Best Buy Firing Workers That Don't Harass You?

[rtd]

This reminds of when I use to work for best buy and I got yelled at for not doing any pushing beyond asking them if they wanted the service plan. Shortly after that talk I sold more service plans than anyone for the remainder of my employment there. I just pointed out to the customers that they could even go as far as to break it the day before the plan expired and it would get replaced with something of equal value and that since it's technology it would most likely be an upgrade version.

Figure I was doing the myself and the customer a favor as well as giving best buy the finger if even half of them took advantage of that information.

 

[vengence]

The real dick of the problem is that these employees are being paid minimum wage or close to it, and made to sell these addons for little or no commission (officially, I believe they have phased out their commissioned sales, but I think unofficially they may make a small 5% or 10% bonus if the sales reach quota. Either way, these guys are still making total shit wages). I feel this is an abusive employee relationship. Might as well work at wal-mart for the same wages, with less training, less stress, and less losing your job.

It's a minimum wage job inside with ac and heat. Would you rather be digging a ditch in the 100F summers of Texas or in the Michigan cold? Pushing credit cards app as a secondary job roll to being a cashier is hardly slave labor.

 

[Atl530i]

Nothing changes at the big blue/yellow shitbox... When I worked at BB, we were considered a "Ray" store (remember Ray, Jill, and the other name that I forgot...) which was the poor mans store. Not that many people wanted to pay extra for a service plan when they only had enough for the laptop and had shitty credit. BB will always suck and I feel bad for anyone that works there that's not a manager/super.

 

[sidphillips]

This is an old post from one of the Geek Squad Forums, like several months old. Each store has it's own policies versus the corporate policy. From what I remember, there was no "official" number or frequency of credit apps that were required by corporate. However, Districts set whatever standards they want as do the stores. In other words, they're a bunch of cowboys doing whatever they please.

From what I read on the forum this was not widespread policy throughout the stores. However, there were several Agents posting that their stores had similar if less draconian quotas. Also, many stores had quotas for service plans, purchases on Best Buy branded credit cards, trade-in programs and virus removals versus reformats. Agents and salespeople were often disciplined for not meeting quotas, though I didn't know of anyone getting fired over it.

 

[DuronClocker]

I worked at Best Buy back in high school, and I suppose I was an odd duck. I knew what I was talking about and I actually helped people.

Did I sell things to people they could have gotten for cheaper elsewhere? Sure. Did I tell some people to walk into Walmart next door and buy that USB cable for $8 instead of $35? Of course.

I would get 'talked to' sometimes for not always offering some things or pushing hard enough (extra accessories, service plans, etc.). I could tell if someone was or wasn't going to buy something, and I wasn't going to push and prod if you just weren't going to buy it. No point in pissing you off so you don't come back. If I wasn't super pushy and made you spend a lot of unnecessary money, you (or someone you know) will likely come back at some point.

On the flip side, there were definitely times I took advantage of people and sold sold sold. Depended on the person I guess.

 

[Dr. Righteous]

I use to be a technician for Magnavox/Philips many years ago. It was great until some middle management faggot decided all associates (which my position was) had to be tagged with a sales score to meet. Before that it was people in SALES had to meet this. This meant after we charged Mrs. Jones $90 to fix her TV (which she was pissed about paying) we had to nag her about buying accessories and service contracts. So I had to meet my regular quality score and production score, plus a sales score on top of that.
When they started the program I was royally pissed. I complained to the manager that it was setting the techs up for failure. You charge the customer for fixing their TV, stereo, or whatever. They are already pissed because their stuff broke and they have to pay to get it fixed.(production score) Then we have to nag them about spending more money on stuff they don't need or want.(sales score) And then; you mail them a satisfaction questionnaire to gauge their experience with us. (quality score)
They are already not happy because they had to shell out money to get their failed item fixed. Then they feel insulted because I have to be pushy about up selling them. And then the questionnaire ask them how they feel about that.
I worked in the retail sales for a while and tried to explain the different dynamic.
A customer wants a certain item and is excited about the purchase; say a new camcorder. They are happy and much more receptive about an up sell.
"Would you like to purchase a carrying case for your new camcorder?"
"Oh Yes. I will need one of those".
"Would you like to purchase a service contract to protect your investment?"
"Hmm, that would be a good idea too!"
It was still being pushy but they were usually receptive to it.
This dynamic DOES NOT EXIST on the service side because there attitude is totally different.
Company policy encouraged their employees to be proactive when they saw problem with procedures or policys . That is exactly what I was doing.
But the fact was the policy was so woefully misguided it showed how clueless the person that came up with it was.
And that person in management wasn't going to let an associate make him look bad; so I was labeled a troublemaker. It wasn't long when layoffs came around I got the ax.
It sucked unbelievably but I was right and I knew I was. It wasn't very long afterward the facility I worked at closed down, and then all manufacturing and all facilities in there area were gone. I'm glad to know there wasn't a future there anyway.

 

[Mickey21]

I want to buy a CD or a laptop or a computer, not a credit card, protection plan, monster cables.

First off, you still buy CD's!!! Okay, maybe you are just behind the times or can somehow hear like a bat and can tell the difference, okay okay.

You STILL DONT GET IT. They WONT BE THERE, if they dont make money. You think if they were making money on laptops, CD's, and computers (which are laptops too by the way), they would be asking their employees to commit social suicide like asking you to buy something you dont likely want?! Most people dont like to sell their souls. From my long history or retail electronics sales, every one of them is like this. Trying to find a way to profit.

Only reason they keep trying to sell these things to you is because it is WORKING more than trying to sell CD's (almost ALWAYS a money loss leader by the way), selling laptops (almost every package deal that doesnt include a warranty makes just enough to put the laptop on display and have someone show it to you, they dont make huge profit margins by the way), and selling computers (see laptops).

Name one business model that in general doesnt try to sell their most profitable products!!!? If you ran that business, what would YOU do? Especially when your accountants are telling you the online sites are making your brick and mortar stores compete at every price point level without all the extra overhead.

People just get a clue, and not saying you cant complain, just saying you should understand as well. If you are of the few that understand, then this message isnt for you... It's for the people that think that the sales floor people do this because they WANT TO!