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Most potential buyers will take the time to consult with a salesperson on a big purchase. It's quite reasonable to expect that a salesperson would be well versed in the products they are trying to sell. Sadly, that isn't always the case.
Although there are many exceptions, in my area, the typical salesperson in the local Future Shop, Best Buy, Staples, Source, etc, is a fast talking male, late teens to early thirties. If he's real young, he has few commitments for his paycheck, and with his nice little 'employee discount' he has managed to get a home theater, sound system, and/or home computer that really impresses his friends. If he's at the higher end of that age bracket, then he's learned full well what 'employee bonus' and/or 'commission' means.
Most people don't stop to realize the obvious: Owning a computer (or plasma TV, or DVD recorder, or home theater) doesn't make you any more an "expert" on the product than having a driver's licence makes you a mechanic. Just because you own a car doesn't mean you know the difference between a good engine and a bad one. Likewise, just because someone bought a computer where they work doesn't mean they know the difference between a good motherboard and a poor one.
Again, there are many exceptions, and there are some good and knowledgeable salespeople, but it seems the vast majority of electronics salespeople I've talked to are totally clueless as to what's inside the box they are trying to sell. What they are well aware of is commissions. Even non-commissioned salespeople know that moving more units looks good when the boss hands out bonuses.
In an attempt to just "sell, sell, sell", I've heard some salespeople make
some ridiculous claims and sales pitches, which makes their lack of knowledge blatant
to me. For example:
"As you can see, the Sony is much more expensive than the Akawa.
Sony has a lot of work to do on their price if they want to compete and
stay in this game." - The Brick
(Greg's note: And I suppose Ferrarri has work to do on their price if they want to stay in the game with Lada, right?)
"Yes, Windows Vista is more expensive than XP, but that's because
so much more has gone into the operating system. Vista is Microsoft's latest
and best Windows yet." - Staples
"You have to replace your antenna with a new digital antenna if you want
to watch the high definition." - alledgedly from Future Shop
"You'll have to buy an extended warranty plan if you want a warranty.
There is no warranty on anything that we've had on the shelf as a demo, so if
you buy our extra year protection plan, then that would give you a one year
warranty" - Staples
And my personal favourite:
"All our computers are guaranteed not to slow down for two years!" - Staples
Unfortunately, it seems you have to do the research yourself before you go in the store. There's very little information available on the average lifespan and the repair history of electronics, and for computers, there is little available on their actual performance speed as well.
Although I'm not aiming to label all salespeople as misleading and untrustworthy, I would caution people not to put ultimate trust and faith in a store's salesperson. In short, don't trust a salesperson that you've never met to lead you to the product that is going to be best for you. They'll lead you to the sale that is best for them. That's their job.