The Consumerist is currently deep into the 2008 Worst Company in America contest, with 16 companies left in the round 3 bracket.
They just posted the third installment of its “Sweet 16″ matchup: Best Buy vs Diebold.
Personally, I think Diebold is worse than Best Buy. Not only due to the voting machine fiasco, but to the fact that I’ve dealt with them many times in my prior job and I’ve found that the company couldn’t be more poorly run.
That being said, Best Buy is pretty terrible too. I should know, because I worked there.
My tenure at Best Buy was short, from 2000-2001, and things may have changed since then. (But from reading comments on sites such as the Consumerist, things do not seem much different.)
I was taking a break from school and my mother threw me out on my lazy ass to go get a job. The local mall had just opened a Best Buy few months prior. I loved technology, and I knew quite a few things, even back then. I wanted to learn more and share my knowledge with others…while getting employee discounts, of course. I applied, and I got in.
Best Buy offered paid training. My eyes shone like stars as I imagined all the cool things I would learn about the latest gadgets and technology. I would be given insider info, and all the facts needed to recommend the best product for each customer.
Pshah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.
The first half of the training period consisted of videos and mini quizzes. History of the company. Sexual harassment policy. Safety rules. Employee benefits.
The latter half of consisted solely of sales techniques and what we should/shouldn’t be pushing.
Not one word on the products.
We were then thrown to the wolves and told to sell.
Salary was not commission-based. We were told to emphasize this fact as to gain the customer’s trust. “Tell them that you won’t make a dime from the product you’re recommending. Tell them that you’re only recommending this product based on their needs and preferences. Just sell something.”
The funny thing is, most large chain stores like Best Buy do not make much money off expensive consumer products. For example, the profit margin on a washer-dryer combo may be as low as 2%. The real money (and profits) come from the extended service plans and accessories, which may be marked up as much as 800%.
Thus it came to no surprise that we would constantly be told to quickly recommend a product, then try our very best to push the accessories and service plans on the customer.
Every three months, a manager would give me an evaluation. “Pretend I’m a customer looking to buy a new stereo system,” he would say. I would then start my spiel while he pretended to play dumb. At the end of the mock sale, he would tell me what I did well and where I needed improvement.
Once again, the evaluation was based solely on my sales technique, not my knowledge of the product.
In fact, most of the employees knew jackshit about our products. If someone was to come into a Best Buy and take away all the yellow labels (with the price and specs) at the bottom of the shelves, I’m pretty certain that the entire store would be filled with blue polo-wearing monkeys scratching their heads in confusion.
However, I have to admit that the employee discounts were pretty sweet. I ended up spending a large portion of my paycheck on new gadgets, CDs (remember those?), and DVDs. And although we weren’t supposed to, I hooked up my friends and family with large discounts on various items.
When the Game Boy Advance was released, moms and full-grown geeks flocked into the store, demanding the latest “it” handheld gaming system. I would answer every phone call with, “Thanks for calling Best Buy. We currently do not have any Game Boy Advance in stock. How can I help you?” People begged me to hide an extra unit for them when the next shipment arrived. I even got yelled at several times.
However, the fervor of the Game Boy Advance was nothing compared to the PS2. I distinctly remember having the 6am-10am shift on launch day. As I drove into the parking lot at 5:45 on that cold, dreary October day, I cringed to see the large crowd that had formed at the front door. I felt like a celebrity as I walked to the store. People shouted, yelled, and even grabbed. They begged me to hold one for them. Some even offered money (I should’ve taken it!). When the store finally opened its doors at 10am they stampeded into the building and 3 minutes later, all the PS2s were gone.
The begging and yelling would ensue for the next few months, and it grew exponentially as Christmas grew near.
And once again, Best Buy didn’t teach its employees a single thing about the Game Boy Advance or the PS2 – the two most popular items at the time. I read up on the gaming systems in my spare time just so I wouldn’t feel like a complete idiot when talking to the customers.
However, they did teach us all about the cool and fun accessories accompanying each system. Oh, and we can’t forgot the extended warranties.
