“We’re hearing a few interesting things about Best Buy these days, especially when it comes to selling iPads,” John Biggs reports for CrunchGear.
“While many of these are isolated incidents, they all point to a general nastiness on the part of Best Buy employees and management who know a good thing when they see one,” Biggs reports.
Biggs reports,” First we have Best Buy employees holding back iPads 2 during periods of high demand and now we have managers essentially blackmailing customers into paying for service plans before they’re allowed to touch available stock.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Just the other day, a MacDailyNews reader told us of having to wait for over half an hour just to be allowed the chance to buy an iPod nano (locked in a case) after being passed off by four Best Buy employees. The customer just stood by the case, waiting, for over 30 minutes! When finally approached by an employee willing to help the customer, they asked to speak to the manager who subsequently told the customer “we’re busy,” without apology. This was midday and the store barely had any customers in in. Needless to say, the customer left that Best Buy and purchased their nano at a nearby Target. Do you have any stories about Best Buy service or lack thereof? If so, let us know. Thanks.
I was in a Best Buy a few months ago-spent around 40 minutes looking at computers, peripherals and software.
Not a single employee aproached me, they never even acknowledged I existed.
I was @ best buy in maryland yesterday trying to get a case for iPad 2. After waiting like a statue for 5-10 mins for an associate to help me they proceeded to tell me exactly what I already knew (they had no more cases on the shelf). Then tried to up sell me to a case that was $20 more expensive (which they didn’t have in stock). Told me to come back on Tuesday when they would get more stock. They had a display model without a box sitting on the shelf (which i was willing to purchase) but alas “I can’t sell that one to you”
well thanks then; i’ll take my money elsewhere.
just confirmed why I never usually go to Best Buy. Overpriced and terrible service – give me online shopping any day of the week.
Went to a best buy to get and iPad 2 case they only had iPad 1 cases. I was finally able to flag down an employee to ask about iPad 2 cases. His response was, “We just tell customers that the iPad one case works fine on iPad 2”. I tried to tell him about the differences between the two iPads, but he couldn’t have been less interested.
On top of that I have noticed that best buy never has discounted prices on anything. I see better prices at other reputable retailers.
I think Best Buy is in a downward spiral to “Out of Business”!
I’m an employee of best buy and I can you tell you that in no way do we force our customers to purchase the service plan on any device, thou depending on the device it is Definently something you should consider….and as salespeople it is out responsibility to offer it…decline if you wish..but I can’t tell you how many times we hear when there is a problem “nobody told me about the service plan.” so therefore not only is it offered to protect you but also offered to protect us. We value our customers and want them to know about everything we offer, it’s not to upsale, but to create a great experience for you with technology, and to protect it.
Why would anyone wit 30 mins to be served when they can go down the road and buy it elsewhere? I walked out of a store after waiting for less than ten (Curry) and won’t willingly buy from there again some 18 months later. You have to make these b..tards work for your business and pay for it when they don’t.
one word… Desperate.
When I went into BB to compare net books for my 79 year old mother who wanted to just keep in touch via email, and surf, the BB employee (blue shirt), went over the benefits of a couple net books, but then told me I really should be looking at an iPad instead as they were much easier to use, last longer, etc. He took me over to the Apple area, which was full of people, and showed me the iPad. Once the Black shirted Apple guy was free, the blue shirt introduced me to the black shirt and let him know what I was needing and said he had suggested the iPad. The blue shirt thanked me for coming in, then went back to the ‘other’ computer area while the black shirt walked me through the iPad. I bought the iPad… and my mother loves it and uses it every day.
The only time I go to Best Buy is to use it as a cut through to get to my car in the mall parking lot. I find the one near me does not care about their Apple products and would much rather try to push PC stuff on customers. That’s if they even bother to stop to help you.
Never had a problem at Best Buy. There have been times when I needed help but the employees were helping others and told me they would be with me shortly or someone else would be and they were right. They have offered to sell me protection plans but I always decline with no hassle.
If I buy an Apple product there or anything else I will research what I want, go in, find it and buy it. If it is an Apple electronic product I don’t get the Best Buy service plan I get Apple Care as it is better and I can use it with the manufacture.
I think many of BB incidents happen to a small number of people who shop there but when they do happen they make a noise (and they should) but for all the positive purchases no-one says anything.
