That's really a sweet view -- all that stuff nearly ready to go! Do you have some kind of verifiable auditing in place for the piece counts in each case? (I speak from the experience of a friend who sells fishing tackle to large distributors.) Are you hiring a truck to get it all to Fort Worth? It looks like a bit too much for a UPS shipment.
They are looking forward to seeing what is coming in from Parallax. While they won't let me leave a project with them for the counter, ("If we did this for one, we'd have to do it for everyone.") They have invited me to bring them a Quickstart board demo so that they can see what can be done with it.
I'm pretty hyped, as they are currently #4 in the region for moving electronics parts.
They won't let me bring in a demonstration Quickstart and leave it with them on the counter...
They will let me bring in a demonstration Quickstart and show it off to the staff so that they can talk about it with the customers.
Have you guys considered creating a simple self-running POS demo for the stores? (No, not that POS, the other one: "Point of Sale." Geez! I can read your mind from here! Through the rain!) 'Just thinking that something provided via Fort Worth might meet less resistance from the store managers.
Hummm. I wonder if that's a RS policy, or a franchisee policy, or something? I shall try it myself here in the next week...
-Matt
Radio Shack Corporate policy is that no advertising material may be displayed in any store without corporate approval. This applies to any vendor generated "POP" . I suggest such a demo be designed and approved by FTW then we can put it into the stores.
Another Jumpstart program would be to build projects using available Radio Shack parts and submitting them to the RS DIY website. I would like to see a small robot built with maybe PB Jar lids with LiveStrong wrist bands for tires and housed in a project box. I will be unable to build anything myself until the products hit the stores when I can buy at my employee price. Let me know via this thread or PM when such projects get posted and I will send internal message to the DIY folks.
Do you happen to know if the Radio Shack in Grosse Pointe Woods on Mack Ave is going to get the Parallax items? It is one of the larger stores in the area and with the demographics of the people in the area it would be a good location for the parts. I'd really like to see them at this store since it is close enough to walk to if I needed something. I haven't picked up a QuickStart board yet and was holding off until they get them in that store.
Do you happen to know if the Radio Shack in Grosse Pointe Woods on Mack Ave is going to get the Parallax items? It is one of the larger stores in the area and with the demographics of the people in the area it would be a good location for the parts. I'd really like to see them at this store since it is close enough to walk to if I needed something. I haven't picked up a QuickStart board yet and was holding off until they get them in that store.
Robert
Robert,
I don't even know if my store is going to get the product.
Jim
A little background that might help "justify" why it's so awful...
Everybody in those videos has been working non-stop on two HUGE projects - Both Radio Shack and the Eddie Robot Platform for Microsoft's RDS Group.
Manufacturing has been putting in countless hours getting the product built and Kitting has been packing for WEEKS.
Everybody in that video was completely exhausted (in fact, most went home right after the video was produced. I can point to multiple examples of how each one of those people gave up their early mornings and late nights routinely to get these shipments out the door, and on time :-)
As an example, Kitting starts around 4:30am and has been going home around 4pm for quite a while now.
Multiple people in Manufacturing (including that tired looking guy in the Krispy Kreme hat start early and work late everyday for the last few weeks - this, for many of them also meant giving up their Saturdays - and Sunday's too. (Although this was not a mandated requirement by Management here - we just love what we do, and this was an opportunity to go "above and beyond".)
For example, Mr. Krispy Kreme was here all day, every day last week. He went home at 1:30 am Friday morning, and was back in here at 7am the same day (Friday) - He's not the only one, just an example of how our team strives toward excellence. (Not that we're excellent - we just want to make the best stuff we can, with the resources we have).
As for the video? Holy Cow, that's really, really bad !!!
I'm the videographer (and cheerleader!)...(embarrassed to admit :-)
At the time I'm up on a ladder (not quite stable anyway), tired and being rushed because everybody there was DONE! and they just wanted to go home...
