@Zanorfes: All it seemed to accomplish was making the customers look really uncomfortable. Except for that one guy about 50 seconds in.

And really? Dancing the Electric Slide to a Black Eyed Peas song??

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RogerTheAlien

@Zanorfes: I don't understand why stores think this kind of \"zany and wacky and 'fun'\" bullshit makes us want to shop there. If anything, it makes it awkward because I'd feel rather embarrassed for the employees who probably REALLY don't want to be making asses of themselves in front of strangers, and are probably embarrassed themselves. I highly doubt Microsoft pays these people enough to look like total tools.

And, yeah, that kind of does look like a wannabe Apple Store. They've just replaced all the white surfaces with oak. Pretty lame overall.

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lilyHaze

@RogerTheAlien: It looks more like any high school/college science lab classroom if they had a lot of money and space.

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t0ph

Reminds me of Cold Stone Creamery, where they break into song if you tip them. I always request that they DONT do that right before I tip, I find it kind of annoying and probably demeaning to them. If I was working at this store I would have been in the john when that was scheduled.

9 replies

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Smashville

@t0ph: Yeah, that's why I don't tip when I go in there...sad as it may be. Other people singing when they are not in a performance venue is simply embarrassing.

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bohemian

@Smashville_Flippin the Bird Before Bud Adams: I quit tipping there because I felt bad that they were forced to do tricks like a dog if someone put some change in the tip jar.

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Brain.wav

@t0ph: They expect tips at Coldstone? That's news to me. I don't tip unless there's a waiter/waitress or it's delivery. Maybe I'll toss my loose change in the jar, but that's it.

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thisistobehelpful

@Brain.wav: That's the extra crap thing. In one near us teenagers would go and throw a penny in just to make them sing. If they don't sing of course they get complaints.

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pecan 3.14159265

@Brain.wav: There's a tip jar, but you're not forced to give tips or anything. There's a tip jar at Starbucks too.

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pecan 3.14159265

The difference between this dancing and Coldstone is that even if you were required to sing, you could at least mumble it or mouth it, or duck into the back really quick. The dancing is overt, and you can't fake the movements. Coldstone is a much better alternative.

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pecan 3.14159265

@pecan 3.14159265: I even forgot to add that at least the people at Coldstone get tips! These MS store people don't get tipped at all! I mean, I guess they could but the mall probably has strict nudity laws.

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t0ph

@pecan 3.14159265: I am gonna go out on a limb and guess that this is not going to be a common occurrence, rather a one-off to get some buzz for this new store.

Of course Coldstone is a better alternative. A cold, sweet, delicious alternative, my friend.

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@t0ph: Yeah, probably just a one-off.
Coldstone's reputation preceded them the one time that I went there. I tossed my spare change into the tip jar and told them they didn't have to sing. Kris just reminded me that Johnny Rockets also has the required singing/dancing thing going on too.

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bendee

@h3llc4t, breaker of office dress codes:

I don't think they are required to sing anymore. At the very least, no Cold Stones in Philly had the signs this season, and I don't think last season either.

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Toffeecake

@bendee: I haven't heard any singing in the Cold Stone near here for a while.... Then again, even if corporate doesn't make them sing, I wonder how many managers still do.

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@bendee: That's comforting, at least for the sake of the employees. It's been a few years since I've been to one but the next time I'm around one I'll be nosy and check it out.

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TCinIowa

@t0ph:

If you listen carefully to the tapping of the scoops, the morse code spells out P-L-E-A-S-E-K-I-L-L-M-E

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KTK1990

@t0ph: I applied to work there once (cold stone)... that stunk and turned me off to the company. 4 hour group interview, it was more of a performance in the mall... I never got called back. To this day, nearly 2-3 years later never got the call they said they would do if I was hired or rejected.

We also never got any 1 on 1 time with anyone...

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pecan 3.14159265

Please. The Phillipino prisoners did it better.

3 replies

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iron_chef

@pecan 3.14159265: and more dignity than MSFT.

