Unrealistic Expectations

There is a phenomenon in the retail electronics industry that I like to call “Unrealistic Expectations”.  I call it this for a variety of reasons.  First, we have the customer that wants a high-end component, but does not want to pay high-end prices.  An example, would be the customer who wants a complete media server, yet thinks this can be purchased for $50.  We next come upon the customer who is buying a device and thinks that the near cost sale price should include free delivery, free setup and unlimited free on-site support.  This customer is unaware of how the retail electronic industry works.  Margins are extremely skinny and money is made by add-ons.  So when you buy a $1000 TV, the cost is probably close to $950 or more.  At these margins you are lucky if the store offers to load the thing in you vehicle.  If you want someone to bend over for you, there are places you can go to purchase such things.  The third and final customer is the worst of all.  Basically nothing is good enough for them.  They want warranties on $2 items.  There is a reason that it cost $2.  Most likely the thing was made in China, shipped over on a huge, salt atmosphere container ship and trucked and shipped to the location.  Now, after you get done calculating the actual expense of getting the item to you hands, the $2 item probably has $0.02 worth of parts at cost.  You are not getting a warranty.  They also want you to guaranty that the item they are looking to purchase will fill every need they have.  Now we know this is not going to happen, because the average telephone or router does not come with psychiatric help.  Although, you could use these products to access such help.

WildBlue Cellphone?

This story was a great laugh after the customer left.  So a customer comes in asks if there is anyway he could get cellphone service through WildBlue?  I ask are you looking for VOIP service to use with WildBlue?  No.  He says that he wants CELLPHONE service, not VOIP.  Ok, Ok!  I was holding back the laughter as I told him that it was not possible at this time.  When he left, I burst out in laughter.  The image of the guy packing around that dish on his back.  “Just a little more to left.”

Customer Gets Owned

Today a customer came into the store today and said that his bank account had been wiped out. The customer had brought in a seriously infected laptop to be examined. After taking a look at the machine I could only recommend a reinstall of the operating system. The thing wouldn’t even log into the Windows “safe mode” correctly. Well, long story short I told the customer when he left the first time that any internet accounts that he had used with the system should have that passwords changed ASAP. This is a standard recommendation when anyone has any type of mal-ware infection. In this case, the customer chose NOT to change that password at his bank. He said it was because he had to call the bank to make the change. I guess he should have taken the time to call.

The real fear that I have is that most customers have this exact attitude and do not change passwords. I had always wondered if anyone I knew had lost money due to these types of theft. Now I know for sure. I must say that I am not really surprised give the amount of systems that I see with problems related to mal-ware. So the moral of the story is be safe and not sorry when it comes to protecting yourself from getting owned.

Keeping Up With Computer Security

I like to work with computers and the vast majority of what I see is security related.  For example, a customer brings in a box that is running “slow”.  So the first thing I do is look for some type of malware.  99% of the time the system is infected with multiple items of malware.  This is usually the time that I recommend a format and reinstall of the OS.  As a side note, I have yet to have a customer bring is a box with Linux running on it.  Maybe its because few customers know what it is until I tell them.

Keeping up with the massive amount of information about computer security has become impossible.  I think this is true for all security gurus / enthusiasts, not just myself.  My strategy has become, listen to a select group of pod-casts and wade through the info contained in the pod-casts.  I also have several RSS feeds that I subscribe to and I look through these several times a day.  The problem is just the amount of info.  If I didn’t have other things to do, maybe I could get through more of it.  Oh well, I will attempt to keep up with the info that I deem the most valuable.

Interesting Story on Security Now #130

I finally listened to the Security Now episode this week and there is a great story about a security tester. Steve Gibson relates a story about this person pen-testing a company. If you are into that kind of thing check it out. Note: If you have wireless devices of any kind in your home or office check it out.

http://www.grc.com/SecurityNow.htm

Finance Charges

Every month we have to go through this ridiculous dance with several of our customers that charge things in our store.  They come in and charge some items, we send a bill at the end of the month, they fail to pay the bill on time and a finance charge is applied.  You know what is coming next, because you are smart and can see it.  The person calls and wonders how in the world they could have received a finance charge.  Really, our stupid computer screwed up and charged you a finance charge just for the hell of it.  The boss is a bit of a pushover and usually removes the finance charges.  I guess it has to be done or people will get pissed, tell others that you are assholes and not shop at the store.  The sad part is that they will do this only due to the fact that they can’t admit that they were wrong.  Nice!

More Medicine

I recently had to increase the amount of Lyrica that I take.  100mg three times a day.  I think that this dosage is starting to help with the pain.  My only fear is that the directions say you can only take 450mg of Lyrica a day.  Of course, one thing I have learned about neuropathy is that you don’t always follow the directions.  One thing I have noticed is brittle fingernails.  I have to trim them 2 times a week or they break all the time.  Even then they still break.  I can live with that though.

Pleasant Network Setup

I recently setup a wireless network for a lady who lives out in the country.  She came into the store and inquired about having someone come to her house and setup her wireless router.  No problem.  She asked about the price, much lower than the geeks, and agreed to make an appointment.  This part was great.  A customer realizes they are unable to do something technical and recognizes that they are going to have to pay someone to do it for them.  No bitching about any of this.

On the day of the install, it was snowing like crazy on the way to her house.  When I arrived she met me at the door and greeted me like an old friend.  We discussed the particulars of what she wanted and placement of equipment.  She even showed me some e-mail pics of animals that someone had sent.  I finished up the install with all equipment was functioning.  I went to leave and she told me to drive safely as it was still snowing heavily.  What a nice lady.  I only wonder why all customers can’t be that pleasant.