On 5/24/17 12:22 PM, Michael Black wrote:
I don't think the chain ever deliberately hired "technical people".



At one time, yes they did. My first encounter with Radio Shack was a
very pleasant experience. But, they were much different times. Olson,
Lafayette, Allied, Burstein-Applebee, even Zalytron, and numerous brick
and mortar stores in an area provided incentive for Radio Shack to be a
better Radio Shack.

And, since Radio Shack catered to an amateur radio crowd, their sales
persons had to be knowledgable, to explain the equipment, as well as
licensed to demostrate it. In my area, all the RS stores, at the time,
had working ham stations on site, to demostrate their best and newest
toys.

When I applied for a job there, I was woefully, at the time,
unprepared for the technical requirements of the job, and was told to
come back, they'd be glad to have me, but I needed to get more
comfortable with the technical aspects of the inventory.

When I told them I was more of an audio guy, and my expertise was in
that vein, the GM's eyes perked up, and we had a great conversation. He
had been looking for audio people, because the market was moving toward
components, as opposed to furniture consoles, and away from the amateur
market. And, the licensing requirements for CB were already being
discussed as obsolete.

So, yes, at one time, they did require technical knowledge to work at
Radio Shack. But that was long ago, in a galaxy far away.

Oh, and, I never did work there. I had also applied at a number of
other places, but decided, instead to open my first repair shop, an
offshoot of which was designing and building custom audio equipment for
the well-heeled in Clayton and LaDue. Great fun.

Good coin, too.

p