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discounteggroll

@pecan 3.14159265:

and one of them actually cross-dressed

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Onion_Volcano

@discounteggroll:
filipino

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witeowl

@Onion_Volcano: Really? Not capitalized?

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temporaryscars

I blame Ellen.

Remember when we Americans used to be tough as nails? What happened?

3 replies

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GitEmSteveDave_woot!sOffSoHard

@temporaryscars: I tracked almost the exact moment it happened. It was right after sashaying into punching a speed bag:

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mazzic1083

@temporaryscars: John Wayne died and Eastwood is right behind him

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floraposte

@mazzic1083: It all went downhill when we found out Cagney could dance.

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pecan 3.14159265

Could you guys link directly to the video in the future? I can't watch videos from my computer here but I can use the YouTube app on my phone. But it took me forever to find the right video because there were at least three dancing Microsoft employees videos, which is kind of weird. If I had the URL I could just search for that instead.

2 replies

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Meg Marco

@pecan 3.14159265: Sure.

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ExtraCelestial

@Meg Marco: Yay!!

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floraposte

I would bolt from that store like a frightened rabbit.

3 replies

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witeowl

@floraposte: I wouldn't exactly bolt. I'd sort of awkwardly back out, maintaining empathy for the employees while trying to hide my eye rolls at a meme gone terribly, terribly wrong. Do rabbits do that, too?

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goodpete

@floraposte: But you'd go in the store to begin with?

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floraposte

@plamoni: If I thought I could get something there cheaper/quicker/more conveniently than through other venues? Probably. But not if they danced; oh, no, not if they danced.

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mommiest

Maybe they called this an exercise routine and got a discount on medical insurance? But not for mental health disorders.

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evilrobot

Nothing looks more humiliating than forced antics. Also, white people dancing in the safe confines of a group makes baby Jesus cry. It's just sad on many levels.

3 replies

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bohemian

@evilrobot: It reminded me of this lame line dancing routine they force LoneStar Steak House employees to do.

I wish businesses would quit forcing employees to do things that are clearly not spontaneous or genuine. Don't ask them to make it look more believable, just stop doing it. This was cute in maybe the 1970's. Please let this trend die.

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FaustianSlip

@evilrobot: Um... is it also sad that I'm pretty sure I recognize that dance as the electric slide? Because as a veteran of numerous weddings, I'm almost positive that that's what they're doing.

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@FaustianSlip: Yes, it is what they are doing. My mother made me take line dancing lessons as a kid. Yes, I do want to cry in shame now.

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subtlefrog

@h3llc4t, breaker of office dress codes: HAH!!!!!

HAH!!!

I'm sorry, something about h3llc4t the herpetologist doing line dancing lessons makes that absolutely f'ing hilarious. But I swear I'm laughing *with* you.

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FaustianSlip

@h3llc4t, breaker of office dress codes: Oh, dear. That's... well. I hope you're sending her your therapy bills.

Then again, if this video is anything to go by, you could totally parlay those lessons into a job at the Microsoft store!

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Toffeecake

@h3llc4t, breaker of office dress codes: My mother TAUGHT line dancing when I was in high school. The horrors.

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magic8ball

@h3llc4t, breaker of office dress codes: I didn't even know there was such a thing as line-dancing lessons. My world just got a little bit scarier.

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oneandone

@magic8ball: Oh, definitely. My synagogue offered them as part of bar/bat mitzvah preparations. They called them dance lessons, but other than some slow-dance etiquette, it was all line dances. Electric slide, achey breaky heart, many others that I don't remember. It was co-ed, and made even more fun by following 2 hours of prayer lessons. My 12-year-old self dreaded few things more than Wednesday night Hebrew + line dancing lessons.

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hinaku

Well in Asian cultures, the number 4 is considered a bad omen due to being a homonym for 'death'...

And I'd run from the store too. I don't even like it when I'm subjugated to clapping and singing at restaurants for peoples' birthdays.

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Scoobatz

This would make me feel very uncomfortable, and I would leave almost immediately. (Agreed, about 30 seconds of this video was more than I could take.)

