The new "used-car" salesmen

Electronic store sales folks are the new "used-car" salesmen/women. They - generally, more men than women - pompously and unwisely believe that they do know more than what they really know. I went to the local Verizon store yesterday to purchase the new broadband wireless service. This is to back up our regular Net access to approve employee time cards if and when our computer system is down or during long winter power outages. John, a polyester-suited, portly store sales manager came over to me with a big greeting smile and a tight handshake. 

I noticed his 90's yellow power tie neatly wrapped around his thick neck. I explained to him what I came looking for and he told me that the product was in stock and "... you would love this baby... it is rock hard.... it is a snap to install it... Come back here and I'd help you if any problem at all." Verizon's online map showed our home area was within the broadband wireless coverage. Well, it is on the border of the coverage area. I installed the client software, the PC card, and was not able to activate the service. 

After a long, tedious and somewhat dumb-down conversation with a Verizon technician I was able to configure the card and activate it manually. However, the technician thought that I ought to return and get a new Verizon's cellular modem card. I brought the laptop and the Verizon equipment back to the store and explained to John what I'd done. He's now not the gregarious sales person I met in the morning. He told me that it must have been my installation and went right ahead to reinstall the software. He ejected the card without using the safe disconnection method demanded by Microsoft Windows. 

It got worse when he shutdown the laptop without going through the normal stopping process. I was not too happy about his heavy-handedness and took the machine back telling him to let me do what he thought would be necessary to recheck the card and its access. John finally agreed that the PC card is defective. He gave me a new card. I was able to configure and activate it within several minutes. The Net access via Verizon broadband wireless at the store is fairly fast and would be adequate for my needs. 

Verizon broadband wireless will drop to lower national access bandwidth (14.4Kbps) automatically when it detects an inadequate broadband signal strength. Well, that what I experienced at home. This new problem would prevent me from provide an adequate Net access backup. The overly optimistic Verizon sale pitch and the less-than knowledgeable sales people remind me of those sleezy used-car salesmen of years past. This is not the first time I encounter these clueless and pompous sales folks. It is unfortunate that many less experienced customers will continue being buffaloed and misled by sales pitches and advertisements. Caveat Emptor.