I have recently been offered a job at MC.
$4 base an hour + commission.
1.5-2% on most items
10% on service plans
 
Averages out that I would been to sell around $1500 worth of items per day
to make minimum wage of $8 an hour(8 hour work day)
 
Undecided if it is a great position to improve upon,
or a job where I will make below minimum wage due to the high volume of sale I will need to make.
 
What are your thoughts?
 

revenantx02
I have recently been offered a job at MC.
$4 base an hour + commission.
1.5-2% on most items
10% on service plans
 
Averages out that I would been to sell around $1500 worth of items per day
to make minimum wage of $8 an hour(8 hour work day)
 
Undecided if it is a great position to improve upon,
or a job where I will make below minimum wage due to the high volume of sale I will need to make.
 
What are your thoughts?
 

Service plans not bad but, the other commission is low depending upon what others are selling there. You need to find out what the middle to high end earners are doing to see if you can compete. What is the average sale? $300.00 not good three thousand is better and thirty thousand would be great. How many customers per day, week or month. More questions than answers here. What do they expect you to do in 6 weeks, twenty six weeks and after a year.

revenantx02
I was told two different things by different people.
 
Floor average is 11 an hour, some more make some make less, but no one makes less than 8 an hour.
and,
Lowest paid person is making $9 an hour, highest makes $13 on average.
 
I would be in the general sales position, which doesn't have laptops/systems/TV's
 
 
I am just feeling conflicted on the pressue of it.
 
there is also 1.2% pool on items that people don't get help with and just take the item to the register.
It gets distributed to all the employees in that section.
 
example:
say $10,000 a week (I don't know the real numbers, I could be over estimating)
That works out to be $120, then divide it by all the employees in the section.
 

Sounds like an "entry level" sales position to see if sales is a good fit for you. Not everyone can do sales as a full time job and customer service must come first or you lose repeat business. The service never ends after the sale as you will continue to learn the customers needs. A good sales person sells items that people don't even know they need until you educate them on how much money/time  they will save with the product. You must learn your product line and be sure that what you sell is better than the competition, and let your customer know why it is so good. Always keep your customers interests in mind and you can do very well in sales. Yes I did have a sales background and retired two years ago from the local Home Depot as the top sales person averaging more than $25,000.00 per hour in "in store sales". Put in the effort and you can do very well in sales, good luck.

I would run far away from a job like that, but then again, that's why I'd never be a good salesman. I can't stand the thought of having to try to push unnecessary crap on unknowing consumers simply to make a quota for minimum wage. I suppose someone has to do it, but it would never be me.

I have been considering best buy sales/geeksquad as well. Microcenter have a policy that I can't quit and go work at best buy type stores. That is one of the bigger issues I have. It feels like a trap that I would not be able to work in the computer industry if I can't live on the below minimum wage pay.

Might as well go deliver pizzas instead.

At least they pay $4 an hour. I work at Fry's as a salesman and I make $0 an hour. All my pay comes from commission.
 
If I don't make enough commission to reach minimum wage depending on how many hours I work, they will put you into a "draw" system where you start owing the company money. They are required to pay us minimum wage regardless, so let's say if I made $50 below minimum wage paycheck this week, my next week's paycheck will have $50 taken out of it. They will eventually fire you for being under minimum wage.
 
Also remember, if your customer returns an item you sold them, that commission gets reversed and comes back to screw you over. Let's say you sold a computer that paid you $50 on Sunday, and the customer brings it back on Monday, I just started the week with -$50 in commission, and have to fight my way out of the hole.
 
I've also had numerous fights with my supervisors and fellow salesmen because of accusations of "stealing sales" and taking customers away from each other etc. It really sucks because at Fry's you compete with not only fellow salesmen but also your supervisors (they are commissioned too). Very stupid if you ask me.
 
I'm sure Microcenter has a better work environment than Fry's. There are so much BS at my job that I could ramble on for days and multiple forum pages after forum pages on this topic. Just to give you an idea of a few BS topics... they require us full commission sales people to do labor (stock shelves and clean up) so the company is basically working us for free. Also, our internet price match guarantee may seem like a good idea.......... well only for the customers, because we get eff'd over by it eating all our commissions. I price matched a $1499 desktop PC down to $1399 and my $60 commission went down to $0. Literally.
 
Take it or leave it, if you think you can survive a job like that, definitely go for it... I've never worked at Microcenter before, so don't let my Fry's rant scare you away or turn you down!

direraptor22
At least they pay $4 an hour. I work at Fry's as a salesman and I make $0 an hour. All my pay comes from commission.
 
If I don't make enough commission to reach minimum wage depending on how many hours I work, they will put you into a "draw" system where you start owing the company money. They are required to pay us minimum wage regardless, so let's say if I made $50 below minimum wage paycheck this week, my next week's paycheck will have $50 taken out of it. They will eventually fire you for being under minimum wage.
 
Also remember, if your customer returns an item you sold them, that commission gets reversed and comes back to screw you over. Let's say you sold a computer that paid you $50 on Sunday, and the customer brings it back on Monday, I just started the week with -$50 in commission, and have to fight my way out of the hole.
 
I've also had numerous fights with my supervisors and fellow salesmen because of accusations of "stealing sales" and taking customers away from each other etc. It really sucks because at Fry's you compete with not only fellow salesmen but also your supervisors (they are commissioned too). Very stupid if you ask me.
 
