Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[sescenti]

I have been to a particular Best Buy store in the past 2 months to purchase cameras, and can't seem to purchase one even though I have the money in my hand. I guess I should be counting my blessings.

1) I had done my homework and knew the price a) it was priced at "Other Store I Am Not Allowed to Mention Club," b) on the Best Buy website, and c)at the Best Buy Store (when I got there). The store price of the Canon T1i at "Other Store I Am Not Allowed to Mention Club," and Best Buy floor model were $100 difference with the same basic package. Not one difference. Best Buy had a lower price for the same package (about $50 off the store price) on their web site. This threw up all sorts of red flags at me. I initially asked about price matching when I saw how much more the camera was on the floor, and the saleperson said, "Yeah, we will match the website price." BUT he was not able to use the BB computer and I had to look it up for him. He couldn't use the browser. Then I inquired about their policy on matching other stores, and he said, "Yeah, we match those too." So I looked that up for him too. THEN he went to have it approved, he came back and said they couldn't match the other store without a "ticket." I asked why the policy changed? Did he not know it correctly in the first place? As it was, I decided I would purchase the camera at the "Other Store I Am Not Allowed to Mention Club," at the much cheaper price. It wasn't much less, but I didn't feel like I had been totally defrauded by salespeople manipulating me with policies they really didn't know so are just throwing bits and pieces at me. I couldn't wait to get out of that store that night.

2) So today I go to same store to look at Canon G11. (Did I mention I am ready to buy?) Store is raring up for the big advertised specials!!! None on the shelf. Sales people all over the place. Store not busy. Several said hello, but walked past. I must not have been in their area, Finally a guy walked by and asked what I was looking for. (his exact words) I asked to see a G11 if there was one in stock. He looked around the camera shelf a sec and said,"No we don't have one of those," and began to wander off. I followed him and asked if he could check with the other stores to see if they had any in stock. "1 at one store, 5 at the other," he said, but he did not offer to call either and have one held for me. Here's the deal, I can buy a Canon G11 at any camera/retail store for $499. I can buy it a plethora of places other than Best Buy. And I will.

In this economy, regardless of size and exposure, you can not expect to stay in business with person after person having customer experiences like the ones reported on this forum. Do you know how many people are just as unhappy but don't write a letter? Probably about 80% of customers with an unhappy customer service issue will never complain. So what you see on this forum is only about 15-20% of the unhappy people! Best Buy, hire enthusiastic (not pushy) employees who know their stock, can look it up in the computer, and go the extra mile for a customer. Sure they might not get the sale in their name at their store, but it will go to BB in the end. And if you are going to have return, price matching, ect policies that are so detailed, educate ALL of your employees. That might help your customers not feel like tremendous fraud has been committeed upon them when you pull those confusing "make-them-up-as-we-go-along" policies out of the hat on them.

PS - I love that when I tried to post this I got the message saying i couldn't print "Other Store I Am Not Allowed to Mention Club's" name!

[Nokia]

What do you mean by "package?" If you are referring to multiple items that bundle together so you get money off all the items, BB does not match those offers.

[sescenti]

I am referring to "packaging" as to what the manufacturer packs with the product at the factory that is the typical items that go with the product. I am familiar with the packaging of the item in question. I did my homework on choosing the camera I wanted to purchase. Maybe if I had done more homework, I would have know to find the Nokia phone rep to sell my camera to me.

This particular model that I was interested in the one with the 15-88mm lens.

The pack is sealed in the box by CANON. It offers only the typical usual things one would expect when purchasing a camera. It was nothing special. A dust cap, body cap, lens cap, neck strap, eyecup, USB cable, A/V cable, Battery charger - external, a Canon LP-ES battery, driver software, Canon photoediting software. Look at the Canon USA page. Its right there. There is nothing in this box EXTRA that would deem it a Special Boxed Set. If that is the case, every camera in every box is a Special Boxed Set.

