Best Buy Meltdown

Why is Best Buy dying as a brick and mortar retailer?  Answer:  Their customer service is horrendous.  They keep moving further and further away from their true purpose which is selling electronics and digital media.  They beat the crap out of you with their pitches for extended warranties, guarantee buy backs and their rewards card that you have to pay an annual fee for just like Costco. 

My last experience with Best Buy WAS my last experience with Best Buy. 

When David got heavily into doing his research and homework, it came about that we needed more than one computer in the house.  So, after looking into laptops on Best Buy’s web site I went to a store to see what else they had and to get a better comparison of dimensions, weight and the bells and whistles.  Once this was accomplished, I took David along to see what he thought since it was for him.  Sales people would ask if we needed help and we would tell them not at the moment.  So, the decision was made and we were ready to make our purchase.  We looked on the shelf and every laptop was $100 more than what the price on the demo model was.  Another customer explained that the boxes with the yellow stickers meant that they were “Geeked” out.  Meaning that the Geek Squad had gone in and done whatever it is they do to these machines and you have to pay the extra money for the service that you neither requested nor wanted.  So, we found a salesperson and asked why there were none that weren’t “Geeked” ou on the shelf.  She proceeded to explain that their company policy requires that 40% of their inventory be “Geeked” out.  Now, my math is telling me that somewhere in the store there are 60% of machines that are going to cost me $100 less.  Not so.  Turns out 100% of the inventory of the laptop we were interested in was “Geeked” out.  So, she contacted another store and was told that they had 5 of this model that was not “Geeked”.  We drove all the way across town to the other store just to be told that they really didn’t have any that weren’t “Geeked”. (Oh, and don’t call it “Geeked” out when talking to one of them.  They tend to get a little offended.)  But, the nice salesman at this store offered to order it online and have it delivered to the store so we could pick it up a week later.  WHOA!!!  You mean I could go onto their web site just like he was doing and order the damn thing myself?!?!?  Well, yes, as it turned out.  We thanked him for his time, came home and ordered exactly what we wanted and still got free delivery and saved money on the gas it would have taken to drive to the store.  I bought the laptop through Best Buy only because we knew that it was exactly what we wanted.  That was the last time I have even visited their web site and I have not stepped foot in one of their stores ever since.  Now my two favorite places to shop are Amazon and Newegg.com.  There is nothing I need so urgentlty that I can’t wait a couple of days to get it.  Also, it’s like getting a present in the mail.

I love this line regarding Best Buy:

‘At one point Dunn (CEO of Best Buy) argues that folks like going to stores because we are "social animals," but I don't think he realizes that he's training employees to treat us like wounded gazelles and they're predatory lions on the hunt.’
Quoted from this article: 4 Lies That Best Buy Is Feeding You