“Conversation” with the Mac guy at Best Buy
[Setting: I’m in Best Buy because I am looking for an adapter to connect a Firewire 400 cable to a Firewire 800 port, so I can transfer data from an old Macbook to a new one. I found what I need in the Mac section of the store, but it’s bundled with a Firewire cable. I don’t need the cable; I just want the adapter. My wife and three kids are out in the van because I thought this would be easy to find, but it isn’t, so I need to find out if the adapter by itself is somewhere in the store before I go and do an exhaustive search of the place. I spot the Mac Guy and approach.]
Me: Hi, I have a question about this cable. I have an older model Macbook Pro and…
MG: [interrupting] Is it 15” or 17”?
Me: [pauses] Well, it’s 15” but that doesn’t matter to my question. I also have a new Macbook Pro and…
MG: [interrupting again] …And you’re trying to transfer data from one to the other. You can do that through Migration Assistant.
Me: Um, yeah. I’ve spent the better part of two days trying to get this to work. So I was wondering if…
MG: [interrupting…again] You can just do that with Ethernet.
Me: …Yes, I know that. I have two options, do this over a wireless network or through Firewire. I have…
MG: [yes, interrupting] Just connect an Ethernet cable between the two.
Me: No, you can’t do that. It’s either wireless or Firewire. So I was wondering…
MG: [guess what?] Let me show you how I usually do it. You just open up Spotlight, type in Migration Assistant, then it comes up and you usually click “From another Mac”. Then you…
Me: [interrupting] I know how to do this. I am just wanting to make sure that the product I have in my hands will allow me to connect these two computers with a Firewire cable. OK?
MG: …and then you select “Ethernet”. [pause. “Ethernet” does not appear as an option. Only “Wireless” and “Firewire”.]
Me: …As I said, you only get two options. I have 30 GB of data to transfer. Wireless takes 4 hours. Firewire will take 30 minutes. So I want to make sure I can do this, with this thing I have here.
MG: Yeah, you can do that.
Me: Wonderful. Now: I don’t need the cable. I already have a cable. This thing costs $45 and $35 of that is the cable. I just want the adapter. Do you sell just the adapter anywhere?
MG: No, sorry. You’ll have to buy the whole thing.
Me: [sighs] Alright. Thanks anyway.
MG: [calling after me] You should still try to use Ethernet!
The Moral: If someone asks you a question, please zip it and listen to the question. You will then be able to give a real answer and appear smart and helpful. If you try to appear smart and helpful by interrupting and trying to finish the question for the person asking the question, you are being neither smart nor helpful. You are being irritating and useless. So: Be quiet and listen. Thank you.
