Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[musicmansell]

Ok...thanks for the heads up.  Still pretty interesting that it takes them just as long to respond via on line as it does to just get someone in person.  Isn't the whole point of contacting corporate or customer service via online so you can get immediate help or answers?  At the very least, answers within 24 hours?  What is the point of setting up on line forums and CS departments if they are not going to be any faster than contacting them by phone or going in to the store?  Just another failure point of Best Buy's Customer Service I guess.  This just seems to be more and more disheartening, the more I find out about Best Buy's service, or lack there of.  It is a shame since I have been a Best Buy customer for years and even a rewards member.  Guess I just held too high of expectations for one of the supposedly top electronic vendors in the US.

[hydrogenwv]

The point of this forum is not an immediate response. It's a first-come, first-serve system. The reason for this is to offer another outlet for the folks that would prefer not to deal with customer service numbers (hang ups, transfers, disconnects) or traveling into a store for assistance. The drawback is that it requires more patience because it can take a bit longer.  Also, in a lot of cases, the CC will begin investigating as much as possible before they make contact with you.If you need assistance faster, you will have to try your luck with the customer service number.

From what I've seen, though, the forum is a much more effective avenue to getting assistance, especially compared to the toll-free number.

[Justin-BBY Community Connector]

Hi musicmansell, 

I know that after paying for a product like your Samsung TV, it is disappointing to encounter problems such as you described. I'm so terribly sorry if you are not satisfied with the level of service that you received at our Burbank, CA store location and I'll express your raised concerns to the store's upper management, to have these issues internally addressed. 

It's true that if your Samsung TV isn't working, you would need to have it serviced, and parts may be necessary that may prolong the repair depending what our technicians find. Otherwise, since you are still within the manufacturer's coverage, you may directly consult Samsung for alternative options. Beyond that, I'm curious, what would you feel as a satisfactory outcome to this situation? What are you looking for as a resolution? Although I cannot guarantee an outcome, we always welcome customer's feedback. If you have any other questions or concerns about this topic, feel free to reply here or send me a private message. 

Regards, 

[musicmansell]

Thanks again hydrogen.  Just curious, do you work for Best Buy or something?  You really seem to advocate for them and their actions a lot on these forums?  It's cool if you do, just please don't expect me to drink the kool aid.  It is obvious that Best Buy like so many other US companies is having a terrible problem with customer service, to the point that they can not answer in a timely manner whether it be via on line, in store, by phone etc.  

For example: take a smaller store where if you buy a product and it is defective or broken you take it back, speak to someone and immediately you can usually come to some sort of understanding as to where to go from there.  In Best Buy's case, they have so many complaints and defective items that you have to wait a week to even talk to some one to figure out what can be done about your problem.  Make all the excuses you want for BB but the facts are plain as day...they obviously can not keep up with all the bad equipment they are selling and all the customer complaints regarding their company.  That alone speaks volumes of a company and it's integrity.  When you have created several avenues to get help and all of them are bogged down with so many complaints that you can not keep up with them in a timely manner, then you have lost your way as a business my friend and should be called out on it.  Just look at these forums and how many disgruntled people there are with Best Buy and it's policies.  While this may be the best way to get help from BB, it certainly is not a solution to the growing problem of bad service, bad product, and unqualified employees.  

[musicmansell]

Thanks for the response Justin.  Personally I feel Best Buy needs to extend it's in store coverage to 60 days.  Most times you buy a new product like a TV you probably have to wait a week or two before even hooking it up or installing it with the cable.  This only leaves you a couple weeks to actually use the device and see if it is fully functioning before you are out of luck as far as BB is concerned.  If you guys are selling open box items those should be covered with an in store 3 month warranty, since they have been opened and you the seller are guaranteeing that they will work fine.  Since, none of this has happened and I have received exactly the response I thought I would from you guys, which is a polite oh well, not our problem, good luck with Samsung, I don't think I will be purchasing any further electronics, games, cameras, or any other devices from your company.  I can not trust corporate to step in and resolve matters in an effective way, I can not trust your so called expert staff at the stores, and I obviously can not trust the quality of the products you sell.  

