Peter_Jones
Well-known
As some of you may know, I sell digi cameras for a living. Saturdays are fun though - I keep wondering if I'm being filmed , some of the questions I get asked.
Today I got a new one - "Is this Wide-angle lens just a digital gimmick ?"
Makes a change from being asked to develop batteries
Today I got a new one - "Is this Wide-angle lens just a digital gimmick ?"
Makes a change from being asked to develop batteries
R
RML
Guest
You can't develop batteries? How about developing my memory card?
jmilkins
Digited User
Ah yes."The customer is always right. " And quite often an absolute tool. My favourite was working in a busy city camera store 15 years ago with wall to wall cameras on display.
The World's Smartest Man comes in , has a 360 degree look around and confidently approaches the counter. Upon arriving he asks in a loud voice 'So, you guys sell cameras, huh?"
I had the presence of mind to turn to the closest display, look in a drawer and say "well, who'd a believed it Sir - we're fresh out."
The World's Smartest Man comes in , has a 360 degree look around and confidently approaches the counter. Upon arriving he asks in a loud voice 'So, you guys sell cameras, huh?"
I had the presence of mind to turn to the closest display, look in a drawer and say "well, who'd a believed it Sir - we're fresh out."
P
pshinkaw
Guest
It's possible to find fools on either side of the counter.
Many years ago I went into a posh camera store across the street from a famous medical center (the doctors and their families shopped around here). The store advertised in their window that they carried the finest in quality camera equipment along with stickers and photos of Hasselblad, Leica and Pentax. (no Nikons or Canons)
I approcahed one of the clerks and asked if they had any lenses in an Exakta mount (they were still in production then). He tilted his head so that he could look down his long nose at me and said, "No sir, we only carry the finest in cameras like the American made Pentax."
My next question had to do with film, but since there was an Eckerd's drugstore half a block away, I went there and bought a couple of rolls of Plus-X.
-Paul
Many years ago I went into a posh camera store across the street from a famous medical center (the doctors and their families shopped around here). The store advertised in their window that they carried the finest in quality camera equipment along with stickers and photos of Hasselblad, Leica and Pentax. (no Nikons or Canons)
I approcahed one of the clerks and asked if they had any lenses in an Exakta mount (they were still in production then). He tilted his head so that he could look down his long nose at me and said, "No sir, we only carry the finest in cameras like the American made Pentax."
My next question had to do with film, but since there was an Eckerd's drugstore half a block away, I went there and bought a couple of rolls of Plus-X.
-Paul
markinlondon
Elmar user
A little OT but it's not just in the photographic world you get these questions. I once met a Fender product manager who told me about being interrupted in a demo where he had just said "the sort of valves your grandma would have recognised" by a kid who said "I thought they only just invented valves to make modern guitar amps sound better".
In this universe I find it difficult to be anti-newton.
In this universe I find it difficult to be anti-newton.
sweathog
Well-known
jmilkins said:
I fairly recently had a guy come in, who did a similar thing.
This gentleman comes in, looks around the store, then says to me "I know you sell cameras..." which I must say was very astute of him, only for him to continue "...but do you sell radios?"
I've also had a request for a voice-distortion device, many requests for headphones and a guy who had me set up and explain to him how to use his dictaphone.
erikhaugsby
killer of threads
I've once seen a twenty-something lady ask for her memory card to be cross-processed.
C-41 in E6 or E6 in C-41 I don't know, but she knew exactly what she wanted and was befuddled when the film lady told her of the impossibility.
C-41 in E6 or E6 in C-41 I don't know, but she knew exactly what she wanted and was befuddled when the film lady told her of the impossibility.
PetarDima
Well-known
erikhaugsby said:I've once seen a twenty-something lady ask for her memory card to be cross-processed.
C-41 in E6 or E6 in C-41 I don't know, but she knew exactly what she wanted and was befuddled when the film lady told her of the impossibility.
Our minds, * 21 century people - are cross-processed
... wonderfull job you have, Peter - enjoy it - I was dreaming about selling Fujifilm compact digicams for living ... still believe it has the best little sensor cameras
jmilkins
Digited User
LOL these annecdotes fill me with hope for our species..
My other fav Retail experiences were the shady characters that came in with obviously stolen cameras that they claimed to be their own, or that their 'uncle" had just given them.
We would stall them long enough "testing" the functions of the camera and making them nervous by saying "hmmn can you get this button to work?" 'til the police arrived from round the corner. The ones that resisted usually ended up thrown against the camera bag display so we set this up several bags deep to assist inujury prevention and settled back to watch the watched the rain of LowePros! Amazing how often a camera bag strap can entangle someone trying to run through a wall of 'em....who needs handcuffs
My other fav Retail experiences were the shady characters that came in with obviously stolen cameras that they claimed to be their own, or that their 'uncle" had just given them.
