Best Living - Community Manager's blog

Each year at their Conference & Exhibition, the Direct Marketing Association awards companies or individuals for outstanding achievements in the multichannel direct marketing process.  We are pleased to announce that Best Buy has been named the 2009 Marketer of the Year!

The award praises Best Buy for our commitment to new ideas and for our focus on enhancing customers' enjoyment of technology which has been instrumental in making us a leader in the retail and marketing communities.

The award specifically called out our strength in the social media space, including the widely known Twelpforce.  In fact, several of our Twelpforce champions attended the event to be recognized.

Last year when I began helping Best Buy journey into the blogosphere, I never expected to grow those concepts into paradigm shift within the company.  So many local Best Buy stores and senior leaders have embraced the possibilities of social media.  It has been an exciting journey and I am glad to have played a part in it.  Having Best Buy's efforts in the social media realm be honored by the DMA is both humbling and inspiring.  Our Best Buy Communities team will continue to help Best Buy be successful by supporting our customers on our Best Buy Community forum as well as our many other social media engagements.

I am happy to announce the expansion of our Best Buy Communities' team's capabilities.  In addition to our team of Community Connectors, we are launching a new team of Retail Marketing Advisors who will assist our Best Buy retail locations with their local marketing initiatives, leveraging the Retail Marketing Tool.  This tool has been in place for over a year and provides access to pre-approved, brand appropriate and legally compliant marketing collateral to help grow their local business.  Our new Advisors will not be participating in the Community Forum in the same way the Connectors do, but they do welcome your input about how local Best Buy stores can connect better with customers through both traditional and  new marketing means. 

What can your local Best Buy store do to reach your specific community?              

John created a graphic that visually displays what our team does.  The Community will have its one year anniversary on Sept 18.  We are very excited.  Our Community, Best Buy Unboxed, as grown tremendously over the last year.  I am happy that we can facilitate connections and support customers.  Comments on the graphic are invited.

Great News!

My team I were honored by receiving Best Buy's Chairman Innovation Award, Honorable Mention.  This is Best Buy highest accolade and I am pleased and delighted to have received it.  I would like to thank my team for helping make this possible.  Through their tireless efforts, we have been able to expand the Best Buy brand in the blogosphere in ways unlike any other company.  This award gives our team and the entire Consumer Relations department great exposure within the company, showcasing the valuable work we do every day to support our customers. 

Our Journey

When I started two years ago combing the Internet on behalf of Best Buy in search of customers crying out for help, I did so not as an alternative to our other contact channels, but rather as a supplement.  My initial strategy was to locate situations that involved either a customer service issue or a technical issue and included the customer's contact information.  I would then contact the customer privately, resolve their situation and hope they would update their online posting.  While I was able to resolve several customer issues, customers did not update their initial online posting.  Therefore, the online public never knew the ending to the story.

So I shifted my strategy shifted to not only help Best Buy customers, but also show the online public that Best Buy is a concerned and connected retailer who wants to have a relationship with our customers.  I began by publicly and transparently responding to customers on behalf of the company.  I reached out and offered to investigate the situation they posted online.  This quickly resulted in both an online and offline dialogue with customers.  When issues were resolved, customers updated their followers with the resolution we had worked together to achieve.

I expanded my efforts to helping customers on Twitter in April 2008, and we launched this Community Forum in September 2008.  I now have a dedicated team who helps resolve customer service issues and technical support questions for our customers publicly on our Community Forum and Twitter as well as customers' personal blogs.  Our goal is to support customers using the medium they are most comfortable using to communicate with us - although, I remember some time ago, a customer mailed their issue to our corporate office on a 2'x4' poster.  We did our best to resolve this customer's issue; however, we did not mail back our response in the same manner!

Growth of Social Media

As more companies start using social media to support customers, I have seen some concerns  regarding the level of support customers receive using this online channel to broadcast an issue versus a traditional contact such as phone, email or letter.  It is not necessarily a difference in the level of tools or authority a traditional contact agent has; rather it is the difference in the number of voices that are invited to the conversation.

A traditional contact is a closed, two-way communication.  Forums, blogs, Twitter, etc. open the conversation to a larger audience allowing anyone to participate.  No single employee for a company has all the answers.  By opening up the dialogue to both employees and the online public, customers gain access to both a company's expertise and the online public's knowledge.  Our Community Forum is an excellent example of the mixture of Best Buy BlueShirt and Geek Squad Agent skills blending with the online public's knowledge.  The Community Forum is a platform that facilitates conversations between employees and customers.  It is a highly engaged community with the majority of the conversation generated by the community members.

TwelpForce, Best Buy's newest social media engagement, continues to facilitate the opening of access to the knowledge of our Best Buy BlueShirts and Geek Squad Agents.  Technology is by nature complex.  It is implausible to assume every time one of our customers has a technology question, they will drive to one of our stores.  Twitter and our Community Forum allow Best Buy to be with customers on their technology journey as a trusted adviser, there to help support making their technology dreams materialize as the need arises.  Social media tools enable a more connected relationship with companies and customers. 

