 One
IRATE Best Buy/Sony Customer
This was an ongoing saga about a man, an expensive TV and some
horrible customer service. I hope you find my story humorous, because
now all I can do is laugh...
The following is an e-mail I sent to Best Buy corporate in Minnesota.
John Walden, the CEO didn't respond, I guess it didn't make the "Idea
Box."
To whom it may concern,
I had the worst customer service experience in your store and I thought
you might find my story informative and educational. Here's what happened:
Friday, August 18 10:00AM-10:30AM
My Father and I purchased a 32 inch SONY Wega TV (#KV32FS16) from
Best Buy store number 268 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 200+ pound
TV takes 30 minutes to get upstairs, unpack and get ready to go. We
plug it in, doesn't work, the small red light flashes but no picture.
We call Best Buy #268 and I'm told because I didn't buy the service
contract they couldn't do much. We call SONY directly and after 45
minutes we get an answer, "it a simple reset switch that a tech can
easily fix." Another 60 minutes is spent talking to the two local
SONY techs who can't fix the TV unless it's brought into their shop.
I call Best Buy again, talk to Craig, a manager who tells me he'll
swap out the TV if I come in, buy the same model, pay for installation
and they'll pick up the broken set. He needs to approve the transaction
so I head over that evening.
Friday, August 18 6:30PM-7:45PM
Wait at customer service for 45 minutes while Craig is paged. Finally
get someone to call him on a walkie-talkie. Craig comes up front and
claims he didn't hear the pages because he's working on getting the
store computers back online. I needed to come back to the store tomorrow
and they'll take care of me. Funny thing is, I watched Craig walk
by the customer service desk twice during the 45-minutes wait.
Saturday, August 19 11:30AM-1:30PM
Show up at the store and wait in line. After twenty minutes I flag
the store manager and explain the problem. He listens and brings me
back to Rory in the Television department. He explains to Rory how
to swap the merchandise in the computer and he waves the install/delivery
fee. Rory has trouble entering all the information in the computer
and has a fellow employee walk him through it (another twenty minutes).
Then his eyes get big when he realizes the SONY Wegas are on back
order until September 10th. But he does find two models in the Gastonia
store and he calls while I'm sitting there (another twenty minutes).
He has tagged and set aside a model in the Gastonia store and promises
it will be delivered next Saturday. I explained that was fine, because
I was going out out of town until Wednesday. Rory tells me I should
buy the service
agreement, because I don't want these problems again. After listening
to his speal, I finally agree and we head to the returns desk to process
the order. B.T.W the set is covered by the manufacturer SONY for a
year. (I'm never told this)
Tuesday, August 22
Message on my answering machine from Rory to call the store and ask
for him. No other details, just to call him. I arrive home too late
to call.
Wednesday, August 23
Call and ask to speak to Rory, I'm told he's not in. I talk to someone
in televisions about the status of my order. He says everything should
be fine and Rory left no messages with him.
The conversation goes like this...
BEST BUY: "We call all our customers to make sure the merchandise
was delivered properly. We've had a problem with stolen equipment."
ME: "But my TV hasn't been delivered yet!"
BEST BUY: "Oh...long pause...well maybe he called
to tell you when we are delivering your set."
ME: "Why would he do that days ahead of time?"
BEST BUY: "I dunno, you'd have to ask Rory."
ME: "He's on vacation all week!"
BEST BUY: "Oh."
Thursday, August 24
Call again and I'm told Rory is on vacation until next week. Assured
everything is fine...
Friday, August 25
Call and talk to the warehouse to DOUBLE CHECK that my Television
is on the way Saturday. He looks over the information on the computer
and says it will be there and the truck will call and give a three
hour window for delivery.
Saturday, August 26
After waiting around all morning, no phone call so I call Best Buy
and talk to the warehouse. They have someone call me back, Shannon
who explains they had a mix-up and I wouldn't be getting my TV today
or anytime soon. I explain the situation (I'm still very nice) and
she has Rich, a tech guy call me back. Rich was nice, but he had no
idea about a reset switch on the SONY's. He suggested I call the performance
plan people, Carphonics.
Am I being unrealistic to expect good customer service and a quality
product when I shop? I've keep my cool throughout, but this more than
any customer should be forced to put up with. This fiasco has cost
me over $2,000 dollars and valuable time. I would like SOMEONE from
Best Buy to contact me about making this situation right.
