I'm working as a seasonal employee at one of those chains, and spiffs / commissions / bonuses are pretty much a thing of the past. They were only a few dollars in most cases anyhow, so the only guys making noticeable amounts of money are the ones in computer sales. The only reason most retail employees push the warranties, etc. is because they don't want management to ride them for low sales numbers.

The margins on computers and most consumer electronics are so narrow that add-ons or massive volume are the only way that anyone can make money in retail. Buying a laptop on its own isn't going to make anyone much more money than the sale of a long Belkin printer cable.

The IT systems at some of those big box stores use for inventory and registers are older than most of the floor staff, so I'm not surprised it took that long to find out what's in stock and complete the transaction.