Radio Shack's RadioShack.Com - You'll Be Surprised By What They Have To Offer
Written: Jan 16 '03
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The first time I ever knew about Radio Shack was when I heard about their computer system that competed with some of the other big names. What was that? The early 80's? At that time, I was not (and still am not) an electronics/computer guru so really, I had no need to visit their retail locations.
Up until 2 years ago, I had never stepped foot into a Radio Shack. What prompted me to go? A co-worker and I were traveling over to Europe and we needed to get a couple of foreign converters/adapters. I remember walking into the store and it just looked bizarre to me.
The front seemed to be very sparse and empty while the back seemed packed with product and overly busy. I hated being in there. I didn't know where to locate anything and I just hated having to ask the busy sales dude.
BTW - I do think that I was the only female within 2 miles of the store :).
Flash forward 18 months later. I have another overseas trip only this time, I have no clue where I've placed my foreign adapters and converters. Since I had become quite comfortable with shopping online, I was determined to purchase my stuff in this manner. Anything but the store again!
Alright. Confession time. I forgot what the foreign converter/adapters were. I MEAN - I knew I needed some doo-hickeys that allowed me to plug my curling iron into their power outlets. I just didn't know the official name to use when doing a search :).
I tried a couple of things (I told you that I'm not an electronics/computer chick). Finally, when nothing showed up, I went over to RadioShack.Com.
Radio Shack - the website - reminds me a lot of the brick and mortar store. It's extremely busy. Their home page has a navigation bar that will take you to many different locations. The center of their page is filled with products and the right side features new, special, and on sale merchandise.
I didn't know where to start. *sigh*
At the very top of Radio Shack's home page (and subsequently - on every page you navigate to) there is a feature called , Ask The Shack. The idea is to type in a keyword or product number and it would find products for you.
Oh Man! I was in the same exact situation. I didn't know what it was called.
I typed in EUROPE.
It pulled up 10 different products, listing the names, a picture, and a brief summary.
Guess what?! YES! It brought me up the Foreign Adapters and Converters!
It was then that I decided, although the design looked tailored for a male, the search engine was meant for the female! I know I poke a little fun at this but believe me when I tell you that if an electronics company wants to reach out and touch a female audience without alienating the male audience, they've got to be creative in how they do it.
Each product displays a picture, lists the price, catalog number, features, brand, model, and if it's offered online, through the catalog or in stores.
I probably could have picked from any of the ten but instead, I wanted to see how customer service online worked (she said in an evil voice).
I wrote and told them that I was taking a trip to the U.K. and that I needed the appropriate adapter/converter for the trip. I received a reply - non-form mind you - asking me what I would be using them for. Generically, they indicated what to use for electric equipment, medical equipment, and personal care items - along with examples of each.
Isn't that sweet?!
I ordered the appropriate adapters and converters.
When I was ready to check out - I had the choice of printing off my list to take to the Radio Shack store, email it to a friend, or purchase online.
Payment can be made by MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, or Radio Shack's card.
Shipping options include standard, 2nd day air, and next day air. If you're looking to ship internationally, you are out of luck.
After you complete your transaction, they send you a confirmation receipt to your designated email address.
I asked mine to be shipped standard mail, which they state may take between 2 and 7 days. I received mine on the fourth day.
My adapters and converter were packed appropriately and if I needed to return the items, Radio Shack included a Returns Form with instructions. That was a really nice touch!
Fortunately, I didn't need to return the products. They were packed nicely into my suitcase and traveled with me to various parts of the U.K.
I was thrilled with my entire purchasing experience, from the search engine, to the customer service, to the quality of my products.
Over Christmas, I went to the site to see if anything was of interest to me (you know - the non-electronics/computer chick). I was surprised to find all sorts of things. They had a rebate center, coupons for you to use in their brick and mortar stores, and owner manuals. I happened to have misplaced my manual for my cellular phone and when I went to look for it, there it was! I saved it to my hard drive for future use.
Although I am intimidated by the brick and mortar version of Radio Shack, I am absolutely in love with their online store. Instead of looking elsewhere for electronics and computer stuff, I've made it a habit to visit RadioShack.Com. Although their prices are usually never the lowest, they've got a lot of other things that make up for it. That's the kind of stuff you can't put a price on.
Recommended:
Yes
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kristinafh
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Member: Kristina Frazier-Henry
Location: Indiana
Reviews written: 1344
Trusted by: 1169 members
About Me:
Cannot breathe. Missing Barbara.
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