Top electronics and computing retailers named

Are these awards worth mentioning if the numbers game are the criteria to be measured by?

I bought my first 286 pc from Dions in 1987. It had a floppy drive and no hard drive and a colour screen was a big no-no. I paid R2999.00 + finance costs. I got home with the pc, connected everything, eager to to enter the magic world of computers, Included in the package was a floppy with some games on it. I switched it on and nothing much happened. The games would not play. It gave me messages that I did not understand. It could not even tell me what the total of 1+ 1 was! I thought these machines were supposed to be clever! After several calls to Dions, I was told I need software like MS Dos or DR Dos to boot the pc. I did not know what Dos was or why I must kick(boot) the pc! I was very angry that only after the sale I was told I need to buy extra software. Surely this should have been explained to me while I was still deciding if and what I was going to buy?

That was the last time I bought a pc or any component from a non-computer shop. Yet these type of stores win the award, while the specialised computer shops gets no recognition. I understand that "Top electronics and computing retailers" may literary mean amount of bodies moving through and buying IT products and with that a huge turnover. A specialized computer outlet, with probably a better buying experience for the customer, will not ever win this award because it does not create the same volume sales.

It might also be that I don't really understand whole concept of these rewards?
 
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I have to agree with RoMark. Although it is less risky these days, buying PC/components from non-specialists can often end in tears.
As far as KFC is concerned, they definitely deserve their award. Just pop in to any KFC outlet. They've managed to get the poorest people in SA to buy the most expensive fast food, which actually tastes more like cardboard than food.
Genius! They definitely get my vote.
 
wonder how much the survey company got paid by KFC to pull that one off
 
This is stated in the article as an explanation of how the awards work :

The 2009 The Times & Sowetan Top Retail Awards winners were announced recently, showing which retail stores are the most popular and how happy customers are with a certain retail brand
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Popular would clearly be measured purely by numbers.

As for KFC that just shows how meaningless these awards really are, and that it is merely a numbers game. Most KFC stores are in a shocking state appearance wise nowadays and really should not be winning any awards. A "grand prize" award of any kind should be based on numerous criteria being met and appearance and cleanliness should really be one!
 
Strobemeister said:
I have to agree with RoMark. Although it is less risky these days, buying PC/components from non-specialists can often end in tears.
As far as KFC is concerned, they definitely deserve their award. Just pop in to any KFC outlet. They've managed to get the poorest people in SA to buy the most expensive fast food, which actually tastes more like cardboard than food.
Genius! They definitely get my vote.
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I don't know what KFC you're eating, but mine sure as hell doesn't taste like cardboard. If you said that about a McDonalds burger I would understand :p
 
Honestly KFC is not food to look forward to. If it's not fatty, it takes like cardboard (for lack of better word). MacDonalds if more decent than KFC, this is now for anyone who's in the fast junk food.

I didn't even know that Dion still existed. The first and the last time I visited them is when I tried to purchase a Kenwood sound system from them and they didn't approve my HP, without any reasons. That was back in 1994 when I was about a year in the labour force; I didn't have any financial commitments and so I was not on credit bureau or anything. And they declined my purchase. They'll never see any cent from me as long as I live. Needless to say I bought me a nice Technics sound system at Hyperama in East gate mall (I still play it even today - 15 years on).
 
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KFC participates in a mystery shopper program on a regular basis, and their stores and food quality is monitored by the mystery shoppers who provide feedback to the holding company via an independent company. I have to admit that some stores are much better than others, but it caters for a market segment that many of us are not in. Oddly enough in the very early years I was very partial to chicken licken because they made an excellent hamburger called a Big Gee Dinner Deluxe of I remember right.
As for computer retailers... Dion and the whole massmart ilk are just as useless as they ever were, its just that they sell much more than the rest who are trying to prove how great they are by ripping us off.
 
Game came in first, followed by Hi-Fi Corporation, Makro, Incredible Connection and Dion.
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Wow. I'm really going to be taking these awards seriously. Its like a Who's Who of where not to shop.
 
Gatecrasher said:
Wow. I'm really going to be taking these awards seriously. Its like a Who's Who of where not to shop.
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Game is actually a good place to shop at. Good customer service, price matching and you can return goods without questions asked. I have never in my life had a issue with Game.
 
ponder said:
Game is actually a good place to shop at. Good customer service, price matching and you can return goods without questions asked. I have never in my life had a issue with Game.
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+1
 
I see a lot of hate towards KFC, but why? From all the fast food places KFC is one of the better once and if you take into account that fast food is also called junk food, they are one of the best.
 
Game is the worse retail store in SA by far. Dion Wired is a worthy mention, their store in gateway is absolute top class.
 
HugeFan said:
Game is the worse retail store in SA by far. Dion Wired is a worthy mention, their store in gateway is absolute top class.
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Game's 7 day return guarantee is a good thing. I tested it and it works. Game also has pretty good prices.

Makro beats Game in that it offers a 14 day return while IC does 7. If the product does not work as advertised, you can return and get a refund. I like that.
 
Should Incredible Connection and the word award be mentioned in the same sentence - one can only assume the "award" was paid for, or someone is busy with a PR exercise which has failed miserably - just too far removed from reality.

(Sales staff that have very little technical knowledge, pounce on you like a pack of hungry wild dogs, grossly inflated pricing, poor product range, unreasonable purchase agreements, poor and tardy repair service / online presence terrible for a company that is engaged in the distribution of technology, etc. CTN WATERFRONT, FORESHORE, CENTURY CITY)

Not that Game or HiFi Corporation is any better - Please vote with your wallet! These type of companies should not exist in their current form.

Also, best not to engage with TNS Research, should you be looking for any meaningful data.
 
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Game = Epic Fail

Rude staff = either stand three abreast in the isles chatting or walk into you without looking where they are going.

Uninformed staff = never seem to know anything about the products or if they even have it in store.

Misleading advertising pamflets = items on special never seem to be in stock (from day one)
 
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