I caused a scene at BestBuy today...

[JustADude]

I've gotta say, I'd rather have a Creative MP3 player than an iPod just because Creative Labs SPECIALIZES in sound technology. It's a brand that's been around pretty much as long as Apple, and they're not splitting their attention fifty-billion different ways with the iEverything angle.

[Gravekeeper]

Okay, this is seriously getting to be a bit much. What's the deal with Best Buy bashing on this particular forum? Maybe I'm just more sensitive to it as an employee, but I don't see it with other companies that members here work for. Every Best Buy thread turns into a "why I hate Best Buy" thread.

Well, and I don't mean to be the bearer of strife, but it seems like everyone on the thread has had at least one bad experience with Best Buy either from a customer or employee perspective ( or with Futureshop, the inbred cousin ). As you pointed out this is a place to vent and thats what we're doing and Best Buy is the thread topic. It may not be in the right forum granted ( Might be a Sightings? ). But if you work at a BB thats problem free and you're proud of it, thats great. But your store isn't every BB.

However, and I apologize, but I think you're taking it personally ( Since you say this is causing you stress? ) when its not intended as such. No one directed any of it at you or your specific store, but you're choosing to take offense as if we did on all of BB's behalf. -.-

My worst shopping experiences ever have been at Futureshop/BB. I'm not trying to bandwagon bash any company. Thats just the truth. =/

Just me 2 cents...

[Andara Bledin]

I've gotta say, I'd rather have a Creative MP3 player than an iPod just because Creative Labs SPECIALIZES in sound technology. It's a brand that's been around pretty much as long as Apple, and they're not splitting their attention fifty-billion different ways with the iEverything angle.

I can certainly understand your perspective on which way to go.

One of my worst sound cards was a Creative. I think it was a manufacturing issue, though, as none of my other Creative cards gave me issues like that one did.

I'm a little Apple biased since the guy that bought the gaming convention I attend 3 times yearly happens to be a programmer on the iPod team. And he's a gamer who wants to run a good gaming convention, not some schmuck like the last owner, who was only looking for profits and doesn't understand what makes a gaming convention profitable.

^-.-^

[CrazedClerk]

I'd like to throw my hat into the "I've never had a problem with BB" pile. Mind you I don't shop there much, but my experiences there have all been decent,

Future shop on the other hand...

[JustADude]

I'm a little Apple biased since the guy that bought the gaming convention I attend 3 times yearly happens to be a programmer on the iPod team. And he's a gamer who wants to run a good gaming convention, not some schmuck like the last owner, who was only looking for profits and doesn't understand what makes a gaming convention profitable.

Perfectly understandable, and that's a really cool thing. I was there, first hand, when my local Anime/VG-Con went down the tubes. It got successful and the owners started getting greedy, so shot themselves in the foot.


Also, I've never had any trouble with BestBuy either, but that's likely because I only go in there when I know what I want and they've got it for the best price. I research and purchase, I don't shop.

[jb17kx]

I've gotta say, I'd rather have a Creative MP3 player than an iPod just because Creative Labs SPECIALIZES in sound technology. It's a brand that's been around pretty much as long as Apple, and they're not splitting their attention fifty-billion different ways with the iEverything angle.

I've had a Zen Nano Plus for over a year and a half now and have had no problems what so ever with it. I preffer the small size, and the convienience of the replaceable AAA battery (just by a pack of rechareables). And, as JAD says, Creative Labs do sound - not consumer catering. Not to say I don't like macs - I'd buy an octo-core MacPro and 30" Cinema display in a second - but it looks to me like Apple is becoming a jack of all trades, and a master of none - apart from marketing.

And speaking of things I'd buy in a second, if Meyer, or beyerdynamic, or Shure came out with an mp3 player I'd be all over it. I already have Shure headphones for my Zen, and a set of Sennheisers for backup...

[CancelMyService]

Okay, this is seriously getting to be a bit much. What's the deal with Best Buy bashing on this particular forum? Maybe I'm just more sensitive to it as an employee, but I don't see it with other companies that members here work for. Every Best Buy thread turns into a "why I hate Best Buy" thread.

*snippy snippy*

CancelMyService, I'm sorry if all this seems directed at you; it's been adding up for a while, from more than one thread on these boards. Your post just turned into the final straw.

