How do YOU feel about Geek Squad? And why do they get so much hate.

[NETWizz]

My truck blew a spark plug out two weeks ago. This is the third one that's blown out. Good thing it's a V10.

Just fixed it today, since I've been sick with pneumonia.

What do I win?

Um... You win a properly running V10 that doesn't have a miss on whatever cylinder had the fouled plug.

Don't know what engine you have, but I would pull ALL the spark plug wires (or coil on plugs) and inspect with a flashlight and/or long Q-Tip to ensure no oil is leaking around the valvecover gasket.

I would then pull and inspect ALL the spark plugs to see they are evenly worn to get an idea of what is going on inside each cylinder.

If you have an old style distributor, clean inside it and the rotor!

If you have spark plug wires, replace them ALL!

*****

If it continues, check the compression of ALL the cylinders, check the engine for codes, and clean the fuel rail.



^^^^ I am not an auto mechanic, but this shouldn't keep happening. I have had several cars as have my family and nobody has EVER had a spark plug fail that I can remember.

 

[Bubbajoe]

I'm just curious because nowadays it seems like the "cool thing to do" to hate on Geek Squad. As far as I can see they're just as "bad" as all the other corporate companies out there. If anyone expects a international retailer to hire trained, educated, and experience techs for 10-15 dollars an hour you've got another thing coming. Do you go to McDonalds and expect gourmet cuisine? Geek Squad should be seen as just that, the fast food of computer repair. As much as we all want to deny it, BIG businesses are here to make money... and that's what they do. There not going to take good care of you like the smaller companies will and that's why we're here.

You are aware that a good deal of their online/remote support is contracted to a 3rd party, Supportspace? Here is their pre-employment test of tech knowledge:

Edit: won't let my post a url yet, but go to their website and click on "become a consultant", then again click on "become a consultant".

If you can make a 70 on one of those tests and have no felony convictions, you're in... So basically anyone who knows how to Google can be a 3rd party expert (Independent Contractor) for GS.

If you could see some of the idiots they have in their "expert" IRC chat room, you'd run. I had to redo a 0A virus removal done by one of their "top" experts (over 7000 cases) because he ran TDSS killler and marked the session as resolved. He left the customer with the firewall and AV still totally disabled because he didn't fix any of the 8 services that 0A killed.

Still, there are a few highly skilled and knowledgeable 3rd party experts, but I can count on my hands the # I'd trust my computer to.

 

[ControlAltDelete]

I was an Agent of the Geek Squad for about a year and half-ish. I honestly really enjoyed working there. I left only to take a job offer that doubled my income.
Here is why Geek Squad gets such a bad reputation IMO:

1. Limited tools- they actually have a long list of approved and unapproved (but common and popular to use) software that they can and cannot use.

2. The Agents- They don't hire people who actually enjoy working on computers and take it upon themselves to become educated about new viruses or best practices. They hire people who can get by and make sales happen. Because honestly they have a huge education support department that every agent has access to from home. Including forums, how-to's, new tool suggestions, live webinars, etc.

3. The Workload- I think when they went with a subscription instead of flat rate services, the workload tripled at our store. A customer would come in two or three times a week with another computer, which may or may not have had a problem because it hadn't been turned on in 3 years.

4. Agents who think they know better- Honestly if every agent had followed the Standard Operation Procedure, there would be a lot less issues with turn around time, customer issues and even sales.

Geek Squad is actually the only thing keeping Best Buy in business I would imagine. Last I heard services from all of Geek Squad (including repair of tv's, major appliances and car audio) was over 60% of the companies total revenue.

 

[RegEdit]

Geek Squad is actually the only thing keeping Best Buy in business I would imagine. Last I heard services from all of Geek Squad (including repair of tv's, major appliances and car audio) was over 60% of the companies total revenue.

Why is Best Buy's retail business suffering so much? The recession? Obviously Internet killed their CD business, but whenever I need a hard drive or something electronic immediately (rather than ordered) I go to Best Buy. I'd go to Fry's but Fry's is a much longer drive.

 

[red12049]

Why is Best Buy's retail business suffering so much? The recession? Obviously Internet killed their CD business, but whenever I need a hard drive or something electronic immediately (rather than ordered) I go to Best Buy. I'd go to Fry's but Fry's is a much longer drive.

Best Buy is the "showroom" for Amazon and other online retailers. Go look in Best Buy, pick out what you like, then order it online from whoever has it cheapest.

Rick

 

[Mindfulness]

I wonder if techs hate them so much because of the high rates they receive, with mediocre skills. Just plain old jealousy. They inspire me to keep my rates higher than I would without them around.

 

[ControlAltDelete]

Why is Best Buy's retail business suffering so much? The recession? Obviously Internet killed their CD business, but whenever I need a hard drive or something electronic immediately (rather than ordered) I go to Best Buy. I'd go to Fry's but Fry's is a much longer drive.

