TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

I've had the opposite experience with returns at best buy. I've bought stuff somewhere else, it broke, I went to BB to get a new one and returned the broken one. Yeah, I know, I can be a little lax on ethics sometimes, but when the shipping costs more than the device to send it back to the place I bought it from, it's not worth it. It's the manufacturer that eats the costs anyway, not BB. Other than that, I just buy CDs and DVDs from them when they have their specials. They truly are hell with their home delivery, though. My roommate bought a washer and dryer, sat at home waiting for it, then they call and say they can't make it cuz they're taking too long somewhere else. Then she gets it another day and they're too big to fit even though they said they would. It went on, but you get the idea.

My friend has been able to haggle pretty well for open box items, too. He got like $1000 off an already reduced price on his Samsung TV cuz they just wanted to get rid of it.

Ben

iTrader: (33)

My Best Buy story is similar to Brian's. It was ok for a college job. Started around $8 or so but I was making almost double that when I quit--Part time I got paid more than most of the full time people, but I also consistently closed high dollar sales with big value accessories and warranties tacked on, and that's what they want. I worked there for 2 years, and it was the gateway into low voltage. I actually received another job offer, with a base salary over what I was making plus a generous commission, while on the floor. I got my letter of intent from the new company, and tendered my letter of resignation effective 2 weeks. They asked me to stay 3, and I did.

If I remember correctly, there were 4 managers... general, sales, merchandising, inventory. and they all got paid pretty well for retail jobs. The sales people for the most part made squat. The business model actually requires the pee ons to turn over.

I was pushed very hard by the managers to keep up "the numbers" because that's how they got bonused. I asked them to stop coming around and showing me "the numbers" because it neither effected my paycheck nor how I approached each sale. This apparently hurt the sales manager's feelings, and he wanted to fire me, but my department manager and general manager objected. I found this out later when a group of us went out drinking.

I went there a few months ago, with expressed intent to purchase a Panasonic 50" G10 tv. The store was completely remolded since I worked there, and the employees were completely turned over--it's been ~10 years since I left so I guess that's not to be unexpected. I looked at a few sets, but could not get a sales person to help me. I left after ~20 minutes or so and made my purchase elsewhere.

We now have a HH Gregg and a Brandsmart within a block of the Best Buy. Something I found interesting is that BB no longer carries any of the lower end displays and barely carries any plasmas. They also had a lot of models with proprietary model numbers. Bad move. Brandsmart and HH will pick up that business.

neogenesis2004

iTrader: (12)

You sell the software on the floor, you expect me as a GS person to know everything about every piece of software that bby sells? Also, the guys in computers != GS. Most of the computer dept are sales people, thats all. The real GS agents are the ones that hate the pressure to sell, and just give people all their options.

People knock the GS because they tell people with 2 year old PCs to buy a new computer instead of adding new RAM, removing viruses/spyware, and getting antivirus/antispyware software. Well, here are the facts. As a GS employee you have a set list of services and their corresponding prices. These are prices set by BBY, and honestly are fair for the amount of time required to complete the service. If a user needs a spyware removal and software to protect in the future, and also decides they want something like a ram upgrade then you charge for those parts and services. You would be charged the following:

Virus Removal Service
Hardware Installation Service
Retail price antivirus
Retail price RAM

Well it turns out that this price ends up costing the same amount as a new better PC. So ya, I'm going to recommend that person just get a better computer and some antivirus software. For the perspective of the AVERAGE user, it is the most economical choice. The new computer will not be infected, it will have a better cpu, larger hdd and ram, and if you get AV you will be protected (unless you go searching for virii).

The point being this: Most of the people here or on tech forums already know how to fix these issues for free. They also know that they can get parts for cheap online. Good for them. Well, BBY is a business, a retail business. So they sell parts at retail price. They also provide PC services. These services are not free. If you think they are too high, figure out how to fix your own damn computer. That's all there is to it. If you want to complain that they charge $30 or whatever to install RAM, who cares. The avg joe doesn't know what the inside of a PC looks like, so they pay someone that does to do the installation. ITS A BUSINESS! BBY makes almost $0 on the RAM, so they offer a service to do the installation....

Some people have legitimate gripes, but it really steams me when people start complaining that they have to pay $200 to get viruses and spyware removed. A job that can take 3+ hours on your old P3 that should have been thrown away in the great flood and not put on the ark.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

I have a P4 machine here with 3GB of PC5200 ram...I'm on what my third HDD in a week and spent countless hours trying to remove malware and reinstall software.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

Ever stop to think that people like you are the reason the rest of us have a hard time returning ****?

