Who makes more, the Apple Store Genius Bar or Best Buy's Geek Squad?

As someone who regularly councils consumers to avoid overpriced after-market repair services for computer hardware, I was intrigued by a report from Glassdoor.com (a Web site where employees anonymously dish about their employers) that compares the purported average salaries for Apple and Best Buy front-line tech-support personnel.

Both the Geek Squad and Genius Bar offer carry-in service for your hardware, although the Genius Bar is more focused on in-warranty service for your Mac stuff, while the Geek Squad sells a variety of upgrades, security, installation, and maintenance services.

The Glassdoor.com data is based on submissions from people who claim to be employed by the respective companies, so it's far from scientific. That being said, the reported average hourly salary for a Genius Bar tech was $18.30, while the reported average hourly salary for a Geek Squad Agent was $11.58.

Anecdotally, the Genius Bar seems to have a better reputation than the Geek Squad, which has been busted stealing data from customers' computers (hence the nickname "Peek Squad"), but I'm sure plenty of people have both good stories and horror stories about both.

Is the Genius Bar attracting better people with better pay? What experiences with one or both services have you had?

[hawaiiinsomniac]

"Is the Genius Bar attracting better people with better pay?"

I don't think so. Its about the products that they fix. Genuis Bar = Apple products, which tend to be on the mid to higher end of the spectrum in terms of price range and in relation the people buying these products would make more money.

[sirhceel]

I had an enter key pop off of my Apple MacBook Pro 15" and took it to the Genius Bar to see what could be done. They told me I would need to buy the highly expensive full keyboard and then have it installed by a third party...I found the key I needed on eBay and it took me about 3 seconds to install it myself. It cost me all of $4 total to fix...not $300+ that was quoted. I doubt that I will be trusting them to fix anything of mine in the future.

[schattenteufel]

"I doubt that I will be trusting them to fix anything of mine in the future."
As someone who used to work at an Apple-Certified computer service center, I can tell you; that's common practice.
Retail establishments like the Apple Store don't work with used parts like eBay. It's a component-based service strategy. If you need a keyboard repaired, then the whole keyboard is swapped out. They can't sell individual keys for keyboards because keyboards aren't made like that (but had you kept your original key & it was intact, they likely would have put it back on for you) They get the keyboard as and whole & have to sell it as a whole (that's how a service contract works; to discourage companies from becoming PC chop-shops.
They weren't trying to rip you off or sell you more than you needed; the smallest unit they could have replaced to fix your problem was the keyboard component. They may have been expensive but in no way were they being dishonest.

[angel42]

A couple of years ago, when I first started messing with computers, I purchased Windows XP from Best Buy. I asked one of the supposed "Geek Squad" members a question, since I was new at computers and didn't know what I was doing @ the time, I asked whether I did a Full install or an Update, since I already had Windows '98 on my computer? He advised me, that I should do a full install! That was a mistake! I wiped out all of the information that I already had on my computer! I was furious! So, I called Best Buy and advised them of what had happened. The manager pretty much gave me the run around and basically advised me, that I should have known what I was doing in the first place! I then gave him a few choice words and advised him, that's what his Geek Squad was there for! I then called my way up the chain of command, to no avail!

[Grifter02]

So, at no point during the install did it occur to you that it was going to format your hard drive? Even when it said something like "you will lose all information on this hard drive, are you sure you want to continue?"

He gave you good information, you should always do a full install for a new OS, but I guess he just didn't realize you wouldn't back up your important data first. I don't blame them for not doing anything for you afterward, it's not their fault you didn't read instructions or warnings. Did you even pay for the advice he gave you? I bet you didn't.

[schattenteufel]

It's all in the training. Apple spends a great deal of time & money training their geniuses. They even fly you out to Cupertino to train you, according to the Apple Store Manage who interviewed me (I chose a better job elsewhere). Apple Store employees have a smaller market's worth of equipment to service, and know a whole lot more about what it is they're working on.