It is precisely for these reasons that I hardly ever ask for help when I walk into tech stores. I always do my research beforehand, and sometimes I even “play” with the employees to test their knowledge. And it’s always amusing to see the employees’ reactions when I ask them a question they can’t answer, and/or I refute their statements with cold, hard facts.
This is the way of the world of retail, and no store is immune. Radio Shack, Circuit City, Apple…yes, even Apple. I’ve had quite a few chuckles overhearing the so-called-specialists describing the products to potential customers.
But I have to admit that Best Buy trumps them all.
Please note the dates of my employment at Best Buy — I worked there over a decade ago! Things may certainly have changed since then, and I have no idea how things work there now, or if the company as a whole or the store that I worked at is running any differently.
27 Responses to “Confessions of a Former Best Buy Employee”
douche.
bag
My little sister worked at Best Buy, too! Like you, she doesn’t miss it and she thinks most employees at similar places are less than useful.
Seriously though, reading this was like listening to her, and since I can’t do that right now (she’s in Iraq), it felt a little bit like a gift. Sorry to be so sappy (about Best Buy, of all things!).
I used to work at best buy as well, actually i worked there on and off for two years, because of school, and i had a little different experience. Most of the things you described are true. Like 800% profit on certain products ( mostly low priced accessories, so your not paying 800 dollars for a tv that cost the store 50) and what not but some of what you described wasn’t quite correct, at least at my store. Most of the employees that were department specific, which is the majority of them, knew what they were talking about in their department (Appliances, Media, Computers, Home Theater… etc). In fact most could recite the features that were listed on the yellow takes verbatim and then tell you everything else you need to know out of their own knowledge on the product. Now I’m not say this is because best buy trained their employees on product info extensively, except for in appliances were we actually had to get certified on product info before we could sell the product, but if you work there for more than a month you get hit with so many question about a product that you either find the answer, or get told the answer from a customer. So basically most people that work at best buy know what they are talking about, but if you happen see "Appliance Specialist" on the name tag of someone working in computers just know that he might not know as much about computers as he does about appliances.
Agree, the employees I’ve met are great and know a lot or only (a lot) in there department. Compared to other retail stores the employee crowd always seems willing to learn and assist whoever needs their help which is a rare in retail. If it’s fun to work there (even the slightest bit) you are very lucky in this economy.
If you are really going to say that yo hated working at best buy is b/c u must HavE just beeen the laziest dumbest person ever. Everything that u needto know is common knowledge and th e learnings are just to fill in the blanks in ur memory and to give u answers to some questions that wierd people might ask.so before u make a blog about your bosses firing you cause ur a lazy Fuk up. I work at best buy and I honstly love it, it’s a well paying really fun job and the people who don’t like it ar the pussies who live in their moms basement and get babied there whole life…..
Damn you just blew up man lol props haha
There are so many products available both in your local makeup counters and over the internet.
I actually just got hired at best buy, in the computer department. I have about 2 months of training to do and three certifications to acquire before I am eligible to sell anything. Also what I thought was cool was minimum wadge is $7.00 an hour and I am starting out at $9.50 an hour.
I just got hired at Best Buy in the PC department after previously working at another electronics store. I disagree with ya on the elearnings, at least whats its like now. Every time there is a new product in stock, its on the e-learning webpage. Of course they are going to show training videos on how to sell, that's the nature of retail. You could be the biggest computer geek or be a car enthusiast, but if you can't recommend something based on a customers needs than your knowledge means squat. However, most of the attachments that they recommend overall benefits the customer's experience. Price-wise I agree they could find some of these accessories cheaper, but the people that shop at Best Buy, especially in the PC department, shop here because they simply don't research what they want, so they rely on employee's opinions. And some people are quite frankly comfortable with that. Now yeah its absolutely embarrassing when a fellow employee is just "winging it" and knows nothing about their products, but to generalize and say all employees are like (or better yet every store) that is absolutely unfair. While I will admit I don't tend to recommend cables unless they ask for it just because of the huge price difference (or if its a printer just because they don't have many that come with one nowadays), I have no qualms recommending things like routers with the laptops or sleeves just because part of the reason for shopping at retail is convenience in terms of returns and having it at that time vs waiting for it to be shipped. Its all about figuring out what kind of customer you are helping and what their needs are. I would recommend the black tie plan to people who aren't too computer savvy or clumsy with their laptops (including families with children who may damage their laptops, mind you even tripping over a power cord can do socket damage), on the other hand I wouldn't if they are somebody who can repair laptops or are a computer builder. If your buying a laptop thats like $1500, you'd be crazy not to protect it with something that is only 15-20% of its cost.
