Complaint Review: Best Buy - Geek Squad - Richfield Minnesota

I called Best Buy @ 888-237-8289 on December 12, 2008 to schedule service on a washing machine in the week prior to Christmas and was scheduled for service Thursday, December18, 2008. The technician determined that he needed to order some parts to make the repair. He informed my mother who was there that he would be calling to make the return appointment as soon as the parts arrived. This we perceived as normal since Sears does the same, but they really do call after tracking shows the packages have arrived.

After receiving the parts, Wednesday, December 24, 2008, I finally called again, Monday, December 29, 2008 to 888-237-8289 to inquire as to the follow-up service schedule and was informed that the technician should not have said he would call and should have instead informed us to call to schedule his return service visit. The representative I spoke with informed me that she could not schedule me at that time and that someone from scheduling would call me within 24-48 hours to schedule the service.

On Friday, January 2, 2009 I again called 888-237-8289 and went over my story for the female representative and she was able to schedule me on Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

At 10:30am on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, the day the technician was supposed to show up to repair the washer I received a call/message that my appointment had been canceled, nice notification time period, and that I had been rescheduled for January 13, 2009.

After checking my messages and hearing the message with no explanation as to why I was cancelled, on the day scheduled, I again called 888-237-8289 and asked for a supervisor, Teresa Britton, who followed up with scheduling and determined that they could not do anything for me. She did inform me that the reason I was cancelled was that the technician had a part that was needed for the repair. I asked why he did not have it shipped to our address or just hand it off to another technician who was available. She had no answer. She offered to contact the technician service supervisor but did not guarantee that he could help. In the meantime she informed me to keep the schedule appointment for January 13, 2009.

To her credit Teresa did call me to let me know that she did speak with the technician supervisor and that he should be calling me to let me know if he could do anything.

On Thursday, January 8, 2009 the technician supervisor contacted me by phone and let me know that he was able to schedule a technician to finish the repair tomorrow, Friday, January 9, 2009. He just made the usual statement to make sure that someone would be there when the technician arrived. I said no problem, thanked him and ended the call.

Friday, January 9, 2009 no one called or showed up, no apologies, nothing. O.K.!!! Maybe they needed to move it to the original date Tuesday, January 13, 2009?

Monday, January 12, 2009 I again called 888-237-8289 and asked for a supervisor, Robert Gaither, who said that my appointment for Tuesday, January 13, 2009 had been cancelled since the technician was scheduled to come out Friday, January 9, 2009. Wasn't he there? Uh, NO!!! Did anyone call? NO!!! That's strange! REALLY!!!

Robert then goes on to say that the soonest he can schedule a technician is Friday, January 23, 2009 but that he will contact scheduling and have them call me either way within 24 to 48 hours (Sounds familiar!). And guess what, no call, nothing! Big surprise at this point.

So I call Thursday, January 15, 2009 and again ask for a supervisor, Kim (No last name), who asks me after me relating my story not to compare her to them. I ask why not you all work for the same company, supporting the same customers, and are supposed to be working as a team in this regard not as individuals' right. She agrees but says that she does what she says she will do. I say we will see the other associates said the same thing!

To her credit I did receive a call from a Bethany in scheduling within a half hour who said that she had no earlier appointments available. No help there.

At the end of scheduling yet another appointment I was told to make sure that someone will be home, which is laughable since the technicians are the ones that do not call or show up for the appointments!

Thank you for choosing Geek Squad, yeah right it is currently my only choice, unluckily it was more of an uninformed choice since I believed that Best Buy would stand behind all the warranty claims like I have seen them handle, my own, returns in store.

Pity, I had more faith in Best Buy and generally informed my consulting clients to purchase extended warranties. That is no longer my practice when it comes to Best Buy since it turns out that purchasing an Extended Warranty from Best Buy is the Worst Buy you can make!

Oh and by the way, Robert told me that the only way to reach the Corporate Offices was by mail yeah right, 612-291-1000, ask for the Executive Resolutions Dept. The address is Best Buy Co. Inc., 7601 Penn Avenue South, Richfield, MN 55423.

Remember a dissatisfied customer is more than willing to relate his experience than a satisfied one!

David

Los Angeles, California

U.S.A.

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