This "Best Buy employees can provide the level of customer service that Apple customers are used to getting in an Apple store." made me laugh.

Best Buy employees can't provide any satisfactory level of customer service. That is why it is called "Worst Buy".

I don't fault the employees, but I do fault management who refuses to provide any product training and only focuses selling extended warranties.

,dave

P.S. http://www.bestbuysux.org is always entertaining

I applaud Apple for letting Best Buy have a second (er, third...or fourth?) chance here, but.....I question the wisdom of their forgiveness. Best Buy has botched and bungled Mac sales every time they've had the chance. Last time I saw Macs in best buy, the employees seemed to think they were under medical quarantine or something.

I mean, Best Buy's bumbling buffoonery was one of the main reasons Apple needed to open their own retail stores!

Here's hoping things go better this time.

The only, only reason I will ever go into a Best Buy store is to physically check out some product I might be interested in. The customer service is maybe 0.000001% better than Wal-Mart's. Several times, I have heard Best Buy salespeople giving totally bogus advice to customers.

There is one up the street from Me and I sometimes shop there. I had one incident of good help with a technical question regarding stereo amplifiers, but I usually go there knowing what I want. Prices are okay, it is convenience more than price that draws me there.

I don't have a problem with Best Buy. I already now about the products I am buying so I have no need to ask a sales associate. People who complain about sales associates lack of knowledge just want to show how much more they know about the product. If you know so much about the product why are you asking question. What are you doing, playing stump the chump.

The only thing the sales associate needs to know is the item is in stock or not and to go get it. Also, weather you agree or not about extended warranties, Best Buy has the most inexpensive in the industry (compared to Sears, Circuit City, CompUSA).

For example, if they have a MacBook, with a 12 or 18 mths no interest on a Best Buy card and provide their own extended warranty that cost $100 less than the Apple warranty, I would buy it verus CompUSA or Apple Store. There computer warranty is great. If they can't fix it they give you a new one off the self. No a refurb like the Apple Store. I am sure the MacBookk at Best Buy is the same MacBook at the Apple Store.

Champ,

1. You wrote: "weather you agree or not". I am sure you meant to write "whether you agree" as temperture and percipitation do not affect my agreement.

2. You wrote: "Best Buy...extended warranty...cost $100 less than the Apple warranty." Well, only if you compare list price to list price. Apple charges $249 for AppleCare on a MacBook. But LA Computer Company (http://www.lacomputercompany.com) charges $179 for the same item. So, I spend $30 more on AppleCare and get 3 years of hardware AND software support. Best Buy gives me hardware support only.

,dave

Dave,

Thanks for the dictionary check.

However as for LA Computer Company having a better warranty price, they do not have as big a foot print as Best Buy. The companies I mention is close to being nation wide, in which more people can associate with. To me LA could be Los Angeles or Louisana Computer Company with only one store.

As for hardware and software, most computer technician have very little knowledge beyond what was taught to them in a one week seminar and the trouble shooting guide in front of them. There idea of fixing software problems is to reinstall the software and watch out if it is the OS that is acting up. As for hardware, the only thing that any one can do is replace the defective item. There is really no repair. If the technician knew more than that, they would not be working behind a help desk. (If you know the complexity of Unix and/or software development, you will understand what I am talking about.)

On another note, I just check Best Buy website and the MacBook warranty is the same as the Apple Store ($249) and the MacBook Pro is $50 less than the Apple Store.

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davebarnes wrote:
Champ,

1. You wrote: "weather you agree or not". I am sure you meant to write "whether you agree" as temperture and percipitation do not affect my agreement.

2. You wrote: "Best Buy...extended warranty...cost $100 less than the Apple warranty." Well, only if you compare list price to list price. Apple charges $249 for AppleCare on a MacBook. But LA Computer Company (http://www.lacomputercompany.com) charges $179 for the same item. So, I spend $30 more on AppleCare and get 3 years of hardware AND software support. Best Buy gives me hardware support only.

,dave

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Champ wrote:
People who complain about sales associates lack of knowledge just want to show how much more they know about the product. If you know so much about the product why are you asking question. What are you doing, playing stump the chump.

And what about people who DON'T know everything, and actually DO need help? Do they not matter? Is it okay for them to be fed misinformation?

This is exactly why companies like Apple should avoid dealing with Best Buy. Not many Mac experts are going to buy their hardware at Best Buy anyway. This is for the average joe, who will need help deciding what's right.

Now, if BB employees were aware of and acknowledged their own ignorance, then that would be one thing. But there's no excuse for giving customers misinformation.

Mikuro

And what about people who DON'T know everything, and actually DO need help? Do they not matter? Is it okay for them to be fed misinformation?

If you really don't know, how do you know that the Best Buy employee is feeding you misinformation? If you think the employee is giving you misinformation, then you 1) dont like the answer he gave you because it was not what you expected or 2) you do know and you are playing stump the chump.

Scenario: If a customer ask, can the Mac run Windows XP? If you answer yes, you are not incorrecct. However, is it not wise to say No just encase Apple decides to pull the plug on Boot Camp and tweak their software not to accept Windows. Also BTW apple will not give tech support in installing Windows XP and Windows application. Should you try to confuse the average customer and try to explain the why, if, and who nots about the whole Windows XP thing.



