What is CC smoking!!!

[mark g. nelson]

Last night I went to CC to get my copy of Indiana Jones. while I was there I checked to see if the new Polks were in.

This is what I found in the sound room.


one RTi10 in the corner. it was not hooked up grill missing. they also had the CSi5 on a shelf, I liked it until I read the price 479.00.

I then looked at the speakers that were playing in the prime selling location in the room. Sony. at 800.00 a pair.

I then was asked if I would like to take the sonys home by a Maybe 18 year old salesman. I said No in a damn hurry. I then asked why there best speakers are in the corner and were was the other one. He didn't know. I then asked him why they wanted 479.00 for the center( Cruthfield wants 399 for it). He said that Polk raised the price. I told him that was a joke because Polk had lowered most of it's list prices for this line. He then said that my info. was wrong and I wouldn't these kinds of things before the retailers did because it is such a new product. I then said that I find most consumers that do their home work before they buy know more then their sales people. I left after that.

All I have to say is that it is sad to see such a good product sold in this fashion. Polk deserves better!!

[Zero]

Last night I went to CC to get my copy of Indiana Jones. while I was there I checked to see if the new Polks were in.

This is what I found in the sound room.


An all too common experience. We all here love our Polks and only want the best for our beloved speakers. One must bear in mind that not everyone feels the same way about the speakers.

When it comes to CC, there are many things which helped compose the experience you had.

For starters, the pay was drastically cut back when going from comission to hourly. That being said, there is little incintive to do any more than you really *have* to. This means putting the best products in prime display.

Also, often times there are floor plans and arrangements that some stores are strict about.

And as far as associates are concerned, many are there because they passed the tests and show some interest in what they are doing. Its rather unusual to run into a *highly* knowledgable salesman..... I am fortunate to work with a number of individuals who are very familiar with audio.

Its the path Polk chose to market in, and they know very well that this type of salesmenship and exposure will be given and associated with their products. There is always a down side to everything..

[wlrandall]

You can say the same for Fry's. Brand new rti12s flanking a beautiful flat panel-being driven by a pukey little 90 W/ch Yamaha. They sounded terrible!

[kberg]

I like to play know-how games with some of those goofy sales people at CC and BB. I ask a bunch of questions to which I already know the answers, just to see how much they DON'T know, which is usually a LOT! It's quite entertaining! I highly recommend this feel-good activity every once in a while. ;)

[GZ]

It's also fun to listen to some of the BS that some uninformed salespeople try to lay on uninformed customers.

[Pauly]

Thanks to this forum i have learned alot and i ask ALOT of questions i just learned in here and these guys are a joke. Where do they find these guys??

[wrxmy02]

Just took a gander at the "polk" room at my local CC ..They ask what spaekers I had ..LSI7 I said CC guy said "humm we don't have these anymore must be old..want to upgrade? Just rolled my eyes and shook my head ...wasnt going to take the time.

[polkatese]

Originally posted by wrxmy02
Just took a gander at the "polk" room at my local CC ..They ask what spaekers I had ..LSI7 I said CC guy said "humm we don't have these anymore must be old..want to upgrade?

sad, isn't it? especially when they are proud of their ignorance...

[Airplay355]

whenever u want them to do something, just say the guys at the other CC said it was ok...thats what i did, turned rti100s into rti150s, and then turned rti150s into rti70s' fxi30s and a csi40. pretty slick huh?

[scornful]

Most people working at Short Circuit are on crack.... but remember, most people wouldnt know a line of crap when they hear it. Bout like the manager telling me the other day that Crutchfield was selling "refurbished" Polks. (I tried to price match the CSi40 @ $299) Makes you wonder why they dont sell LSi's... I bet Polk is a little more picky about who they LET sell them.

[kberg]

Originally posted by GZ
It's also fun to listen to some of the BS that some uninformed salespeople try to lay on uninformed customers.

You got that right! I love listening to their BS. If/when the "salesperson" leaves, if I feel up to it, I go over to their potential "customer" and REALLY help them out!

