attempted to buy at retailer - bad experience

[SamBB]

So I have posted before. I am out to purchase a SP3. My use is exclusively business use - MS office (word, outlook, ppt) and light surfing. Thats it. No games, no apps, etc. One note is a plus(I use evernote)

I went to best buy to purchase this evening. I had a bad experience. First i tried to tinker with it for awhile, but they weren't responsive (unlike the macs at BB).

Eventually a store clerk came over to help. What shocked me, is that he totaled up what I wanted to buy (1299) and told me that I could get an air and a iPad mini for the same price, and steered me towards that.

He said that he thought that it would fit my needs and that the MS is buggy and too big. I think that is crazy.. I have a Mac and a iPad already. I need a tablet for real work.

1. Why would he steer me away from the surface?
2. Is this what MS really wants - dedicated BB personnel steering away from their tablet?
3. I decided to leave, as there is a MS store in my town that I can look at things, but it is a little further away.

I found this experience distressing, so I am still on the sidelines.

 

[sharpuser]

1. Foolishness.
2. No.
3. You handled this correctly.

I own, use, and love them all: iPads, MacBooks (Pro and Retina), notebooks, desktops, Surface Pro.
Surface Pro 3 has the best start, and remains most promising.
Head to a Microsoft Store. I think you'll be glad you did.

 

[leeshor]

That sounds to me like typical BB employees. Most were selling shoes last month and next month they may be selling used cars. There is typically 1 person in the computer department at any one time who knows what he's doing.

What he did violates BB rules as they aren't supposed to ever try to talk anyone out of what they were interested in. The last thing they want is for someone to get confused and walk out without a purchase because of it.

 

[SamBB]

Honestly, the whole experience is just terrible. The display surfaces were not in any mode that they could even be used or tried. The macs were displayed nicely. The help from the BB personnel was terrible. I just don't get the marketing model here. They had no black type covers either - and he said they had no custom sleeves.

It is a joke, buying this tablet at a retailer. I hope that MS knows this and adjusts their practice. I plan on going to the MS store later this week, after my business trip.

I want to give MS my $$, but I have no intention on giving it to BB now.

 

[GreyFox7]

Report him.

Technically he is correct you could get an minimal 11 inch MBA for 899 list with 1.4ghz i5 4gb ram, 128gb ssd 1366x768 non touch low res display. Weight 2.38 pounds. Plus for 399 you could get a minimal 16gb iPad Mini ... weight .73 pounds. total weight 3.11 pounds.

Surface Pro 3 1.76 pounds 1.9 ghz i5 4gb ram, 128gb ssd. type cover .65 pounds. total weight 2.41 pounds. Surface will be faster than this MBA and the iPad, with .7 pounds less weight and only one charger. One device does it all.

I went on a trip for 15 days, with one device, the SP3, and didn't need anything else.

 

[Geek.Verve]

Apple products are marketed as *the* devices to have. They're the cool/hip choice. Best Buy is likely just capitalizing on that widespread bit of propaganda.

The fact is that people wanting these products for business or other demanding uses have all but become a niche demographic, as more and more people buy more and more varied mobile devices. At the same time, it's the "average" consumer who is most susceptible to marketing - a gig at which Apple is the undisputed king.

I *highly* recommend buying an SP3 from a Microsoft store before anywhere else. They really are a pleasure to deal with.

 

[Garyjk]

same issue if you try to buy a windows phone, especially at verizon. people try to sell you what they use and what they get the best commission on. buy what you want. salespeople are useless.

 

[kundas1]

sorry but, doesn't all BB stores have MS reps there now? I find it hard to believe that BB has badly set up demo's now with MS reps there! even here in Canada the Microsoft set up is very nice and spacious at BB... I'm sure in the states it's even more adopted earlier and nicer than Canada.

 

[leeshor]

The people working at Best Buy pretty much all assume they are working with the dumb masses.