If the item is something that you want but can wait 2 days to get it, then odds are your going to order online. But yes if you need a new hard drive or blank CDs or flash drive, then yeah your just going to fork out the few extra bucks. But honestly they dont make very much on computer components or blank media. The big mark up is on computers, tvs, and major appliances. They tried to take a bite out of the Platform gamers market with offering exclusive content and special editions but I dont think that worked. They also tried to take the cell phone industry with the Buy Back program which failed. It's just harder to make enough profit to justify a huge mega store.
I wouldn't be surprise if in 10 years they do away with more and more products carried and focus on services, or smaller specialty stores like they have done with Best Buy Mobile.

 

[ControlAltDelete]

I wonder if techs hate them so much because of the high rates they receive, with mediocre skills. Just plain old jealousy. They inspire me to keep my rates higher than I would without them around.

The rates are really low compared to what you get. But that being said, the customer service has suffered because of the increase in workload. You cant beat $199 a year for 3 devices (not just computers) to have unlimited physical cleaning, software troubleshooting/repair, 30 min labor, etc. Plus i think it was 10% off all other geek squad services not covered by the subscription including data back up.
People pay the little extra for a better experience and a higher level of professionalism and class.

 

[NOOB_TECH]

How much does Best Buy Charge for virus removal? I thought they charged $199.99? Also, what I hear is it’s mostly done remotely correct?

 

[RegEdit]

How much does Best Buy Charge for virus removal? I thought they charged $199.99? Also, what I hear is it’s mostly done remotely correct?

I am amazed at the parade of people who are willing to pay $199 for a repair. Then the $100 to $160 for data backup.

And how do you fix a computer remotely without boot discs or the ability to do other offline fixes? And when they have to restart the computer they have to reconnect the remote support, right? And do they hang on the phone with the customer during the whole process?

 

[ControlAltDelete]

I don't even think they offer a one time virus removal. I think its just the subscription. But it use to be 199 per check in for virus removal and I use to get repeat customers in twice a month or every other month

 

[frederick]

Why do I hate geek squad?

Every person, to include myself and wife, have been ripped off by them, and nothing was ever fixed, but was definately made worse.

My first experience with Geek Squad was when I was still in High School. I had a laptop where all I needed was everything on laptop transferred to the brand new one I just bought. It was supposed to be a free service because it was part of some deal they had going on. Buy our laptops, we transfer everything off the old and on to the new for free. Both laptops worked, my old one was great, except that 2 days after the warranty ended it started populating dead pixels everywhere. So I decided to upgrade rather than fix. Well 3 weeks later, they call me up...My old laptop is gone, they lost it. My new laptop apparently doesn't have a hard drive, and so they were unable to perform the desired service. I was given a $300 bill, and when I refused to pay, they refused to give my laptop back. As I told them I wasn't going to pay for them losing my old and stealing from my new, they idiot decides to drop the new one, and then accidentally "trip" over it, busting it to hell. I got kicked out of that Best Buy for harassing the workers...

My wife got a $7,000 bill for data recovery on her hard drive on her laptop. She took it in to get the keyboard replaced. The keyboard was never replaced, and neither did she pay. She finally got her computer back 6 months later after that when she threatened to sue the dog poop out of them.

I've had friends take their computers in over the last year for things like screen replacements, or laptop keyboard replacements, and get it back either in a lot of little bags and a box, or the computer just doesn't work anymore. And still required to pay the bill.

2 Weeks ago, I stopped at a clients location. Parked next to a cop car. When I went in to the clients location a geek squad guy was there. He was there fixing my clients personal laptop, and my client told him he was done because he knows it doesn't take 6 hours of changing settings to use the online backup and that I was going to handle it from here. The geek squad guy walks out, and writes in key on my driver side door an explicative. The cop got of his car (which was on my trucks driver side) and brought him in to my clients to ask me if I wanted to press charges.

I have many reasons to hate Geek Squad/Best Buy

 

[Maxable]

Why do I hate geek squad?

Every person, to include myself and wife, have been ripped off by them, and nothing was ever fixed, but was definately made worse.

My first experience with Geek Squad was when I was still in High School. I had a laptop where all I needed was everything on laptop transferred to the brand new one I just bought. It was supposed to be a free service because it was part of some deal they had going on. Buy our laptops, we transfer everything off the old and on to the new for free. Both laptops worked, my old one was great, except that 2 days after the warranty ended it started populating dead pixels everywhere. So I decided to upgrade rather than fix. Well 3 weeks later, they call me up...My old laptop is gone, they lost it. My new laptop apparently doesn't have a hard drive, and so they were unable to perform the desired service. I was given a $300 bill, and when I refused to pay, they refused to give my laptop back. As I told them I wasn't going to pay for them losing my old and stealing from my new, they idiot decides to drop the new one, and then accidentally "trip" over it, busting it to hell. I got kicked out of that Best Buy for harassing the workers...

