Rodney O. Lain - 1999.11.16
This article was originally published on MacSimple, a
site which no longer exists. It is copyright 1999 by The Linton Media
Company, which also seems to no longer exist. It is thus reprinted here
without permission (which we would gladly obtain if possible.) Links
have been retained when possible, but many go to the Internet Wayback Machine.
(APPLE VALLEY, Minnesota) - On a lark Friday night, I visited a
local Best Buy near my home.
I was at Barnes & Noble, hacking out a few pages of a novel I'm
working on. On the way home, I remembered that I wanted to buy a DVD
movie to watch, along with a couple of new audio CDs, so I stopped by
the neighborhood Best Buy.
When you enter Best Buy, you must let them check any bags you bring
in. I had my PowerBook with me, so I let the store guy paste a pink
sticker on my bag.
"You guys probably don't allow these in here," I said, pointing to
the Apple logo on my bag.
"No, I like Macs," the store guy replied.
I didn't think anything about his comment until I'd made it home and
read the MacWeek article suggesting that the iMac may be back on Best
Buy shelves some time soon.
I didn't get overjoyed, because I thought about the earlier comments
the Best Buy employee made. Those comments didn't wet my blanket about
the Best Buy announcement; it was, rather, what his comments reminded
me of
Best Buys First Attempt
The reason I got involved with the Mac web stems from my having
dealt with Best Buy up close and personal. I wanted to support the Mac,
so I went to Best Buy and began a part-time job there, since they had
just began carrying the iMac. I wanted to support The Cause.
I began working there and then the disillusionment set in
Apple had worked closely with Best Buy by encouraging them to train
store employees to sell things Macintosh.
It didn't work at all - at my store, anyway.
Nearly every employee hated Apple and the Mac - and they were not
shy about saying it. I attended a sales meeting in which they were to
learn about the iMac. It was a joke. It was more like an Apple/Mac hate
fest.
I quit working at Best Buy soon after that and went to CompUSA. Not
too long after that, the iMac was no longer offered at Best Buy.
Which brings us to today.
What Best Buy Will Have To Do
Best Buy, if the company allows iMacs back into the stores, will
have to do much better than last time. First off, the sales people will
have to give the Mac a fair shake. It shouldn't be a hard thing to do
this time, since a year has passed, and the iMac (and Apple) has a
proven record of successful sales and marketing.
I could get into a rant about how MarketSource, the company Apple
has hired to tend to their Best Buy and CompUSA accounts, will need to
get on the ball - and stay there - until Best Buy proves itself a
viable Mac retail outlet. But I wont go there.
I could rant about how Best Buy sales people have this uncanny
ability to rub most Mac users the wrong way. But I wont go there (it
was so bad that MacAddict magazine used to include on their disk the
hilarious PC Dork game, which was based on clueless Best Buy sales
people).
I could rant about how Apple needs to get its inventory problems
under control before adding another retailer to the sales channel. But
I wont.
I wont, since the Best Buy deal isn't a fact just yet. I wont,
because we must give them the benefit of the doubt if they do begin to
carry iMacs again, right?
But as a Mac user, and an Apple shareholder, I will most definitely
be watching.