When I pulled out my card to buy my camera, the two guys who had been doing the "I dunno what to do? What do you think?" deal found someone else because they not only couldn't use the computer, they couldn't ring up a ticket. When that person said they couldn't price match the "store that can not be named," I just said forget it. I will drive 2 stores down the street and buy the same camera in the same box from the "store that can not be named." They looked stunned that I wouldn't just buy it at the higher price since I had been standing there for so long. Well, maybe that is what they count on.....

But this issue is not to argue over the policy. The policy is fine. It would be nice if the employees that sell products know THE POLICY. By the time the customer gets to a manager at Best Buy they are so worked up and furious, there is little that can be done to repair the public relations damage. Best Buy has a massive fail in their customer service department.

I don't even bother asking the sales force if they know about the products anymore. I take it for granted that they don't. But at least do something during training beside how to detect fake money and running a credit card sales. And I will repeat, hire enthusiastic, knowledgable people. Not just warm bodies that just like playing xbox.

And Best Buy, thanks for the SPAM I am now getting to my email account.

[Nokia]

Lol, I don't think most of them know how to check for counterfeit bills other than using the pen.

It sounds like whoever they talked to just didn't want to grant the PM. If it fell within the other guidelines (in stock, not clearance, not limited quantity, etc.) it should've been done.

[Dorothy-BBY Community Supervisor]

Hello sescenti -

Allan, from our Community Connector team, will be reaching out to you regarding your concern.  I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience!

[Allan-BBY Community Connector]

Hi sescenti,

I’m sure if the manager of this store was to read the description of your experience they would be very disappointed in their staff, and I can assure you that we definitely expect better customer service from our associates.

I can also say that we definitely price match our own website’s prices, and other local competitors. For a more detailed description of our price match policy for our stores you could look here.

I agree that it doesn’t seem unreasonable to ask the associate to call other stores in your area to confirm that they have the Canon G11, but they would not be able to have the other store hold one for you. Our stores do not hold any product for a customer that has not already paid for that product.

No company big or small can afford to lose any business in the current economy, and I can assure you this is true for Best Buy®. If you’re still in the market for this camera I would be more than willing to assist you in getting one, and if you want my assistance just send me a private message by clicking on the link in my signature.

Thanks for posting,

[Nokia]

Allan meant to post the link to the PM guidelines here.

[Allan-BBY Community Connector]

Thanks Nokia! I did forget to include the link, but I have now edited my post with the link to our in store price match policy!

[SlimJim77]

Welcome to the forum, sescenti. Your post is detailed, but also vague at the same time. Help me makes sense of the following...

---"I decided I would purchase the camera at the "Other Store I Am Not Allowed to Mention Club," at the much cheaper price. It wasn't much less,"

Well, which one is it? It was either a significant difference, or it wasn't.

---"Sales people all over the place. Store not busy. Several said hello, but walked past. I must not have been in their area"

So when the staff said "hello", your response was???

---"Finally a guy walked by and asked what I was looking for. (his exact words)"

I guess he's supposed to read your mind? You did indicate you already knew what you wanted.

---"I followed him and asked if he could check with the other stores to see if they had any in stock. "1 at one store, 5 at the other," he said, but he did not offer to call either and have one held for me. Here's the deal, I can buy a Canon G11 at any camera/retail store for $499. I can buy it a plethora of places other than Best Buy. And I will."

Are you so prideful that you cannot ask him to do so? Perhaps he should have offered you his car keys and credit card too. Not trying to be mean-spirited here, It just seems your expectation of customer service involves doing things the way you want it, yet you make no attempt to define your needs.

[Nokia]

I have to agree with Jim. If I ask an employee about stock levels on a product, I don't expect them to call stores and hold product, especially since that is not the only option after you find out that store is out of stock. You could possibly have wanted him to call you when one was avaliable, or find you a substitute product, or help you find a different product, or any number of other things. If he had offered to call you when one was avaliable, would you be mad that he didn't offer to call another store and have one held?