Standard TV & Appliance

Elite '09

94

231

Nader A.

Portland, OR

6/10/2009

Wow, I'm getting a 1st review for the ONLY Portland location of Standard TV & Appliance? Do Yeeps not shop here? It's a family owned, independent, Oregon-based appliance and electronics store that's been in business for over 60 years.

Well, luckily I haven't found myself in need of any major appliances or electronics for quite a while, but I can say that hands down this is the FIRST place I'd consider for my next big purchase. Definitely ahead of the big box shops.

Yesterday I finally decided to go out and buy that 2nd DTV converter we needed for our bedroom telly; I did more than a little research before my 1st purchase and decided on one specific model (manufactured by LG, but branded as either Insignia @ Best Buy, or Zenith at other outlets). I was unable to find any store that carried the Zenith model, so broke down and bought the Insignia unit @ Best Buy.

But that was months ago (before the original DTV conversion date). Now after a few months with this converter box - confirming my initial thoughts that it's the best combo of features, performance, and price - I went back to not one, but two Best Buys and struck out. Full of irritation, I decided to give Standard a shot - and lo and be hold, they had the Zenith unit (identical to the Insignia except for the logo)!

So, props to them for carrying what I believe is the best product (in this category). They also had 1 or 2 other models, but I had no interest in those. The showroom is pretty large, and fairly modern looking (though not as schmancy as the Cedar Hills store).

From inside the door you can scan the entire showroom to see just what you're looking for. They have seas of washers and driers hither, refrigerators and dishwashers thither, ovens and ranges to, and TVs and home theater systems fro. But before I even locked on to my target, an employee greeted me and steered me in the right direction.

The employees at Standard seem to follow that old fashioned model of actually having departments in which they work, so they actually learn about the products they're trying to sell. As I said, before big purchases I like to do my own research, and 9 times out of 10 if I walk into a big box store they sale reps there know far less than I do. I did NOT get that impression at Standard.

Anyway, I quickly picked the converter I wanted and they sales guy wrote up a sales slip (by hand), then walked me over to the central "checkout" area - which reminded me more of a bank where you sit down on one side of a counter and all the employees are on the other. No numbered check out aisles with candy, soda, and magazines.

All of this does add time to the process. Since it was my 1st purchase at Standard, they had to enter my info into their computer. All in all it was still fairly quick, but not the fast in/out you'd find at other big box shops. For me though, I appreciate that. My next purchase at Standard will likely be multiple hundreds of $$ (mayby cracking 4-digits?), and I find it reassuring to think they'll treat that transaction with the time and care it deserves, rather than scan a barcode and shove you out the door.

Pros:
+Friendly service all around
+Nice layout to the well-stocked store
+They had the exact product I wanted
+They price match
+They're local

Cons:
-Takes a little longer to check out
-Pretty website, but it doesn't really show their inventory
-Prices probably don't match the national big box stores (but price matching helps)

All in all I'm very pleased with my minor purchase here. One note though: they have TWO locations on SE 82nd. One is the showroom (5240 SE 82nd), the other is just a warehouse (7914 SE 82nd) for pickup and central delivery. Yes, I accidentally went to the wrong one first. If you are SOUTH of Foster you're at the warehouse; if you're NORTH of Foster you're at the regular showroom.

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