 

[talon90]

So I have posted before. I am out to purchase a SP3. My use is exclusively business use - MS office (word, outlook, ppt) and light surfing. Thats it. No games, no apps, etc. One note is a plus(I use evernote)

I went to best buy to purchase this evening. I had a bad experience. First i tried to tinker with it for awhile, but they weren't responsive (unlike the macs at BB).

Eventually a store clerk came over to help. What shocked me, is that he totaled up what I wanted to buy (1299) and told me that I could get an air and a iPad mini for the same price, and steered me towards that.

He said that he thought that it would fit my needs and that the MS is buggy and too big. I think that is crazy.. I have a Mac and a iPad already. I need a tablet for real work.

1. Why would he steer me away from the surface?
2. Is this what MS really wants - dedicated BB personnel steering away from their tablet?
3. I decided to leave, as there is a MS store in my town that I can look at things, but it is a little further away.

I found this experience distressing, so I am still on the sidelines.

What an awful experience. It is a shame that you had to go through that. They aren't all that way. Inversely, I purchased my SP3 at Best Buy last week. Long story short I had been at a Staples looking to purchase the surface as they were running a multi-day 20% in store only on the SP3 64 and 128. I had received an email that this was going on and checked stock online and went in to look at the local Staples. They didn't have one in stock other than the demo unit. Unfortunately the demo unit had been locked by a customer and no one in the store new how to unlock it. Strike one. I was going to head to another Staples and elected to go to a local Best Buy. Upon entering I was greeted by a very knowledgeable salesperson from the PC department. He compared and contrasted the SP3 to the SP pro 128 that I currently had and asked if I wanted to purchase one. I told him about the Staples price and not only did they price match, they also gave me 10% off any accessories that I purchased at the same time. Needless to say, I made the purchase along with the keyboard. Scored the SP3 128 for $799.00 with the 20% pricematch.

I've been using the SP3 for a week now and absolutely couldn't be any happier. I own an iPad 4th Generation (and have had a second and third as well). I've owned every generation of iPhone and currently have a 6 Plus. I am a PC user and have a very high end multi-monitor system for work and simulation (racing and flight). Each of these hardware platforms have their place and their purpose.

I tried for a year to use my iPad exclusively for work and grew tired of having to find work arounds for work life in the PC world. The iPad is great at what it does but doesn't do everything I need in my life as an engineer and executive.

The Surface Pro 3, even in the i5/4/128 configuration is an incredible machine. I can run all the MS Office suite with ease. I run AutoCAD and Photoshop CS2 and for fun I installed Half Life 2 on it tonight and it is butter smooth, LOL.

I came from the first generation Surface Pro. It was close but left me feeling that it was only "almost there". The SP3 is really an amazing tool that can easily fit the bill for me as my one portable device for work, home and travel.

 

[SamBB]

It is frustrating and made me feel that I might be in the wrong camp. I am going to take a day or two off to decide. I don't have the technical knowledge of people here; i just want to use office in a small format, and one note. I want support when needed. I never anticipated it would be this challenging to get into this tablet, and I just think I need to ask around and see what objective options are out there. Maybe I am missing something.

I likely will buy, but only from MS store. Just need time to digest this whole thing.

 

[kristalsoldier]

It is frustrating and made me feel that I might be in the wrong camp. I am going to take a day or two off to decide. I don't have the technical knowledge of people here; i just want to use office in a small format, and one note. I want support when needed. I never anticipated it would be this challenging to get into this tablet, and I just think I need to ask around and see what objective options are out there. Maybe I am missing something.

I likely will buy, but only from MS store. Just need time to digest this whole thing.

Yes, your experience at BB would have been frustrating. On another note, most of the people on this forum are not very technically oriented. They are like me, an average user who has specific needs and who frequent this forum to learn things and to keep abreast of what is going on in the Surface space, in a manner of speaking. If you want support you should get the MS Complete option which covers damages etc. But I must also add that there is nothing challenging aside from your BB experience about, as you put it to "get into this tablet". And, yes, you do need to be objective when doing your research. Good luck!