Subject Matter Expertise

**Casey** · 30th September 04, 07:00 AM

One sometimes wonders about the advise that one gets from vendors of the kilt stuff we love.

I picked up a sash that I had ordered for my wife a couple of days ago and got into a conversation with the young fellow minding the store. I think he was hired for his computer skills to make mouse pads and place mats with coats of arms and tartan backgrounds.

As I was also purchasing some flashes to go with the tartan you see in my advatar, Ancient MacGregor, my wife called them "orange" rather than "ancient red". I pointed this out to her and the clerk said that he didn't know that either.

Buyer Beware!

By the way, the owner of the store is very knowledgable and makes frequent buying trips to Scotland. He won't take me though.

Casey

**Freelander Sporrano** · 30th September 04, 07:27 AM

I agree Casey thats why I always like to research an item before I buy. I want to know just as much as the seller if not more. It helps to filter out the BS in my opinion. These smart young salesmen are very anoying at times. Heres a true story

Some years ago a friend and I were discussing useless teenage shop assistant’s.
You know the ones. There either not interested, or far to keen. My mate is a HI-FI buff.
He told me he was looking for a new tape deck(Arh! The pre CD days with all that lovlly background hiss.)Or somthing like that.

We went along to the nearest TV HIFI shop, We got one Of thoose teenage “I know it all. So you can’t tell me anything I don’t allready know types. We’ll My mate had his eye on this new tape-deck.It had more buttons and dials than a spaceship.The smart alec salesman tried it all to impress us, with all the usual terminology. Dolby, wow,flutter,reverb ect .

I was following this conversation between the two when my mate said in the middle of this verbal diarrhoea. “Yes thats all fine, but what about the WAF factor.”
Without stopping to draw breath the salesman said thats 0.5 ohms .I’m sorry my mate said we’ll have to look elsewhere.

Outside the shop I asked him about this WAF factor.I’ve a reasonable thecnical education. I’ve never heard of a WAF factor before. I was only testing that know-it-all teenage salesman he said.

WAF mean’s Wife. Acceptance Factor

You get my point

**GMan** · 30th September 04, 09:51 AM

I am always big on research regardless of what one is buying. No on the spot buying for me. I understand the reasons why people are hired, but without knowledge or any way to look up something, I am not too impressed.

I was at a music store once when I asked the manager a question, He did tell me an answer, but it was wrong and I questioned him further, and he told me that because he was the manager and I was the customer I did not know anything. About two weeks later the store went out of business.

I agree with you Casey one must be careful regardless.

**zeytoun** · 30th September 04, 11:15 AM

David reads Readers Digest!!!

(Ok, how would I know, unless I do too

)

**MDR-V300** · 30th September 04, 11:29 AM

It think that salesman should have been given an award for so quickly giving a WAF value in Ohms.
Ohms being, of course, units of resistance.

Just sayin'.

**Casey** · 30th September 04, 11:39 AM

Actually I think that he was in a meditative state.

Darn, just highjacked my own thread.

Casey

**Jimmy Carbomb** · 30th September 04, 11:39 AM

This only reiterates what we've typed about in regards to kiltmakers and their lack of "smarts" when it comes to tartans and kilts!

I can entirely understand the "business" of kilts, but it's also a traditional and heritage-bound industry that deserves some insight. In my mind, it's a matter of RESPECT for the product.

Nobody wants to go into a Military Surplus Store to buy a commemorative cap, only to be told that "this old Nazi war helmet" will do just as well. That seems incredibly STUPID to most people... but then so is recommending certain tartans to certain people!

Now THAT'S making the thread "kilt related"!!

**Colin** · 30th September 04, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Jimmy Carbomb

Nobody wants to go into a Military Surplus Store to buy a commemorative cap, only to be told that "this old Nazi war helmet" will do just as well. That seems incredibly STUPID to most people... but then so is recommending certain tartans to certain people!

That's my problem with "made up tartans" that are not recognized by more than one party. If it was identified that certain tartans were not officially recognized or real, than I wouldn't have a problem. It seems too much like misleading someone that may be new to the product and that doesn't know anything about tartans.

USA kilts did well on identifying this by adding quotation marks to the tartans they had named. Mind you I couldn't see if they explained those quotations anywhere. I don't know if it is the same on their new site or not.

I personnaly would feel like an idiot explaining my tartan that was "made-up" to someone that knew their tartans.I would then be choked at the kiltmaker for not informing me of this word-smithing.

**Jerry** · 30th September 04, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by MDR-V300

It think that salesman should have been given an award for so quickly giving a WAF value in Ohms.
Ohms being, of course, units of resistance.

Just sayin'.

A woman's WAF is probably something that should measured in ohms. I know that my wifes acceptnce of some things would probably be measured in the high megohm range. Things such as my purchasing a new boat or such.

**macwilkin** · 30th September 04, 12:54 PM

That's my problem with "made up tartans" that are not recognized by more than one party.

Thompson refers to these "tartans" as Bumby tartans -- no idea why, or where the term orginates, but basically, they are "erstaz" tartans (I really don't like using the word to describe them) that the clothing industry has come up with.

I'm with Colin; I like the legitmacy of registered and recognised tartans.

Cheers,

T.