In response to box store employees…. Best Buy, Target, Wal Mart, The Defunct Circuit City and CompUSA (Yes i know Tiger Direct owns a few southern stores now) all have the same attitude to Apple equipment, We’ll sell it if we can add OUR service plan to it. They actually FORCE sales associates to sell the service plans or terminate them if a quota is not reached. The iPad 2 is the hot item now and if the have stock they kind of have the “Fine try and find it somewhere else” attitude. They’re doing this usually because they can. Now my own best buy in NJ is pretty decent and for games they’re usually stocked decently, as for anything more I buy at Amazon, newegg, or the Apple store. Sorry Best Buy you’re just a showroom for me to see the items closeup before I buy somewhere else.
If you look at their posted prices, they charge over msrp, $189 for Airport Extreme, $179 at onlline store. And when you say Macintosh they turn into complete idiots and look at you like you have some sort of disease, Circuit City was good for that also and look at where they are at
Worst prices, Worst service, Worst buy..Only idiots shop there..
Hmmm… Every time I have been in a BB store busy or not, and I stand at the Apple display, I’ve always been approached by BB employees and NOT the Apple rep and was asked if I needed assistance with anything. Plus, I purchased my iPad with no demand for service plan from BB and was in and out in three minutes! (Lunch time, not many people there yet)
That’s my Best Buy service story. Sorry to disappoint you MDN.
Maybe it’s just the region of the US where I happen to live that BB hires friendly, helpful staff!
Summer of 2007, I spent two hours on a Saturday afternoon picking out a great home entertainment system. I specifically asked if everything I wanted was in stock. The person helping me would leave for 15 minutes and then come back and happily assure me that they had two of everything I wanted.
At checkout, I declined the warranties, repeatedly. Finally I’m told that I can pick it all up Tuesday. The two they have in stock are floor models and ones for the weekend. I asked for the items in the back room, after all it is the weekend. They refuse because they might sell those items Sunday and they want the future sale to be able to take them home Sunday. Rest assured there was a truck scheduled for Monday night and one of each would be on it!
I stopped writing my check and left the store. The next day I went to my local appliance store and they matched the price, got better components, they threw in a Harmony universal, AND they delivered and installed it that day. On a Sunday!
Since then, I’ve replaced a freezer, a refrigerator, a washer, and a HVAC unit all from my local guy. When I see him out and about, he stops, shakes my hand and asks how everything is running.
I’m grateful to BestBuy. I got a better system at less money and a trusted place to buy appliances and electronics.
I haven’t been to Best Buy for a couple of years. The employees just aren’t helpful or truly knowledgeable. I would always ask test questions to see what they knew. All of them failed.
Here is the problem… as alluded to above.
Best Buy doesn’t pay most of it’s employees a decent wage or benefits. It also doesn’t do any sort of training. Or provide the employees with any incentive to do a good job, learn the products and features. As a result, just like in most other businesses, the reflection of all this to the customer is bad. Most customers today have some degree of knowledge – from their friends, the internet (for good or bad) so the sales people need to be at least as informed as their customers, and when they are not, the customers know right away.
Apple on the other hand, pays their sales people in the stores a decent wage, provides training and benefits, and all the employees are generally very happy to be working there. The complete antithesis to best buy or target or what not. Apple Store employees create an environment where customers actually enjoy paying money, more money than they would elsewhere. And, when there is a problem, they happily help solve it.
The same thing happens in all sorts of stores/industries. It’s not limited to computers or electronics.
Well I ordered a black 64gb wifi Ipad2 back on 3/13. After a few weeks I called to see where I was on the “list.” I was told they did not have my model in but they could sell me the 64gb wifi 3G model for $130 more. I did not want it and said I would wait. Well two weeks ago I got a call and now my Ipad 2 was in. I work only two blocks away. Before I could get there the phone rang again and I was told they made a mistake and they only had the 64gb 3G model. They said I could have that one. Again I declined. This week I visited the srore in person to see were I was on the list and now I find there are 6 or 7 people before me. How is that possible? You called me two weeks ago and I was at the top of the list. Seems like a bait and switch to me. How could they twice try to sell me a model I did not order. Shouldn’t they have been made available to the customer that ordered them. If I wasn’t using two years of saved up gift cards I’d be going elsewhere. Who knows when or if I will ever get mine!!