The Future

Many customers are still turning to traditional means to contact companies.  I would postulate that none of the mainstream, commercially used social media tools convey as much as a telephone conversation or store visit.  Someday in the future, video conferencing may eclipse the telephone conversations.  My team and I will now strive to be pioneers in the use of video support for customers.  We will do so with the same careful, measured diligence that has made us successful in the blogosphere. 

The dawn of a new era in customer service is looming.  The future comprises advanced technology that allows for the rapid and immediate connection of customers with both a company's employees, its customers and the online public.  It is a bold step for a company to grasp this concept: to grow we must acknowledge we are a facilitator and an aggregator, not a beacon or panacea.  While there are solutions Best Buy can provide, it is the facilitation of conversation from a multitude of sources and its aggregation into easily accessible locations that will continue to ensure that Best Buy is a leader in the field of consumer electronics and social media.

Today, Best Buy launched a new way for Blueshirt and Geek Squad Agents to connect with customers: TwelpForce.  Customers can Tweet to TwelpForce and Best Buy employees will respond. 

Providing support to customers on Twitter is not new to Best Buy.  My team and I have been Twittering to customers in English, Spanish and French for quite some time know.  I launched my Twitter, Gina_BestBuy, in April 2008.  We expanded to other languages a few months later and eventually other programs including support for the Reward Zone program, Best Buy Outlet Center, Geek Squad and our  Insignia exclusive brand.  In addition to my team at corporate, some stores have also joined Twitter to support customers.  One of the first was Bianca at store 221 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

We have had many successes through these engagements on Twitter.  For example: http://tinyurl.com/BBY-Harte. 

Twitter is an interesting social phenomenon.  It cleaves thoughts into a Spartan 140-character piece.  For me the mixture of grammar and syntax, the use of the lexicon, is an art.  Therefore, Twitter's appeal remains a bit elusive to me.   The concoction of words that take on meaning is powerful...the pen is mightier than the sword.  Words form phrases which make up sentences that then comprise treatises - this changes lives.  Only a few weeks ago, we in the US were celebrating the Declaration of Independence.  It is hard to image our founding fathers putting that masterful document into less than 140 characters. 

I do not doubt that Twitter has a place in our new world of rapid communication.  The recent events in Iran attest to Twitter's utilitarian applications.  Our team has seen the countless power of using Twitter to serve Best Buy's customers, and I am excited to see our Blueshirt and Geek Squad Agents enthusiastically jumping on TwelpForce to assist our customers.  However, with the amplification of a voice into the chorus of the conversation on Twitter comes responsibility to live the Best Buy values and philosophies.  These are the foundation for the culture of service at Best Buy.  Each Tweet is an opportunity for us all to show how we live the Best Buy values and philosophies.  I rise to the occasion as I know many will also.  I hope that in the coming weeks and months, Twitter connects our impassioned employees with our customers in new and novel ways that we have not yet imagined.  In the words of Buzz Lightyear, "To infinity and beyond"... a call to action in less than 140 characters.

Community user interface upgrade

You may have noticed some changes to our Community Forum.  Last night our forum platform was upgraded to a new user interface.  Here are some of the changes:

• New layout for user profiles. Now has the user's recent posts featured conveniently at the top.
• New terms used around the site. For example, topics replace threads and avatar instead of icon.
• Removal of the user dashboard.
• Users now have the option to change their date style to relative. This friendly format is "about an hour ago" which is cleaner than the standard "7/17/2009".
• Kudos is now built into the small user info at the left of a post. You now give post's kudos by clicking the star under the user's avatar. To the immediate left of the star is the posts total kudos.
• With the cleaner post design, more posts are viewable at once. This allows for quicker reading through a topic.
• Search has been completely overhauled. There is now just one search with a drop down for the scope of your search. From the home page your choices are for a community or user search. While looking at a board or topic the search options are for community, category, topic or user.
• The introduction of confirmation and feedback messages for selected actions.
• 
  

We hope you find the changes pleasant as having the new interface will allow for more functionality with our community in the future.

We're thinking about a new name for the Community Forums

We think it is time to ignite the community conversation for ideas on a new name.  Currently, our official name is "Best Buy® Community Forums."  We have been itching to come up with a new name for a while now.  We really would like some input from our community.  Have any ideas on a new name?

We're dabbling with the name "Technology Unboxed."  What do you think?  We could have the icons for boards be open boxes.  Thoughts?

We're still learning

We also want to point out that we are still growing and learning.  Although, we're rapidly approaching our one year with the forums, it is still new to us.  We're open to your feedback.  In fact, we encourage it.  This is a community after all. 