No offense, but you must work in the only Best Buy in the company that acts that way. My experience both from working on the front lines (not for BB but for pretty much all of their competitors at one point or another) and from customers and employees online is that BB has the worst overall treatment of employees and most retarded policies, like having to ask multiple times if someone wants to subscribe to a magazine or wants a warranty on a sub $10 item for fear of writeups and/or getting fired if they don't.

I'm glad your store seems to be the exception to the rule, but like GK said, we come here to vent. Believe me, I feel your pain of people bashing your employer...I work for the cable company don't forget

[BookstoreEscapee]

In addition to the unprofessionalism of chastising an employee in front of a customer, it really wasn't fair of him to yell at her for not having asked about the magazine promo, while she was still in the middle of the transaction! Maybe she hadn't gotten to it yet! If he was listening in and she finished ringing you up and didn't ask, then he'd have cause to say something after you left. I imagine next time he does that her answer will be "not yet"

[slick]

In addition to the unprofessionalism of chastising an employee in front of a customer, it really wasn't fair of him to yell at her for not having asked about the magazine promo, while she was still in the middle of the transaction! Maybe she hadn't gotten to it yet! If he was listening in and she finished ringing you up and didn't ask, then he'd have cause to say something after you left. I imagine next time he does that her answer will be "not yet"

It makes sense to wait, maybe she wanted to see if I was paying with cash or credit first.
I doubt any corporate policy states that a manager needs to reprimand an employee on the spot, so the manager was being a straight up asshat.

[BookstoreEscapee]

so the manager was being a straight up asshat.

Oh, I totally agree with that! Frankly, an employee would have to be doing something blatantly bad to merit being yelled at on the spot in my opinion. 99% of employee issues can and should wait until later, and be dealt with privately.

[TigerLily]

I currently work at BB and, fortunately, only have one manager i don't care for. He's nice when my supervisor is around but if he isn't there he turns into the media nazi...do this, do that, hurry up, etc... The sad/funny thing is, we all know more than he does because he was hired outside of the company. Its like when he's there he has to go into god mode to feel less inadequate. Anyway, about the ppl asking if anyone needs help all the time...its company policy to at least say hi to ppl within 10 feet of you. Although, if you're caught saying hi and not asking if they need anything, or doing a name exchange, you can get into trouble. Not serious trouble but enough to be irritating and get one of those..."if you don't want to do it then maybe this job isn't for you..." type of comments. I've been at this job longer than any other and i'm just glad my store is apparently one of the better ones...

[deafcat24]

I have only been to a bestbuy store once, but I do use bestbuy.ca a lot.

However that will stop next month, because they are cancelling all bestbuy Canada credit cards since they are changing companies. For some reason my other credit card won't work, saying wrong address, even though the address is the same as the other websites I used.

Although I wasn't offered any magazines subscriptions, but from what I heard they are, either I already subscibe and it automatically renews, or I have two years left on an existing subscription, and by the time it gets renewed, my nephew's school will be selling magazine subscriptions again for cheap prices, and I can renew from there.

[Gost2036]

I can see both sides of the issue with Best Buy. I currently work at one and yes there are some silly ideas they have had in that past but that goes with any retail job. As for service that will vary incredibly from store to store. Our store has some of the best service in the area, but if you were to go right up the road to another Best Buy it is one of the worst stores I have ever been in. The magazine issue amuses me though because they told us at our store that we were no longer required to even ask about them. I also do have some of the best managers I have ever worked with though so that could be part of the reason why most of the employees are usually willing to put their best effort into helping customers.

[Catwoman2965]

I think that's true of any store...you'll have "good" employees, and maybe not so good - depending on any number of factors...

my store has about 4 locations within say 10-12 miles of each other, one freestanding, one in a mall, and the other two, including mine - in an upscale "shopping center" - basically a strip mall.

We ourselves know how the other store's employees are; one is quite snotty, and the other has a reputation for being less than helpful - but the customers know it too! some say they will only shop in our store, since the associates are so nice and helpful!

[hawkchick11]

Someone said something earlier about needing a credit card when you signed up for the magazine subscription... it is because if you don't cancel before your 8 issues are up, you will get charged for it. Last I knew, it was $24.95 for 6 months, it may be different now.

I don't know how many times I signed up for them, or signed up family members for them, just so I would have some towards my goal and not get written up. The customer service manager and supervisor were kind of like the manager in the first post, they didn't care who was around when they yelled and threatened you.