We would stall them long enough "testing" the functions of the camera and making them nervous by saying "hmmn can you get this button to work?" 'til the police arrived from round the corner. The ones that resisted usually ended up thrown against the camera bag display so we set this up several bags deep to assist inujury prevention and settled back to watch the watched the rain of LowePros! Amazing how often a camera bag strap can entangle someone trying to run through a wall of 'em....who needs handcuffs
john neal
fallor ergo sum
Peter,
Two thoughts - the first time I visited the Real Camera Company (you know where I mean), a guy came in and asked if they sold string (really!)
Second, Confuscious he say - "a fool can ask a question that a wise man cannot answer".
TTFN
Two thoughts - the first time I visited the Real Camera Company (you know where I mean), a guy came in and asked if they sold string (really!)
Second, Confuscious he say - "a fool can ask a question that a wise man cannot answer".
TTFN
cmogi10
Bodhisattva
Tis the case in any retail store, I was working in a music store and just popped out of the sales office (which is in the very back of the store) when a teenager walked up to me, clearly confused, and asked if we sell guitars.
I didn't know what to say, he was dead serious.
He had to have walked through three rooms of electric and acoustic guitars to get to the office in the back.
One a day keeps it interesting, any more just drives me crazy.
I didn't know what to say, he was dead serious.
He had to have walked through three rooms of electric and acoustic guitars to get to the office in the back.
One a day keeps it interesting, any more just drives me crazy.
oftheherd
Veteran
In the State of Colorado, they sell antler-less deer licenses during the deer season. They are technically antler-less, but are commonly called doe or sometimes female licenses. That allows one to bag antler-less deer, be it a doe or a fawn. The later will be hard to live down of course.
The one year I hunted deer there, someone in my office heard there were many left at Denver, so some of us hopped in a car and off we went. We were filling out our paperwork when an attractive young lady came in and announced to the clerk that she had been sent by her husband to get one of the female licenses. While he was getting her the paperwork, she asked if that meant she could hunt with her husband.
I don't know if she thought it odd that so many men suddenly turned their backs to her and began shaking violently.
The one year I hunted deer there, someone in my office heard there were many left at Denver, so some of us hopped in a car and off we went. We were filling out our paperwork when an attractive young lady came in and announced to the clerk that she had been sent by her husband to get one of the female licenses. While he was getting her the paperwork, she asked if that meant she could hunt with her husband.
I don't know if she thought it odd that so many men suddenly turned their backs to her and began shaking violently.
oftheherd
Veteran
jmilkins said:LOL these annecdotes fill me with hope for our species..
My other fav Retail experiences were the shady characters that came in with obviously stolen cameras that they claimed to be their own, or that their 'uncle" had just given them.
We would stall them long enough "testing" the functions of the camera and making them nervous by saying "hmmn can you get this button to work?" 'til the police arrived from round the corner. The ones that resisted usually ended up thrown against the camera bag display so we set this up several bags deep to assist inujury prevention and settled back to watch the watched the rain of LowePros! Amazing how often a camera bag strap can entangle someone trying to run through a wall of 'em....who needs handcuffs
That's funny! Paints an interesting picture in my mind. Didn't happen to get any repeats did you?
350D_user
B+W film devotee
Yup, and one reason why I didn't return to "over the counter sales" as a job. I got tired of "Kodacolour? Fujicolour? Why's one more expensive than the other? Which is better? Why?"jmilkins said:
That, and having to say "Good photo" to customers who shoved badly-framed and out-of-focus 3.5"x5.25" colour photos under my nostrils.
The only anecdote I can remember, was one guy bringing his camera to get the film retrieved as it was continuously winding. Suspecting the film had snapped, the camera was put into the darkbag, The rewind crank wasn't tightening, further evidence of the film having snapped. The back was opened. Sure enough, no film across the shutterplane. There was a surprise though... no film cannister in the camera... the camera wasn't loaded. The customer had a shock when this was announced, he'd used that camera on a "Once in a lifetime" trip, and was hoping I could rescue something from the "snapped film".
String???
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markinlondon
Elmar user
350D_user said:
Hmm, "which one's better?". Sounds strangely familiar, your shop wasn't in Vancouver was it, Dave?
350D_user
B+W film devotee
When I hail from, and reside in, Bolton, UK? Er...markinlondon said:Hmm, "which one's better?". Sounds strangely familiar, your shop wasn't in Vancouver was it, Dave?
Let's face it, the poor sales assistants face that question on a daily basis, and must get sick and tired of it.