7 things electronics salespeople won't tell you
Going to a retail store for consumer electronics purchases can be both exciting and frustrating. After working at Best Buy for two years, I have a few opinions to share that you might want to consider before your next shopping trip.
1. We have no formal training in the field of consumer electronics.
Upon transferring to the computer department from home theater, I expressed concern to the manager: "Will there be time for someone to train me on laptops/desktops? What do these specifications mean?" His reply was simple: "Just do your best. A good salesperson can just read the labels and compare specs." Ouch.
Salespeople are not necessarily experts in the products sold in their departments, even if they are expert salespeople. Though many express a strong interest in the products they sell, your time spent at a retail store fishing for information about a future TV purchase could be better spent online researching the products yourself (I heard CNET has pretty great reviews).
"You need those HDMI cables, you know you do."
(Credit: Amazon)
2. We make little off the big-ticket items, so we smother you with accessories.
Remember the story "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"? Well, if you tell a salesman you're going to buy a TV, he's going to want to sell you a DVD player to go with it. Once he sells you the DVD player, he's going to want to get you to buy an HDMI cable, too.
Managers at Best Buy (and possibly all retailers) tell employees that the store profits surprisingly little from video game consoles and computers. Cables, accessories, mice, and other components, however, have a huge profit margin-- stores can make about $120 from a $150 Monster HDMI cable. Angry yet? The point is, we're going to work really hard to convince you to purchase that big item, but once you've said "OK" you've opened Pandora's Box.
Here's my advice: Grab the big item, and run. Purchase all accessories online, including memory cards, cables, traveling cases, and so on. Amazon, Monoprice, and Newegg are all reputable discount Web sites. You'll find what you need at a much lower price.
3. There are times when you should purchase extended warranties.
There's no telling if a product will break down, but some are more apt to have problems than others. Not all stores offer extended warranties, but if they do, think about it before you decline the offer.
Manufacturers usually offer 90 days to one year of limited parts and labor. Take note of the word "limited." Those warranties only cover manufacturer's defects, so if your speakers blow out, the manufacturer will consider it misuse. Manufacturers do not cover "wear and tear," while most store-provided warranties do. Other store warranties present coverage for accidental damage like spills and broken parts. So if you're clumsy, go for the extended warranty.
If you're unwaveringly against extended warranties, you may consider putting your purchase on a credit card that doubles the manufacturer's warranty upon purchase.
4. It doesn't matter whether we make commission, we're all equally pushy.
When I worked at Best Buy, many customers would say, "You just want me to buy this stuff 'cause you're on commission" (I wasn't). For employees not on commission, hours are based on whether sales goals are reached. If I didn't meet my goal for the day, I'd see a cut in hours. On the other hand, if I landed a $40,000 sale, my hours increased.
What does this mean for you? If you want the best customer service, don't let the salesperson know you are "comparing prices" or "shopping around"--that's a red flag for them. Sure, you'll be helped if you're the only one on the sales floor, but customers who show a genuine interest in purchasing something get the special treatment. Lead the salesperson on a little bit--trust me, you'll get a lot more help that way.
5. No receipt? No problem!
If you've lost your receipt and you're worried you'll be stuck with that sad excuse for a monitor, you're in luck. As long as you made your purchase with a credit or debit card, most stores can look up your receipt within minutes. If you paid cash, and the item is relatively inexpensive (about $50 or less), the retailer may still be able to do the return, but you may get store credit instead of cash back.
I called a few stores, and here are their policies:
Fry's Electronics: Receipt lookup, very difficult no-receipt return
Best Buy: Receipt lookup, no-receipt return
Target: Receipt lookup, no-receipt return
RadioShack: Receipt lookup, no-receipt return
OfficeMax: Difficult receipt lookup, but it's possible
Note that you must meet all other conditions of the return policy.
6. We offer expensive services I think a 12-year-old could perform.
In Best Buy's computer department, where we didn't profit from system sales, there was lots of pressure to sell not only accessories, but Geek Squad services. Some of these services were just embarrassing to sell. Customers are encouraged to purchase the optimization service in which the technician removes preinstalled programs to boost performance. Oh! Don't forget you'll need a recovery disc in case you need to restore the hard drive. That'll be $60, please. Cha-ching.
"Would you like some Geek Squad with that PC?"
(Credit: Geek Squad)These are services you could probably do yourself in about 15 minutes. Removing those preinstalled programs is as simple as removing any other program through the "Settings" folder. Instructions for making a recovery disc are provided by all manufacturers who don't supply the disc in-box.