How can Best Buy improve its product offers, services and customer experience?  From our online community engagements such as this Forum, we are hoping to learn the ever-changing answers to these questions.  A great example of how Best Buy is co-creating with our customer is our Next Class laptops.  "You Spoke.  We listened."  Best Buy asked students what type of laptop they needed to be successful.  Their input provided direction for our newest laptops.

An exciting new way to join the conversation and participate in this co-creating process is to use our new Best Buy Ideax website.  Ideax allows customers and employees to share, discuss and rate ideas.  Individuals can post ideas that they think will enhance the Best Buy experience.  Others can then comment on their idea, and if they think it's a good one, they can vote for it.  The Ideax team also has a bi-weekly blog which they use to provide feedback about the idea submission to the community.  My team and I will be helping moderate the Ideax, so you may see our comments on the website. 

I believe that infusing the creativity of our customers with that of our Blueshirts and Geek Squad Agents will result in powerfully innovative ideas that will unleash a new horizon for Best Buy.

This week is the country’s 233^rd birthday.  As a former history major, I love America’s rich, passion filled history.  I am planning on celebrating our Independence Day by watching a few movies that highlight America’s historical triumphs. 

When I was a kid my mother and I would watch James Cagney perform as George M. Cohen in Yankee Doodle Dandy every Fourth of July.  We would sit on the couch together and eat popcorn and sing-a-long to the patriotic tunes while we watched the classic black and white movie.  When Cagney would tap dance up the wall, I would try to do the same.  I, of course, fell down every time. 

Any other recommendations for great films about American history?

When not watching movies, I will stop by Best Buy’s one day dale.  We are having a few deals on Friday, July 3, 2009 only.  If you are looking for a good deal on a tv, we have a Dynex 32” LCD for $299.99.  I’m thinking about putting a tv in my basement and this might just work in that room.

And in between all that I will squeeze in sometime to go watch fireworks.  It wouldn’t be the Fourth without them.

June 21^st is Dad’s Day.  Although my grandfather is no longer with us, every year my mom and I would get him a new electronic gadget.  My grandfather was the genesis of my love for technology.  All his life he struggled with vision problems.  In his later years it was difficult for him to read his favorite electronics magazines and technical journals, so I would read them to him.  He loved his big television and his reel-to-reel audio player.  Together we would watch my two favorite movies, The Sound of Music and the Wizard of Oz, over and over again.  I never grew tired of watching the same movies with him and he was happy spending time with me.  We wore out several VHS tapes!  Fortunately, today we have blu-ray DVDs which are far more durable.

For Dad’s day this year Best Buy is having a special sale that starts today and runs through Monday.  There are several great televisions ranging from about 37” to 52” inches on sale and a couple blu-ray players.  When I was growing up in South Florida, Best Buy didn’t have any store down there.  Due to his failing eyesight, my grandfather was always looking for bigger televisions with sharp pictures for both himself and he was paranoid that poor picture quality would hurt my eyes.  I know of no medical information that would support that, but those were his fears. 

I wish he were here today to see the successful woman I have become and to see all the awesome technology advances that have occurred in the last two decades.  If he was here today I know he would have a 50”+ HD television, blu-ray player and slick sound system.  But tucked away in a corner, I know he would still have his old reel-to-reel audio player…at least I still do.

I have loved technology as long as I can remember.  Before my father retired, he was an electrical engineer.  While an intelligent man who can debate anyone on any current political issue or match wits over calculus problems, he has always been baffled by the most minor technology problem.  As a child when the tv would stop working I would hear him bellow “Gina” and I would rush to his aid.  Usually the culprit was dead batteries in the tv remote, occasionally a loose wire. 

When I need to purchase presents for holidays and birthdays, I always think about the latest and greatest technology.  However, my Dad doesn’t like techie-geek gadgets.  My mother told me to get him an old-fashioned shaving soap brush.  Well, okay but I also wanted to give him something that came from the heart.  Something that could only come from me.

I decided to give him memories. He came up to visit for a week and has been helping me around the house, fixing stuff.  Since we don’t get to see each other often, I bought an Insignia HD camcorder.  The unit is small, lightweight and easy to use.  It has a 5 megapixel resolution (that means the video it captures is clear to see), has a three inch swivel LCD screen that allows you to see the images you are filming and has a powerful zoom feature (8x digital).  It also films in HD which I think is very cool but when I told my father, ever the engineer, he asked if that had anything to do with hydraulics! 

Time slips by so quickly.  I know every time my Dad looks at me he sees a five-year-old, little girl in pig-tails ready to start kindergarten.  I want to remember the time I spend with my father.  Making videos captures these gentle moments so that I can share them with him and others.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of speaking at the Community 2.0 conference.  The event brought together a diverse group of individuals who work with social media.  I gave a broad presentation that covered many of Best Buy’s social media engagements – from this Community Forum to Twitter to Ratings and Reviews – I did my best to highlight the wide range of the great and exciting work that Best Buy does with social media.  If you would like to view the presentation I gave I you can click here to view the deck. 

