"RadioShack's days are numbered"

digitaldrummer · Post by **digitaldrummer** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 2:47 pm

I'm not trying to defend Rat Shack, however, what do you think his pay scale is? I doubt it is more than minimum wage. The same as Wally World or McHeart-attack (and probably banjo mart too) so why do you think they will get a different kind of employee? This is the consumer world that we have created by expecting everything to be so cheap.

Mike

Orpheus · Post by **Orpheus** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 4:33 pm

digitaldrummer wrote:I'm not trying to defend Rat Shack, however, what do you think his pay scale is? I doubt it is more than minimum wage. The same as Wally World or McHeart-attack (and probably banjo mart too) so why do you think they will get a different kind of employee? This is the consumer world that we have created by expecting everything to be so cheap.

Mike

+1
This is the exact same point I make when I defend the salaries of mailmen and public transit workers. Which is ironic, because by no stretch of the imagination am I even remotely left-wing, but do people really want unmotivated drooling imbeciles making sure their streetcar isnt going to jump the rail?

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 5:53 pm

I happen to be a flaming leftist-type liberal, but I also have a strong work-ethic.

If you take a job, fucking do it. If that means learning the difference between a resistor and a cap, or a condensor and a dynamic, then do it. Otherwise, yer just a timeclock-puncher and useless to all. And, at Rat Shack at least, know where the crap is; it's not like the store is huge or anything ...

There's no excuse for the ignorance (in the actual sense), bad attitude and general dooshbaggery of too many - not all, but too many - people in the retail industry.

BTW, I think GC sales are on commission, no? That's what, IMO, makes the ignorant ones the worse - they wanna sell, but no not what they do.

floid · Post by **floid** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 6:34 pm

i filled out the application and several others a few years ago looking to supplement my income with a part time job. it was like most others, online or at a kiosk. after a few dozen of these multiple choice 'aptitude tests/personality profiles' full of mind games, i started thinking they might actually be designed to weed out anyone with any aptitude or personality - i.e. anyone who might think they're worth more than minimum wage - before the company wastes any labor on an actual interview to pick the cream of the dreggs. but i'm a confirmed pair 'o noids, so, hey.

i mean, c'mon, the phones only take up the front half of the store. how is it okay to know nothing about the entire OTHER HALF of the store?

and 5.99 for an off-brand xlr ain't cheap, especially when you factor in aggravation of finding it for the 'sales rep' so he can sell it to you and ask if you need any batteries to go with that.

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:11 pm

floid wrote:i filled out the application and several others a few years ago looking to supplement my income with a part time job. it was like most others, online or at a kiosk. after a few dozen of these multiple choice 'aptitude tests/personality profiles' full of mind games, i started thinking they might actually be designed to weed out anyone with any aptitude or personality - i.e. anyone who might think they're worth more than minimum wage - before the company wastes any labor on an actual interview to pick the cream of the dreggs. but i'm a confirmed pair 'o noids, so, hey.

I had the same experience. I was applying to places to supplement my income with a part time job before things were really taking off here. Two places I applied (one being a big music store, one being something completely different) were places I've shopped (or at least visited) on a regular basis. As far as the music store goes, I am far more knowledgeable than 75% of the workers there. I do understand that there is more to being good for a job than having a list of facts in your head, but I'm also very approachable, passionate about whatever it is I'm doing, honest, and really look to help people. Hell, I spend hours, days even, putting together videos for Youtube helping people with recording techniques, gear demos, etc, and I get zilch for that - I just do it to try to help people and put something good out into the world. I honestly do think those crazy multiple choice applications are to weed out people who are either a thread to the interviewers job, or smart enough to recognize when they're being hoodwinked. They want people who can do a decent enough job for them to not get in trouble with their superiors, but not be a threat to the way they choose to do things and their potentially unfair practices.

Oh well. Business has taken off so fuck em!

About Radio Shack, when I first saw this news it saddened me, thinking back to my days going there as a kid, when my brother was really into circuitry and electronics. I started going back there once I got into audio, learned to solder, all that stuff. Most of the Radio Shacks around here have now gotten rid of their audio components/connectors, and when I've found an extra XLR connector so I don't have to wait for one to ship if I need it for the next day, it is indeed about $6, vs. around $1.75 for the ones I love online (these - http://www.speakerrepair.com/page/produ ... 23x20.html - they are cheap and amazing! I've got my entire rack wired up with them and they are so well-built and the assembly makes them so easy to solder).

digitaldrummer · Post by **digitaldrummer** » Wed Oct 08, 2014 3:21 pm

this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isdHaKn9QD8

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Wed Oct 08, 2014 3:50 pm

Rob Coates · Post by **Rob Coates** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:00 pm

Jan 2015 and they're still here. I have fond memories of the old days when they sold stuff I thought was useful. Used to pour over the newest Radio Shack catalog. But I agree they need to go now. Currently populated by electronics morons. Now, when I go in for a 1/4 inch plug or a resister or something, when the sales guy says "can I help you" I say "nope" and go to the drawer, get the part and take it to the counter. The guy always looks a little stunned and put off.

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:37 pm

One of the three Radio Shack stores closest to me has closed down. One of the other two is a clearance location with all inventory marked down an enormous amount.

Drone · Post by **Drone** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 7:58 am

Our local Radioshack closed, as did the one in the nearby county seat, but there are three or four open in the nearest city which is only 30-40 minutes away.

I would welcome them to stay open, and continue to sell phones, and just staff themselves with people knowledgable in phones and home thater crap. If they can keep themselves open, whilst continuing to stock a selection of parts, that would be great.

We all know we make our big components purchases, jack, resistors etc. online from people who sell stuff like Switchcraft and Neutrik for less than the Shack charge for chinese, but it is really handy, when you don't need $25 plus shipping worth of stuff, to be able to run out and overpay for something that will get the job done.

If they can continue this emergency service, I will always be grateful, and always be a customer, however infrequent.

I'm not near a Fry's, the nearest alternate electronics place, was about an hour and a bit away, and they closed down and moved somewhere even further away, so I am a big fan of the shack.

One mans outlook

Snarl 12/8 · Post by **Snarl 12/8** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 12:25 am

I wonder if Rad Shack would make more money if they changed their hours to 8PM to 4AM. Just cater exclusively to the emergency resister/cell phone crowd.

kslight · Post by **kslight** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 8:19 am

I made the mistake of going to my rat shack for a keyfob battery the other day, which their website listed as available in that specific store...an energizer one for $1.47. I go there and the dude gives me a RadioShack brand one for $7...I refuse and tell him I want the name brand one on sale...which he says he hasn't sold in months...I show him the ad, where it says available at his location...is a douche... So I go down the street to Walgreens and buy the energizer brand for...eh $5.79...not as cheap as online for sure but I didn't want to wait...and I'm certainly not going to buy rat shack brand anything without knowing who actually makes it.
The store was also half empty in clearance mode, so I hope they go out.

Hell with them.

I don't care if Weird Al DOES shop there, I am done with them.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 2:52 pm

RadioShack may be near bankruptcy

"RadioShack can't escape the 80s"

kslight · Post by **kslight** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 3:30 pm

vvv wrote:RadioShack may be near bankruptcy

"RadioShack can't escape the 80s"

I was expecting this announcement after seeing Weird Al in their commercials over the holidays.

Snarl 12/8 · Post by **Snarl 12/8** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 11:40 am

I saw this today...
http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/05/news/co ... index.html

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"RadioShack's days are numbered"

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