212kelvin Loc: San Francisco

I think the sales rep was probably trying to make conversation. Or perhaps he was genuinely curious. I doubt it. Most people make conversation by saying so how's your day going?

But since they work on commission at Best Buy, he was probably trying, awkwardly trying, to find a lead in to sell you a new camera. How on earth asking how much you paid for your camera be a lead in to sell a card? Unless of course the kid was just that, a kid.

Young people can be so uninformed and naive. I would have taken the opportunity to gently give him a lesson in sales. Maybe would have said something like: my camera cost more than any of these cards, and less then the camera you will be trying to sell me to go with one of these cards. I'm happy with my old faithful Canon. A better question to upsell me would have been how much are you looking to spend? Then you could help me spend it all. Now I'm going to ask you what is the least expensive card you have.

Maybe all Best Buy sales people are like him? I don't know, I don't go to Best Buy unless I have a gift card. Even then I go online to shop there.

FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County

"How much did your camera cost?"
Why do you want to know? Just curious, or are you looking to sell me something I don't need?

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Sounds like he does not know what he is talking about. Sorry to say, except for the GEEK squad most clerks do not know much.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

He obviously had no idea what he was talking about!

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Yes, a better question would have been “what camera do you have”?
BUT if you told me your camera cost $500 or $1000 or $3000 or $6000, I could sell you the correct card for you’re camera. EVERY new camera in those price ranges does certain things, shoots at a certain speed, has a certain buffer and shoots video at certain capacities and has certain mp. Nor can I think of many exceptions, assuming you didn’t lie!!!
SS

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Thank you.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Sales clerks at large department stores rarely are experts of the products they sell. (And oftentimes these clerks are paid little and periodically moved from department to department, which gives them hardly much incentive or time to really get to know and understand the products beyond the rudimentary.)

What the sales clerks are trained to do is maximize sales by convincing customers to spend as much as possible, which includes "sizing up" each potential customer - how much they may be willing to spend. By asking you how much you had paid for your last camera was the clerk's way of gaining some insight to your spending potential; perhaps a somewhat crude method, but often quite effective.

In my opinion, it is always best to do your own research on photo gear rather than relying entirely on sales clerks to tell you what items you need to buy. There is nothing wrong with listening to what the clerk has to say, but be well informed before you come to the store and purchase anything.

mrova Loc: Chesterfield, VA

And I don't buy my photo gear at Best Buy either. In this case, I needed the mic I went for because it was in stock and "I really have to have this now" situation. But once there, I realized I needed a card and knew what I wanted, I just wasn't familiar with this store's layout and had walked all around the area except where the rack of cards were. Usually you can locate cards in several places within the store, but not at this one. So, he politely showed me where they were and he genuinely asked a goofy question because he didn't know better. And, he didn't try to steer me away from the lower end cards nor try to upsell...I wanted a 64g card and he pointed out the ones on the racks. Now, he did point out the more expensive ones, I guess, because I've got an expensive camera, but really, no pressure there to purchase those. I saw the card I wanted and picked it off the shelf, and went to pay. The only pressure was that he seemed pretty certain that HE was GOING TO ring my sale as in "I can take you right over here..." Forgot about the commission part. I knew when he asked that question he had no clue what he was talking about, but he was polite - that was great - but to have any real knowledge about cameras and cards, um, I think not so much.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

I've purchased plenty of camera gear from Best Buy. The stuff they sell is no different from the stuff the Camera shops sell. I've purchased camera bodies, lenses and accessories from Best Buy and have never had a problem, although unlike many shoppers, I do have a clue. To me the sales person is there to fetch what I'm buying and ring up the sale. One of the reasons I buy at Best Buy is they occasionally run sales the Camera stores do not; they also have a really simple return process. Another reason is, I live in Pennsylvania, not far from the state line with Delaware. PA has a 6% sales tax, DE does not. The Best Buy in North Delaware has a pretty good camera department. They carry Canon and Nikon and Olympus and Sony and a few others. I recently purchased a Canon M50 from there. Had I purchased the same camera from the nearest camera store to me in PA that had it in stock, I would have driven farther and paid more. So yes, I buy cameras from Best Buy, and anyone who doesn't, just because they are a big box store, either has a really, really good reason not to, or, if their situation is like mine, likes to spend more than they need to.
As for cost, I had a gift certificate so it cost me $630.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

The guy was very well trained, he got you to tell him exactly what he wanted to know. And he did it with very little effort. You're one tough sell.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

True story:
Me, to photo section sales guy: Do you have any ball heads?
Sales guy: You mean like for a trailer hitch?

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Hey, that’s a heck of a comeback, I’ll have to remember that one!
I hope you thought it was darned funny?!
Did he deliver that line with a straight face??? LoL
SS

repleo Loc: Boston

Best scenario - he was trying to steer you away from spending more on the card than your camera was worth?

Nah!!!

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

At one of the BB’s in Anchorage you get whoever hapoens to be handy to the camera department at the time I think. At the other BB the camera department manager is actualky extremely knowledgeable about cameras as he is a very advanced amateur/almost pro. He was very helpful when I bought my D7200. I was inpressed that he knew whathd was talking about.

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

Actually, I do get that question from time to time from people. I actually have a reflexive answer as soon as it's asked. Without a pause, I automatically now just reply (I don't pay for my cameras, they pay for themselves)