Yesterday, there was another great overview of Best Buy’s social engagements posted on the website “We Are Social.”  If you are interested, you can click here to read it.

As Best Buy’s community manager I have been on this journey for the past fifteen months.  My team and I live in the blogosphere every day.  We do our best to showcase Best Buy as a concerned and connected retailer.  We are accessible and transparent via our Forum, multiple Twitters and other locations.  Furthermore, we put insights we gather from social media into action.  This has been an exciting journey and I hope to continue to expand the horizon of social media at Best Buy.

For those who haven't read Allan's great post about Best Buy's new recycling program, I'm re-posting it on my blog.

 Hi Everyone,

This summer, Best Buy® rolled out a green initiative to 134 of our stores where a customer could bring in most of their old consumer electronics, and the Best Buy® store would recycle their old electronics for free. There were three categories where the customer was charged a $10 fee per item, but in return they would get a $10 Best Buy® gift card; the customer was not charged the $10 fee if the item was an exclusive brand (private Best Buy® label) item or in the state of California. The customer was limited to two items per day per household.  TVs larger than 32 inches, console TVs, air conditioners, de-humidifiers, microwaves, and appliances are not accepted by this program. If the customer wanted to recycle a desktop or laptop computer they were required to remove the hard drive first, which could be done by the customer or by the Geek Squad for $19.99. If you want to see a video on how to remove a computer hard drive yourself you click here. 

As of November of 2008 this initiative had removed 110,000 items from the waste stream, and I am happy to report that due to the success of this program and the positive feedback we have received from our customers, we started rolling this program out to all of the Best Buy® stores in the United States on 1/18/2009. As of Today 2/15/2009 this recycling program is in place in every store in the United States.

I was lucky enough to have lived in one of the test markets and had the opportunity to use this program first-hand, and I loved it. I was going to a Best Buy® store anyway to do some shopping, and I had an old TV that had been sitting in my basement forever so I brought it with me and I paid the store $10 to recycle the TV for me and they gave me a $10 gift card. Because of this program, Best Buy® offers recycling options for almost all of the electronics products we sell, and if you’re interested in seeing all of our recycling options you could find them on BestBuy.com.

Allan
Community Connector
Best Buy® Corporate

http://forums.bestbuy.com/bb/board/message?board.id=Recycling&thread.id=18

Last week Econsultancy posted a story on their website with a salacious title: "WalMart, Best Buy shun social media."  As this Community website proves, that is a fallacious statement about Best Buy.  Less than an hour after the story posted, I commented, "Actually, we embrace social media."  I pointed out that their own website wrote a story just two months ago about Best Buy's open API.  Econsultancy's Editor-in-Chief and CEO commented on my posting.  Others from Best Buy and our partner Carphone Warehouse added their comments about the work they do with social media.  In a comment from the author about the article he stated, "I neglected to do a proper Facebook and Twitter search. My sincere apologies. No[t] sic very professional and certainly not the way I want to start a relationship with your company."  While I accept his apology, I continue to grow wary of the power of unfiltered communication.  Too bad Econsultancy had not read my last blog, which was precisely about how inaccurate statements can quickly spread on the internet. 

This false story was Twittered and picked up by Google Alerts.  While myself and other Best Buy employees have debunked the claim, the title has not changed.  Therefore, this grossly inaccurate statement will remain on the internet indefinitely.  Furthermore, Econsultancy has not written an article that discusses Best Buy use of social media.  We are a large brand and utilize many social media avenues.

Today, many print-base newspapers are going out of business due to the internet's rapid means of transferring information.  However, newspapers were staffed by journalists who were accountable to their readers, their company and their shareholders.  While there were occasions when incorrect information was printed, upon discovery corrections were made and the newspaper's reputation suffered. 

Where is the accountability in the Web 2.0 world?  Many point to the community.  However, I am skeptical that the "community" can watch all websites and see every Twitter statement that flies across the internet.  My team and I caught this false statement about Best Buy; there will be others.  While we remain ever vigilant, I fear we are heading to a new era of yellow journalism - grab a citizen's or brand's name, make an accusation and then poison the public with a toxic accusation.  In a medium where anyone's opinion and lack of research can be accepted as fact, I worry what the potential consequences.

Today anyone can go online to voice their opinion.  Increasingly these opinions transcend the online space and modify events.  It was only a few months ago that an ad on Motrin's website offended mothers by comparing the carrying of children in baby slings to a fashion statement.  Outraged mothers (and others) quickly jumped on Twitter, and their outrage spread to YouTube and blogs.  Within days Motrin pulled their ad.  Congratulations to social media for quickly bringing this to the attention of Motrin.

Last week Bloomberg reported that Blockbuster hired a firm that deals with bankruptcy.  People on Twitter picked up this story and started Tweeting that Blockbuster was filing for bankruptcy.  This went viral within a few moments and their stock fell to $0.17.  Blockbuster put out a press release saying that they did hire the firm to help with capital initiatives, but reports of bankruptcy were entirely false.

