Provide Better Customer Service Training, Best Buy

"I am seriously considering purchasing a TV at Walmart instead,
even though it may mean I would have to go with a 720p TV"

Why spend thousands of dollars on a TV that's not everything that you
want?

I'm sure there are more than two retailers who carry a television that
would meet your needs and budget. Neither Wal-Mart nor Best Buy is
known for good service (though, staggeringly, Wal-Mart beats Best Buy
hands-down in my experience; see my other comments below).

Try an online retailer (I'm a huge fan of NewEgg) or other electronics
retailer.

n/t

So he walked past you twice, and didn't stop to offer his help. Did
you ASK him for help either of those times, or at your third
opportunity when he was standing at the service desk? It would be
nice, and certainly more in the way of good customer service, if he
had offered his assistance instead of you having to ask, but you have
to consider the possibility that he may not have known who was next to
be helped if he was busy at the time, and he may have had other
business requiring him to go to the service desk.


The only way someone can "refuse" to help you, is if you
ask, and are told no.

There is no such thing as reverse racism-hatred based on race, whether
it be against blacks, whites, hispanics, or little green martians, is
just plan racism, period. That said, I think this was a good letter.
Some people would have demanded gift cards or a free TV. Kudos to you
for being above that!

When I am ignored by a Caucasian, a Native American, an African
American, a Pakistani, a Venezuelan, or anyone else, I open my mouth:
"Excuse me, but I have been waiting, and I believe I was here
first."

No one has ever refused me service after I opened my mouth.

I've been ignored more times than I care to remember. My husband,
too. I used to try to figure out why, but now I just speak up. I
think the reason is sometimes more simple than what we suspect.
Discrimination exists. It's a part of life. I think how we handle it
is what matters.

I learned a lot reading your letter.

Patience is a Virtue
The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Oil
Percieved Racism is still racism, no matter how politely the adjective
that follows happens to be.
Toshiba's 52" REGZA is one nice product (I checked it out on the
net)

It's just sad, this perception can't be proven, the sales associate
may have had a lot on his mind, and racism was probably not even one
of them.

Thanks for the feedback from both of you, I will definitely look at
all the angles should this ever happen again. I am not sure why it
happened but you are right, noone knows why.

Timothy,

In the microcosm of life where retail and race relations mesh it is
impossbile for us to tell what happened and why at this point in
time.

The golden opportunity was for you to have spoken with the store
manager about your concerns at the time this situation transpired.

Bringing issues up at the time would have allowed a converstion to
take place using the associates's name minus the need for the
reference to race.

I would think that the manager could have reviewed security tapes to
get a bird's eye view of what transpired. I know as a manager I would
have found that viewpoint very useful.

Stop back and let us know what comes of your letter.

BillR.

PS
IMHO I suggest you shop for a TV where repair service is offered from
under the same roof.

"I would think that the manager could have reviewed security
tapes to get a bird's eye view of what transpired. I know as a manager
I would have found that viewpoint very useful."

I almost fell out of my chair when I read this. I've shopped at Best
Buy many times, because they have a good selection and generally good
prices. But service is abysmal.

I'll never forget the time that I asked for a price match, which
involved contacting the competing store (Montgomery Ward; it's been a
few years). The befuddled associate had to look up Wards in the phone
book--an object with which she seemed entirely unfamiliar, and
ill-prepared to navigate. After much fumbling, she looked up and said
"Montgomery Ward... is that the one inside Sears"?

On another occasion I waited upwards of 20 minutes for assistance in
buying a washer and dryer. With no indication that I'd ever receive
such assistance, I went to another store. I got a better washer and
dryer, a much better price, and a salesman who knew the equipment
inside-out.

My last memorable visit to Best Buy was when I made the mistake (see
my other letters) of purchasing Vonage service. I was passed from one
associate to another, none of whom had a clue how Vonage worked. When
I finally got the "Vonage Expert", he talked to me for a
moment than pawned me off on yet another associate, so he could help a
customer with a computer sale. The latest guy, realizing he was in
over his head, passed me back to the "Expert", pointing to
his name tag, which indicated he was some sort of computer
"specialist", and above this kind of thing. It quickly
became clear that I knew more about Vonage than the "expert"
(or anyone in the store), just from reading the equipment boxes while
waiting. I spoke to a manager about the lack of training, and she
blamed ME for "insulting" her employee, by saying that they
didn't understand the product.

I have more Best Buy stories--involving both managers and associates.
Not a single one of them is positive. And I've NEVER had the types or
frequency of problems with other retailers, that I have with Best
Buy.

So to suggest that they'd go to the bother of looking at security
tapes... hold on, I'm rolling on the floor again...

You're providing no evidence to suggest that racism is an issue here.
Sure, it could have been. It could also have been that he didn't like
your shirt. Or that he mistakenly thought you were going to try to
use an enormous jar of Canadian pennies to pay for the TV. Or that
you looked like someone his boyfriend used to date. Or that he was
planning to murder you later on and didn't want to arouse suspicion by
being seen with you on a surveillance video. Or that he was a time
traveler and, having recognized you as his own father, was worried
about whether selling you a TV could result in his never being born at
all.

Racism is really awful. So is being falsely accused of racism. If
you're going to suggest that something ugly was involved, you kind of
need to have some kind of evidence besides, "Well, he and the guy
he was helping were from one race, and I'm from another." If you
*have* better proof -- which I doubt, because it didn't occur to you
until you talked to your friend -- then I'd suggest you rewrite this
letter to make it clear.

Yes, he should have acknowledged you, given you a chance to say,
"Hey, I'd like some help," and either helped you promptly or
said, "I'm sorry, that man has been wandering around here for
awhile but I'll be with you as soon as I can" or something. He
didn't do those things. And that's a valid complaint, but it's not a
significant (let alone horrible) enough valid complaint that the whole
"My friend said it might be racism and now I want you to have
diversity training" doesn't completely overwhelm it.

Also, if you want your "You lost more than $3,000 because of what
may have possibly been racism according to my friend" to have any
punch, you may want to revise "I am seriously considering
spending my more than $3,000 at a store other than yours even though
they don't have what I want" to something stronger.