Bottom line: try and figure it out for yourself before resorting to these costly services. With all the how-to Web sites out there, you're sure to find the help you need.
7. Forget what your parents taught you--complaining usually gets you what you want.
If your customer service needs haven't been met, and the associate refuses to make it right, don't give up. Sometimes employees fall into a power trip in conjunction with their refusal to help. If you find yourself arguing with the employee, immediately ask for the manager. Upon speaking with him/her, calmly inform them of the matter. Never ask, "Will you be able to do this for me?", but instead say, "I am a frequent customer here. How are you going to make this situation right so that I continue to visit your location?" The former makes it easy for the manager to say "Unfortunately, no;" the latter demands customer service.
The problem is usually solved in-store, but sometimes employees can be stubborn. Write down the names of everyone involved, and the store number, then call corporate. Deliver the same dialogue, but be sure to speak to a supervisor since those answering calls are associates who may not have the ability to help you.
Sharon Vaknin is the CNET Labs' go-to intern. When she's not testing MP3 players, blogging, or making the lab look presentable, she can be found playing computer games. Sharon formerly worked for Best Buy and is currently studying journalism at San Francisco State University. E-mail Sharon. 
Applecare is a must though. It's worth it 100 times over and I've only seen regret when people didn't do it, including myself.
Retailers are retailers, period. This isn't rocket science; it's about maximizing margins and profits. Apple Stores sell lots of accessories for the their core products; a lot of those items have fairly low margins and represent thick gravy to their bottom line. Their sales staff is there to make the sale, albeit I've found they tend to be more friendly and helpful that their competition. But it still comes down to getting that sales transaction; everything else is far down the ladder.
and thanks for the tip on the cookie story. here it is being read by someones granny on y tubes, so you dont have to go and buy the book or take the trip to borders to read it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFKzriYtEt8
please explain
Also, don't be shy too ask for a reduction in price, if we want a sale it's very easy to put it in as a price match.
Asking for a reduction in price won't get you anywhere in a store (at least Best Buy) that actually follows SOP unless you have an actual, current ad for the exact model at a competitor that has a brick and mortar presence within something like a 25 or 50 mile radius. Very rarely can a BBY employee actually get away with discounting anything, and they don't generally do it for the people that are expecting it or acting like jerks.
Luke
Some people have no problem paying for the data transfer, etc, cause they just couldn't do it themselves. Do you know how many people pay for electrical work when they could do it more cheaply themselves? That's one of the ways I save money, but i end up paying for work on my car, since I can't do it myself. Computers are the same way. That grandma that pays you to transfer her data probably saved a small fortune canning her own fruits and vegatables from her garden and laughs at you cause you buy your preserves from the store at inflated prices!
When the buyout happened, b of a yanked back all of their DIP loans. not just ours either. as a result thats why there was only a week to find a new buyer for the company or close our doors. we were operating almost entirely on credit and when that disappeared, there was no money to pay the bills.
next time, try to have a vague idea of what you are talking about before you do it. it keeps people like me, who actually know what happened from making you look completely uninformed public ally.
Normally, I buy stuff wherever the price is most competitve. I bought a TV not to long ago from Walmart, and then waited a week for cables from Newegg. I had to wait, but I saved money and that was okay with me.
i feel your pain...and so does my wallet!
DO YOU PEOPLE REALIZE YOU'RE COMMITTING FRAUD???? THAT'S ILLEGAL!!!! IF YOU DID NOT BUY IT FROM THAT STORE, YOU ARE COMMITTING FRAUD BY TRYING TO RETURN IT TO THAT STORE!!!
All I could do is smile knowing that perfectly good HDMI cables go online for less than $10 shipped. My bro just got three for $6.
Two weeks ago I overheard a guy asking the difference between two Panasonic Plasma tvs. He looked at the specs and couldn't see a difference so he searched out a sales dude. The guy pulled the tag from both tvs and held them side-by-side, looking at the specs. I kid you not his answer was, "The cheaper one must me last years model."
After the BB guy left I pulled the customer aside and informed him the only difference was the Viera Cast. The cheaper tv wasn't "last year's model." He was appreciative of my help.
Yeah, BB and-the-like is an okay place to purchase electronics, but you won't always get the correct answer and you should definitely have an agenda before you cross the front door when buying an expensive item.