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AbsoluteIrrelevance

They are doing the electric slide to the Black Eyed Peas? What audience is this supposed to reach or impress? Or add any value to the store?

Excuse me, my mind is about to explode.

2 replies

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GitEmSteveDave_woot!sOffSoHard

@AbsoluteIrrelevance: They used the Black Eyed Peas to try and capitalize on the fame of Young Nicholi, who became famous for making videos in his local Apple Store:

Next they will be dancing to \"Party in The USA\", like I do in my kitchen/shower.

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pecan 3.14159265

@AbsoluteIrrelevance: They did it to avoid confusion. If they did the electric slide to the right music, people would start thinking they had walked into someone's wedding reception.

They could have gotten a litle closer with \"Fantastic Voyage,\" but they probably would have screwed that up by using Coolio's version, which would have accentuated their rhythmlessness.

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BoredOOMM

Who bought the new Saturn again?!?

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ColumnarPad

All of the customers are standing around bewildered even to ask for help.

3 replies

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CaptainSemantics

@ColumnarPad: I noticed that, too, during the 45 secs I was able to watch. Not one employee is helping any customers.

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Paladin_11

@ColumnarPad: There were customers? They seemed to be greatly outnumbered by the employees.

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Toffeecake

@Paladin_11: Yes, the customers are the ones standing around awkwardly and trying desperately not to make eye contact.

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pecan 3.14159265

You know, maybe the next time the MS store employees leave their day jobs and join an impromptu dance troupe in the store, Improv Everywhere could have people waiting in the store to put on those little badges and work as store employees. You know, so people can actually do what they went there to do.

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t0ph

I love that they had to pick a 4+ minute song. I mean come on. Reminds me of the time I was doing (drunken) karaoke and chose Meatloaf's \"Paradise By The Dashboard Light\" NOT realizing it was a freaking7 or 8 minute song..LOL

2 replies

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subtlefrog

@t0ph: Better than Talking Heads. now that is a trainwreck - long songs, and NO ONE can sing them. NO ONE, other than David Byrne.

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Saites

@t0ph: I've totally made that mistake before.

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Vermifuge

A: No, and it looks like that stores shrink rate just went up.

2 replies

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CaptainSemantics

@Vermifuge: The LP dept was cringing while watching this video.

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Vermifuge

@CaptainSemantics:

at 2:00 min two girls run in the store. at 2:10 the girl with the white top appears to wrap something in her magazine and put it into her bag.

at 3:47 a boy picks up a copy of windows 7. I can't be sure but it looks like he took off too

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kathyl

Can I submit the alternative viewpoint that this employee behavior is far preferable to the surly \"you're lucky I'm helping you and I wish you would go away\" attitude you get in some stores?

I agree that it would be better if employees who were uncomfortable doing this kind of thing were exempt from it, but if I had to choose between getting a suggestion from a store manager to dance occasionally or having them tell me my job was on the line if I didn't sell X amount of extended warranties this week, I'll dance. The point of that is, there are worse things to be asked to do at work than engage in a little frivolity.

5 replies

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RogerTheAlien

@kathyl: Or, how about the fact that they DO have that attitude, and turn it off (or turn the fakery ON) when they have to perform? Which is worse to you?

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BridgetPentheus

@kathyl:
If they let employees pick the songs and have fun with it (maybe not 4+minute songs) I say go for it, esp if it gets you out of selling extras that you know are wastes of money and standing on your feet all day, movement like that can make a world of difference of how you feel when you go home. It allows you to get out tension and feel better.

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subtlefrog

@BridgetPentheus: When I worked retail, we actually did this sort of thing. Ok, not the Electric Slide (which I'm rather happy to admit I don't know how to do) or other choreographed dances to looong songs while ignoring customers completely....but we would run around the store singing Grease, or we would dance and goof around and generally have fun - on our own initiative.

It was one of the best McJobs I've ever had - I stayed there for 6 years - all through undergrad and my masters.

And the all important disclaimer: I have no rhythm nor can I sing. It was still fun.