Twitter is a rapid means of communication that is unfiltered.  Anonymous people can say whatever they want without repercussions.  When there is limited or no accountability, what measures are there to protect individual citizens and corporations from false, libelous or slanderous accusations? 

As fact and opinion blur, the consequences to individual lives will increase.  Will the next false viral rumor cripple a brand to a point from which it cannot recover?  How many jobs will be lost over a fallacious statement?  These concerns highlight the imperativeness of brands actively monitoring their perception in the blogosphere.

I love social technology.  And I am happy to join the online conversation on behalf of Best Buy.  Joining the conversation today is more important than ever for brands to survive and thrive in the world of Web 2.0.

Today Best Buy announced an organizational restructure which unfortunately will result in about 250 layoffs of corporate employees.  I am saddened with the loss of these colleagues.  Best Buy remains a strong company and will continue to grow even during these troubling economic times.  Today there will also be about 210 job postings which will create new opportunities for some employees.

My team and I have not been impacted.  We will continue to support the users of this Community Forum.  My team and I will also continue to engage on Twitter (Gina_BestBuy, BBY_Community, BBY_Comunidad, BBY_Communaute, RewardZone and BestBuy_Outlet); Facebook; Get Satisfaction; the Reward Zone Community Forum; as wells as dialogue with customers on their personal blogs and forums. 

I view engagement in the online space as a huge growth sphere for Best Buy.  It also helps gain insight into our customers’ experiences and provide actionable items to business teams so that we can make the changes necessary to improve and enhance our customer experience.

 Today is a day of change.  Tomorrow is a day of action.  And the future will be one of growth and opportunity as Best Buy continues to expand its brands, deliver quality Geek Squad services and provide an overall inspiring customer experience.

I spent most of Valentine's Day weekend playing Wii.  I am not much of a gamer; however, in an effort to relax more, I am trying to invest more time in non-work activities.  I've started reading books which provides a wonderful escape.  Gaming enhances the reading experience by providing not only a textual experience but visuals and sounds to enhance the escape experience.  My first gaming system was an Atari 2600.  Twenty years ago a small color palette, quirky sounds and flashing graphics pasted as state of the art.  Today's gaming landscape is 3-D, high-definition and multi-sensory experience.  One surprising outcome of playing the Wii is the soreness in my upper body.  Playing Wii tennis, baseball and golf are giving me quite a workout.  Remarkable for a machine that basically alters flashes graphics and sounds.  And more importantly, I’m relaxing.

America’s offerings for consumer electronics decreased last week when Circuit City announced the liquidation of its remaining 567 US stores.  While they are a competitor of Best Buy, I take no satisfaction in watching a major US company file for bankruptcy.  Sadly, 34,000 Circuit City employees, our neighbors and friends, are losing their jobs.  Unemployment is especially troubling in such a challenging economy. 

This is a time of economic readjustment for the US economy.   Americans have gone through these types of changes before.  I have complete confidence in our country and my fellow Americans to weather the changes ahead.  America rests on a bedrock of hardworking people who have a firm understanding of responsible behavior; therefore, we shall progress as a country and a society.

Trying to slow down my ever tech life, a friend gave me an old-fashioned, fireplace popcorn popper for the holidays.  So after years of having microwaved or movie popcorn, I tried to pop popcorn in my fireplace with it.  It was quite the adventure.  First, the popcorn popper (which is not sold at Best Buy) was difficult to put together.  I had to drill its wood topper just so I could get a screw in to hold it to the top of the popper.  I oiled up the popper and put in popcorn kernels.  Within a couple of minutes I heard the first "Pop!"  It was bit challenging holding the heavy popper in the fire.  I had to gently rock it from side to side to get the popcorn to pop evenly.  After a plethora of popping sounds, I decided to take it out of the fire. 

The natural popcorn was a nice change from microwave and movie popcorn.  I added a little sour cream and onion popcorn seasoning and feasted on my hard labor.  Afterward when I began to clean up I realized the popcorn popper's bottom was melting black paint on to the floor.  I cleaned up and put the popper in the kitchen.  It then got black paint on the stove and popcorn bowl. 

Consequently, I've decided to use the popcorn popper as a decoration. It was nice to try the low-tech way of making popcorn, but I missed my microwave.  Come to think of it, I think I will go pop myself a bag now.

The Holiday season is a time to reflect on the past year with those closest to us who can help point out our mistakes and our triumphs.  Hopefully we move into the New Year a little wiser so that we do not make the same mistakes and also a little braver so that we still charge ahead when the future is unknown. 

At the beginning of 2008, I was offered the opportunity to become Best Buy's first Community Manager and help usher the company into the Web 2.0 world.  There was no certainty that this would be a successful endeavor or a permanent position.  Best Buy didn't have a forum or blog.  The company had never Twittered and most people thought that was a risqué term.  When I was presented with the opportunity to jump into the uncertainty, I did so wholeheartedly.  That is, I took the path less trodden by. 