Oh and if you were to take away all the yellow labels from the laptops, I'm sure you'd be confused as well. The company sells over 150 laptops, of which 50 or so different models in one store. I would never expect an employee to memorize every single spec for them all. I would expect them to know though what to recommend based on their needs, whats on sale at the time, and at least with accessories like routers, their quality/reviews. This coming from a computer builder.
@bbemployeepc
Very well said.
Fair wage??? HAhahahahaha… not to mention the sexism and seriously questionable sexual misconduct of management…
Very well-written!
One thing I will say about Apple as someone “in the know” (let’s just say that) — their “Mac specialists” don’t really know too terribly much about the products, but OMFG the geniuses certainly do.
The specialists are brought in as $9/hour sales people, and given a brief rundown of specs. The belief with Apple is that if you’re working here, you’re already an Apple fan/user. If you have any tech questions at all, either research online, or definitely ask a genius. They are extensively trained and certified. Even the smallest retail store’s genii (yes, it’s genii at Apple) are trained at HQ for more than two weeks. They know of what they speak.
Just my two cents. I feel sorry for anyone put in a position of having to sell something they don’t understand.
I have worked at Best Buy for over a year and everyone in my store knows what they are talking about with their products. Each of us undergoes extensive training to know about the products we are offering our customer. No, we can’t tell you just from looking at 2 identical laptops without the tags if one is an i7 or i5 processor, but we can tell you which you would need depending on the activities you are performing on your computer. In my store we are very well trained in both selling and knowledge of our products. We are one of the highest rated Best Buys in the nation because we have store meetings at least once a month to keep our employees in-the-know on new products, complete with demos when possible, and keep us motivated to find solutions that actually work for the customer. I don’t think it is fair for you to judge Best Buy as a whole based on your one store experience. There are good and bad stores in every company, but the good outweigh the bad in my opinion.
Please note the dates of my employment there — I worked there over a decade ago! Things may certainly have changed since then, and I have no idea how things work there now, or if the company as a whole or the store that I worked at is running any differently.
Your post made me laugh..very well written, are you now a writer??
been a bby worker for a while now and after reading your post i’m assuming you worked at the retard best buy? besides trainings (e-learnings) and the awesome discount and money made on extended warranties literally NOTHING you said was true.
None of what you described was around when I worked there (and the discounts weren’t that great). Please read the note at the end of the post — I worked there over a decade ago!
IF YOU WORKED THERE OVER A DECADE AGO WHYYYYY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THEM NOW??? OBVIOUSLY A LOT HAS CHANGED. BEST BUY WAS JUST GETTING KNOWN BACK THEN ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE SOUTH. I WORK IN BEST BUY MOBILE. WE ARE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. I LIVE IN ALABAMA AND THEY FLEW ME OUT TO HOUSTON FOR TRAINING AND WE HAD A WHOLE WEEK OF LEARNING HOW TO SELL AND THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF MOBILE DEVICES. WE HAVE ELEARNINGS WE ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE AND I LOVE MY JOB. AND ONCE AGAIN YOU CAN’T GO OFF JUST KNOWLEDGE. PLUS IF YOU WERE RUNNING A BUSINESS AND YOU AS A COMPANY BOUGHT A PRODUCT FOR 5.00 WOULD YOU SELL IT FOR 5.00??? I DON’T THINK SO. STOP BLOGGING ABOUT BEST BUY OVER A DECADE AGO AND MAKING MY COMPANY LOOK BAD! YOU’RE MESSING WITH MY CUSTOMER’S HEADS AND THAT MEANS YOU’RE MESSING WITH MY BONUS! GET OVER YOUR WHINING.