Now this may seem like I am ranting, but you asked for any suggestions so here is one.  How about instead of hiring a bunch of teens and younger adults who have no clue about electronics but just want a job, you hire some of those over qualified out of work people like my friend who applied but was denied because he had too much experience.  TOO MUCH EXPERIENCE?!  Maybe if he was working there and answered my questions with his knowledge I wouldn't be in this pickle in the first place.  Step it up with better quality, more knowledgeable employees, that actually care about what they are selling.  If they don't like it, let them go work at McDonalds or digging ditches.  How many older people with no clue about electronic equipment come in to your stores and rely on the expertise of your sales staff?  If this is what can be expected then you better be ready for a whole lot more disgruntled customers coming your way.  Even just a gift card for the inconvenience would have been something, but telling me basically it is not your problem, when it was your sales staff that got me in to this open box model TV in the first place, just completely turns me off of ever wanting to do business with your company again.  I hope others read this and make the same decision to boycott your stores until you hire some knowledgeable staff.

[Jimmienomam]

The 30 days don't start until the tv is delivered. It's the same with any large item that needs delivery, the return window starts the day the item is delivered not when purchased.

[musicmansell]

That's great if you had it delivered, unfortunately when you buy an open box unit in store you are responsible for transporting it, there is no free delivery.  So the 30 days starts the moment you walk out the door, according to the manager I spoke with.

[Jimmienomam]

I'm sorry I misread your post above mine. You said a week or 2 to hook it up, not deliver...

I couldn't wait a week or two when I got my TV, in fact I worked through lunch so I could get home earlier to set it up. So I guess I don't know how you feel.

As far as the overqualified comment, I have been in a hiring position (not HR rep but had a large say in who was hired) before. I have turned down overqualified people before because they put off the vibe that the job is just something they need until they get a better offer, which is much more likely for an overqualified person.

I have been on the opposite end and would always stress to the HR interviewing me that although I may be overqualified, I am looking to move up and am willing to start at the bottom. I will give them time to see my potential in at least a year. I normally get good responses to that.

[JackTen]

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musicmansell wrote:

Now this may seem like I am ranting, but you asked for any suggestions so here is one.  How about instead of hiring a bunch of teens and younger adults who have no clue about electronics but just want a job, you hire some of those over qualified out of work people like my friend who applied but was denied because he had too much experience.  TOO MUCH EXPERIENCE?!  Maybe if he was working there and answered my questions with his knowledge I wouldn't be in this pickle in the first place.  Step it up with better quality, more knowledgeable employees, that actually care about what they are selling.  If they don't like it, let them go work at McDonalds or digging ditches.  How many older people with no clue about electronic equipment come in to your stores and rely on the expertise of your sales staff?  If this is what can be expected then you better be ready for a whole lot more disgruntled customers coming your way.  Even just a gift card for the inconvenience would have been something, but telling me basically it is not your problem, when it was your sales staff that got me in to this open box model TV in the first place, just completely turns me off of ever wanting to do business with your company again.  I hope others read this and make the same decision to boycott your stores until you hire some knowledgeable staff.

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first, i'm sorry you feel that you can't trust the quality of the products we sell.  unfortunately, we sell the same products as most of our competitors.  it does sound like the salesman was somewhat overzealous in his assertions that the tv was perfectly fine.  what happens in the store is it gets tested, and if it's working fine, they sell it.  it took quite a while for these lines to show up.  sadly, they can't test one specific tv for that long.  as far as anyone in that building knew, the tv was perfectly ok.

secondly, working as a customer service rep, i see the value in the protection plans.  i understand why people don't, because it's sometimes presented to them wrongly, or they hear what they want to hear on it, or they're just confused by it and don't like our answers about how it works.  what people refuse to understand is that, as much as they hate the process sometimes, without that plan, they'd be 100% SOL.  and even though people don't trust me about it, refuse to let me talk about it (by rudely cutting me off, i might add), it's worth it to me to talk to everyone about it so that when the 5% of people that need to use it have it, they're taken care of, and not out hundreds of dollars with a unit that has to sit in their house until they can find the time to take it off the wall or whatever and throw it away.

thirdly, some of the employees agree with the quoted part.  what people don't seem to know about best buy, though, is that they train their staff.  heavily.  and then test them.  heavily.  the problem can sometimes be that employees just aren't taking enough out of the trainings to actually help people.  or they're not interested in helping people, and it's just a job they want to get through after a day at school.  i like working with people with drive, and i know that while my location has a lot of it, some others around us don't, and i know that often results in customer disappointments like this.  if there's another best buy location near you, i recommend giving them a shot, as the atmosphere can vary drastically location to location.

[hydrogenwv]

I don't work at Best Buy. I wasn't advocating anything. I was explaining the facts to you. I'm sorry if my explanation of the facts bothered you. Next time, would you prefer I lie?