Then here I come along and say, "Hey - got an idea" Even though we're all "dead" - let's make a video and tell the world what's coming their way!!!
All I heard way "groans", and "you're nuts dude" - but rally to my side, they did!
Pretty? no.
Professionally done? no.
Pooped? Absolutely Yes!
Welcome to the Forums rbwilliams - you just happened along to catch us in a "quite unlike Parallax" mood on the video. Hang around and hopefully you'll see us in a better light :-)
Sorry - but it sounds like Parallax suffers the same problem that most companies do - managers completely out of touch with their employees.
I couldn't disagree more with that assessment. What the video reveals to me is a very collegial environment, where the staff at all levels has a sense of common purpose and ownership over the work they do. In how many more traditional work environments could someone unselfconsciously admit that another person can work faster than he does? To me, this exemplifies a healthy workplace, where each team member is valued for what they can do. If you were to visit Parallax, you would experience this atmosphere firsthand, since it pervades the entire company and everything they do.
Oh, Phil - lighten up
rb just came along at the exactly the wrong time to get a fair perspective on how we operate here - heck, I would have probably come to the same conclusion...
And just to clarify a little bit rb - I'm not a manager here (by any stretch of imagination!) Everybody here is encouraged to interact with customers - anytime, anywhere. Just because I take pictures/videos of the crew, doesn't mean I manage anyone or any thing - I'm simply a "part of the team" (and blessed to be so).
(At the risk of sounding like a cheerleader again), Welcome rb!
@Matt - I want to work with you guys! Any positions open at Parallax for a veterinarian?
Back on topic - I stopped by my neighborhood RS today at lunch and chatted with the manager for a few. She said they are due a reset at the end of this month but didn't have access to any details. This seconds what others have said in the thread. RS_Jim I believe said something similar.
Unfortunately my Radio Shack managers here in Western Massachusetts seem to have not a CLUE about ANY of this. And I've been asking for a few months now. Starting to think they were all at a different meeting when the rest of the country's RS managers were talking with Parallax...
Parallax parts slowly trickling into stores. Call your freindly local shack and ask if they have the new technical kits section. If they do, they will have Parallax parts coming in. I have some prices and from what I see our prices are within $1 or $2 of online prices from Parallax. Unfortunately my store doesn't have that section.
Jim
Part numbers that you are looking for are 276-0119 thru 276-0126. These parts are not currently comming up under the Radio Shack online search engine. I will keep you posted as to when they are arriving in stores. Should happen about midweek this week. Call your local store and ask them for a 2760119 (gyro) if they don't have it ask them to do an inventory search in the "Product Information tool" in ANSO.
Jim
I don't know if y'all have thought about this, but at my local radio shack, most of the customers and workers speak Spanish. Mexican type Spanish as this is Chicago. Of course the workers speak American well enough (notice I did not mistakenly say English here, that is a different topic) but the majority of the customers and workers THINK in Spanish.
Of course in this neighborhood, there are more or less equal amounts of Polish, Ukrainian, Hindi, Bengali, and Chinese that are also present; but Spanish is the biggest, probably equal to the others combined.
Does the packaging contain line that says "instrucions y data sheets en espaniol es en www:parallax/spanishstuff/" ? (Except spelled correctly)? Sure would be easier if the kids (i.e. parents) didn't have to do the translation.
I don't know if y'all have thought about this, but at my local radio shack, most of the customers and workers speak Spanish. Mexican type Spanish as this is Chicago. Of course the workers speak American well enough (notice I did not mistakenly say English here, that is a different topic) but the majority of the customers and workers THINK in Spanish.
Of course in this neighborhood, there are more or less equal amounts of Polish, Ukrainian, Hindi, Bengali, and Chinese that are also present; but Spanish is the biggest, probably equal to the others combined.
Does the packaging contain line that says "instrucions y data sheets en espaniol es en www:parallax/spanishstuff/" ? (Except spelled correctly)? Sure would be easier if the kids (i.e. parents) didn't have to do the translation.
Hello!
