# B&H Megastore --- what the fuck kind of way to run a store is this?? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 16, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013 "2010-09-16T20:52:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/61 "2010-09-18T00:40:25Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Bingo. This is why B&H is Mecca for photographers. Mecca? I thought they were all Jews. I’ve bought from B&H and I get two of their catalogs in the mail, the Pro Video and Pro Audio ones, and they are huge. I’d be shocked if they have less than a million different SKUs. They have BluRay discs, but they also have [$94,000 broadcast cameras.](http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/638987-REG/Sony_HDC1500444SFT.html) So their system is optimized for the person who is buying the thing that costs $2000 rather than the thing that costs $20. Their system works great is you are buying a whole bunch of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/62 "2010-09-18T00:48:55Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Didn’t it seem odd to you that for every item they sold they only had one on the shelf? Did you think they really only stocked one of each item? Or that after you bought the one off the shelf someone would immediately run in the back room to get another to replace it? > Maybe it’s just me but if I was shopping and there were no stock of items lying around it would kind of set off a common sense flag that it may be a showroom/warehouse setup. No, it didn’t seem odd, because that wasn’t the case. There were actually SEVERAL of all of their brands of blank media in that section (with an empty metal rack for the Maxell BD-R DL discs I originally came in there to buy). They obviously keep their stock of those products on the floor, rather than in a back room. If I only saw one of each, or they had an empty box, or it was behind glass, then I would have expected the actual products to be kept off the floor. Also, for those of you who are trying to turn this thread into an anti-religious business rant, that’s not what I meant by my comment. It is, at least in my personal experience, EXTREMELY unusual for any stores or businesses in NYC to close on Jewish holidays, unless it’s in a predominately Jewish neighborhood. B&H is across the street from Penn Station in midtown…if you want to turn this into a “oooh, fusoya’s an anti-semite!” then let me ask why those gold-loving Jews would actually close down such a popular store on such big shopping days in the first place, and lose even MORE sales? But no, this rant is just about how shopper unfriendly their piece of shit POS system is, particularly for products which are NOT stocked in a back room. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/63 "2010-09-18T01:01:02Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > > What’s refreshing about it? I find it annoying, as a customer, to be deprived of the ability to buy something I want because of someone else’s religious beliefs. Do you also find it refreshing not to be able to buy beer on sundays? > > This happens every day to non-Christians in the country! Well, that changes EVERYTHING! If it happens to non-Christians too, I guess it’s okay! ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/64 "2010-09-18T01:15:34Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > The one across from the Putt Putt? Ted’s, I think??? Pat’s, which is long gone.. Ted’s just requires you to order your hot dogs, fries and pop separately; you pick them up and pay for them all at once. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/65 "2010-09-18T01:32:40Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > > [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > > > The one across from the Putt Putt? Ted’s, I think??? > > Pat’s, which is long gone.. Ted’s just requires you to order your hot dogs, fries and pop separately; you pick them up and pay for them all at once. Pat’s, that’s right!- I knew Ted’s was gone. I loved Pat’s! ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/66 "2010-09-18T07:47:07Z")
Well, it’s your right to be annoyed. I suggest you not be so annoyed, though. Relax, move a little slower, explore the store a bit. It all works pretty okay. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@Captain\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/67 "2010-09-18T08:27:43Z")
