Here is the text of an email I sent to the President of Best Buy regarding an very unpleasant experience I had at a Best Buy store this holiday.
[quote name='CheapyD']Last weekend, I purchased an eMachines M5312 laptop computer at your store on 86th and Lexington Avenue (Store #835) in New York, NY. Based on the response to this email, it may be my last purchase from a Best Buy store.
While my purchase was being rung up, one of your employees (Brian) tried to “sell” me Best Buy’s 3 year extended warranty for $250. Notice how I have placed the word “sell” in quotations. I think “bully” or “berate” would more accurately describe this ordeal that I went through. When I politely refused the warranty, Brian started verbally assaulting me, literally yelling at me, “You are making a big mistake. I guarantee it will break.” I remained calm and simply replied, “no thanks”. Brian then pointed to a section of returned and open box laptops and said, “your laptop will be here soon.” This continued for several minutes, embarrassing myself and my fiancée who was shopping with me. Let me be perfectly clear, this was not a sales process,this was an employee yelling at a customer because he feared there was no commission to be had. Eventually, Brian gave up and became so upset, he had someone else ring up the sale. He then walked away, shouting across the sales floor, “You’ll be back!” Upon leaving the store, I presented my receipt to the employee at the front door, and even he had to make a comment, “Oh, no extended warranty?”
What is going on at your stores? Why are your employees guaranteeing that our products will break? I realize that extended warranties are a profit center for Best Buy, but no customer deserves to be treated this way. I was so upset, I’m not exactly sure why I still purchased the laptop from your store. I guess I didn’t want to have gone through that whole nightmare with nothing to show for it.
I run a popular (video game) shopping discussion website called CheapAssGamer.com and I will most likely be publishing my experience at Best Buy in the next few days, but first, I wanted to give Best Buy a chance to respond. I am looking forward to hearing from you and would be happy to furnish any additional information.[/quote]
Here is the response I received a few days later:
[quote name='Best Buy']
Thank you for contacting Mr. Mike Keskey at the Best Buy Corporate office. Your email has been received and forwarded to my desk for response. If you could please email me a number that you can be reached or contact me directly at ***-***-****. I look forward to speaking with you.
Thank you,
**** ******
Best Buy[/quote]
I spoke to the Best Buy representitve a few days later and she was very apologetic. She basically told me that the salespeople are supposed to merely make the customer aware of the Extended Warranty and thats about it. She also mentioned the salespeople do not receive commission (my guess is they may have a quota or goal, though) on Extended Warranties.
When all was said and done, she told me I will be sent a $50 Best Buy gift card for my troubles and that the corporate office will be contacting my local store. I feel that Best Buy did a good job handling my complaint by dealing with it swiftly and by giving me "compensation" for my experience.
EDIT: I added the comic to this post on June 13th, 2006
CAG Comic #1
Alternate Ending
[quote name='CheapyD']Last weekend, I purchased an eMachines M5312 laptop computer at your store on 86th and Lexington Avenue (Store #835) in New York, NY. Based on the response to this email, it may be my last purchase from a Best Buy store.
While my purchase was being rung up, one of your employees (Brian) tried to “sell” me Best Buy’s 3 year extended warranty for $250. Notice how I have placed the word “sell” in quotations. I think “bully” or “berate” would more accurately describe this ordeal that I went through. When I politely refused the warranty, Brian started verbally assaulting me, literally yelling at me, “You are making a big mistake. I guarantee it will break.” I remained calm and simply replied, “no thanks”. Brian then pointed to a section of returned and open box laptops and said, “your laptop will be here soon.” This continued for several minutes, embarrassing myself and my fiancée who was shopping with me. Let me be perfectly clear, this was not a sales process,this was an employee yelling at a customer because he feared there was no commission to be had. Eventually, Brian gave up and became so upset, he had someone else ring up the sale. He then walked away, shouting across the sales floor, “You’ll be back!” Upon leaving the store, I presented my receipt to the employee at the front door, and even he had to make a comment, “Oh, no extended warranty?”
What is going on at your stores? Why are your employees guaranteeing that our products will break? I realize that extended warranties are a profit center for Best Buy, but no customer deserves to be treated this way. I was so upset, I’m not exactly sure why I still purchased the laptop from your store. I guess I didn’t want to have gone through that whole nightmare with nothing to show for it.
I run a popular (video game) shopping discussion website called CheapAssGamer.com and I will most likely be publishing my experience at Best Buy in the next few days, but first, I wanted to give Best Buy a chance to respond. I am looking forward to hearing from you and would be happy to furnish any additional information.[/quote]
Here is the response I received a few days later:
[quote name='Best Buy']
Thank you for contacting Mr. Mike Keskey at the Best Buy Corporate office. Your email has been received and forwarded to my desk for response. If you could please email me a number that you can be reached or contact me directly at ***-***-****. I look forward to speaking with you.
Thank you,
**** ******
Best Buy[/quote]
I spoke to the Best Buy representitve a few days later and she was very apologetic. She basically told me that the salespeople are supposed to merely make the customer aware of the Extended Warranty and thats about it. She also mentioned the salespeople do not receive commission (my guess is they may have a quota or goal, though) on Extended Warranties.
When all was said and done, she told me I will be sent a $50 Best Buy gift card for my troubles and that the corporate office will be contacting my local store. I feel that Best Buy did a good job handling my complaint by dealing with it swiftly and by giving me "compensation" for my experience.
EDIT: I added the comic to this post on June 13th, 2006
CAG Comic #1
Alternate Ending