Other Customer Service Support

[TucsonCustomer]

I was wondering why it's not possible for me to dial a local telephone number to reach the local Best Buy store in the city where I live.  I'm assuming it's probably some cost-saving measure to centralize phone calls.  But if someone really has a reason to speak to someone at the local store, there should be a way to contact someone.  I know that they actually do have working telephones at the store, as I drove over there just to be able to talk to someone. 

The manager of the store said he understood my complaint, and he said that's the number one complaint they have from their customers.  He also said that he didn't agree with the corporate decision to make it impossible for customers to call their local store.  

To whichever Best Buy executive who made that decision, I think you laid an egg on that one.  It seems pennywise and pound foolish to me. 

Also, it's kind of ironic, considering how many corporations these days are trying to put forth a more "human" face for the sake of PR, Best Buy's corporate management seems hellbent on wanting to make themselves appear more impersonal and apathetic.  

At least, if you're going to do something like that, at least give your call center employees more authority, resources, and capabilities to resolve issues.  

[Allan-BBY Senior Social Media Specialist]

Hey, TucsonCustomer,

We appreciate the feedback on this, and for the time reaching out on this. I can of course relate to where you are coming from on this. I can say that the phone agents you speak to when calling our stores should be able to help with almost any concern a customer might have in regards to the store in question, and if not they should have direct contacts with that store. We really do appreciate you connecting with us on this.

Thanks,

[TucsonCustomer]

Thanks for your response Allan.  Actually, I asked at least three different phone representatives if they could connect me or contact my local store, and one of them put me on hold and connected me back to the opening greeting you get when calling the number.  Two others said that they don't have the ability to contact any of the local stores.  One of them said it was at the store's discretion as to whether they will accept calls.  

So, maybe they're supposed to have ability to call local stores, in theory, but in practice, they do not.  

The reason I needed to reach someone at the local store was due to a miscommunication regarding a store delivery.  They were attempting to deliver something to our office after hours.  When the delivery couldn't be made, I wanted to contact someone local to arrange delivery the following day during business hours.  After having to explain myself to multiple people over the phone, they still were not able to reach anyone to deal with this issue.  One of the representatives kept saying over and over that they have limited resources and limited capabilities.  

[Allan-BBY Senior Social Media Specialist]

Hey, TucsonCustomer,

Thanks for the clarification, and for the follow-up on this. Can you send me a private message with your name, phone number, email address, order number, and the location of this store? To send me a private message simply click on the message button in my signature.

Thanks,

[TucsonCustomer]

Just as an update to this situation, it turns out they never did issue the refund for the two monitors they didn't deliver.  They said they issued a refund on the Best Buy website, but according to my bank statement, the charges were still there.  I called Best Buy customer service and was on a chat with a representative for about an hour, but no resolution.  They said they had to connect me with someone else to issue the refund, as the person I initially contacted was not able to do it.  After another hour, I was informed that the refund was not properly processed at the store, so there needed to be someone from some other department who could help me.  They said they would be sending me a confirmation email to let me know, but I never got the email, nor has the charge been credited, according to my bank. 

So, this is turning out to be a much bigger fiasco than it would have been if Best Buy deigned to allow customers to call their local store.  It also would have been better to use a legitimate carrier for delivery, such as UPS or FedEx, instead of that fly-by-night service they were using.  

So...may I please have my refund?  Pretty please with sugar on top?  I think I've been quite patient and nice throughout all of this, but Best Buy is really starting to rile me up.  You guys are making Amazon look better and better with each passing day.  

[Sarah-BBY Social Media Specialist]

Hi there, TucsonCustomer.

Thank you for checking in with us, although this isn’t the update we were hoping for! I completely understand the importance of timely refunds, which is typically something Best Buy is seamlessly able to provide. I’d be more than happy to see if I may have any insight or options available to assist.

When you have a moment, please send a Private Message. Because it has been a while since your last interaction, I will just need to verify some information, before I will be permitted access to the purchase details. To send a Private Message, simply select the darker blue icon, which is located across from my signature.

Best,

[TucsonCustomer]

The system wouldn't let me send a private message.

[Sarah-BBY Social Media Specialist]

Hello again, TucsonCustomer.

I am sorry to hear you are having trouble. To remedy this issue, I’d recommend clearing your browser’s cache and cookies, and then try logging back into your Best Buy Forums profile.

Best,