Moderator: Aeire
Tolvor wrote:2) Nerds. Pretty much like the corporate types, they go directly to what they want. They only glace at the technical details on the boxes, if ever. They already know everything about what they want, and there is very little that a store drone can say that will change their minds. They DO care about money. The reason they are standing there in the aisle with an intent look isn't because the technology confuses them, they are debating whether to buy the new doodad, or eat more than raman noodles till next payday. Don't disturb.
Tolvor wrote:The problem is that I really can't see it happening in real life. You worked in Staples. I worked in Best Buy for almost 2 years, and in a medium sized computer shop for 4. Anyone who works in a techshop know there are 5 kinds of people who walk thru the door.
Tolvor wrote:But in no way would any employee try selling you whole computer systems, or software. It's just silliness.
A comic, estecially one that ended in amature organ-relocation, is meant to be a hyperboly. It's meant to make a point by demostrating it at an aboslute extreme. Look at political cartoons. Same strategy.
It's also increasingly likely that he was just being a troll. He has yet to make another post.
Stores love classifications because big stores can expect between 200 - 1500 people entering the store an hour. There aren't enough employees to handle them all. So yes, the store does pick out those who have high potential for profit, and coddles them. Some stores have a successful business model NOT doing this, like Walmart. (shrug)
Tolvor wrote:I thought Aerie was wrong when she said it originally, and you also are missing it. Is Doonsbury just a comic? How about Non Sequiter? Outland? Are they really just a comic? How about Dilbert? (Scott Adams got terminated for his comic. For some reason his boss (who DID have pointy hair) didn't think it was funny) Those comics are full of hyperboly and metaphor also.
Then add her commentary, which indicates that this isn't humor, rather mostly truth, and she wishes she could inflict massive pain upon them (and me, now).
On 4/7/05 she wrote:Originally aired 11/04/02: Oy. So this series of comics is probably one of the more popular series that I've done, because apparently it's not just me that is treated oddly when I go in looking for computer parts, it's every woman on the planet. Please, for the love of whatever - if you work at an Office Depot. Or a Fry's. Or a Circuit City, or any other retail establishment that sells computers - yes, there are girls out there that know how to put computers together. A lot of them, judging from the amount of email I got from this series. Would you just, please, make sure that we're treated like human beings when we come in? Breasts do not automatically equal brain-deadness. Please.
On 4/8/05 she wrote:Originally aired 11/06/02: And really, both Kestrel and I came to the same conclusion - the best way to get what you want in these stores is to be as bitchy as possible to the people that are getting it for you. I don't WANT to think this is the only way, and when I DO go in for computer parts I try the being pleasant and friendly approach, but I am invariably met with several return trips to the store because for whatever reason the salesperson wasn't listening when I told them what I wanted. This makes me cranky, and each return trip makes me crankier.
On 4/9/05 she wrote:Originally aired 11/08/02: I have not done any of the items shown in this strip. I just really, really wish I had.
Tolvor wrote:Then add her commentary, which indicates that this isn't humor, rather mostly truth, ...
Tolvor wrote:Noooo... I put much thought and consideration in my post. I got stomped on hard by Aerie, and didn't respond because there was little point. The likelyhood of me getting her to understand me - zilch. And vice versa - zilch. So why continue to argue to point? I had made my point and would let it stand until there was interest for clarification from 3rd parties.
Tolvor wrote:3) I'm sorry you don't like store classifications. Guess what? Business love it. Your credit card company classifies you (your credit limit), your grocery store classifies you (the super saver card you carry), your library (the library card), the IRS (tax day), Microsoft (in soooo many ways), RIAA, the airlines you fly AND the airport you walk thru, and your friendly police department who have an entire BOOK on classifications (NIBRS)(what kind of actor was it? What type of weapon was involved? What was the relationship from complaintant to actor?). I'm sorry you don't like it, but it's the new rule of business. Ever hear of Data mining?
Stores love classifications because big stores can expect between 200 - 1500 people entering the store an hour. There aren't enough employees to handle them all. So yes, the store does pick out those who have high potential for profit, and coddles them. Some stores have a successful business model NOT doing this, like Walmart. (shrug)
Stores love classifications because big stores can expect between 200 - 1500 people entering the store an hour. There aren't enough employees to handle them all. So yes, the store does pick out those who have high potential for profit, and coddles them. Some stores have a successful business model NOT doing this, like Walmart.
Yeah, they are just comics. Regardless of the reaction of the reading of said comic, it's just a comic. They are not social documentaries, textbooks, historical representations. They are a (sometimes) humorus way of demostrating an observation (usually a social observation). I happen to absolutly love almost every comic in your list.... never really cared for Doonsbury or Dilbert... but they are still just comics.
GabrielTane wrote:You're talking about two completely different types of classifications here. The 5-point list you first posted is classification based on behaviors. These classify people based in how they act and react, not on who they are. These behaviors are subject to personal observation and, therefore, personal interpretation. These cannot be quantified in any way and are therefore based solely on the observer's opinion and experience.
The classification systems you mentioned in the quote above are actually a few different types of classifications
[list]1)Credit limit: (snip) This is close to the 5-List you first posted. But the credit company doesn't treat you differently simply because you have a certain limit. How they treat you (i.e. will they waive a late-payment fee, lower your rate, etc.) is based on how you have paid your credit card(s) in the past.
2)Grocery Store Super Saver card: this is not a classification. (snip) Now, I think you meant that you pay less for your groceries because of that card. Yes, you do, but you're paying a premium for that discount. It's not a classification that's based on you as a person.
Library card: that's not a classification at all. Yeah you can check out books whereas someone without a card can't, but that's for tracking purposes. The library just wants to know who has their books.
IRS (tax day): hmmm... sorry, I'm not sure what you meant on that one.
Microsoft: Again, I'm not sure exactly where you're going with that one...
Airlines and Airports: still, I have points to make, but since I'm not sure what you meant by adding them to the list, I don't want to go down the one path if you went down another.
Police: ah... profiling.
I think the problem that people have had with your first 5-List is that it gave the impression that as soon as a customer walked through the door, you were immediately grouping them into one of these 5 types and then treating them accordingly. The idea that we, as customers, are immediately reduced from being a person to being a stereotype is quite infuriating. It may not have been the point you were making, but I think that is how it was viewed.
Symok wrote:It's also increasingly likely that he was just being a troll. He has yet to make another post.
Tolvor wrote:Microsoft is trying to put DRM into its Windows XP operating system. I don't want DRM in my OS thank-you-very-much. It's a blanket categorization of everyone as pirates. Or I could point out all the lovely information that Microsoft hides about you on your own computer (and empty-internet-history and delete-temporary-files and clean-internet-cache does not take care of it. Or I could point out it's tech support lines (the worst in the business, and most expensive) where they judge you by what product you are having a problem with, and what aspect of it, and continues to categorize from there. Or I could point out its general attitude of we-don't-play-well-with-others when it comes to other businesses (look at OS2).
GabrielTane wrote:Everything you had mentioned in your last post is a completely different from catagorizing a customer in the manner that was exampled in the 5-List.
What I had seen in that first 5_list was just stereotyping..
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests