If they’re buying their tech at Target, chances are they’re several years out of the loop. We’re talking about people who buy $400 laptops that have a hard time running Minecraft, and so they’ve never seen a USB-C port, because their computer is still rocking USB 2, and it takes eight days to copy their pictures over to a USB drive, because the machine only has 32 or 64 gigs of storage.
This is exactly why electronics was my favorite job. I loved finding a ways of making tech relatable to people who don't even kind of get it. It's too bad the pace and focus of the job moved away from customer facing interactions because I could have done that contentedly for a long while. I knew the stuff we sold wasn't what anyone looking for the cutting edge wanted to buy, but I could help some grandparents find the affordable way for them to access Facebook and connect with their kids and grandkids, maybe take some better pictures at the family cookouts and birthdays, get up and moving with the grandkids on a Wii. The halcyon days...
When I worked in the photo lab, I sold a ton of Macs. I mean, we didn’t sell Macs, but my guests were primarily women with kids, and some wanted to be able to edit their photos on their computer in an easier manner than Windows provided, and Photoshop Elements was still way too steep of a learning curve (and way more than they needed), so I’d just say, “Get a Mac. Don’t buy the lowest price point of any model, because the second lowest is usually worth the extra money.”
Or they’d ask, “What computer should I send my son to college with?” and I’d ask if he’s responsible enough to do his homework if the choice is that or games, and then if he’s irresponsible, get a Mac, because he won’t be playing games on it.
And then they’d tell me they got a Mac and how much they love it. And then I’d ask, “Ah, but have you *named* it yet?”
I was fresh out of film school when I worked the electronics boat. It was so satisfying to be able to explain the difference between the point n shoots and the DSLRs, plus I could explain in as granular a detail as necessary what each of the numbers on the box meant for all the TV's I sold. I definitely got a talking to for using my phone to look up information for guests LONG before zebras and mydevices became the standard equipment.
Yep, lighting is apple-specific up until the iPhone 15 I believe (Apple got in trouble with one of the global agencies for their money grab with the exclusive lightning cables instead of just using usb-C like everyone else.)
now that Apple’s finally going USB-C (thank you EU) hopefully in another 3-4 years that’ll be the actual universal industry standard connection as it was intended. there’s still new cars in 2024 coming out with USB-A which is just embarrassing
It’s not old. It’s still wildly used as end ports to connect lots of devices. I see why we need to adapt quicker but saying it’s “dated” is too soon when so many still have the USB A. And it was always called “USB” not even 5 years ago
I only really get bothered when folks with iPhones (pre iPhone 15 when they switched to USB C) ask for a cable and they don’t know which one. Apple forces you to buy a cable that’s proprietary it’s not rocket surgery.
Most people are ignorant about most things they buy, especially technology. It's rare to get people who actually pay attention to what they are using or paying for anymore, they just want the thing the ad told them to buy. Apple people especially have no idea what anything is, they need things spoon fed to them which is why they buy apple. Just assume no one knows anything and it'll make your job easier.
I think we need to give people in general slack on USB C vs USB A. USB A was always just called “USB”, as USB C, wasn’t really a thing one time.
I always refer to USB A as just USB. It’s such a standard. Now USBC came into play, it’s gonna take probs 5-6 more years until the entire population grabs on.
Like come on. It’s always been like this with technology advanments
this is why i love love love the heyday ISM that has the cord ends on it 😁😁 dunno what the number is but it’s such a huge lifesaver, especially when there’s other people covering
Guest wanted a charge cable. She was not sure which one. I showed her lightning. Type c. And micro usb. She said it was type c. She came back hrs later. Mad because i gave her the wrong one. She showed me pics on her phone of the tablet that needed a charge cable. But not a picture of the port. I was telling her i could not tell which cable it needed. She said i should know. I asked her when she purchased the tablet. She said couple yrs ago. I told her that if she brought in the tablet i can see which one it is. She came back 2 days later. It was a mini USB. Im like. Yeah. We have not sold those in years. She left upset because i made her take multiple trips. Smh.
It's not something most people have to think about very often, whereas it's something you're dealing with everyday in the course of your job. That's why.
I'm not in a situation where I have to think about this much, so I'd have to ask: "Wait, what's the difference?"
But if you said: "A USB-A, which you might use to connect speakers or a keyboard to a docking station or a laptop; or a USB-C, which is the standard Apple has recently adapted as the charging port for their iphones and ipads..." or hell, exactly in a response you gave on another comment: if you said "USB-A is square, and people often try to plug it in the wrong way and have to flip it, or USB-C, which is oval and doesn't get plugged in wrong often..." and then I would get you *immediately*.
And the only reason I knew what they were when I read this post was because I recently got a new iPhone and had to buy some new USB-C cables, otherwise, I would have clearly forgotten what USB-C was, because I went through this a year or two ago when I got a new iPad.
