Best Buy — Attraction in Riverside

Visit: 5/6/21 Time: 6:30pm

First off, I'm a patient person when it when it comes to retail. Ive worked in retail many years in my past (over a decade) as well as worked at Best Buy during Holiday seasons and then stayed on after that for about a year.

My disappointment started at the front door were The door greeter did not greet myself or my 2 children that were with me. I walked straight to the laptop area and started to look through the laptops. There were many associates that passed me that worked there, but not one of them acknowledged my existence with even a head nod or asked if I needed help. I proceeded to look at the computers behind the sales desk were there were 3 workers and, again, not 1 of them asked if I needed help At all. At this time there was not many customers so they were simply conversating with each other. After about 30 minutes or so I finally, on my own, narrowed down my selections. As I got closer to my purchase, that I was selling myself on, I finally found an associate who made eye contact with me and was almost forced to talk to me because he did. I asked him about the one I was looked at and asked if there was anything comparable and he did make a suggestion for comparison. I told him thanks and I would take time to compare and make a decision. After some back and forth, I went with the one he suggested, but its frustrating that the lack of customer service was there in the department. It's not that there wasn't associatesin there, it was the lack of motivation to help others that I saw.

In this day and age of brick and mortar companies starting to Go away, you would think that the push for better customer service would be there but it was truly lacking.

Once he got me the laptop, I purchased it hastily while he (the "salesperson ") had another customer waiting to talk to him. I then left the department and decided to go to the TV section before exiting.

Along the way i passed by a minimum of 4 associates and not one greeted or even a silent head nod. When I was done viewing tvs I walked to the front door, passing 1 employee that I assume worked in the media department and he was leaning on a TV playing on his phone. I approached the front door with laptop in hand, and, again, multiple greeters and/or associates there at the front door chatting, and no good bye or even checking that the laptop in hand was purchased.

Gave 3 starts because:

The store was at least laid out good Signs on the products I researched had QR codes to scan and get self help Product was instock Displays were in working order and allowed for a hands on...

Ran out of ink and needed to replace cartridges, I was going to order on Amazon but didn't want to wait the 2 days if I didn't have to so I decided to head to Best Buy remembering that they price match so I could get the same price on Amazon but pick it up today. I ran in and grabbed the ink then walked around for 15 min trying to get help to purchase the ink. After asking someone in the Google area of they could do price matches at the registers and he said yes, I decided to go to the registers but the line was too long. I went back to the computer area to find the same two associates busy and no one else to help. I asked one lady if any employee could check me out and was advised yes. I walked past 3 employees huddled together and talking, not one offered assistance. I headed to a guy at a register on the floor that just finished with a customer and asked if he could help me checkout. I advised him that I had a price match and he spoke into his headset asking if they were honoring price matches today (Cyber Monday). He said his boss said no price matches. I said even for ink, it's not a sale item nor typically what people are looking to grab for Black Friday...I mean I could understand if I was asking to price match a TV or something. The manager through the earpiece said no. I said well I'll just buy it on Amazon then, which I did in 2 taps. My fault for needing ink on Cyber Monday. BTW I checked their Black Friday policy and they are either interpreting it incorrectly or it's too ambiguous. I read it to say they will not price match any sale items, it doesn't say they will not do any price matches whatsoever... Best Buy you need to rewrite the policy to be clear or train your employees to understand the policy.

Here is the policy in reference: Any financing offers, bundle offers, items included in bundle offers, free items, pricing errors, mail-in offers, coupon offers, items that are advertised as limited quantity, out of stock items, clearance items, open-box items, refurbished items, pre-owned items, credit card offers, gift card offers, items included in gift card offers, rent/lease to own items, Point of Sale Activation cards, video game discounts related to a membership program, and items for sale Thanksgiving Day through the Monday after Thanksgiving, whether offered by Best Buy or a competitor.

Best Buy you don't get a lot of my business now but it'll be even less and like some of the comments state if you don't get your customer service together you'll be out...

For a couple of years I paid the Geek Squad year membership, I never need to use it, however at that time it was a wise protection, because what they'll provide in case of needing their help., which thankfully I never needed. I went to renew it, because I purchased a new home printer which needed to be connected to the desktop computer. For starters i got a message to expect the service between 7am to 7pm, that was not acceptable, I called the "customer service" (which now comes from some foreign place, which wasn't easy to grasp my issue) I demand they narrow the window for the time when the tech will arrived. 12 hours just waiting for the arrival is not the correct to treat customers, our time has value too. It was a bad experience, Mike arrive with a difficult attitude, I'm my home by upbringing, I always offer water, coffee e, tea, anything they might like or need to have. then I was ready for him to start working, from the get go it was putting down my desktop tower age and pretty much all my setup, telling me I should go to the store and buy new PCU, screen, the only thing he didn't mention was the keyboard. It didn't give me confidence on what was happening. I just lost my husband and my economic resources are limited, which I told him, from then on he was not agreeable to listen to me, and in my long life, most people like that, will accuse others of not letting them talk, when I would have like to be able to communicate with him. At that point I was upset and just ask him to please leave, he continue accusing me for the situation, again I told him thanks, but no more, I'll have to go to Best Buy in Riverside and get a refund of the almost $300.00 for which I got no service at all. What a pity that during economic times when many families and individuals have to be very careful with their budgets, many might get treated like I was, because a business I would brin business, because I like the strore and the people I had the fortune to had help for my needs. I hope this could be consider constructive criticism, in my life working retail stores (of other kind) we need to offer help without antagonistic attitude, listening to what they're lookinf for and letting them know we were listening and wanted to help. And those principles I'm sure...