Home audio & video: Mystery-shopper study shows salespeople push pricier LCD vs.
Mystery-shopper study shows salespeople push pricier LCD vs.
by gabereyes - 7/21/08 9:35 PMSurvey: Consumers steered to costlier TVs
check out this article on MSNBC.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25787277/
what do you all think?
Gabe
I think it is a bit of a farce.
by neverforgetJeff - 7/21/08 10:34 PM In reply to: Mystery-shopper study shows salespeople push pricier LCD vs. by gabereyesI am a TV salesman, and let me tell you what I tell my customers when I recommend LCD TVs to most customers. They are lighter, take less energy, emit less heat, wont be damaged by tilting during transportation, and reflect less light. The real reason? Fewer LCDs are returned. Some customers still return plasmas due to burn-in because they don't know how to use it right. LCDs are simpler. I actually recommend the Samsung 2008 LCD lineup to most my customers (A530, A550, A650), which range in price from $1199-$3499. I recommend plasma TVs to the more advanced, discerning customers looking to build a home theater. The TVs I recommend to them are the 2008 Panasonic Plasmas.
By the way, the whole thing about being more expensive so that they are recommended is ridiculous, Samsungs start cheaper for the size/resolution than Panasonic Plasmas.
Yes
by gabereyes - 7/23/08 8:58 AM In reply to: I think it is a bit of a farce. by neverforgetJeffthese are all valid points, but how do they really go.
They are lighter: yes but I dont really carry my TV around with me.
take less energy: yes about the same as a 100w bulb, Ill just turn my porch light off.
wont be damaged by tilting during transportation: dont really understand this one, I do installation and tranport TV's all the time and I really dont see any diffrents here.
But if that is true it will be offset by how easy it is to break an LCD with a Wii remote.
reflect less light: if you like samsung, this doesnt count for the 650 and 750 with the high gloss screen. also what is the likely hood that you will actually have glare in the house, most rooms have 4 walls with one or two outside walls with windows so you will have a 25-50% chance at best to see any glare.
Fewer LCDs are returned. Some customers still return plasmas due to burn-in: well I would say stop selling the cheap plasmas, Ive never seen a pioneer or panasonic with real burnin.
By the way, the whole thing about being more expensive so that they are recommended is ridiculous, Samsungs start cheaper for the size/resolution than Panasonic Plasmas.
Yes I agree, I dont think sales people sell them just because they cost more, but I do think customers think that they are better do to the price diffrents.
And yes you can get a samsung 1080p for the same price as a panasonic 720p, but the panasonic has alot more contrast, so the question is what is more important contrast or resolution? ISF and CNET say contrast is number 1, color sat #2, color accuracy #3, and resolution #4.
there is alot a little stuff why LCD or Plasma, but it all comes down to the room that they are going into, the only real diffrence is plasma has a better picture, LCDs are very close, and overcomes lighting and glare better..
It's going to be a complex decision
by drpruner - 7/25/08 8:39 PM In reply to: Yes by gabereyesfor some time. Maybe one will pick up a clear pack of advantages over the other; certainly the prices will continue to drop for all.
BTW, I believe plasmas run about 400W, which compares to the old tube-type TVs of medieval times. 
Ten hours of viewing is 3 kwhr over the LCD.
OK
by gabereyes - 7/27/08 8:54 PM In reply to: It's going to be a complex decision by drprunerim not sure about the Watts or KW numbers, but its usually about 1-5 dollars more a month on the electric bill.
I purchased an LCD over a Plasma
by Jakeman97 - 7/26/08 3:25 AM In reply to: Yes by gabereyesAll my daytime viewing is done on a JVC LT-37XM48 in a brightly lighted room and the LCD screen picks up absolutely no glare from four very large venitian blind covered windows. If you purchase your TV in a specialty store where the walls and ceilings are painted flat black the Plasma screen will paint a great picture. However, unless you plan to view at home under the exactly the same conditions you will be greatly disappointed. In closing, LCD TV views the best in a brightly lighted room, and Plasma views best in a darkened room.
SCAM, SCAM, SCAM!!!
by Riverledge - 7/23/08 8:00 PM In reply to: Mystery-shopper study shows salespeople push pricier LCD vs. by gabereyesRIVER.
Another survey
by 3rdalbum - 7/26/08 3:16 AM In reply to: Mystery-shopper study shows salespeople push pricier LCD vs. by gabereyesA new survey shows that salespeople don't tell their customers to shop somewhere else.
I mean, really; salespeople are meant to try to upsell to something more expensive. I do. Don't get me wrong, I don't invent reasons to buy the more expensive one, I just tell the customer about the better features, and show them the better picture quality (if there is better picture quality).
