| It's time to place the blame where blame is due. CompUSA isn't the only one at fault, although it has its share. There are actually individual people in the Macintosh community that have ruined it for the rest of us. Maybe you know them. They are the ones that walk into s across America and interrogate the salesmen about their Mac knowledge and then tell them how stupid they are, scaring them away from ever supporting the platform. What good does this do? They have this constant need to enter CompUSA and pass out their business cards thereby stealing business and sales. Why steal from Apple's #1 retail pick? For some reason owning a Mac seems to make them think they have control of Apple and its business practices.
Where do I get off saying this? I am an employee of CompUSA. On top of that I'm a Macintosh Rep, and, most importantly, I am a Macintosh user. I have been waiting to write a letter of this nature for some time but today something happened that "broke the camel's back." There was a blatant attack on the computers in my section that caused a major malfunction in a way that only a Mac user could do. It is malicious actions like that that have given Mac users a bad name to CompUSA employees.
Before me, the other guys I work with looked at Apple users as freaks who loved their computer more than their significant other. Now I'll be the first to admit that Macs are sometimes a lot easier to get along with than wives, bosses, or parents but the way some Mac users act in our store is embarrassing to the rest of humanity. Never have I seen a person get angry at something as small as the fact that the screen resolution of a monitor was not set at the right setting to showcase the machines graphic capabilities. And when is it appropriate to quiz a salesman on his knowledge, tell him how stupid he is and then run to the manager and voice a complaint? I'll tell you it does no good whatsoever. The manager isn't going to care because of the way it was done and the salesman will never place foot in the Mac section again. Just because the guy doesn't know anything about a platform he has never worked with does not mean he isn't willing to help to the extent that he can. I can safely say that all of the employees at my store support the Mac and are willing to sell it. There have been people in the past that lied about the abilities of the OS but they are gone. Unfortunately this isn't the case everywhere and that does disgusts me.
Of course, not all Mac fans are bad. I have spent many hours trading websites or showing off new things and learning from my customers while the store was packed with Wintel customers just wishing someone would help them. I would do anything for my customers and not because they are "a sale" but because I want them to come back. I know CompUSA isn't perfect, just look at their stock. I know their selection is poor. I get MacWarehouse, MacZone and the other mail order catalogs too. I have met many people who keep their love of the Mac at a professional level and I've met those who seem to love it too much.
Remember its OK to love your computer. Just don1t love your computer.
Bryan Chaffin the Editor of the MacObserver is a great guy. He's really enthusiastic about the Mac and all of its abilities and potential but he doesn't get mad when the soundsets in 8.5 are disabled on a demo Mac. George Cole, co-admin of theiMac.com is another example of a person who is all about the Mac but doesn't go ballistic when Nanosaur isn't installed on the iMac demo. And there have been many others that would rather cut off their right arm than use Windows that are happy to see Macintosh getting exposure in a retail environment.
I hope you have seen my points and concerns for the Mac community and aren't too mad. They are just observations from an inside perspective. I will admit CompUSA has a lot to do before it meets the high caliber that Mac Users expect and cherish. Apple also has some organization problems that many of you are aware of. I will give my views on them at a later date.
Chris Calfee
[email protected]
[Editors Note: I have known Chris since shortly before the introduction of the iMac and he does indeed exemplify a good CompUSA employee. In fact, his store, which is in Austin, Tx. is one of the bright shiny spots for CompUSA in the country.]
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