[GZ]

Yeah, it's the poor uninformed customer I sort of feel sorry for. They think that just 'cause the person works there, they know what they're talking about. I know alot of salespeople who actually know there stuff, but they don't work places like CC or BB.

[KeithV]

I work in the entertainment department at a CC, it really saddens me that so many of you have such negative expirences with alot of us. We did lose alot of very knowledgeable people when we went to hourly, and it's sad to say but I pretty much know more about home a/v and computers than anyone else in my store.

[scornful]

Keith,
We dont mean to imply that all CC employees are less than par. You just gotta laugh at some of the antics you see. Especially the guy that knows "more than you". If I dont know then I dont know and will admit it. I dont try to pass myself off as alot of sales guys do in most places.... not just CC.

[KeithV]

Originally posted by scornful
Keith,
We dont mean to imply that all CC employees are less than par. You just gotta laugh at some of the antics you see. Especially the guy that knows "more than you". If I dont know then I dont know and will admit it. I dont try to pass myself off as alot of sales guys do in most places.... not just CC.

I agree with you, Im just saying it's a shame that all the training they give is about selling more expensive product; not to create knowledge associates.

[Zero]

Keith,

How long have you been in the service? Im going on 6 weeks.

Cant say I am impressed with the place as whole, though the staff I work with is incredible, the complete opposite of what the gentlemen here complain about.

[danger boy]

well i don't work for CC or BB or any other audio store, but. you can't blame the customer service employees.. blame the managers if you want to blame someone. why not hook up the nicest set of Polks in the showroom and drive it with the best receiver they carry? It's just common sense.. that if somone hears a good sounding set up.. they are more likely to buy it..

esp if it's priced higher than they originally wanted to spend. everyone wins that way. CC sells more upper end that they carry. Instead of the $200 receiver.. you would have customers leaving the building with $900 receivers.. instead of leaving with a home theater in a box for $299. The customer spends $1600 on a whole speaker system. It's a win, win for both.. the consumer get a great sounding sysytem.. and CC or BB sells more expensive gear.

the logic behind shops like BB and CC just stumps me. Once again.. 'im not complaining about the employees... but the managment. (sorry if I offend any managers out there).

[Zero]

Thing of it is Danger, we represent an incredible minority here. Most people just dont care *that* much about sound.

Take the psw1200 for example, its a beast. Ive never heard it, but those who have claim its the best stand alone sub Polk has ever built. Its sales sucked, despite being such a good product.

Same thing applies for the large speakers, thats why you would rarely find the RT3000p's in showrooms. People rarely spend that kind of money on speakers, in comparison to smaller, more affordable one's.

If I had my way, I would get a big pair of Cherry Rti12's, place them as best as space would allow, and give them the royal treatment... but thats just not the way it works my friend.

Yes, us audiophiles would dig it, but again, we are the minority. The majority rules..

[danger boy]

Oh yeah i totally understand where you are coming from. I meant that whatever setup CC has in the showroom would be only gear that is available to purchase there at the store. I highly doubt CC would have ever carried the PSW1200. You are correct.. the market for such a beast would be prettty dang small. Like .05% of the market would even be interested in it.

I guess my point is this.. why not put your best foot forward if you're in the sales industry? Most of us hate Bose right? We don't care for their sound, their small cube speakers.. etc. but, they are marketing geniouses when it comes to selling speakers, right? that's the theory behind great selling techniques, get the word out about your product.. and people will buy it. Unless it really sucks.

Your point is well taken. I understand that some or most of the folks that shop at CC and BB respectively are more of your casual listener... not looking for high end sound.

I truely wonder if when the average customer who walks into one of those stores.. has done any homework on the products he's looking to purchase? You and I do, but does Joe Beercan ?
(sorry if I offended any beercans out there) :p or guys named Joe

[Zero]

Danger,

Oh I agree 100 percent there buddy. Putting the best foot foward is vital in my opinion. But CC and its vendors tend to be in a 69 position with one another.

And yes, the average customer thinks a home theater in a box system is the way to go. Headache of my life..

[HBombToo]

Originally posted by KeithV
I work in the entertainment department at a CC

This has to be 1 of the most dangerous jobs in the US.