I guess that fact is that there will always be people who will go to a store to buy something and be misinformed. It's probably happened to all of us somewhere at one time.
Oh yeah, if you didn't sell enough extended warranties you were fired because they had "approximately 96% profit margin". I didn't last long (and thankfully neither did they) but those sales people are still out there selling.
We do not make commission, as noted. At my store we receive recognition and nothing more for your achievements. But for me, that is more than enough. The writer notes that "hours are cut for poor achievement." My store only does that in the most severe cases- if an employee ALWAYS slacks off. But poor sales do not affect an employee in any way. Managers do love to hear about big sales. Naturally- we are a store. Stores open to make money. But we are not trying to annoy you by asking for help. If you want to be left alone, tell the salespeople you are just looking until you need help. However you should expect to be asked for help when you enter a building.
Regarding protection plans- I often get many customers who think we get small kickbacks on these and thats why we offer them. False. I truly believe in the value of these plans and offer them as such. Many people decline me quickly. But these same people come back with issues with the camera a couple of years later, only to find that we cannot help them. Replacing a camera lens can cost maybe $150-$200. But if you have a protection plan from BBY, if the issue cannot be fixed, the camera is replaced at no extra charge. In my view this is 100% worth the money. Best Buy knows that many people will buy a plan and have no issues with the camera/tv/computer. This is why the plans were recently revamped to include battery coverage, etc. I would agree with the author- at least think before you say no to this.
We do not make commission, as noted. At my store we receive recognition and nothing more for your achievements. But for me, that is more than enough. The writer notes that "hours are cut for poor achievement." My store only does that in the most severe cases- if an employee ALWAYS slacks off. But poor sales do not affect an employee in any way. Managers do love to hear about big sales. Naturally- we are a store. Stores open to make money. But we are not trying to annoy you by asking for help. If you want to be left alone, tell the salespeople you are just looking until you need help. However you should expect to be asked for help when you enter a building.
I apologize for any bad experience you have had. But many BBY employees are genuinely looking to help you. Try another store if one gives you problems. Or shop online.
and sorry, not ALL Best Buy employees are annoying and ignorant... i'd say the vast majority are though.
I used to work for Circuit City and I know people at Best Buy and its all true. Thats why i was never a great sales person because i refused to pawn junk off on people. I offered them information and allowed them to decide.
The retailer i work at, the first thing that comes to mind when someone says this that they are lieing (granted it's usually in repsonse to us telling them they need a receipt to do a return), as if they are a frequent shopper as they claim they should know the policies of the store.
Having worked at a Best Buy for the last 3 years, I will challenge anyone here to go up to a computer sales or a digital camera sales person and answer the questions that are presented to them on a daily basis. Most people don't realize that they're "hewlee packer" printers that they have used the same "UBC" cable with for the last 3 years only needs new cartridges, not to be replaced, and those of us at Best Buy save a lot of people a lot of money.
As a rebuttal to the online retailer thoughts, I would like to see on tigerdirect where it lists proprietary part lists for computers, such as any Dell (including todays models...yes, your mobo is proprietary), any needs for power supplies on your new graphics cards that the average customer will catch on to at the t.d. website, and then make sure that they know wether their computer is agp/pci/pci express. CNET may have the benefit of the doubt with some of its readers, but for those of you who are like the average person, you have no effing clue what you need.
Cole brodine: you mentioned that your hard drive failed and you needed a new one. Most folks wouldnt know whether it was Eide/Sata/or kelloggs cornflakes. Then, they wouldnt know wether they needed a 2.5/3.5" drive, and then they wouldn't know what to do with the OS Disk.
Scratchface: you are a moron for saying you would rather pay more up front. Sorry. Plain and simple. Why would you rather pay more up front???? That is just a dumb comment.
Sharon,
This part is to you. I work at one of the most profitable BBY's in the company. There are no associates there that would just say "read the tags" and your supervisor should be fired. Also, you said you worked there for two years, and my answer to that would be this: If you can find a single computer on the market right now that can turn on, set up the o.s. and create the recovery disks, in 15 minutes, and if you can do what the MRI disk does, completely and fully, in 15 more minutes, I will write you a check for $500.00, USD. That is an honest to god promise. My Email is derbytalks@hotmail.com, and I am more than willing to put my money where my mouth is. And then, I'll double that if you take the average computer user and they can even tell you how to get into the setup options screen, setup the optimization features, burn their recovery disks, and get the same speed from a computer as an optimized unit. So, shoot me an email, because im really not all that worried. Ill even let you walk into a best buy and pick the customer.