I launched a blog, began Twittering and helped the company move toward having a community forum.  There were many internal partnerships that needed to be built, and policies needed to be updated to be relevant in a Web 2.0 world.  I rolled up my sleeves and dug in.  As I moved, I made sure to build a path for both English language and Spanish language conversations to start taking place online.  Today, both languages must work in tandem for Best Buy to serve its diverse customers. 

Achieving the launch of this community forum was the largest hill to climb.  I recall having a conference with a senior director who looked me in the eye and said it wouldn't happen this year.  Doggedly, I continued.  One of Best Buy directors had been trying to get the company to launch a forum for years.  He was instrumental to this forum existence.  Finally, on September 18, 2008 the community forum launched. 

My team and I manage and moderate this forum.  My team of eleven is, in my opinion, comprised of some of the company's best employees.  They are dedicated to championing customers, tirelessly researching questions and striving to create an online community experience for customers.

This forum is not for Best Buy.  It is for our customers.  We launched it to connect customers with Blueshirts, Geek Squad Agents and each other.  This forum provides a platform for us all to dialogue in an open and honest manner.  While I know not all users of this forum may believe that, I do and so does my team. 

That's why I get up every morning and go to work so that I can help foster meaningful communication in an ever-evolving, tech-filled, complicated, and confusing world.  We all need assistance from time to time with life and technology.  This forum and our other online community engagements are to help all of us adapt to an e-powered world,one that is turned on and tuned in 24/7.  To some, the new e-world is a realm full of techno-stress and frustration.  If you are ever struggling trying to figure out how to make it all work together, that's what we are here for.  To help and assist to the best of our abilities.  So let's keep the dialogue going in 2009.  Devices are only going to get smaller and more feature-packed, which translates into complication.  We're here.  We hear you.  Let the conversation continue.

This Holiday season I had the pleasure of giving many gifts to my friends and family.  While I also received many presents, the gifts I enjoyed the most were the smiles and hugs I received.  While Best Buy doesn’t sell smiles and hugs, it does offer many entertainment products that help bring people together to enjoy a shared experience.  In the last few days I have spent many hours in front of my tv playing DVD games with family.  Challenging each other at trivia games is fun, entertaining and educational.  I’m not the trivia buff I used to be, so I have learned that in the new year I might want to brush up on my factoids.

Recently Geek Squad launched a new website for questions about specific product models or sku numbers: https://supportopedia.com.  The website is for customers and Best Buy and Geek Squad employees to come together and answer specific product questions.  The team of Community Connectors who moderate this Community Forum (http://forums.bestbuy.com) also assist on the Supportopedia.  By using Best Buy's open API (available at http://remix.bestbuy.com), the product models that are available on Supportopedia mirror the products on Bestbuy.com. 

Every month I like to change the image on my desktop.  I also like to have a calendar to quickly access.  Therefore, I sometimes take one of my digital photographs and add a calendar on it.  I use Adobe Fireworks to manipulate the photo and then use the text tool to add the calendar.  If you would like to download my December ’08 calendar for your desktop, click here.

Despite the lackluster economy, customers came out in droves for the Day After Thanksgiving day sales at Best Buy and other retailers.  Kudos to those of you who braved the long lines on your quest to find the product you desired.  With the Holiday shopping season off to a good start, I guess it is time for me to start my shopping.  I have family and friends to buy for and, of course, my dog too!  I can't forget her. 

I love giving gifts.  Making my friends happy fills me with the holiday spirit!  While my wrapping skills are remedial at best, I still enjoy the challenge of using scissors, tape and ribbon to conceal the joy I give to people.  This season I think I am going to focus on giving DVDs, music and food.  People like to escape from the worries of daily life, and movies and music let them do that.  Food...well once you escape, you usually get hungry so it is good to bring along some sustenance! 

We are one week away from one of the biggest shopping days of the year: The Day After Thanksgiving!  While I do not know what doorbuster deals Best Buy® will have, I'm sure a lot of people will line up for them.  For those who choose to attempt to take advantage of the sales, please remember to be safe.  Also, the doorbuster specials have limited quantities.  Once they are sold out, there are no longer available and there are no raincheck options. 

I have never partaken in the Day After Thanksgiving shopping extravaganza as a shopper.  However, when I worked in sales I did have to get up very early so that I could assist customers when the doors opened.  Nowadays working in Best Buy's department of Consumer Relations I still have to get up early to be here at corporate to help support the stores. 

For those of you braving the crowds on the Day After Thanksgiving, please remember to be safe, be smart and have fun.

For additional information, please check out our Holiday Survival Guide.

