On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 7:24 AM, Kevin Ouma <kevin.ouma@gmail.com> wrote:
*Skunkers,*
Is it just me or are most of the mobile phone dealers unqualified to handle the items they sell.
Absolutely
The other day I walked into a shop looking for a phone with 3g capability. As I pointed to a phone model and asked if it had 3g the somali lady ( who could not understand english or swahili properly) replied "hapana sisi iko to na Nokia na Samsung"hapana iko simu ya 3g .
Today I had another similar experience where while looking for a USB bluetooth adapter the salesperson who coincidentally was again Somali asked whether I wanted it in 1 or 2gb ( he thought I was looking for a flash disk and had no clue what a USB adapter was.) I do suspect he does not even know what bluetooth is.
This can easily be replicated across even electronics stores where many a time I have found myself educating shop assistants on features of items they sell eg region coding for dvds, what a set top box what is HDTV . It is not a surprise that until recently many people had been duped that their LCD TVs were digital until KBC switched on its digital signal at which point the story changed. Having traveled abroad, the level of engagement with an assistant at Dixons, Currys or Crutchfield electronics stores in the UK and shop attendants in Kenya like day and night. Most of the shop assistants you meet abroad are fairly technical people who know their stuff.
Hmmm... let's see -- you're comparing people working in large (10,000+) retail outlets in developed nations with mom-and-pop stores owned by individuals trying to eck a living in an environment that's not exactly conducive to tech? Unfair comparison. You have to remember that while you might have a passion for technology for a large number of people it's a tool or a product to make some money -- i.e. they don't *really* care about it, they care about making that small amount of profit to continue to live. With this mindset, it's not surprising that the vast majority of traders would treat technical products like a black box. Furthermore, in developed nations with highly specialised economies it is likely that such roles will be attractive to people who have a natural affinity for technology. In addition, the company is able to provide training to bring individuals up to the required level. I too have frequented these stores you speak of, and believe me, there are assistants in these organizations who wouldn't know 3G from SAMSUNG.
Shouldn't the government demand a minimum level of qualification or literacy for such vendors or even more companies like Nokia/ Samsung demand this of their distributors/Agents / Outlets.
Why? What part does the government have in regulating a free market? Caveat emptor -- you have to do your research and know what you're looking for, in *any *purchase.
It bothers me because over 70% of people selling IT hardware as well electronics equipment have no clue over what they are selling..
If it bothers you that much perhaps you should think about building an organization that actually *does* know what it's selling. I'm sure it would do very well.