But seriously, it's our job to sell greater amounts. If that means selling an LCD, and it's appropriate for the customer's needs, then so be it.
(Down here we do tend to sell more LCDs, firstly because lots of people believe all the FUD and screw up their faces when you suggest plasma; and secondly because people in Australia usually have direct sunlight pointing at their screens through their windows.
What else would you expect? Lots of consumers like to
by NM_Bill - 7/26/08 1:44 PM In reply to: Mystery-shopper study shows salespeople push pricier LCD vs. by gabereyesimagine getting one of those Sonys or whatever, similar to lusting after more glamorous automobiles, but many wind up buying more affordable Vizios. You know, like the familiar base model Ford or Chevy instead of sporty alternatives.
It's not about the money.
by tlsmith1138 - 7/27/08 7:25 PM In reply to: Mystery-shopper study shows salespeople push pricier LCD vs. by gabereyesPeople are pointed toward lcds mostly for old, no longer true and folklorish reasons. Most of them probably comes from the lcd manufacturers. Rumors of burn in, which I've never seen, turn off video game players. The story that they have to be kept sitting up, totally bogus, make them seem more fragile than they really are. Rumors of at best a seven year life span. Shiny screens, like we all didn't grow up with those and did fine. I show them both. It's the customer that often comes with misinformation and preferences. Plasmas are much better than they used to be.
rear wheel vs front wheel drive
by gabereyes - 7/27/08 8:48 PM In reply to: It's not about the money. by tlsmith1138this is what I think about when someone says plasma vs LCD.
we all know that rear wheel drive has alot of advantages over front wheel, thats why most performance or race cars are all rear wheel drive, but what if it snows? then you want front wheel drive right?
Well that depends on how often it snows and do you ever drive in it when it does snow.
its the same with plasma, it is a better picture for many reasons, but everyone is worried about sun-light and glare.
so they get LCD, but how often are they watching TV and when.
Well most people watch TV after working a 9 to 5 job and they also watch more TV in the winter months, when no one has any yard work to do or not going to the lake, park, etc., and all the popular shows are on, like CSI's, Numbers, House, etc.
and when these show are on its dark out side. So there is no sun-light and less or no glare.
Most people watch about 60-90% of TV when its dark outside, but yet they still base their choice of TV on the 10-40% of the time they might get sunlight and glare. plus LCD is not that much brighter then plasma, they are both brighter then the old CRT's that everyone was fine with intel now, the only real advantage that LCD has is no glare in and thats only in some models, and if you take away glossy screen LCD models, plasma will be a better choice almost every time.
its all subjective
by skylineaddict - 7/28/08 9:48 PM In reply to: rear wheel vs front wheel drive by gabereyessince most people that come into my store to buy a tv turn their nose up and look at me like im retarded when i ask them if they came in looking at plasma or lcd, i sell a mixture of both. i do recomend plasma to most customers, not because they are cheaper( which they are compared to an lcd with similar features), but because they actually will perform better in a customers home. the poster who made the reference to most people working 9-5 hit the nail right on the head. people that actually analyze the time of day they typically watch tv end up buying a plasma from me, unless of course they really really want an lcd or their home conditions/viewing habits warrant lcd over plasma..that said, they both are great tvs, but you cant beat a new pioneer kuro plasma or my personal favortite, the panasonic th46pz85u..2 weeks in my living room and still the most beautiful thing ive ever spent hours and hours staring at....unless my gf is reading this then its right behind her. lol. jk
-
by jonnybones - 7/28/08 10:12 PM In reply to: Mystery-shopper study shows salespeople push pricier LCD vs. by gabereyesHmm, as a TV salesman in my previous life, I have a lot to say about this. I will try to be brief.
1) "Secret shoppers" do not represent the majority of shoppers. They are SO DARN (can we swear on cnet?) focused on making sure they cover all the things they are supposed to in their review, that they forget the human aspect of it. I am sure of this, having dealt with many "secret shoppers" (who, if you work in the business, arent so secret; they are VERY easy to spot)
2) Though LCD's ARE most suggested, it is not because they cost more, it is because most people put huge windows in their living rooms; this leaves the good salesman only one option. (anti-glare plasmas are often suggested but quickly turned down by customers)
3) Customers are scared of Plasmsa because "they need recharging every 3 months". I wanted to punch every customer that said that, since they obviously didn't do their homework.
4) It is TRUE that plasma take more power, but a good salesman would explain the cons/benefits so the customer would be able to decide whether the extra month electricity cost would be worth it. (After proper explanation most accepted the cost
5) There are more LCD's than Plasmas. This is straight forward numbers. More companies make LCD's, and they make more variations of them (exception panasonic). That means that 2/3 large tv's are going to be LCD no matter what the reason.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