Same problem with where I am. (Queens New York) But the RS where I buy the majority of items, they can't decide, it being Astoria. One in Rego Park, again leans towards Spanish, except I did hear the manager, (wonderful fellow most days of the week) cursing in Russian, once. (The kind of curses that have to be said in a different language.)
They do, taken as a whole, speak perfect American English with a mild Queens accent, except for that manager. And the local Astoria one just got the manager from parts of the underworld...... RS makes a point of inserting specialty managers into stores they think are not doing very well it seems. Well, the fact that particular store does not sell as many cell phones as they do computers..... Same for the Forest Hills one.
Visited my local RS last night. Was happy to see a small section of hook space opening up. Indeed I saw 2 PING sensors hanging on them. I did not ask the sales assoc. if more devices were coming.
It'll be interesting to see these displays as they get populated. Perhaps those of you who happen to be near one of the initial Stocking Stores, could snap a couple pics for all of use to see? I think there's a couple here in the Sacramento area that I'll visit in a week or two - I'll try and check it out too.
Comments
Thought you might like a peek as to where we are in the Radio Shack Project...
Various stuff, getting stuffed...
Part of our intrepid "Packing Crew" - Yay Team!
More Stuff...
...yet more stuff...
...and more of the Crew! Hurry up and pack!
-Matt
-Phil
hmmmm...I wonder what all those #28015's are?
And the Packing Crew...(noticeably exhaused ;-) Way to go Crew!
-Matt
Verifying the carton count is simply done by two packers, one of which is our Kitting leader (Mark).
-Matt
They are exhausted because you are feeding them hamburgers. Try Red Bull instead.
They are looking forward to seeing what is coming in from Parallax. While they won't let me leave a project with them for the counter, ("If we did this for one, we'd have to do it for everyone.") They have invited me to bring them a Quickstart board demo so that they can see what can be done with it.
I'm pretty hyped, as they are currently #4 in the region for moving electronics parts.
OBC
What does that mean? "for one employee, for all employees at the store", or "for one and all stores" ? Could you clarify?
Thanks!
Matt
They will let me bring in a demonstration Quickstart and show it off to the staff so that they can talk about it with the customers.
OBC
-Matt
Have you guys considered creating a simple self-running POS demo for the stores? (No, not that POS, the other one: "Point of Sale." Geez! I can read your mind from here! Through the rain!) 'Just thinking that something provided via Fort Worth might meet less resistance from the store managers.
-Phil
Radio Shack Corporate policy is that no advertising material may be displayed in any store without corporate approval. This applies to any vendor generated "POP" . I suggest such a demo be designed and approved by FTW then we can put it into the stores.
Another Jumpstart program would be to build projects using available Radio Shack parts and submitting them to the RS DIY website. I would like to see a small robot built with maybe PB Jar lids with LiveStrong wrist bands for tires and housed in a project box. I will be unable to build anything myself until the products hit the stores when I can buy at my employee price. Let me know via this thread or PM when such projects get posted and I will send internal message to the DIY folks.
Jim
Do you happen to know if the Radio Shack in Grosse Pointe Woods on Mack Ave is going to get the Parallax items? It is one of the larger stores in the area and with the demographics of the people in the area it would be a good location for the parts. I'd really like to see them at this store since it is close enough to walk to if I needed something. I haven't picked up a QuickStart board yet and was holding off until they get them in that store.
Robert
I will let you know if I see anything at the Oakland Mall store or Troy store.
I am in Sterling Heights
Tom
I don't even know if my store is going to get the product.
Jim
-Matt
As a side note, that video was terrible!
Sorry - but it sounds like Parallax suffers the same problem that most companies do - managers completely out of touch with their employees.
Or, at least edit it so that we don't hear managerial pep-talk!
Thanks for all you do!
You are soooo right! The videos really do *stink* ! Especially this one.
A little background that might help "justify" why it's so awful...