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pecan 3.14159265

@kathyl: See, I don't think that's right. If it was part of the job description and they were clear about it when you were hired, that's another thing. But making people dance with the threat of being fired held over their heads is grounds for some kind of complaint to someone. I'd be mad as hell if I was threatened with a firing if I didn't dance in public in front of complete strangers and make myself look like an idiot. Selling extended warranties is selling the product and all that it entails - that's part of the job description. Putting on a musical in a store is not.

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Kyin

@pecan 3.14159265: You assume they were forced. I worked at a place once that did these kinds of things once in a while to get tension out. No one was forced, but eventually everyone joined in. Even ones who were at first unwilling.

P.S. No, we never went that far.

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pecan 3.14159265

@Kyin: No, it was kathyl who first presumed that they may have been forced.

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MisterE

No..No..No...

I don't mind if a restaurant does this for some kid's birthday, but not a retail store.

Next Up: Best Buy employees dancing to Eiffel 65 \"BLUE\"

3 replies

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MostlyHarmless

@MisterE: AAAAAARGGGHHHHH Now I have to listen to that song. And it will buzz me for the rest of the day.

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pecan 3.14159265

@MisterE: See that would actually make sense, as Best Buy employees wear blue. And that song is pretty maddengly catchy.

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@pecan 3.14159265: Yes, and I would laugh about it for the rest of the day if that happened. Let's hope they wouldn't use the same choreographer, though; the Macarena doesn't work too well with that song.

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Digitizer

Would be more interesting if someone was in the background unplugging and burglarizing a few Win7 laptops...

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t0ph

@Brain.wav: I will usually give a buck, i know they get paid crappy hourly wage and an extra 20 bucks at the end of the shift helps. I have been there...

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Julius Seizure

Being made of pure, molten evil, I watched the whole thing. Bwa ha ha ha ha

I'm thinking someone in Redmond saw one to many \"flashmob\" vids on Youtube the other week.

2 replies

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333 (only half evil)

@Julius Seizure - Canuck: Being only half evil, I watched 2 minutes and 22 seconds of it.

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AK47 - Now with longer screen name!

@Julius Seizure - Canuck: Yes, but usually flashmobs are something interesting. This . . . this was just sad.

I almost hope they got robbed blind during those 4 minutes, so they will never do it again.

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ElizabethD

The waitstaff at Johnny Rocket's look MUCH happier when they break into dance.

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FaustianSlip

Wow... they really weren't kidding about basically building Apple stores that sell Microsoft products, were they? Though as a former Apple retail slave, I can thank my lucky stars that the Jobs never decided to try and make us all dance. That was awful to watch- the comparisons to Cold Stone Creamery are right on the money. I almost never go there because the whole forced dancing thing makes me so uncomfortable.

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Paladin_11

Couldn't they have followed the lead of their captain and done the \"Monkey Boy\" dance?

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ionerox

I bet they do this everytime they sell a Zune... so maybe once a week? It's also way longer than necessary for an \"impromptu\" celebratory dance.

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failurate

The Oompa-Loompa-fication has begun. Prepare yourselves.

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Mr_Human

Microsoft: Always in touch with what's not cool.

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Alys Brangwin

@KTK1990: One of my hallmates in college was hired by them. She went on an \"audition,\" and I was appalled at the idea that she had to dance around and \"be funny\" just to sling ice cream. I'd be glad not to get a call back.

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hicks

This is so sad. I mean, I know the economy's tight and jobs are hard to come by, but have some self-respect, people.

Unless they all got paid $1K or more to dance that one time. Then whore away.

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Alys Brangwin

I think everyone should have done the most provocative thing they could think of so that management would be too appalled to post it.

1 replies

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mianne

@Alys Brangwin: What? And have every person nearby with a videocam post the hijinks to YouTube themselves?

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NeutronDecker

My cousin pointed this out..pay attention @ 2:13 you can see someone steal something..

1 replies

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csparks

@NeutronDecker: That looked like a flyer and not merchandise.

