Fast240Z

So, as the title says, how do you guys feel about Geek Squad?

thxone

I think they get paid to fix things anyone with a computer should be able to fix themselves...I don't mind the Geek Squad but I do mind people buying computers and thinking they need no maintenence whatsoever...Would you buy a car and never change the oil, would you never clean it, would you never check all your lights...tires....wipers!!! Sadly, I know people out there who just put gas in their cars and never think twice about anything else...it is the same with computers. Lazy asses!!

wreckedj30

i saw one the other day and was tripping out, funny little car they have. Yeah you need to no how to fix your owns shnit though.

naviathan

They're overpaid A+ certified high school graduates who have no real world experience what-so-ever. They can't diagnose a computer problem. Their solution is reload it, if that doesn't work replace it.

Fast240Z

well, I'd have to agree on some parts. I work at Best Buy; I've been with the company for three years. About a month ago, I was picked from the computer sales floor, and was transferred over to our Geek Squad Precinct. I had the same view about our Geek Squad, where they would just rather restore a unit instead of fix it. Well, I was pretty far from the truth. I don't know about other Precincts, but at our store, we actually work on the computers. The only things that we won't do is replace motherboards, any soldering for the most part, and seat a processor. Everything else, we can fix. We try to stay as far away from restoring a unit as possible, unless the hard drive is bad and we replace it, or the customer specifically requests restoring the unit.

But, with that said, I've got to go. I still want to hear people's views and horror stories, I know there are a few bad Precincts out there.

RodMoyes

... And yet somhehow I get the sense that they make more money than you...

bardabe

lol




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b300z

they seem to charge a lot for the simplest of jobs. but for people who are too scared to open the inside of a computer case, i guess it works


on a side note...i just dropped my ipod off there 2 days ago. if it doesnt get fixed, do you know if i get a reconditioned one, or can i get store credit.

naviathan

Hahaha...I doubt that highly. I'm a Contractor for the Marine Corps doing computer repair for field and classified intel systems. I highly doubt they make more money than I do.

snwbrderphat540

just beet some geek *** B300.... coming to my party still? lol. its not this weekend i have flight i know i will already... need to be A+ so it will be in a week an a half... oh eah.. back on topic
there bugs are gay. lol. and yeah i can fix my own stuff... well ive never bene inside a laptop though so i might see kmore profesional help if my laptop goes on me...

naviathan

Map your screws as you take them out and carefully pull any plastic tabs you come across and a laptop isn't hard to work on at all. I've gotten a full tear down and screen replacement on an IBM T43 under 5 minutes.

snwbrderphat540

meh.... i still got 11.5 months of a warranty left though

naviathan

Well in that case it's not worth worrying about. Even I stay out of my laptops and electronics until the warranty runs up. Just easier that way.

Coolie

We had one guy here screw a laptop to the desk while putting it back together...

He was special...and apparently a TL somewhere now

Fast240Z

actually, we make a good amount, but not something that is phenomenal. Lets just say I make less than $12/hr. Some of the other Agents make more money, but no one in the store makes more than $20/hr, I'd say. I do know our Double Agents (the ones that go out to the house) make a good hourly wage.

I think our prices are high too, but for the people that don't know how to do it, it's worth it. Keep in mind that the money does go towards the company, but also goes towards the cost of labor of all of the people employed with Geek Squad and Best Buy. Did you know that most of the money made at a Best Buy is in accessories and services, namely printer ink and Geek Squad services? Most everything else has little to no markup, so when we sell a tv or a computer w/o accessories, we take a hit on revenue.

It depends on what type of service they listed it under. Does the ipod still function? What is it doing? Normally, we will check the ipod in as a repair, meaning we diag the unit in store, and then ship it out to Apple to be fixed. If Apple deems it unfixable, they send us an authorization to do an exchange on the unit. Another type of service we usually only do on a DOA ipod is called a rapid exchange. With the rapid exchange, we pretty much see if we can get it to work, and if it doesn't, we ship it straight to Apple, and then Apple will send you a reconditioned one in less than a business week. If you still have your copy of the tag, you can see what type of service they listed it as.