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

When my heat pump failed this summer I bought two window units at HD. yay for lax return polices.

levnubhin

iTrader: (30)

I always do my research online before going to purchase any electronics, then I go into the store and tell them what i want, I don't ask any questions.
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ZX-Tex

iTrader: (15)

I hear you, and normally I would agree here. But there are other large, major appliance stores (what I bought) that have MUCH better customer service than what I got at BB.

Take Sears for example. You order the appliance, they tell you if they have it in stock or not, if not they order it and tell you when it will be delivered to the store. When it arrives, they tell you when it is ready for pickup, you pick it up, done. BB pretty much failed miserably on all of the above steps during my transaction.

And Sears, if you catch a sale, can have good appliance prices too, so I think the discount pricing is comparable to BB.

ZX-Tex

iTrader: (15)

Same here. So the only thing I am looking for at the store is out-the-door price and availability. And STFU Mr. Salesman about the awesome Extended Warranty you are offering.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

+1 on Sears being awesome. Recently ordered a mattress (on huge sale) that they promptly delivered to the store, notified me of, and had IN the truck inside of 3 minutes after I pulled up. Incredible service. They also managed to not **** up the order even though it was a special deal without box springs, and the firmest setup they make.

+1 on "damn I'm tired of hearing about the $40 BB warranty".

flier129

iTrader: (7)

Lol, at HHGregg I made 22% of any warranty sold, if I sold over $1500 in a week and during the holidays wasn't hard to double that. I miss $800 days and all I did was sell TVs, cameras, and the occasional appliance!

BB's pay is capped at $12.50/hr unless your a manager. Managers are salary, except for "mobile manager" , which is hourly at like $17-$18 and you can get overtime. That would be the job I wanted if I had to work for BB.

Nagase

iTrader: (6)

I used to work at Best Buy, before there was a tech bench... Worked in computers. I was the only person there who actually knew about computers. Everyone else was mainly just salespeople.

It's depressing, working in sales. After a while I found out that people want:

A. Someone to tell them what to do
B. Someone else to "blame" for the money they spent, so that they don't feel guilty in some way.

The people who are there because they love what they sell usually burn out quickly, leaving people who don't care.

Still, it got me into a job where I can repair computers from home... so I'm happy with that.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

This.

It's something that BB does quite well, actually. You go to the website, look at a product, and it tells you whether it's in stock or not at the five stores nearest you. Especially handy if you're looking for a TV, which is a situation where after you've narrowed it down based upon specs, you still need to go and view 'em all in person to make the final decision.

Sidebar: This past month, we got our first Best Buy in Charlotte county, FL. Ironically, they moved into the space that Circuit City vacated (and we'd only just somewhat recently gotten a Circuit City in the first place.) I went there yesterday to buy a replacement CPU fan for my socket478 machine, which of course they didn't have. But I really got a kick out of seeing the Port Charlotte version of a Best Buy. It's exactly like a normal Best Buy, only small. Kinda cute and sad at the same time.

Oh, sidebar #2: We also have a Radio Shack now, too! A real one, with the four-column parts bin, not a mall store. They're in exactly the same place that the old one was before it was destroyed five years ago in hurricane Charley.

NA6C-Guy

iTrader: (1)

I change my mind, I don't think I will shop at BestBuy again unless I absolutely have to. I was in there on my lunch break today checking out some speakers in their little home theater room, I barely had the volume up at all and some douche walks in and turns it down while I am standing right in the middle of the room listening to the speakers, and says "if you need any help let me know" then walks out... Must not want my money too badly. Then a few minutes later 2 or 3 guys that worked there came in and completely ignored me and stood around shooting the **** talking loud and on their cell phones while I am trying to listen to the sounds of the speakers...

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

this is when i usually pull out my wallet and starting beating them with it. **** hurts when it's so stacked.

Turbo_4

iTrader: (6)

I hate going in there just like I hate going onto a car lot. Every single person just swarms over you trying to "help you" with something. Sometimes a mfer just wants to be left alone looking at ****!

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

next time, pull your ***** out of your zipper. people tend to steer clear when your junk is hanging out.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

I have a really nasty habit of messing up displays when I can't find a salesperson to help me in a store.

ZX-Tex

iTrader: (15)

Or fart a lot. SBDs are effective. Eat several hard boiled eggs beforehand and you might be able to clear out the whole demo room.

NA6C-Guy

iTrader: (1)

On a side note, the new Samsung LED TV's look ******* AMAZING! I could tell what it was from half way across the store because of the brightness and contrast. I stood there for probably 10 minutes just watching commercials with my jaw dropped. Makes my fairly new TV feel completely useless. I wasn't expecting that kind of difference in picture, but wow... If you are in the market for a new TV in the $2000-$2500 range for a 46''-55'' check them out.