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akyiba

It's electric, boogie woogie woogie.

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axiomatic

GUARANTEE - Not one of those people dancing was an MCSE. And if there was one he/she should be stripped of their certification immediately.

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admiral_stabbin

Line dancing + Complete knock-off floor plan/layout = Epic Fail.

I am trying to be open-minded about Microsoft going into retail.
They are trying to prove my initial instincts were right.

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Anto103

And in the shadows hides clippy the paper clip, laughing maniacally as his plan to return comes to fruitstion. So he can annoy us with tips and dance routines.

1 replies

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colorisnteverything

@Anto103:
I miss that guy. He used to entertain me in 8th grade computing, where we didn't learn anything and I just sat there playing with paperclip in a word doc the entire hour.

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PinkBox

Most of them looked ok with the dancing.

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henrygates

I think it's sad that most of the customers seemed to be ignoring them.

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snowmentality

WTF.

No really, WTF.

I don't even know where to begin with this.

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jdmba

The philipino prisoners did a much better job at dancing THRILLER. I bet they were paid more, too.

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GabrielleYDOB

I blame the recession for this humiliation. Managers know employees will do just about anything to keep their job. And they're clearly testing what \"anything\" might be.

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ARPRINCE

Most of the employees have donut bellies so they really need the exercise. Good workout if I may so myself!

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hicks

I live near to this store, and actually went to the mall to check it out (come on, you slow down at car wrecks too). They had way-too-cheery people at the door handing out goodies and it just looked like 1) It would have been one of those multiple \"HiSirHowAreYouCanIHelpYouFindSomething\" experience--there were about 25 employees in there, and about 7 shoppers (this was Halloween, 2-3 days after opening) and 2) It would have just been depressing--it really does look like an Apple store with wood instead of white plastic, and they're desperately trying to be as hip without actually knowing how, and being classically Microsoft, in that they're doing it in desperately wrong and overwhelming fashion.

Apple stores make sense because Apple sells hardware and software, along with accessories and whatnot. MS sells Windows and Office, some crappy mice and joysticks, and Flight Simulator, every single one of which you can buy online, for less money, and every single one of which has to run on some other computer maker's hardware. There is no tactile advantage for their products unless they're planning on blowing people away with the Zune experience.

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thisistobehelpful

Even weddings don't make you do the electric slide this long. Macarena for an encore?

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savdavid

Is this a new cult?

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The_IT_Crone

Nothing like being on your feet all day than to add forced dancing to it.

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luna1701

this is so wrong. glad I'm on a Mac more than ever.

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Ben Popken

This is the same song that the all those people did that \"flashmob\" dance danced to for Oprah:

I wonder if the Microsoft store thought people were going to join in. Maybe that's why it was so long.

1 replies

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Ben Popken

@Ben Popken: oh i didn't watch it all the way, four or so customers do join in at the end.

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H3ion

Is Microsoft a sponsor of \"So You Think You Can Dance?\"

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masonsturtle

That song is so overplayed. I really hate it now.

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l0nd0n

What's really sad is the amount of time and money that was put into \"creating\" this. It reminds me of the sad waiters that are forced to do this for whatever various reasons.

In the end just a waste of time when all you want is help with trying to find out why you have 50 pop windows showing up and multiple virus's in your brand new system even though you're running 3 virus software programs together.

Thank goodness I use Mac and don't have even a slight interest in visiting one of these stores.

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glitterpig

I don't shop at stores that feature singing/dancing salespeople; WAY too uncomfortable. I was so happy when the Coldstone Creamery near me got sold to another ice cream place - yay, finally, frozen treats! But it turned out that the new owners also adopted the singing thing, so I left before buying anything.

But this is probably ok, because I doubt it's something they're making a habit of. I would have left *this* store, but I might have come back some other time when they weren't being ridiculous. (Assuming I'd ever go to a MS store in the first place; I wouldn't, but it's not because of the *dancing*.)

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KarlB

Ha! I'm tougher than you; I made it past 30 seconds, all the way to 1:10. Then I ran away from my computer crying.