I'm sure Microcenter has a better work environment than Fry's. There are so much BS at my job that I could ramble on for days and multiple forum pages after forum pages on this topic. Just to give you an idea of a few BS topics... they require us full commission sales people to do labor (stock shelves and clean up) so the company is basically working us for free. Also, our internet price match guarantee may seem like a good idea.......... well only for the customers, because we get eff'd over by it eating all our commissions. I price matched a $1499 desktop PC down to $1399 and my $60 commission went down to $0. Literally.
 
Take it or leave it, if you think you can survive a job like that, definitely go for it... I've never worked at Microcenter before, so don't let my Fry's rant scare you away or turn you down!

I feel you, I work in the security community, while I don't have to fight for commissions, I have to fight against favoritism and backdoor racism everyday. Fun stuff man.

RainStryke

jingiko

Brad_Hawthorne
No way I'd work that job. It would be like working Dairy Queen because you like hot fudge sundaes. Talk about the quickest way to ruin your interest in computer hardware.

Not true Brad!
You work in tech(EVGA) and im sure you have off days where users/managers/coworkers give you a tough time which may discourage your mood for that moment. However it comes with any field (doctors/teachers/other sales areas). It does help when I go into a MicroCenter and the sales reps ooze obsession on all things computer, it just helps me feel better about purchasing a 1200watt psu that I may need at the moment and cant wait 2days for shipping off the internet.
 
But to the OP if you have nothing else going on and you have the time, I say go for it and try it out.
You at least gain exp and have a chance to experience what its like and what kinda #s you can get in commission. However dont let customers see that youre only in it for the $$$.
If it doesnt work out or if it isnt everything you expected it to be then just quit.
 
You can also use that week or so to let your friends/family know about you working there and im sure you'll have some friends who are looking to upgrade their computer and they'll go straight to you :)
 
Best of luck and be sure to let us know of any crazy sales :D

Brad does not work for EVGA, he was a Moderator at one time, but not paid by EVGA, he did that on his own free time.

Correct, I'm marketing manager for another tech company. In 2006 EVGA did offer me a tech job but I never took it. I left my EVGA mod position in 2010.

Its only about a mile away.
 
I have a few interviews with other places before I lock myself into the job.
Worst case scenario is I hate it, make bad pay, so go flip burgers at McDonalds for better money.
 
Makes me miss my old job at $17.50 an hour, welding/machinery. A life time ago in a different country though.
 
 
 

Yea you can't show them your interesting only for money and one more experience is good for next jobs...
Worth trying, but can be pressure if you think only to earn 1500$ every day...
In some period of year is much better such kind of job but sometimes when people go on vacation and buy less it's better fix salary.
Every job is good if you can earn enough for food and clothes, if you work on warm and comfort place and you have time for rest for new day. 

I worked for a PC store doing repairs/ virus removal/ builds/ back ups and basic sales, was more of a repair and build business though- my father owned the store. I got married and relocated though. Other wise I would still work there. Before that I did fibre glass and aluminum work. Small boats to luxury 50+ ft.
Long long hours, but reasonable pay.
 
I've tried wallmart, but no responses. 
Trying to get a job at my college, going for a computer science major.
 
The more I think about the micro center job, the more I phyc myself up about at least having one for now- with nice employee discounts.
Having a wife and two year old makes any job a good job at the moment, and I can always look for something else if its not working out.
 
 

Porpoise Hork
Having worked for MicroCenter I can say the only department you can expect to make any decent money in is Systems. You have to sell your butt off in the other departments to make any money. In Systems you can easily earn 40-60K annually if you hustle. Just watch out for that one guy who thinks he is Mr. Hot (Word deleted for language). (There is always one) who will sneak his sticker onto that base model laptop that pays squat, and effectively kills your $/hr average. 
 
 
If you make Systems, sell as much AV and other high margin items like usb and video cables as you can. That $49.99+ HDMI cable actually only costs the store 8-10 bucks, and this is a huge pad to your sales margin and that turns into good profit on the paycheck.  Same thing with warranties. Those are cash cows for you and the store. 
 
Then there is the employee discount, if they have not changed the policy on it you can expect something like 10% over cost on most items. So you can score some sweet deals on stuff you may need.
 
Even if you don't make Systems you can make good money if the traffic is good, and if you bust butt you can move up to the Systems dept.
 
Overall not a bad place to work.

Sounds like a decent job. Despite my commission only job at Fry's, I still average $400-500 a week, and I'm part time (around 25 hours a week). Last year's gross was $22K for me, and I was only doing sales for 9 months out of that (the other 3 months I was working minimum wage as a shelf stocker). Also note that I'm a student.
 
Other words, if you hustle... you will usually make a decent amount. Sometimes the sales just come to me. In retail sales it's usually 30% hard work and 70% PURE LUCK. You'll know what I mean if you've worked a job like that. Talk to the right people at the right time, and you'll make a big sale. Otherwise, you're stuck with a poor illiterate customer that will waste your time asking questions and not buy jack.

I knew they worked on commission, but I didn't realize it was that bad.  When I go into Microcenter, I usually know what I want and I don't need help when a salesman asks me.  BUT I either ask for that salesman's sticker (it's a barcode with their name on it), or I find him later.  It doesn't hurt me any, and it only helps them.
 
I went in one day and struck up a conversation with a salesman about building a new system.  I wasn't ready to purchase, and I ended up leaving that day.  I came back a few days later and started to pick out parts.  While a different salesman approached me, the original guy I talked to ran past him and said,  "I helped him the other day!  I'll help him now!"  I laughed, but I guess I understand now why he cut the other guy off.  Sounds like that kind of commission may make sales a little cutthroat.