I just finished watching The Snake Pit, a 1948 film starring Olivia de Havilland.  The film tackles the controversial topic of mental illness treatment.  Having studied and taught psychology ,this film has been on my list of movies to watch.  The film gives a shocking portrayal of the state of mental illness in the 1940s and graphically shows electric shock
therapy.  The film concludes with a happy ending brought about by Freudian psychoanalysis.  Clearly the film is dated.  De Havilland gives a tremendously daring performance.  While it is common for actresses today to bolster their resume by playing non-glamorous roles, during the 1940’s de Havilland took a significant risk playing a disturbed woman and being filmed with minimal make-up.  While she was nominated for an Academy Award, she did not win.  Best known for playing Melanie in Gone With The Wind, her career spanned the twentieth century and she is one of a handful of actress to bring home two Academy awards for best actress (1946 To Each His Own and 1949 The Heiress).  I am looking forward to her return to the silver screen in I-59 South which is set to start filming next year.

In the lilting light I walked as it became night across a meadow lacquered in fallen, multi-colored maple leaves.  Only in dreams had I imagined such a wondrous sight.  Bathed in the chilly autumn breeze, I slowly strode on.  The leaves beneath my feet crackled like an open fire. My hands, growing numb from the chilly air, sought refuge in the caverns of my pockets.  Alas, I realized amidst autumn’s splendor, I had neglected to bring my digital camera.  As more leaves gently gave way to the forces of gravity, I sighed since I could not capture a slice of nature’s majesty.  But then I remembered...the cell phone in my pocket had a built-in digital camera.  Oh joyous night, you shall be remembered forever thanks to my trusty friend!  With the light fading, I feverishly snapped away.  Photographs store so much more than a mixture of pigments.  They are tangible capsules of life’s moments, large and small.  Therefore, I shall not forget my glorious autumn walk.  I think I’ll walk again tomorrow.

Ever been on airplane with the lights down low, frantically trying to finish that big presentation you have to give as soon as you land, but keep hitting the wrong keys on your laptop because it so dark?  Blue Label™ to the rescue!  Recently, Best Buy® launched a new line of products called Blue Label™ based on feedback the company has received from customers.  You asked.  We listened.  The new line launched with two new laptops.  The Toshiba E105-S1402 features a backlit keyboard, approximately 5.5 hours of battery life and a weight under five pounds.  The HP Pavilion dv3510nr also features a backlit keyboard and weightless than five pounds.  Both laptops have two-year limited manufacturer’s warranty and come with a full year of anti-virus software pre-loaded.  To learn more please visit http://www.bestbuy.com/bluelabel. 

Quick Stats                                             

HP Pavilion dv3510nr Entertainment Laptop

o    Backlit keyboard for viewing in low light

o    Up to 4 hours of battery life from a single charge

o    Less than 1.41" thin

Toshiba Satellite E105-S1402

o    Backlit keyboard for viewing in low light

o    5.5 hours of battery life from a single charge

o    1.2” thin

o    4.99 lbs

o    14.1” diagonal widescreen TruBrite® TFT LCD display at 1280x800 native resolution (WXGA)

The Autumn winds of change have started blowing the multicolor leaves off the trees, leaving the lawns a speckled pageantry of radiant hues.  I was walking in the woods absorbing all the mastery of Mother Nature when I came to a fork in my path.  Of course, I took the one less traveled by.

Business is also at a fork in the road: to listen and dialogue transparently with customers or to remain in stagnant silence ignoring the mounting voices.    Where once faceless corporations dictated a prescribed doctrine, now the winds of change have blown open the doors to the corporate halls.   Web 2.0’s bi-directional approach allows for communication between consumers and producers for the first time.

This blog is only one example of Best Buy’s engagement.  We have Community Forums in both English and Spanish which serve as platforms for Best Buy personnel, Geek Squad agents, customers and the online public to share their experiences about technology.  My team and I join the discussion.  We also engage with individuals on their own personal blogs, Twitters and forums that are not associated with Best Buy.  Our CMO Barry Judge has his own Twitter (http://twitter.com/BestBuyCMO) and his own blog (http://barryjudge.com/).  I also Twitter (http://twitter.com/Gina_BestBuy), and we have a Spanish language Twitter (http://twitter.com/bby_comunidad).  Our Reward Zone program has a forum as well on their website (https://myrewardzone.bestbuy.com/).

Best Buy has decided to join the discussion.  One of the first outcomes of listening to customers is our new Blue Label products.  You spoke.  We listened.  Based on customer feedback about laptop issues, Best Buy partnered with both Toshiba and HP to create laptops with features that customers wanted such as a backlit keyboard to make it easier to see the keys on the laptops.  I wish mine had that!  You can join the discussion about Blue Label on our Community Forum.

Blue Label is just the beginning when it comes to the power of co-creating with our customers.  It is my sincere hope that we engage in an honest, constructive dialogue.  I know traveling down this path will bring about both challenge and change, but that’s okay.  After all, I always choose the path less travelled by

Originally posted: Monday, August 25, 2008

WoLF

Best Buy has several Employee Business Networks (EBNs) to help its employees connect with each other and the community. One of the EBN’s I am a part of is WoLF – Women’s Leadership Forum. Last week WoLF held it annual conference in Boston. It was a powerful and moving experience. Many of the company’s executive leadership were in attendance, which was pretty cool.