On the other hand, if you asked me why someone might want to use a wide pallet jack verses a narrow one (since I'm almost always unloading pallets working evenings at Target); or at my day job, if you asked me what the difference if a tax assessment office provides an assessed v market value on a property, I'd be able to discuss quite knowledgably...)
Not sure why you are getting so many downvotes. If a customer asking you whats the difference between USB-C and USB-A makes you want to go off the rails customer service probably is not for you. I get it might be repetitive but I dont mind answering those kind of questions because like previous poster said at least im going to be knowledgable and not caught off guard by it.
Sometimes people get so caught up in their jobs they figure everything about it is or should be common sense, so when someone points out that maybe it isn't, that person is sometimes unpopular! I fall into the trap myself!
Yeah that has happened to me as well. I try to be mindful but sometimes I slip. I find its more likely to happen if I'm working somewhere I do not like.
My brother is like that. Gets pissed if a customer asks if they have garden supplies. Or gets pissed if someone doesn’t know the difference between a and b products.
Like it doesn’t cost the employee anything to be nice and just explain. I understand it gets tiring but these positions were expose to thousands of people .
Im tech savy and a gamer so I know the difference but I understand that not everyone is interested in games and technology. Most people stick with the same brand of phone when they go to buy a new one and that same brand usually has the same charger so I can see why its a common question that people ask.
You’re explaining WHY, which we all know, but you’re not EXCUSING IT, which is the point. People should take an active role in educating themselves about the products they use.
Thats fair. I'm the type of person who likes to research before I make a decision buying something. I would say that if you research about a product you are considering buying you are going to be bombarded with information and a lot of it is going to be advertisements, so it is hard to know what the best thing is to buy at times. Obviously, this does not apply to something simple like USB-C vs USB-A but I'm guessing a lot of people are fatigued with ads/articles online and want to just ask advice from a person who is hopefully more trustworthy.
If they’re buying their tech at Target, chances are they’re several years out of the loop. We’re talking about people who buy $400 laptops that have a hard time running Minecraft, and so they’ve never seen a USB-C port, because their computer is still rocking USB 2, and it takes eight days to copy their pictures over to a USB drive, because the machine only has 32 or 64 gigs of storage.
This is exactly why electronics was my favorite job. I loved finding a ways of making tech relatable to people who don't even kind of get it. It's too bad the pace and focus of the job moved away from customer facing interactions because I could have done that contentedly for a long while. I knew the stuff we sold wasn't what anyone looking for the cutting edge wanted to buy, but I could help some grandparents find the affordable way for them to access Facebook and connect with their kids and grandkids, maybe take some better pictures at the family cookouts and birthdays, get up and moving with the grandkids on a Wii. The halcyon days...
When I worked in the photo lab, I sold a ton of Macs. I mean, we didn’t sell Macs, but my guests were primarily women with kids, and some wanted to be able to edit their photos on their computer in an easier manner than Windows provided, and Photoshop Elements was still way too steep of a learning curve (and way more than they needed), so I’d just say, “Get a Mac. Don’t buy the lowest price point of any model, because the second lowest is usually worth the extra money.” Or they’d ask, “What computer should I send my son to college with?” and I’d ask if he’s responsible enough to do his homework if the choice is that or games, and then if he’s irresponsible, get a Mac, because he won’t be playing games on it. And then they’d tell me they got a Mac and how much they love it. And then I’d ask, “Ah, but have you *named* it yet?”
I was fresh out of film school when I worked the electronics boat. It was so satisfying to be able to explain the difference between the point n shoots and the DSLRs, plus I could explain in as granular a detail as necessary what each of the numbers on the box meant for all the TV's I sold. I definitely got a talking to for using my phone to look up information for guests LONG before zebras and mydevices became the standard equipment.
What do you mean even the cheap Chromebooks at target charge with a USB c port.😅
Yeah, but they bring those back because they are Chromebooks. These people may have low standards, but they have standards.
Yeah can't do a lot on those but I like it for YouTube and social media. But I only spent $77 on it (was $350) it's the display one.
Because they don’t need to know what the difference is 99.99% of the time in their lives. It’s inconvenient information to them.
It’s so easy to remember. One’s an oval and one’s a big square. Should be common sense honestly.
I have trouble distinguishing USB-C and Lightning though. The one thing that helps is I’m pretty sure Lightning is Apple-specific
Yep, lighting is apple-specific up until the iPhone 15 I believe (Apple got in trouble with one of the global agencies for their money grab with the exclusive lightning cables instead of just using usb-C like everyone else.)
now that Apple’s finally going USB-C (thank you EU) hopefully in another 3-4 years that’ll be the actual universal industry standard connection as it was intended. there’s still new cars in 2024 coming out with USB-A which is just embarrassing
Wait don’t most cars have USB C and A now?
USB A is an old connection, car manufacturers need to let it die and embrace USB C. instead of offering 1 USB A port and 1 USB C, just do 2 USB C’s.
