Confessions of a Best Buy Geek Squad Employee

[MovingTarget]

I'm sorry, was this supposed to be news?

To us? No. To the average public who keeps using GS? Apparently. Thats why BestBuy keeps raking in the dough through GS. Otherwise GS would either change their tune or go the way of the dodo.

 

[BoberFett]

Geek Squad actually used to be a very reputable on-site tech service company here in the Twin Cities before Best Buy bought them and destroyed their reputation.

 

[Imp]

Reminds me of my experience buying a Playbook a few weeks back. Guy kept asking if I wanted the "service plan", and he even brought up the recall of 1000 units, using scare tactics like how you can't repair the thing, etc.

I know someone who's iPad 2 died, and it was bought at Best Buy and day 15 or 16 (return/exchange ends at 14). Guy brought up how if only he bought the service plan, he'd get a new replacement. Bullshit. I've read the extended warranty fine print. It doesn't kick in until the manufacturer's warranty ends.

 

[TheSpy007]

Reminds me of my experience buying a Playbook a few weeks back. Guy kept asking if I wanted the "service plan", and he even brought up the recall of 1000 units, using scare tactics like how you can't repair the thing, etc.

I know someone who's iPad 2 died, and it was bought at Best Buy and day 15 or 16 (return/exchange ends at 14). Guy brought up how if only he bought the service plan, he'd get a new replacement. Bullshit. I've read the extended warranty fine print. It doesn't kick in until the manufacturer's warranty ends.

Every best buy service plan starts the day you purchase the item regardless of manufacture warranty. It even shows the exp date on the receipt.

 

[ahenkel]

Yea people are dumb. I know plenty of people that even if you tell them,"I can do it faster, better, and cheaper". They'll tell you "No I'll take it to Best Buy, they have training"

 

[Tristicus]

1. A high percentage of Geek Squad employees lack basic troubleshooting skills such as correctly identifying malfunctioning components. This stems from inadequate and outdated training materials, such as the Best Buy Learning Lounge. True


2. People are hired or promoted from other departments to Geek Squad simply to sell services. Specifically, individuals who have no experience working on computers are given the appearance of being a technician. Absolutely


3. Selling services and warranties are pushed more than actually completing repairs. I remember one instance where my GM said that selling a new computer with services was more important than completing a customer's unit that they had already paid for. True, but Geek Squad doesn't actually repair PCs (they send them off, at least at our store)


4. Employees are taught situational tactics to extract as much money as possible from a potential customer. If an individual had a small software issue that could simply be resolved, then we were taught to charge $200. Depends on the agent, but the new thing is Tech Support, so if they have a small problem, mostly resolves to the 1 year TS for $200.


5. Although this changed shortly before I left, Geek Squad employees at the store I worked at were required to track each individual sale. Before the end of your shift, you were required to get a manager to look at your sales sheet and sign it. If you weren't doing so well, then the manager "coached" you on how to sell more services. Yep. Although they do this to salespeople, not GS.


6. Best Buy Credit Cards were pushed to customers at every available opportunity. More than once, I witnessed Best Buy employees talking to people about signing up for a credit card, only to find out they were not old enough. Also, we were taught in Geek Squad to push the credit card even if the customer was already paying with another form of tender. Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep. Did I say yep?


7. There is no chance for advancement within the Geek Squad department. The only position an employee could move up to is the Manager. That's crap, there are different positions available in there.


8. Best Buy does not encourage Geek Squad employees to get certifications or reimburse or pay for part of taking a certification. I specifically remember inquiring about this, and apparently there exists such a program for the GS Auto Techs in which they also get paid more for each certification passed, but not for GS Computer Techs. Dunno.


9. Geek Squad City, the repair center for repairs we could not do in-store (any repair that was not a hard drive, memory, or power supply replacement), routinely completed unsatisfactory repair work. There were times I would send off a computer 3 times for a verified issue and the unit would come back with the same issue un-repaired. The worst example I can remember was a laptop that had its screen replaced and where the webcam was supposed to be on the screen bezel was instead a screw that held the LCD together. Happens all the time..though some of the times it is truly an accident.

You could point out the "shady tactics" of any company.

Reminds me of my experience buying a Playbook a few weeks back. Guy kept asking if I wanted the "service plan", and he even brought up the recall of 1000 units, using scare tactics like how you can't repair the thing, etc.

I know someone who's iPad 2 died, and it was bought at Best Buy and day 15 or 16 (return/exchange ends at 14). Guy brought up how if only he bought the service plan, he'd get a new replacement. Bullshit. I've read the extended warranty fine print. It doesn't kick in until the manufacturer's warranty ends.

Wrong. You could bring the iPad in after dropping it in the parking lot and cracking the screen walking out and they'll give you a new one (because they can't touch Apple products) if you buy their plan. One lady came in with her iPad a while ago, helped her download stuff and all (given to her by school system, not bought at BB). Came in a few days ago and found me, basically told me she dropped it while handing it to her husband - fell on wood floor. Apple wanted $270 to fix the screen (could still see it clearly, but was cracked all over) - with BB's $100 plan, IF she had bought it from there, she would have been covered. But meh, it's not for everyone, but anyone lacking the basic skills to diagnose something, it is worth it.

 

[dr150]

Yea people are dumb. I know plenty of people that even if you tell them,"I can do it faster, better, and cheaper". They'll tell you "No I'll take it to Best Buy, they have training"

Sounds like the conversation I have with my brother.



Thru pain and dollars, he's realized that I AM better than GS. LOL.

 

[lxskllr]

how is most of this stuff any different than all retail establishments? It's how they make money. Whether or not you value some of the services or the card is up to the consumer, it's dumb to make it sound so evil for the general public.

It's evil because it's a shit way to do business. It's like taking lunch money from a retarded kid. Just because they accepted the deal, and are happy with it, it doesn't make it right.

When I build/repair a computer, I tailor the system to the individual, and give them the best bang/buck I can give. There's no reason a big corporation can't do the same thing. They may "lose" a few dollars in the near term, but will make it up in volume from recommendations from happy customers, and have better employee performance when they're actually proud of the work they do.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

It's like taking lunch money from a retarded kid. Just because they accepted the deal, and are happy with it, it doesn't make it right.

Your analogy made me lol.