economic mess.

Personally though, having 3 or 4 electronics stores within walking/biking distance is just very convenient. Now why aren't Best Buy stores everywhere? The nearest one here is in Brooklyn!

mantis

mmadden28 wrote: »

The Tweeters in my area used to be called Bryn Mawr Stereo, not sure if that was a national chain or not, but I don't think it was since Bryn Mawr is a local town (to me).

Check out this little read on Tweeter and the reason for their demise
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweeter_(store)

Your from West Chester I see. Excellent. I got my Audio start there with a company called Electronic Environments. Bryn Mawr Stereo Purchased US to start there Install business. We where already a sub contractor for them way back when. Bryn Mawr was a small chain store. There was about 28 locations. Tri state brother. Pa, NJ and Delaware. I worked for them back then. That was a time when Tweeter/Bryn Mawr was hot and everything was great. I miss those days. I can't follow your link , can you post the exact link? I'd like to read it.

Dan