Consumer Reports consistently rates Apple's Customer Service as best in the market, so they must be doing something right.

[Envy_MTL]

I haven't had any direct experience with the Geek Squad, but I can tell you that I was disappointed with my Genius Bar experience. I'm fortunate enough to have one of Apple's "flagship" stores just minutes from where I live in the core of downtown Montreal. The hard drive in my Macbook Pro was suffering from a damaged file structure, and so the computer was basically non-functioning. I made an appointment at the Genius Bar inside the downtown Montreal flagship store, and was fully expecting to leave there with a repaired computer. There was one small hitch.... these so-called Apple "geniuses" can't really do anything. Because my drive was basically non-functioning Once they identified the problem, I asked if they could help restore at least my home folder.... the answer was "no, we're not allowed" despite Data Rescue II being present on both OS X installs there were running off of the external firewire drives. I then asked if they replaced the drive for me, if I could have the damaged drive back so I could recover the files myself....... the answer yet again was "no, we're not allowed."

In the end I had to buy Data Rescue II, an external drive to recover my files to, and a new internal replacement drive which I installed myself. For what is supposed to be Apple line of defense against hardware and software snafus, I was extremely disappointed with what they can and can't do. Apparently you can get more customizable service from an Apple authorized repair center..... something apparently the Genius Bar and/or Apple flagship store, don't fall under...... go figure.

[karhawk]

Recently the touch screen on my 1st gen iphone was acting up so I walked into the downtown San Francisco store for help. wWthin 15 minutes I walked out with a new iphone, despite the fact that I was out of warranty by several weeks. The genius dude that helped me was friendly and professional. I couldn't be more pleased with the service I received. Plus I have a further 3 months of factory warranty on the new phone.
A+

[troyrig]

So the "genius" didn't fix your phone, just handed you a new one. I hear this story repeated a lot. Maybe I'll apply so I can get $18/hr. to hand out free hardware!

[eee444]

Some of those phones are driving me nuts. It's like we are all just a school boys and they could make us fools leaking private data etc while we are playing with their crappy toys.

[gary4ever]

I had the same experience as the above poster concerning my iphone. Touch screen stopped working and I was past the warranty period. I took it to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue here in Manhattan. And in short order, I walked out with a new iphone.

Now that CompUSA is dead and buried, it seems that Best Buy and Circuit City are in some kind of warped contest to see who can offer the worst shopping experience.

[fuernis]

There?s more then one position in geek squad and the pay scale for them differs greatly. Counter ops (people in the polo shirts) get around 10 per hour. CIA (ones on the shirt and tie at the counter) get from 10 to 15 an hour. A manager or supervisor makes more depending on what the talk there manager in to. The Best buy I worked at the Supervisor made 22 an hour. The double agent (person in the VW bug that makes house calls) makes from 14 to 25 an hour. This is based on wages from a year ago in Tn. You really get paid what you can sell yourself at. If management find out you have told another employ your wages you can get fired for that, because the pay per person varies so much. Best buy pays based on your ability to sell, not your ability to fix the problem correctly. You get judged mare on your attachment rate then technical ability. Not trying to sound like the bitter ex-employ, but I am a technician; not a sales person. I felt dirty charging what we did and that we took advantage of people while they where stressed about the computer being broken. We all now how mush we have come to depend on out computer.

[compudoc318]

It outrageous what these guys make for what they charge for repairs. I own a small computer repair company and we charge half of the geek squad rates and pocket all the profit. Their poor service and high prices drive me customers daily! Thank you geek squad for your high prices and poor repair/selling techniques!!

[fonzie02]

Once again this article doesn't explain that Geek Squad fixes more than just computers. I am a Geek Squad appliace repair tech and I make more than $25.00 an hour and I know TV techs and Home Theater techs who make more than me. Why is every article I read never mentions the other services that Geek Squad has to offer?

[ryanrh]

Dan Ackerman needs to put his album(s) on mp3va.com so i can buy um. thanks big o and dukes!