Crimpers
At 9:00 AM on Monday, June 1,Pittsburgh Area Computer Servicesopens its doors for the first time, two blocks from my house. At 9:45, my friend Rick and I walk in to buy some network cable so we can fix up my home network for the week that Rick is in town. There are four people in PghACS t-shirts: Chris and Brian run the joint, with wife and fiance. The walls are stocked with computer miscellany in PghACS-branded bags. The radio is up too loud.
We introduce ourselves and ask Chris for 50' of CAT-5 cable, some cable ends, and a cable crimper. The ends are hanging on the wall; we pick up a bag. Chris sends Brian to the back room to measure out the cable. The crimpers are on order but haven't arrived yet. Ten minutes later Chris goes into the back room and turns down the radio. A minute later, he and Brian return with no cable (and no explanation). The credit card machine isn't working yet, so Rick and I pay $7 cash for the cable ends, and promise to return tomorrow for the cable and crimpers.
On Tuesday morning, June 2, we stop back in at PghACS. Chris is the only one in the store. The radio is off. Chris greets us warmly and pulls out our cable, neatly coiled. Have the crimpers arrived yet? Nope. The credit card machine is working, so we swipe $8 for the cable and leave. On the way out, we notice one of our fifteen dollars hanging on the wall.
On Wednesday, June 3, we give PghACS the day off.
On Thursday, June 4, I call Chris. No crimpers yet.
On Friday afternoon, June 5, we stop in at PghACS. Brian greets us with a jocular, "Ok ... what are you guys doing in here AGAIN?!?!"
"We're here to buy crimpers."
"Sorry, they're not in yet," Brian explains, as if PghACS is a trading post in the Yukon, and we have to wait for the raft to arrive from up-river before we can buy crimpers.
"Well," says Rick. "It seems like one of us is going to have to drive to Radio Shack and buy some crimpers." Mind you, Rick passes Radio Shack on the way to my house each morning.
"Trust me, you'll be back! Radio Shack sells crappy crimpers."
"Well, can we buy your pair?"
"What, like my own pair? No, I couldn't do that. I mean, I could let you borrow them. You guys have been in here a few times, I trust you."
At this point, the subject changes to World of Warcraft. "Do you guys know how much money they make?" Brian asks. "When somebody wants something, they don't care how much they have to pay for it."
Now is my chance. "I'll tell you what I want: some crimpers. How much do I have to pay you to walk out of here with your crimpers?"
"Hold on a second."
Brian calls Chris and asks for permission to sell me Brian's crimpers. Chris grants him permission, after I shout to him reassurances that it was my idea. Brian calls his fiance (they live upstairs), who watches the store while Brian goes upstairs and brings down his toolbag. He pulls out his crimpers and sells them to us for $18, cash.
We then attempt to buy his cable tester for $25 (after another call to Chris), but the credit card machine isn't working.
Regarding the issue of the crimpers, however, here are some of the options that Chris and Brian might have explored:
- On Monday, ordercrimpers from Amazon, with next-day shipping. Sell us crimpers on Tuesday.
- On Monday, drive to Radio Shack and buy cheap crimpers. Sell us crimpers on Tuesday.
- On Monday, drive to Best Buy and buy three different crimpers. Sell us crimpers on Tuesday. Then, drive to Best Buy and return the other two crimpers.
- On Monday (while three people watch the store), walk upstairs, retrieve their crimpers, and then sell us their crimpers.
- On Monday, lend their crimpers to us.
- On Monday, walk two blocks to my house with their bag of tools and a roll of cable, and crimp two cables for us on the spot.
- On Monday, ask us what our cabling needs are. Sell us an 8' cable that is hanging on their wall, and crimp us a 20' cable on the spot.
What else could Chris and Brian have done to sell me crimpers? More importantly, who is asking you and me for crimpers? What are we telling them?