WoLF resides on a firm foundation of company support and grows through its three pillars: commitment, network and give back. Throughout the world, there are WoLF packs and dens comprised of groups of passionate women and men who, to paraphrase Gandhi, want to be the change they wish to see in the world. For example, I am passionate about increasing female recruitment and retention, and WoLF has helped by supporting my efforts.

Without knowing it, WoLF was a great gift that Best Buy gave me (and many other individuals). I have been with the company for just less than two years. Yet through becoming involved with WoLF, I was able to meet people, network and build solid partnerships. This work helped pave the path to my current position.

Therefore, I would like to say a deep thank you to Julie Gilbert who founded WoLF in 2004. You didn’t know me, but you knew me. You saw the struggles of those who work tirelessly but achieve slowly - those who are stray wolves, but rise each day to challenge a world full of preconceptions. I found a home at Best Buy in part because of you. Thank you. You started a movement. I am happy to devote my time to help it grow and prosper.

To learn more about WoLF, please check out their website: http://wolfinspires.com/.

Originally posted: Monday, August 4, 2008

I thought I was losing my mind

I have worn the same shirts for probably about a decade. Okay, so fashion isn’t my thing. Tech-toys are. A few weeks ago I noticed my shirts were fitting a bit tighter. I thought this was odd. Occasionally, my pants have felt a bit tight, but my shirts? Then it got more severe. I was having difficulty buttoning some of my shirts. Frantically I rushed to look at my upper body in the mirror. Sadly, I had not become buff overnight. I kept craning my neck to see what the problem was. Did my shoulders suddenly get wider? Days later it happened again. If I could manage to button a shirt, gaps of skin were being revealed. I hadn’t gained weight; as far as I could tell, my shoulders weren’t any wider. What was going on? I assumed it was the first stage of madness.

Then a light bulb went off in my mind, the dryer! I’ve only been in my new place a few months and every time I dry clothing I have to keep them in the dryer for at least two full cycles. Ah, ha! I rushed down to the basement to glare at the culprit. The dryer sat there lazily and a bit dusty as it has for the past twenty-five years. Upon investigation, I determined that yes; the dry was the guilty offender who shrunk my shirts.

Well, at least I know what my first major upgrade for my new home will be. I’ll start saving up and checking our financing offers for a washer/dryer pair. Too bad Best Buy™ doesn’t sell shirts; I am in need of several.

Originally posted: Monday, July 14, 2008

Originally posted: Monday, June 23, 2008

Koeksisters

Although I love to use technology to help make my life easier, every once and a while it is nice to roll-up my sleeves and get my hands dirty by doing something the old-fashioned way. A friend of mine is originally from South Africa. I like to help her make original South African food. Today we cooked koeksisters. They are a traditional doughnut-type desert that is coated in syrup. They are very sweet and sticky.

Instead of using an electric mixer or food processor, we decided to make them the traditional way. We sifted the flour, then added butter and mixed the ingredients by hand. This was a slow, but fun process. We then added water and continued to stir the mixture by hand. Again, it was slow and messy, but also fun and relaxing.

After the dough had risen, we did return to using modern conveniences to deep-fry the koeksisters. She has a gas stove and they fried up very nicely on it. We coated them with syrup and chilled them. Then it was time to reap the rewards of our efforts – they tasted delicious! The syrup left my fingers sticky, but what’s life without a little mess.

If anyone wants the recipe for this awesome treat, let me know.

Originally posted: Monday, June 16, 2008

A Few Wii Moments of Fun

While I love technology, I am not much of a gamer, although admittedly, back in the day, I was the highest scorer on the Ms. Pac-Mac arcade game at the Coral Springs roller skating center…oh, that dates me. With the exception of chasing Pac-pellets and ghosts, I lack hand-eye coordination.

While I try and warn people about this, they don’t listen. Last week I was hanging out with a bunch of friends, and I stunned them with my atrocious Nintendo Wii skills. I could see my friends inwardly cringe as I attempted to control two objects – the Wii remote and the Wii nunchuck – at the same time. Fortunately, they were all very patient. Since my hand-eye coordination is so bad, they thought I would do better with the Wii Fit, which basically turns your entire body into a game controller. Sadly, I performed no better.

But that’s okay! We had fun, and that’s all that matters. Games are meant to bring us together. They give us a few moments to slip away to another place - to transcend reality and approach upon special places in which we have magical powers or superhuman strength… places where we can live out our fantasies or just escape the harshness of reality for a few sweet hours. Come to think of it, I haven’t chased any ghosts or gobbled up any Pac-pellets lately. Maybe I should carve out a few moments from my hectic life to return to the simple pleasures gaming offers. Maybe I can play Ms. Pac-man on the Wii?