This is because most people have no clue what they are looking for. Most people cannot set up a router. Most people don't even get the concept behind a wireless router, and think that they already have one because their mouse is wireless. So, for all of you retail store haters, just remember that there are for more people who don't know what they are doing than do, and the retail stores help.
And, as a post script, take a look at the sales figures for Tiger directs returns. They have a 12% return rate, whereas a best buy will have 1-3% depending on the season. Thanks!
Mike-im a surgeon with a keyboard, and pretty smart, so i welcome any response.
So, some of the people here may think
You don't even need a degree.
": If you can find a single computer on the market right now that can turn on, set up the o.s. and create the recovery disks, in 15 minutes, and if you can do what the MRI disk does, completely and fully, in 15 more minutes, I will write you a check for $500.00, USD"
lol
I can do it if you dont count the loading time etc etc. What is so hard about creating a recovery disk? click set up recovery shortcut on desktop, put an empty dvd, click start... and then you can drink coffee or take a nap for 45 minutes...
I bet you that you will not work at BestBuy if this thing is really hard, instead you will work with Microsoft because hey, you need to be some sort of Genius to create a recovery disk.
(sarcasm)
I doubt a 12 year old could buy a computer. Also, I would imagine that most twelve year olds are also able to do far more on a computer than most people in their 40's and 50's, which is one of the unique reasons we have Best Buy stores.... to educate those that don't know.
this comment shows clearly how the BB stereotype sales person thinks like...
I love going to BB because I love technology. Although, it is impressive how many times I've asked them what is the difference between two products, and got them trying to figure it out reading out of the box. I mean, I can read too...
mderby05, you keep on saying about how the average customer is naive. Yes, they are! And that is the level that most BB salesmen are able to help. You said it yourself! "Most people don't realize that [...] and those of us at Best Buy save a lot of people a lot of money."
People don't have to get angry with the salesmen, because they are doing what BB wants: helping the average customer...
Imagine how much money a butcher saves on meat. He doesn't have to pay those marked up grocery store prices. Everybody has their thing they know about. I should try to find a meat forum and start a flame war about which cuts are better.
Where can I find a copy of these "ridiculously hard tests" online? You phrased this as a "challenge" so presumably you're willing to make them available.
"I would like to see on tigerdirect where it lists proprietary part lists for computers, such as any Dell (including todays models...yes, your mobo is proprietary),"
Where do they list this at Best Buy? By would someone ask Best Buy about this rather than calling Dell and ordering the parts directly or asking Dell what they need. I am certain that Dell's tech support on Dell computers is better than Best Buy's support on Dell computers.
"but for those of you who are like the average person, you have no effing clue what you need."
Neither does the staff at Best Buy. That's the point. That's why you should read reputable web sites like CNet before making your purchasing decisions.
"If you can find a single computer on the market right now that can turn on, set up the o.s. and create the recovery disks, in 15 minutes, and if you can do what the MRI disk does, completely and fully, in 15 more minutes, I will write you a check for $500.00, USD."
Please contact me directly and I'll tell you where to mail the check. Best Buy uses off the shelf tools. I actually wrote part of Geek Squad's toolkit (scripts), so I KNOW they're using off the shelf tools. I don't know if that's what Best Buy is using in general. Last I checked, there was lots of pirated software in Geek Squad's toolkit because they weren't willing to pay licensing. If they were, the disks would probably cost at least $1,000 per seat.
Having said that, I could probably put something together was LEGAL (unlike Geek Squad's toolkit) from open source and inexpensive tools for far less than $500. Hell, Ultimate Boot CD does about 90% of what you can do with Geek Squad's toolkit and it's completely free.
As a Best Buy customer, on the other hand, it took five months, multiple letters to corporate (all ignored), and finally a threatened lawsuit to get them to honor their warranty on a laptop.
Electronics stores of course arent th only ones doing it. Oil change shops and etc thrive on ad on sales also. They get you to come in for the cheap oil change and then try to convince you to get wiper blades, radiator flushes, and a whole bunch of other unnecessary maintenance that half the time they don't even perform.
- by TechFiend84 June 11, 2009 2:49 PM PDT
- Used to work @ Best Buy in Home Theater also for about a year. Everything in this article is totally true. I tell everyone I know about the little tips and tricks I learned while working there. I know my old store hates when I walk through that door. They know they are not going to make any money with me and I always price match!
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