Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[OldGeeker]

I bought a netbook a couple of weeks ago at Best Buy and have tried twice to get the 30-minute optimization the Geek Squad offers. The first time, I was told my battery didn't have enough power so the squad couldn't do the optimization since they didn't have a power cord.  Okay... So why doesn't a computer repair service have the power cords for at least the computers their own store sells??? Since nobody told me to bring my own power cord for the optimization, I hadn't bothered to take it with me. After all, one of the main reasons you get a netbook is its lightness compared to a laptop. Why would you want to weigh yourself down with accessories you're not likely to need for the task at hand?

The second time I tried to get the optimization, I was told to leave it for an hour after paying the $40 fee. While I was gone, I got a call on my cell phone from the geek squad saying they needed another hour because their one external drive was being used by another technician. And, of course, the person I talked to during my first visit (above) hadn't told me I needed to bring my own external drive for the optimization. Okay... So, why doesn't a computer repair store have more than one external DVD/CD-ROM drive anyway???

Unwilling to hang around for another hour because I had an appointment on the other side of town and didn't want to drive home, back to the store, and then back home later, I retrieved my computer and got a refund for the optimization that never occurred. Before leaving, I complained to the geek squad supervisor. He told me they used to have more than one external drive but that  the other one "had gone out."  Okay... So what kind of computer repair service depends on a single one of the most common pieces of equipment in modern computing??? And what kind of computer repair service can't repair or replace its own equipment???

Hey, Geek Squad, take a page out of the Apple stores play book. They know how to run an efficient onsite repair service, which is something you seem to need a whole lot of help doing. If you don't know what I'm talking about, visit the www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/ and make an appointment to get something repaired. Then actually go in for the repair. You'll be astonished! When the Geek Squad learns to do business as efficiently as they do it in Apple stores, I'll consider patronizing you again. Until then, be assured that I'll never waste my time trying to get service from you guys again.

[Nokia]

I can understand them not having an additional drive. Those drives are sent from corp. They are not taken out of store stock. On average, it takes two weeks to have something replaced by corp. As for repairing it, the in-store GS doesn't do any hardware repairs. All of that work takes place at off-site service centers.

One reason apple can operate like that is because they only have to take care of one type of computer. GS has to take care of pretty much every type. It's the same reason a dealer mechanic is always much quicker than an independent mechanic. When you only need to be trained on one product/brand, you're much more efficient.
 
Also, just a suggestion. Please change your font. It's extremely hard to read.

[Elizabeth-BBY Community Supervisor]

Hi OldGeeker,

Optimization is such a standard service - I am highly disappointed we weren't able to complete that quickly and painlessly for you.  Not only are there some communication concerns here, there's a bigger issue if our store doesn't have all the tools they need to take care of our customers appropriately.  Hey, stuff breaks, even for us, but we've got to be prepared and resolve those issues quickly - no excuses.  What store location were you at - I'd love to forward this feedback to some internal business teams to see how they can assist this store and hopefully prevent other customers from going through the same difficulties.

I do hope you give us the opportunity to serve you again, but either way, I am grateful to you for sharing this experience.  Please let us know here if there's anything more we can do.

Thanks for posting,