From 1973 to 1990, our local Radio Shack dealer (a franchise, not a company
store) was owned and run by a couple of retired military electronics
technicians. If there was anything I wanted to know about radio or
electronics, I'd go see them. They knew the Radio Shack catalog, how each
product worked, and were always up on the latest technology. So I got
spoiled.

Fast forward to 2004. That store is no longer in business (store burned,
owners retired), and my closest RS is a company store.

Fine, I can understand that their sales clerks might not share my passion
for radio. But it was the manager, not a clerk, who was so clueless. Not
only did she not know her own product, she didn't have a clue how to find
out anything about it either.

I was looking for the YB400, but I didn't know its catalog number. So I had
to leave the store, drive 14 miles to my house, and Google "Radio Shack
YB400" to get the number. Then I called her back with her own catalog
number, just to let her know how easy it was to find.

She lost her opportunity to sell to me twice that day. The first time was
when I left her store empty-handed, and the second was when I got online.

With managers like her, I don't see Radio Shack remaining a retail force
much longer.