> [@Furious\_Marmot](#): > > Having only bought from them online, I have to agree with all the nice things that everybody has said about B&H. Buying in person sounds annoying, but if it allows them to keep prices down, so be it. > > As for the bitching about religiously motivated shopping inconvenience, consider Sunday. It’s one half of the days off that the average person gets; you’d think that businesses would try to make the most of it. Instead, we get shortened hours or just locked doors, giant traffic jams near churches, and fucked up rules about buying alcohol. When you buy something online on Sunday, does it really get processed and shipped that day? Not usually in my experience. So what’s the difference if one company has a different ‘nothing gets done’ day than most others? > > I should’ve known what I was getting into when I saw that ‘closed on Sunday’ sign at Chick-Fil-A. Motherfuckers, I just want a chicken sandwich on my day off, not a fucking spiritual revelation! I hate Sundays in the USa because of that, but I think it is changing a bit. But I do remember as a kid wanting one night to go to the mall, only to remind myself that it is Sunday and they are closed. I have never understood why people like Chick Fil-a so much. Being closed on Sunday might be an inconvience to you, but it’s nice that their workers get that day off. Usually people who work in retail and fast food are always working, with one day off or less, so it is good that they close. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/68 "2010-09-18T14:51:43Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > > [@Hampshire](#): > > > > Didn’t it seem odd to you that for every item they sold they only had one on the shelf? > > No, it didn’t seem odd, because that wasn’t the case. There were actually SEVERAL of all of their brands of blank media in that section (with an empty metal rack for the Maxell BD-R DL discs I originally came in there to buy). They obviously keep their stock of those products on the floor, rather than in a back room. If I only saw one of each, or they had an empty box, or it was behind glass, then I would have expected the actual products to be kept off the floor. > . That seems pretty lame then. Why stock your inventory on the display floor if customers can’t buy from it? ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/69 "2010-09-18T14:57:35Z")
I’m glad SOMEBODY finally sees what I’m BBQing here. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/70 "2010-09-18T15:31:53Z")
Because it is a HIGH VOLUME store. They had what, a half dozen on the shelf. They probably sell 10 times that in a day. So you either have people restocking shelves all day, getting in people’s way or you go pull it from the stock room and hand it to them on their way out. The check out process is shorter than Best Buy. And if you don’t like it. If you don’t like that the owners practice their religion. GO SHOP SOMEPLACE ELSE! THE CUSTOMER IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT! ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/71 "2010-09-18T16:02:18Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > What’s refreshing about it? I find it annoying, as a customer, to be deprived of the ability to buy something I want because of someone else’s religious beliefs. Do you also find it refreshing not to be able to buy beer on sundays? Oh shut the fuck up. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/72 "2010-09-19T12:23:06Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Because it is a HIGH VOLUME store. They had what, a half dozen on the shelf. They probably sell 10 times that in a day. So you either have people restocking shelves all day, getting in people’s way or you go pull it from the stock room and hand it to them on their way out. > > The check out process is shorter than Best Buy. > > And if you don’t like it. If you don’t like that the owners practice their religion. GO SHOP SOMEPLACE ELSE! THE CUSTOMER IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT! While I agree that “the customer is [not always right](http://notalwaysright.com/)”, it doesn’t apply here. He went to a shop once, was inconvenienced by intrusive questions and a check-out procedure that didn’t make much sense. He ranted about it, and will likely never return (which means he will shop somewhere else). I’m a NY, I’ve passed B&H countless times but have never entered the store (I used to go to J&R when I worked downtown though). If that is how they handle small purchases, I doubt I’ll ever shop there. Better that I know about it now, else I would have also been annoyed if I went to pick up a USB drive or some other inexpensive quick item. Maybe if I was into cameras, binoculars, state-of-the-art audio or something like that, I might consider jumping through the hoops, but I’m not. Obviously, the model works for B&H, but it doesn’t work for _every_ casual shopper. As an aside, one of the reasons B&H has remained in business is that they are not outright crooks, like many of there brethren electronic stores (especially in Brooklyn) were (employment policies notwithstanding). Bait and switch, incomplete packages (such as digital cameras where you had to buy the battery, charger and initial memory card separate), and false items were the norm at many places. But they observed Sabbath, which just goes to show that religious != moral. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/73 "2010-09-20T07:50:48Z")