I lost my bolts at the CC off of I70 and MO RT291. When I have purchased every protection plan with every buy i was pissed when they said your going home with NO HDTV. BULL****!!! I said and the poor kid saw HBomb PISSED! I went as far as to say, "I care not to hear you speak unless your calling a manager", and he did just that! I apologized later for my lapse in control but I walked out with a brand new Zenith520.:D

Twin :p

[dan t]

This is what you can expect from Circuit City and Good Guys and the rest. The days of Polks being sold in High End Stores are over! Bye bye SRS, Monitor and RTA's..bye bye.

Dan

[eclypse]

Originally posted by ATCVenom
Danger,

Oh I agree 100 percent there buddy. Putting the best foot foward is vital in my opinion. But CC and its vendors tend to be in a 69 position with one another.

And yes, the average customer thinks a home theater in a box system is the way to go. Headache of my life..

69! hehehe 69! hehehe

[jones12]

Stop by one of the CC here in San Antonio to check on the new line. They had one rti10 in the back of the store & a pair of rti6 on display. I asked about the new line in the cherry finish & the salesman told me that, "They(CC) would only be getting the black finish & best buy would be getting the cherry. Check back in about a week." I said thanks for the heads up & walked away.

[eclypse]

HAHAHAHA.. Best Buy dont carry Polk. Hell i seen the Rti8,Rti10 in cherry at CC and the Csi5 in black.

[Zero]

For those in the DC area...keep your eyes open . Cherry is acomin to the sales floors.. CC is beginning to experiment with carrying that "line".

Im not sure about the rest of you poor bastards.

[PolkThug]

As a CC home audio department insider....

Most CC employees won't know details about Polk specifically unless they own them. We (CC employees) are expected to learn about all of the merchandise in home audio, which takes a LOT of time. Also we do lots of computer training on all aspects of the store which takes a LOT of time. So basically, it is a long learning curve. 90% of the employees I know have been at the store less than 6 months.

Yes, those brand new Sonys are mediocre and priced the same as Polks. I recommend to people to buy the Polks, but they still buy the Sony's because of looks. And no I don't understand why people would buy a speaker with a "basket weave" diaphragm. But the fact is that the Sonys did start selling within 15 minutes of putting them on display.

Most of the customers that come in are clueless about home theater systems. They see a home theater in a box (HTIB) for 400 bucks and think "What a great deal."

So, unfortunately I have the displeasure of knowing that more HTIB's are on the way....

[mwhip]

Originally posted by wlrandall
You can say the same for Fry's. Brand new rti12s flanking a beautiful flat panel-being driven by a pukey little 90 W/ch Yamaha. They sounded terrible!

I went to the Fry's by my hosue last night to check out the Rti10 and Rti12's. They were flanking a flant panel, but they were hooked up to a $1200 Onkyo receiver. Both pair sounded sweet. I am going to wait a year for the price to drop on the 10's before I buy. I may buy the CSi5 sooner though.

[RVJII]

mwhip...

Do you happen to know which Onkyo they had driving those RTi12's? I am in the process of building my new system and am having to stage my purchases over time. I just ordered a pair of RTi12's and am going to be running them on an $1500 Onkyo TX-NR900 for awhile. It is class-A power and I have been happy with it on my older JBL's. Somtime down the line I may go with a bi-amp setup but I'd like to hold off on that for awhile. I'd like to get one of those new Samsung DLP TV's first.

[mwhip]

Originally posted by RVJII
mwhip...

Do you happen to know which Onkyo they had driving those RTi12's? I am in the process of building my new system and am having to stage my purchases over time. I just ordered a pair of RTi12's and am going to be running them on an $1500 Onkyo TX-NR900 for awhile. It is class-A power and I have been happy with it on my older JBL's. Somtime down the line I may go with a bi-amp setup but I'd like to hold off on that for awhile. I'd like to get one of those new Samsung DLP TV's first.

I just looked at Onkyo's site. I think it was the TX-SR601, but that price can not be right. The one they had out was silver, and did not have THX. So I think they had the wrong price sign out.