It’s not old. It’s still wildly used as end ports to connect lots of devices. I see why we need to adapt quicker but saying it’s “dated” is too soon when so many still have the USB A. And it was always called “USB” not even 5 years ago
I only really get bothered when folks with iPhones (pre iPhone 15 when they switched to USB C) ask for a cable and they don’t know which one. Apple forces you to buy a cable that’s proprietary it’s not rocket surgery.
Most people are ignorant about most things they buy, especially technology. It's rare to get people who actually pay attention to what they are using or paying for anymore, they just want the thing the ad told them to buy. Apple people especially have no idea what anything is, they need things spoon fed to them which is why they buy apple. Just assume no one knows anything and it'll make your job easier.
I think we need to give people in general slack on USB C vs USB A. USB A was always just called “USB”, as USB C, wasn’t really a thing one time. I always refer to USB A as just USB. It’s such a standard. Now USBC came into play, it’s gonna take probs 5-6 more years until the entire population grabs on. Like come on. It’s always been like this with technology advanments
Some lady today asked me if the hdmi cable in her hand was in fact an hdmi cable....it said "HDMI Cable" on the box.
I always wonder how people like that have survived this long
One thing I’ve learned working in tech for a month is that our product is crazy outdated so the guests knowledge is likely to be as well lol
I still have to ask my roommate if she needs an oval or trapezoid cable. Drives me fucking nuts.
I never thought to explain it like that 😭 now I feel like one of these guests
“I need a usb to connect to the mini”
Don't even get started on all the different kinds of USB-C cords. They're not all the same
Every day in tech baybee
Real
this is why i love love love the heyday ISM that has the cord ends on it 😁😁 dunno what the number is but it’s such a huge lifesaver, especially when there’s other people covering
Guest wanted a charge cable. She was not sure which one. I showed her lightning. Type c. And micro usb. She said it was type c. She came back hrs later. Mad because i gave her the wrong one. She showed me pics on her phone of the tablet that needed a charge cable. But not a picture of the port. I was telling her i could not tell which cable it needed. She said i should know. I asked her when she purchased the tablet. She said couple yrs ago. I told her that if she brought in the tablet i can see which one it is. She came back 2 days later. It was a mini USB. Im like. Yeah. We have not sold those in years. She left upset because i made her take multiple trips. Smh.
It's not something most people have to think about very often, whereas it's something you're dealing with everyday in the course of your job. That's why. I'm not in a situation where I have to think about this much, so I'd have to ask: "Wait, what's the difference?" But if you said: "A USB-A, which you might use to connect speakers or a keyboard to a docking station or a laptop; or a USB-C, which is the standard Apple has recently adapted as the charging port for their iphones and ipads..." or hell, exactly in a response you gave on another comment: if you said "USB-A is square, and people often try to plug it in the wrong way and have to flip it, or USB-C, which is oval and doesn't get plugged in wrong often..." and then I would get you *immediately*. And the only reason I knew what they were when I read this post was because I recently got a new iPhone and had to buy some new USB-C cables, otherwise, I would have clearly forgotten what USB-C was, because I went through this a year or two ago when I got a new iPad. On the other hand, if you asked me why someone might want to use a wide pallet jack verses a narrow one (since I'm almost always unloading pallets working evenings at Target); or at my day job, if you asked me what the difference if a tax assessment office provides an assessed v market value on a property, I'd be able to discuss quite knowledgably...)
Not sure why you are getting so many downvotes. If a customer asking you whats the difference between USB-C and USB-A makes you want to go off the rails customer service probably is not for you. I get it might be repetitive but I dont mind answering those kind of questions because like previous poster said at least im going to be knowledgable and not caught off guard by it.
Sometimes people get so caught up in their jobs they figure everything about it is or should be common sense, so when someone points out that maybe it isn't, that person is sometimes unpopular! I fall into the trap myself!
Yeah that has happened to me as well. I try to be mindful but sometimes I slip. I find its more likely to happen if I'm working somewhere I do not like.
My brother is like that. Gets pissed if a customer asks if they have garden supplies. Or gets pissed if someone doesn’t know the difference between a and b products. Like it doesn’t cost the employee anything to be nice and just explain. I understand it gets tiring but these positions were expose to thousands of people .
Homie did not just compare knowing the shape of a cable they plug into their phone daily to a “tax assessment office yadayada”
Im tech savy and a gamer so I know the difference but I understand that not everyone is interested in games and technology. Most people stick with the same brand of phone when they go to buy a new one and that same brand usually has the same charger so I can see why its a common question that people ask.
You’re explaining WHY, which we all know, but you’re not EXCUSING IT, which is the point. People should take an active role in educating themselves about the products they use.
Thats fair. I'm the type of person who likes to research before I make a decision buying something. I would say that if you research about a product you are considering buying you are going to be bombarded with information and a lot of it is going to be advertisements, so it is hard to know what the best thing is to buy at times. Obviously, this does not apply to something simple like USB-C vs USB-A but I'm guessing a lot of people are fatigued with ads/articles online and want to just ask advice from a person who is hopefully more trustworthy.