But which sabbath did they observe? Saturday, like B&H, or Sunday like the Pope? His rant was basically, things happened that were very minor inconveniences and it was different than I expected, based on other stores. In other words, he was ignorant of how B&H works. He was ranting that his ignorance was fought. Which means he isn’t really a doper now does it. B&H works. It really does. Yes it is a surprise the first time but my God it is so fucking superior to every other store of its kind it is ridiculous. If you and fusoya want to stay away. Fine. It is your loss. ---
**Author:** ![henryp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e68b1a/32.png) [@henryp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/henryp)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/74 "2010-09-20T14:22:07Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Today for the first (and LAST!) time, I went to [B&H](http://www.bhphotovideo.com) We certainly regret having disappointed you and regret this encounter stirred so much vehemence. B&H has maintained the same (possible unique) in-store shopping experience for decades, dating back to our 17th St store which was too small to have anything out on display in any quantities at all. We appreciate this may be unique and know it’s certainly not the same as shopping at Macy’s or The Gap, but it’s been effective for us and for the majority of our millions of customers. We do close every Friday afternoon and all day Saturday and were closed all day 9/17 in anticipation of Yom Kippur. We do take the purchase portion of our site offline during Sabbath and holidays with Sabbath-like observance requirements and make every possible effort to alert customers to this as far in advance as is practical. An aside to those who spoke favorably about us, particularly “Zebra,” “Musicat,” & “mhendo” – _ **thank you** _. We do ask customers for name & phone number info, but it’s not required. It’s a convenience allowing us to match a current purchase to a customer’s purchase history to facilitate any future store-customer interaction. We have sales associates, not clerks, and many are (like me) drawn from the ranks of professionals in our fields and bring years (20+ in my case) of experience to the task. This helps each sales associate better assist each customer individually. BTW, none is paid commission. We’d rather a suggestion one makes to a customer be based on what seems best for that particular customer, not for the employee’s pay envelope. BTW, we will be closed for several days during September. Our autumn holiday schedule: [http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/HolidayPopUp2010.jsp](http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/HolidayPopUp2010.jsp) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/75 "2010-09-20T14:43:06Z")
Welcome, Mr. Posner, and have a good day. Do poke around the forum if you have the time, perhaps you’ll find something of personal interest. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/76 "2010-09-20T15:02:13Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > But which sabbath did they observe? Saturday, like B&H, or Sunday like the Pope? The majority of the crooked Brooklyn electronics shops observed Saturday sabbath. > [@](#): > > His rant was basically, things happened that were very minor inconveniences and it was different than I expected, based on other stores. In other words, he was ignorant of how B&H works. He was ranting that his ignorance was fought. Which means he isn’t really a doper now does it. That is an…interesting…take on the rant in the last two sentences. Let’s just say my mileage varies on the interpretation. > [@](#): > > B&H works. It really does. Yes it is a surprise the first time but my God it is so fucking superior to every other store of its kind it is ridiculous. If you and fusoya want to stay away. Fine. It is your loss. _"You can’t please all of the people all of the time.’_ I’ve lived in this town for over 4 decades and have never had a need nor desire to visit B&H (same can be said for Saks 5th Avenue and other world famous shops). I certainly don’t think of it as my loss. I do think that for a small, quick purchase, I wouldn’t want to go through that. If I were an audiophile or photographer or astronomer, B&H sounds like a place I might like to go. But even when buying an item like a LCD TV, Consumer Reports and a few other sites will give me the price/performance information I need to make a buying decision (and if B&H has the best deal, I wouldn’t avoid shopping there). ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/77 "2010-09-20T16:04:05Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > I hate Sundays in the USa because of that, but I think it is changing a bit. But I do remember as a kid wanting one night to go to the mall, only to remind myself that it is Sunday and they are closed. > > I have never understood why people like Chick Fil-a so much. Being closed on Sunday might be an inconvience to you, but it’s nice that their workers get that day off. Usually people who work in retail and fast food are always working, with one day off or less, so it is good that they close. I worked for 8 years as an hourly employee on the pizza delivery side of the fast food industry, and I must respectfully disagree with you. While there are some people who enjoy having a set day off, the majority of hourly employees liked the scheduling flexibility and opportunity to work more hours that an open 7 days a week store had. The few occasions that the store was closed due to power outage, most of us were bummed out by the lost opportunity to make money. I also never met a manager who was unwilling to work around people’s schedule restrictions due to family, school, or other job obligations, or advance requests for days (or sometimes weeks) off. Similarly, there is typically a lot of shift swapping going on at a fast food place. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/78 "2010-09-20T16:38:41Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > Yom Kippur? Were they all Jewish? Did they try to cheat you? Did they show Woody Allen films in the video department? (I don’t like Jews, but hey, Woody rules.) Wow, I’m shocked. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/79 "2010-09-20T22:11:13Z")
> [@henryp](#): > > > [@fusoya](#): > > > > Today for the first (and LAST!) time, I went to [B&H](http://www.bhphotovideo.com) > > We certainly regret having disappointed you and regret this encounter stirred so much vehemence. B&H has maintained the same (possible unique) in-store shopping experience for decades, dating back to our 17th St store which was too small to have anything out on display in any quantities at all. We appreciate this may be unique and know it’s certainly not the same as shopping at Macy’s or The Gap, but it’s been effective for us and for the majority of our millions of customers. > > We do close every Friday afternoon and all day Saturday and were closed all day 9/17 in anticipation of Yom Kippur. We do take the purchase portion of our site offline during Sabbath and holidays with Sabbath-like observance requirements and make every possible effort to alert customers to this as far in advance as is practical. > > An aside to those who spoke favorably about us, particularly “Zebra,” “Musicat,” & “mhendo” – _ **thank you** _. > > We do ask customers for name & phone number info, but it’s not required. It’s a convenience allowing us to match a current purchase to a customer’s purchase history to facilitate any future store-customer interaction. > > We have sales associates, not clerks, and many are (like me) drawn from the ranks of professionals in our fields and bring years (20+ in my case) of experience to the task. This helps each sales associate better assist each customer individually. BTW, none is paid commission. We’d rather a suggestion one makes to a customer be based on what seems best for that particular customer, not for the employee’s pay envelope. > > BTW, we will be closed for several days during September. Our autumn holiday schedule: > [http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/HolidayPopUp2010.jsp](http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/HolidayPopUp2010.jsp) I have to say, this is the first time I’ve seen someone from a store being Pitted come in an explain their position. Maybe it has happened, but I haven’t seen it. I’ll second **D\_Odds** : > [@](#): > > As an aside, one of the reasons B&H has remained in business is that they are not outright crooks, like many of there brethren electronic stores (especially in Brooklyn) were (employment policies notwithstanding). Bait and switch, incomplete packages (such as digital cameras where you had to buy the battery, charger and initial memory card separate), and false items were the norm at many places. I’ve never fallen for those guys, but friends have. “Oh, you want the manual? That’s part of the Deluxe Package, along with the power cord, remote and everything else.” The OP should consider this a valuable life lesson “B&H is not the neighborhood bodega and has a system optimized for large quantities”. In the same way you wouldn’t expect the neighborhood store to be able to handle a whole shopping cart filled with $300 worth of groceries easily, B&H is not the place to buy a single spindle of blank discs. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013/80 "2010-09-20T23:04:59Z")
> [@henryp](#): > > > [@fusoya](#): > > > > Today for the first (and LAST!) time, I went to [B&H](http://www.bhphotovideo.com) > > We certainly regret having disappointed you and regret this encounter stirred so much vehemence… \*. Since **henryp’s** join date is July, 2010 he seems to have predated this thread. Perhaps it is a lucky coincidence that we have a member who is part of the organization being pitted. I think that would be very cool. If Mr. Posner is checking this thread it would be great to hear of he joined for other reasons and just happened upon this thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-h-megastore-what-the-fuck-kind-of-way-to-run-a-store-is-this/554013.md?page=5)