Microsoft
Stores: 14 with three more coming soon
First store: Scottsdale, Ariz. on Oct. 22 2009
Executive-in-charge: David Porter, Corporate Vice President, Retail Stores at Microsoft
Customers at the Santa Clara store: 14
Employees on the floor: 11
Employees at the entrance: 1
Employee greetings: 4
Best greeting: "Looking for something in particular? Unlike other stores out there, we won't harass you. We know there's a balance between being asked for help too much and not at all."
Employees who said they don't receive commission: 2
Employees who said I wouldn't want the laptop I was looking at: 1 ("You don't want that one. It's too heavy.")
Male employees writhing to "Toxic," by Britney Spears, via Microsoft Kinect: 1
Corporate discounts: None
Sales promotions: 3, including a $200 store gift card for purchasing a PC priced $699 or higher and a free $60 game with the purchase of an Xbox 360
One employee's reaction when told I was also looking at Macs: "We're priced more competitively. What about this Ultrabook from ASUS? It's slim, light, and sexy."