My office-mate is looking for a new TV. He's looking for some special features for tying some multimedia systems to it and therefore cares about specific model numbers.
I see a great need for the Amazon of the appliance world.
I listen to him going from the manufacturer's web site listings for dealers to those dealers, back to calling the manufacturer, back to calling another dealer, where he has to make an appointment to meet up with some smarmy asshole in a cheap suite who knows absolutely nothing about the product is going to pretend to be his best friend while trying to convince him that he really needs the extended service contract.
I hear him saying "I need the progressive scan", then having to explain to this person who's trying to make product suggestions about progressive scan versus interlaced, and so on and so forth.
I don't get it. He's got a manufacturer's product number, either they have it or can get it for him, or they can't.
Circuit City and Good Guys and Sears are just itching to be taken down by someone with a clue. Or maybe it's the usual problem and consumers in general just aren't that smart.
Monday, May 03rd, 1999 danlyke@flutterby.com