This is exactly why companies like Apple should avoid dealing with Best Buy. Not many Mac experts are going to buy their hardware at Best Buy anyway. This is for the average joe, who will need help deciding what's right.

Apply is doing the right thing. They want to bring the Mac to the main stream average joe. That is the only way to increase market share. Apple need to show the PC using world that there is a system that is easy to use and more robust. As for choosing, the Best Buy employee has two system they can help a customer to purcahse, a Mac or PC. At a Apple store they will only try to sell you a Mac. Go into an Apple store and tell them you are in the Market for a Laptop. Ask them, why you should buy a MacBook Pro or MacBook over a Dell? Tell to give you 3 Pros and 3 Cons. The 3 Cons will throw them for a loop.




Now, if BB employees were aware of and acknowledged their own ignorance, then that would be one thing. But there's no excuse for giving customers misinformation.[/quote]

I could say the same for the MacBook Pro and what an Apple Sales Associate told me. I asked if the Intel CPU was 64bit like the Power CPU. I was told yes. Latter I found that they are only 32bit. When I talk to her about it latter, she told me because of the Dual Core CPU acts like a 64bit. (32bit x 2 = 64bit). Am I mad? Yes! Does it matter in the grand scheme of things? No! Other than the OS being 64bit, I have never purchased application, talking G5 CPU, that was written in 64bit.

Bottom line: Sales Associates in any store is just as smart as what was taught them in a 1 week workshop. Most people who really know what they are doing are not working in sales or help desk. I know alot about Unix, Windows Technology, and Cisco Routers and you will never find me working behind a help desk or the sales floor unless they are will to pay me $100k a year. Please If you are a Apple, Cisco, Windows, etc certified technician working at a store help desk or sales floor please chime in. I would really like to hear your story about why you wasted your expensive to earn certification on the help desk or sales floor.

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Champ wrote:
If you know so much about the product why are you asking question.

I don't go into Best Buy. I've seen too may people screwed. As far as asking a question. I may not know the answer but I know when I'm getting a wrong one. Like a few years ago (when I still would occasionally wander in) and I asked one of their sales people if they stocked Office for Mac. He told me that Mac's don't run Office. I needed to get a "real computer that runs Windows if I want to do any real work". If BB has retrained their staff to understand and accept Macs, this might work but I'm not holding my breath.

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Champ wrote:

Also, weather you agree or not about extended warranties, Best Buy has the most inexpensive in the industry (compared to Sears, Circuit City, CompUSA).

For example, if they have a MacBook, with a 12 or 18 mths no interest on a Best Buy card and provide their own extended warranty that cost $100 less than the Apple warranty, I would buy it verus CompUSA or Apple Store. There computer warranty is great. If they can't fix it they give you a new one off the self. No a refurb like the Apple Store. I am sure the MacBookk at Best Buy is the same MacBook at the Apple Store.

Just a couple of observations. First of all, you are way too defensive for commenting on an article. It sounds like you need a blog.
Second: have you ever actually tried to get a computer fixed under a Best Buy warranty? Really? I used to work for a Apple/Compaq/HP/Acer etc service provider. We had a whole lot of customers come to us after having trouble trying to get their BB warranty fulfilled.
Last I knew (about a year ago) they were serviced by a 3rd party warranty company that will try ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to deny your claim. First, they will tell you it is not a hardware problem. Then they will tell you that there was evidence of abuse. If that doesn't work, they delay your repair as much as possible until you finally give up. It's an insurance company. Their first, second and third line of defense is: deny the claim.
When it comes to extended warranties, you cannot beat a manufacturer's own offerings. This is true of Dell, HP and Apple. They have an interest in getting your machine back to you ASAP and keeping you happy.
BB's warranty may work out better for other devices, I can't comment on that. But I know how much trouble they have caused people who thought they were a good idea for a computer.

Bret,

I have used Best Buy service warraties without a hitch. (LCD Widescreen TV 'bulb and ballast', Dryer x2 'heating', and portable DVD player 'replaced, son drop it') They either fix it or they replaced it. I might have been lucky. However you are right about computers since I only own a Mac.

The only reason I defend Best Buy is because someone has to be on the other side to have a balance debate. Everybody wants to complain, no one wants to praise.

I don't need a blog, I have this.

I shop at Best Buy all the time. I don't have any problems because I understand what I am buying, research the products, and have already pretty much decided what I want to buy (short of picking up the item and getting a feel for it). I am very aware of pricing, having checked on line, and don't feel the need to always buy immediately, so I can take advantage of sales and the special discount weekend coupons that they sell me. On the ownership side, I am capable and knowledgeable to do most of my own troubleshooting, so short of calling in to Applecare and telling them to pick up the computer I really don't need a lot of support. For people like me, having Best Buy sell Apples just gives the consumer another outlet to buy computers.

oth, I do understand that poorly trained employees can hurt the sales of computers. That is a concern that is balanced out by the extra exposure in Best Buys. Hopefully, now that the Apple is a "cool" product that can work in both Mac and Windows environments, the wanna-be geeks working at Best Buy will treat it with a little more respect.