My wife got a $7,000 bill for data recovery on her hard drive on her laptop. She took it in to get the keyboard replaced. The keyboard was never replaced, and neither did she pay. She finally got her computer back 6 months later after that when she threatened to sue the dog poop out of them.

I've had friends take their computers in over the last year for things like screen replacements, or laptop keyboard replacements, and get it back either in a lot of little bags and a box, or the computer just doesn't work anymore. And still required to pay the bill.

2 Weeks ago, I stopped at a clients location. Parked next to a cop car. When I went in to the clients location a geek squad guy was there. He was there fixing my clients personal laptop, and my client told him he was done because he knows it doesn't take 6 hours of changing settings to use the online backup and that I was going to handle it from here. The geek squad guy walks out, and writes in key on my driver side door an explicative. The cop got of his car (which was on my trucks driver side) and brought him in to my clients to ask me if I wanted to press charges.

I have many reasons to hate Geek Squad/Best Buy

Geez Frederick, they really know how to rub you the wrong way.

About 6 years ago my Father-in-Law decided his desktop work company computer had a virus, it was really a really slugish P4. Took it into BestBuy GS to have them clean it. They gave it back to him, after installing their own virus software and breaking his vinyl printing software. He closed shop shortly after that and gave the P4 to me. I took a look at the history in the browser and it had not been cleared out for two years, cleared it. Re-installed/repaired his printing software. Re-moved GS proprietary software. Removed the Serviced by GS sticker. Rebooted the machine and it worked just great for a 3ghz P4. It has a new OS and acts an NAS in my home.

I really did no work to the thing and it runs just fine.

That is why I am in this business now.

 

[frederick]

Maxable, nice...

Sometimes that all a computer needs...clear the cache! remove all those temp files and what not as well.

 

[Markverhyden]

A good friend of mine, that I know from my CompUSA days, worked at Sheep Squad for a while. He told me that management's expectation is that they are to tell the customer, after charging them the repair fee, that the repair was in the hundreds of dollars so buying a new computer was the best thing to do. No refund of course.

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

Say what you will about geeksquad but they are good for at least one thing and that is getting a guide for what you can charge. They are usually higher than what most of us would charge without a geeksquad local.

I raised my rates when geeksquad came to town and it helped a good deal. I do not think they take much of the market away from us anymore if they ever did?

 

[brandonkick]

But they turn people away from the break/fix model and cause them to replace the computer instead of getting it fixed. I wouldn't blame the average uneducated user either, with the average experience at geeksquad being what it is.

Hell I can even remember walking into a bestbuy and requesting DDR2 memory to upgrade my current PC. The geeksquad agent gave me DDR memory, not once but twice and insisted it was the correct product. A second geeksquad agent backed him up on this, until a manager came over and showed them how to tell if it was a DDR1 or DDR2 memory module.

One of the two repairs I did for Barrister was for a customer that took their machine to geeksquad for service. The lady who brought it in was locked out of it, she had bought it for her son and her son's fiancee. The son and fiancee split up and they "couldn't" get into the machine. Geeksquad determines it needs a motherboard replacement, and she opts to have it taken care of in house which was an option due to the warranty she bought.

So I get the motherboard, go out and perform the swap. Fire the machine up and say, OK now whats your windows password.....

Her: "Well... I don't know? That's what I had the service for?"

So the geeksquad incorrectly diagnosed the issue, mistaking it for a bios password problem.

I ask her well what do you think the password should be?

She said, it's the date they were supposed to get married which is August 1st 2013. I type it in like that and it wouldn't work, I then type in August12012 and it goes right in....

I just had a guy bring me a machine that was working slow and he said both times he took it best buy they simply took it in the back for less then five minuets and said it was fine. He has all kinds of issues with slow downs and lagging. Upon my inspection there were no viruses, fans all worked, no blown caps............ everything seemed kosher. Then I see that it only has 1GB of memory and guess what? 100% of it was in use and a rather hefty portion of the pagefile

 

[callthatgirl]

I can't hate my favorite referring partner out there

Not only do people come to us after getting a monster quote and a 3 week out return, the local Best Buy has a tech at their desk that has sent me 2 jobs. No complaints here.

 

[HCHTech]

the local Best Buy has a tech at their desk that has sent me 2 jobs. No complaints here.

Hey CTG, do you mind sharing how this arrangement started? I've been dying to strike up a conversation with a couple of local GS operations, but just don't know how to get my foot in the door.

Anecdotally, I've heard the same thing from new customers - "They wanted 3 weeks to replace my hard drive!!" I figure if they are losing the customer anyway, they might just refer them if I could get their attention.

 

[callthatgirl]

Just by the sales person knowing about the biz I guess, not sure!