1. Please do not write in all capitals on the web. Not only does it make your message that much more difficult to read and comprehend, it also makes you look like you’re 11.
2. I doubt I have that much influence over consumers’ purchasing decisions, but thanks for the compliment.
3. http://www.geekinheels.com/2011/07/16/someone-is-wrong-on-the-internet.html
I work at BestBuy now and I can assure you its the exact same. My store also has the training on computers every time a new product or processor comes out.. but our managers do what they can to save time and hand us the answer key. Employee discount is pretty awesome, wish we got more on laptops. I’m the only girl in the computers dept at my store, its pretty crazy. Anyway, yeah, considering how difficult it is to move up in a place like that, I won’t be there much longer… since I see no advancement. On top of that you should see customers who come shopping during busy times and yell at you when you cant spend 2 hours with them.. lol.
I absolutely love that you wrote that, “..I see no advancement.”
I have only been working at best buy since October and I can honestly say I will not be full time unless I either switch stores or quit and come back. I’m not going to go in detail about our awesome discount (yes they are awesome, I got dre beats studios for $165 and my Kicker accommodation brought my $1100 system which consisted of 2 L7s and a 1200 watt amp to $350 after enclosure and install lol) or how pathetic most of the employee knowledge is but I will say that their is no advancement. I work at one of the smaller stores in my state, which the highest stats. Myself, I’m sitting at 23% GSBTP and roughly 56% accessories and 44% Hardware for the month. I don’t work in PCHO or Home theater/Appliances by the way. I have been number one in my store for not only credit apps and black tie but I have been top 5 in sales with about $185/Hr profit. I applied to my store with not an ounce of sales/retail experience/job history. However I had endless knowledge on just about everything except appliances and home theater. My dept is now number 3 out of all the stores probably because of me and I have not been reach out at once about full time or supervisory positions. I am still make slightly above minimum wage like they started me and the other Occasional seasonal. My hours got cut and basically I did their bidding for the holidays. I think in December I racked in a solid 80 something apps. Best buy gets roughly $160 per app I believe?
Okay I’m ranting now, back to the point.
I’m sure anyone who is an employee with best buy will tell you, you won’t advance. I’m executing sales excellence like there’s no tomorrow and I am not so much as given employee of the month. I don’t shove apps down customers throats like they preach me to and I don’t always offer black tie on CERTAIN product because yes, it will break and you will have less stress just buying a new one. However my numbers, in my eyes, are f%#king insane. I’m making like 10x more than im paid an hour lol. I know I won’t be put to full time tho and thats why I’m quiting as soon as I buy everything I want.
One thing I will mention about the best buy credit card though is that it’s a great way to build your credit. It honestly is. 0% interest is a great way to do same as cash and build you credit. I do understand not everyone wants credit cards now but if you have the money to buy that laptop/tv or anything expensive. Just do yourself a favor and apply for the card, you can pay it off three days later and not get fined and get double RZ points which means not only do u get free credit but you get free money back too lol. Idk, its tough to explain that to customers when they typically don’t trust you right off the bat.
Any Best Buy wireless employees looking for a change, please check out the opporunities at http://www.wirelessvision.com/careers. We operate T-Mobile stores.
I too worked at bb a decade ago and everything you have mentioned was true! I worked at the store on 494 in richfield. In addition to all you have said, i was taught by the general manager to flat out lie about products. Upsell and say “my aunt bought that and it broke” and another sales person would know to chime in and agree that just to upsell. Like you, i too do my own research and looove messing with sales people who dont know jack. So glad you have outed the good ole best buy.
A decade is a long time. You should be at least 27 right? There is always two ways to look at a particular situation. This is too funny not commenting on, because i think you are regretting writing this blog.
Actually, this post was originally written in 2003 or 2004 for a now-defunct Xanga blog. I had just transferred it over from there. I had only added the addendum because so many random people were happening upon this post from whatever they had googled, and automatically made the wrong assumptions.
And no, I do not regret “writing this blog” (Did you mean “writing this blog post”? That would make more sense.) — if I did, I would just take the post down or close comments.
oh ya WestSideIDK!!