Everybody in those videos has been working non-stop on two HUGE projects - Both Radio Shack and the Eddie Robot Platform for Microsoft's RDS Group.
Manufacturing has been putting in countless hours getting the product built and Kitting has been packing for WEEKS.
Everybody in that video was completely exhausted (in fact, most went home right after the video was produced. I can point to multiple examples of how each one of those people gave up their early mornings and late nights routinely to get these shipments out the door, and on time :-)
As an example, Kitting starts around 4:30am and has been going home around 4pm for quite a while now.
Multiple people in Manufacturing (including that tired looking guy in the Krispy Kreme hat
For example, Mr. Krispy Kreme was here all day, every day last week. He went home at 1:30 am Friday morning, and was back in here at 7am the same day (Friday) - He's not the only one, just an example of how our team strives toward excellence. (Not that we're excellent - we just want to make the best stuff we can, with the resources we have).
As for the video? Holy Cow, that's really, really bad !!!
I'm the videographer (and cheerleader!)...(embarrassed to admit :-)
At the time I'm up on a ladder (not quite stable anyway), tired and being rushed because everybody there was DONE! and they just wanted to go home...
Then here I come along and say, "Hey - got an idea" Even though we're all "dead" - let's make a video and tell the world what's coming their way!!!
All I heard way "groans", and "you're nuts dude" - but rally to my side, they did!
Pretty? no.
Professionally done? no.
Pooped? Absolutely Yes!
Welcome to the Forums rbwilliams
No worries!
-Matt
I couldn't disagree more with that assessment. What the video reveals to me is a very collegial environment, where the staff at all levels has a sense of common purpose and ownership over the work they do. In how many more traditional work environments could someone unselfconsciously admit that another person can work faster than he does? To me, this exemplifies a healthy workplace, where each team member is valued for what they can do. If you were to visit Parallax, you would experience this atmosphere firsthand, since it pervades the entire company and everything they do.
-Phil
rb just came along at the exactly the wrong time to get a fair perspective on how we operate here - heck, I would have probably come to the same conclusion...
And just to clarify a little bit rb - I'm not a manager here (by any stretch of imagination!) Everybody here is encouraged to interact with customers - anytime, anywhere. Just because I take pictures/videos of the crew, doesn't mean I manage anyone or any thing - I'm simply a "part of the team" (and blessed to be so).
(At the risk of sounding like a cheerleader again),
Welcome rb!
-Matt
Back on topic - I stopped by my neighborhood RS today at lunch and chatted with the manager for a few. She said they are due a reset at the end of this month but didn't have access to any details. This seconds what others have said in the thread. RS_Jim I believe said something similar.
Paul
Jim
Jim
Paul
Of course in this neighborhood, there are more or less equal amounts of Polish, Ukrainian, Hindi, Bengali, and Chinese that are also present; but Spanish is the biggest, probably equal to the others combined.
Does the packaging contain line that says "instrucions y data sheets en espaniol es en www:parallax/spanishstuff/" ? (Except spelled correctly)? Sure would be easier if the kids (i.e. parents) didn't have to do the translation.
Hello!
Same problem with where I am. (Queens New York) But the RS where I buy the majority of items, they can't decide, it being Astoria. One in Rego Park, again leans towards Spanish, except I did hear the manager, (wonderful fellow most days of the week) cursing in Russian, once. (The kind of curses that have to be said in a different language.)
They do, taken as a whole, speak perfect American English with a mild Queens accent, except for that manager. And the local Astoria one just got the manager from parts of the underworld...... RS makes a point of inserting specialty managers into stores they think are not doing very well it seems. Well, the fact that particular store does not sell as many cell phones as they do computers..... Same for the Forest Hills one.
Well group we shall see when we see.
Welcome to the Forums!
It'll be interesting to see these displays as they get populated. Perhaps those of you who happen to be near one of the initial Stocking Stores, could snap a couple pics for all of use to see? I think there's a couple here in the Sacramento area that I'll visit in a week or two - I'll try and check it out too.
-Matt