the irritants of the day
17 Feb 2010 02:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaigouI took my 3-yr old camcorder to Fry's yesterday, in an attempt to find out a) what sim-card to use, b) whether I could record for longer with card or mini-dv, and c) what kind of security/exterior cameras they have.
Actual conversation.
Me: *holding up camcorder* I'd like to find out--
Clerk #1: We don't sell that camera.
Me: --what---wait, what?
Clerk #1: We don't sell that camera.
Me: *mildly annoyed* I would certainly hope not.
Clerk #1: *smug look goes away* Hunh?
Me: I've already purchased it once. I have no interest in a second one.
Clerk #1: *blank stare*
Me: Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'd like to know what kind of card it uses.
Clerk #1: I don't think we sell it.
Me: You don't sell SD cards?
Clerk #1: Not for that camera.
Me: This particular camera, or Canons in general?
Clerk #1: We don't sell that camera.
Me: *really annoyed by now* Yes, I believe we established that point. Is there someone here who's not obsessed with your current inventory stats?
Clerk #1: *blank stare*
Me: I want to talk to SOMEONE ELSE.
Clerk #1: *looks confused*
Me: Who knows about SD CARDS.
Clerk #1: *starts to frown*
Me: How about a Canon person? Do you have anyone here who knows Canons?
Clerk #1: *brightens* Oh, yeah, ask that guy over there (two aisles away). He can help you.
I wander over to Clerk #2, who looks like he's jotting something down, and when he looks up, I open my mouth, and he turns around and wanders off. Wow. I thought only waiters had that art mastered so perfectly. I follow after him, and he stops and helps two other people, and for all intents is utterly oblivious to me standing there. Finally I step up and get in his face before he can pivot and head for a third person.
Me: I'd like to know what kind of card this camera uses.
Clerk #2: *polite smile* An SD card.
Me: Could you point out the specific card?
Clerk #2: They're over here. *leads me to display of SDHC cards* It should be one of these.
Me: Okay. They don't look all the same. Which one should I use?
Clerk #2: I think this one.
Me: *annoyance returning* You think?
Clerk #2: *oblivious* Let me see... I think this one'll work.
Me: *studies package* What's this extra teeny card do?
Clerk #2: I think that's an adapter. You put the big one in, and I think the little one goes in with it.
Me: *gritting teeth* You think the little one goes with it.
Clerk #2: *cheerful* Yep! That should work.
Me: You expect me to spend forty-something-dollars on something you think goes with this camera?
Clerk #2: *suddenly stern* Ma'am, I don't set the prices.
I just stare at him for a bit, and decide to write off the camcorder half of the project as a complete failure, and leave before my blood pressure spikes even further. So I head to the electronic components section, to see what they've got in outdoor security cameras. While meandering in that direction, I try to replace the mini-dv back into the camcorder, but I can't get it to go. I turn camera on, then off, fiddle with it, and finally give up and present it to Clerk #3, asking if he can show me what I'm missing. He gets the card in, twitches the door just so, and the dv-holder thing slides shut.
Me: Hey, that reminds me. Where can I get blank mini-dvs?
Clerk #3: Oh, they're really hard to find.
Me: Why? Do you hide them or something?
At least Clerk #3 didn't just stare at me, but got my humor. He did help with the security camera questions. Only after I'd left, though, did I realize that he'd never actually answered my question about the mini-dvs. Figures.
Some days, leaving the house just isn't freaking worth it.
Actual conversation.
Me: *holding up camcorder* I'd like to find out--
Clerk #1: We don't sell that camera.
Me: --what---wait, what?
Clerk #1: We don't sell that camera.
Me: *mildly annoyed* I would certainly hope not.
Clerk #1: *smug look goes away* Hunh?
Me: I've already purchased it once. I have no interest in a second one.
Clerk #1: *blank stare*
Me: Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'd like to know what kind of card it uses.
Clerk #1: I don't think we sell it.
Me: You don't sell SD cards?
Clerk #1: Not for that camera.
Me: This particular camera, or Canons in general?
Clerk #1: We don't sell that camera.
Me: *really annoyed by now* Yes, I believe we established that point. Is there someone here who's not obsessed with your current inventory stats?
Clerk #1: *blank stare*
Me: I want to talk to SOMEONE ELSE.
Clerk #1: *looks confused*
Me: Who knows about SD CARDS.
Clerk #1: *starts to frown*
Me: How about a Canon person? Do you have anyone here who knows Canons?
Clerk #1: *brightens* Oh, yeah, ask that guy over there (two aisles away). He can help you.
I wander over to Clerk #2, who looks like he's jotting something down, and when he looks up, I open my mouth, and he turns around and wanders off. Wow. I thought only waiters had that art mastered so perfectly. I follow after him, and he stops and helps two other people, and for all intents is utterly oblivious to me standing there. Finally I step up and get in his face before he can pivot and head for a third person.
Me: I'd like to know what kind of card this camera uses.
Clerk #2: *polite smile* An SD card.
Me: Could you point out the specific card?
Clerk #2: They're over here. *leads me to display of SDHC cards* It should be one of these.
Me: Okay. They don't look all the same. Which one should I use?
Clerk #2: I think this one.
Me: *annoyance returning* You think?
Clerk #2: *oblivious* Let me see... I think this one'll work.
Me: *studies package* What's this extra teeny card do?
Clerk #2: I think that's an adapter. You put the big one in, and I think the little one goes in with it.
Me: *gritting teeth* You think the little one goes with it.
Clerk #2: *cheerful* Yep! That should work.
Me: You expect me to spend forty-something-dollars on something you think goes with this camera?
Clerk #2: *suddenly stern* Ma'am, I don't set the prices.
I just stare at him for a bit, and decide to write off the camcorder half of the project as a complete failure, and leave before my blood pressure spikes even further. So I head to the electronic components section, to see what they've got in outdoor security cameras. While meandering in that direction, I try to replace the mini-dv back into the camcorder, but I can't get it to go. I turn camera on, then off, fiddle with it, and finally give up and present it to Clerk #3, asking if he can show me what I'm missing. He gets the card in, twitches the door just so, and the dv-holder thing slides shut.
Me: Hey, that reminds me. Where can I get blank mini-dvs?
Clerk #3: Oh, they're really hard to find.
Me: Why? Do you hide them or something?
At least Clerk #3 didn't just stare at me, but got my humor. He did help with the security camera questions. Only after I'd left, though, did I realize that he'd never actually answered my question about the mini-dvs. Figures.
Some days, leaving the house just isn't freaking worth it.
no subject
Date: 17 Feb 2010 10:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 18 Feb 2010 05:35 am (UTC)"Me: Hey, that reminds me. Where can I get blank mini-dvs?
Clerk #3: Oh, they're really hard to find.
Me: Why? Do you hide them or something? "
You. Are. AWESOME!
Whatever happened to the days you could go into a store's section, and they'd actually know about the products in store? Surely I'm not that old?
no subject
Date: 18 Feb 2010 07:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 19 Feb 2010 04:59 am (UTC)