LOSER: Radio Shack

Is it any wonder that Radio Shack is on the auction block? They abandoned the core business model that they built their success on; they charge way too much for just about everything; and customer service doesn't even include the usual insincere apologies anymore. Let me explain:

Their core business model included radios and tiny little specialty electronics parts that you really can't buy anywhere anymore, including Radio Shack. And, for just one example, you can buy 500 feet of coaxial cable at Lowe's for what 50 feet will cost you at Radio Shack. But that's not the kind of stupidity that get's me fired up enough to blog about my experiences at a company. No, it's piss poor customer service that gets me pissed off enough to write these days. This is my story:

I recently purchased an HTC Sprint Evo, and I knew they'd be in demand, so I did some homework the day before release to determine my best course of action on the morning of the release. I visited several stores, including my local Radio Shack. I learned who had how many in stock, and who was offering the best rebates. At the end of the day I decided that my local Radio Shack would be the best place to make that purchase. I was told that they had two in stock that would be available "first come, first served"; I knew they opened at 9am; and I knew I could get there early enough to get one. And so I did. Almost.

I was the second to arrive at approximately 8:45am that morning, and knowing that they had two, I wasn't concerned a bit about being second in line. I waited patiently for the store to open and claim my prize. But it was not to be. The fools managing this store thought it might be a good idea to "sell" one of their phones to another store before they opened, depleting their own stock to just one, and leaving me out in the cold. Literally.

Having knowledge of another store that also had two in stock, and knowledge that they didn't open until 10am, I asked them to sell me one of theirs. After all, if another store can buy the one that should have been mine long before this store even opened, then I should be able to buy one from another store, long before they opened and make it mine. But the store staff was very reluctant to help me in this manner. They were far more interested in selling me a phone that they could ship to my house sometime next week. I was able to get them to call the other store, but that call went unanswered. And I was offered no less than three times the opportunity to buy a phone "direct to home" instead. No thank you. When you treat me this poorly you don't get to sell me a phone.

So I complained to @RadioShack (they were @The_Shack at the time of my compaint) and received a quick response asking me for details via email. They very quickly sent me the usual insincere apology and told me that I should expect a response from the local District Manager no later than Monday. Which I did receive quite promptly later that same day; he even held an Evo for me; but as I said before, you don't get to sell me a phone after treating me like that.

The local DM also pointed out (erroneously) that many Idaho retailers and Sprint stores were sold out as early as 8:30 that morning. But I found one elsewhere that day at 10am; and I even found one across the street from my local Shack at the Sprint corporate store as late as 4pm that day.

Still no apology, sincere or otherwise, from the local DM who asks me to "please excuse any terseness", as his replies are being sent from an iPhone. Which, if I'm not mistaken, aren't even sold by our local Shacks.

So like I told @RadioShack, "that's the end of my relationship with Radio Shack". I'm done with them, and for the most part they're done with all of us, also. Someone that knows something about business will buy them out and we'll all still be without the things that made that store a success all those years ago.

"The Shack", as they've grown so foolishly fond of calling themselves, is toast. And they won't see another dollar of mine, ever!