Best Buy? I think not...
Jan 21 '00
I thought I'd experienced, throughout my life, the worst that retail had to offer. However, Best Buy employees managed to make my shopping experience there, without compare, the most humiliating shopping experience ever.
It was at the Reston, VA store, to do some shopping. After a long wait, I was finally at the register, with 6-8 shoppers behind me. I handed the clerk my check, and ID, and waited for my receipt. It was a long wait, as he stood and stared at the register. He then
Said, "I need authorization." I said,"What do you mean?" He said,"It says I need authorization." Again, I said,"What does that mean? What are you telling me?" Of course, by this time, everyone behind me is starting to fidget, and sigh. He then said, "Do you want me to get authorization, or do you have an alternate form of payment?" I have no way of communicating, in email, the utter contempt in his voice. By now, I was starting to get fired up, as well. "What are you asking me for?" I said. He shot back, at me, "There's a problem with your check, maybe you don't have enough money in your account to cover it."
Naturally, none of this was going over very well with the customers behind me, especially since he'd announced I was trying to pass off a bad check. I sputtered, ineffectually, that I certainly had enough money in my account, wondering why I felt the need to defend myself to this unpleasant young man. I asked him if he'd entered the information on my check correctly and he rolled his eyes, sighed, and said,"If I hadn't, the register would have said invalid." He then said, in a slightly threatening tone, "Do you want me to call a manager, or do you have an alternate form of payment?"
I was flabbergasted. It sounded, as if he was telling me if I pursued this at the cash register, a manager would be called to "deal" with me. I told him that my check WAS valid and asked who I could speak with, at the store, to rectify this. He vaguely motioned over to the Customer Service area. As I began walking away, he sighed (again), and said, "Now I'm going to have to reshelf all these items." As he started putting them back in their theft proof boxes, in a very put upon manner, I finally blew, and snapped at him, " Don't move a thing. Leave these right here, I will be purchasing them with my check."
I then spoke with a "store manger" at the customer service counter. When I told her what had happened, she said,"If our check company won't take your check, there's nothing I can do." I asked,"For what possible reason would my check be turned down, in the first place?" Again, came the smug remark."You probably don't have enough money in your account to cover it." Again, this was said loudly in front of several customers at the customer service counter. (I think this store specializes in customer humiliation.)
I continued pressing the issue with her, demanding to speak with someone who could communicate with the "powers that be" at the check clearing company. She finally gave me a 1-800 number I could call, for further information, and then impatiently waved me away. I walked directly to the pay phone at the front of the store, and began my research. Amazingly, the encounter I had on the phone with the TransUnion check person was the most pleasant of this whole episode. He spent over 20 minutes, researching over, and over, my credit, etc, and could not find a single reason why the check would have been turned down. He was also unable to find the original check number, and because of this, he concluded that the clerk had ENTERED THE WRONG CHECK NUMBER, when processing my check. Since his entered number had not correlated with the printed number on my check, the "authorization needed" code had come up on the register. And, the clerk had then publicly degraded me, the customer. Customer service, at its finest.
I wasn't leaving until I'd gotten my merchandise, and had my say. The manager saw me storming back from the pay phone, intercepted me, and got my merchandise from the register. She rang these up for me, offered a tepid apology, and that was that. At
least for her. There are too many choices out there to allow a business that treats its customers so shabbily, to remain competitive. I've heard some other horror stories about Best Buy, convincing me my experience was not an anomaly, but the norm.
Another issue I have with Best Buy is the High School Drop Out Security Guard they have at the door. Why must this kid, after watching me pay for my goods, feel the need to search my bag, and sales ticket? Not only that, but they FRISK the employees when they leave. Can you believe that? And I as a customer am to trust these people that they frisk like prisoners?
And then lets talk about their service plan. I swear to god, I feel like I am at a used car lot when I am talking to these kids. I have NEVER used a warranty. If something breaks, I throw it away, and replace it. So why the heck would I spend up to another $200 for their extended service? The service provider they use is NEW, my girlfriend use to work their. And I know 1st hand what a class act operation that is. Service Plans are pretty much 100% PROFIT for the retail outlet. Don't waste your time or money on this crap. That's what renter's/home owner's insurance is for.
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Epinions.com ID:
david_n_dc
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Member: David
Location: Washington, DC
Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 15 members
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