The floor model is working and still on display. No mention of
selling it at a discount. They need to sell that model, even though
its not in stock I'm told...
That was the end of the e-mail and where the fun begins.
Monday, August 28- The first responses
Mr. McBride,
Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at Best Buy. Our
company executives have asked me to respond to your concerns on their
behalf. I was sorry to read of the difficulties you describe. Please
let me address your inquiry accordingly. We become very concerned
when a customer is moved enough to express their dissatisfaction over
the service they received at one of our stores.
Exceptional service is the foundation upon which the Best Buy Corporation
is based. I wish to thank you for investing the time and effort to
voice your concerns. Please accept my apologies for any lack of service
you perceived when recently visiting our University Place/Charlotte
store location. Best Buy strives to offer a pleasant, no pressure
shopping environment for our customers. However, we also make every
attempt to help each customer with any problem or question they may
have. ÊI contacted the store this afternoon (August 28) and have spoken
with Murray, the sales manager there. Murray will be following up
with both you and myself.
It is my understanding that you have purchased a Performance Service
Plan (PSP) and are setting up service through that policy. Once your
television is serviced, please feel free to contact me with any Êadditional
questions or concerns you may have. In closing, I would like to apologize
on behalf of Best Buy for any Êinconvenience and frustration you may
have experienced as a result of your concern. I hope you will allow
Best Buy another opportunity to serve your business and home needs.
We do appreciate your patience and your patronage.
Respectfully,
Todd
Internet Correspondent - Escalation Team
Best Buy Consumer Relations
Tuesday, August 29- My return volley
Todd,
I have yet to hear from Murray and its been two days. The repair shop
Carphonics is behind two weeks and they aren't returning my calls.
Since I can't get anyone in the Charlotte area to come by and reset
the TV, I would like to have the following done:
1. Have a new TV, 32 inch SONY Wega TV (#KV32FS16) delivered to my
house, Saturday September 10th.
2. Get fully reimbursed for the TV Performance Service Plan.
Please have a rep from the University Store contact me to confirm.
Thank you,
Mike McBride
Wednesday, August 29- Todd says
Mr. McBride,
Thank you for the follow up to our recent correspondence.Ê I was sorry
to read of your continued difficulties.Ê I have contacted the University
Place/Charlotte store and have spoken with Michell, the store's Operations
Manager.Ê She will set up delivery of a new television for the earliest
possible date and then contact you with the details.Ê If you would
like a refund for your Performance Service Plan (PSP), you will need
to bring your receipt and the PSP brochure folder back to the University
Place/Charlotte store to facilitate the transaction.Ê Please be aware,
coverage beyond the manufacturer's warranty will cease upon refund
of the cost of your PSP. Please let me apologize once more for any
continued frustration or inconvenience that you may have experienced
as a result of your concern.
Thank you again for your correspondence.
Respectfully, Todd
Escalation Team Best Buy Consumer Relations
I return home Wednesday night to another message from Best Buy.
The TV is on backorder now until October. AGGGGHH!!!
Thursday, August 31- The TV repair place calls!
"Mr. McBride, we'll come pick up your TV next Friday and
repair it." Fine...
My co-worker Matt finds the story humorous and posts a link on his
site.
Tuesday, September 5 - Another Best Buy message
Shannon from Best Buy calls and leaves a message about delivery of
my new TV and I return the call immediately. She says "Oh sorry
for the mix-up, my manager has been on vacation, that model is on
back order until October. If Carphonics can't help, give us a call."
I'm still VERY NICE on the phone.
Wednesday, September 6 - Carphonics is coming!
Tracy from Carphonics calls and they are coming Friday between
9 and 11:30. Great! I take a half a day off work and will wait. Should
I charge Best Buy for more of my time? They need to take the set and
do the magic reset in their shop...SIGH
Thursday, September 7 - Floodgates open!
I e-mail web-guru Jeffery Zeldman about my situation and he posts
a link on his site.
I met Zeldman, whose site I visit daily, at a web conference
in Seattle. I'm flooded with encouraging e-mails.
Some highlights...
Ethan writes about paying for customer
service.
Alan writes about his similar experience at Office
Max
Ed e-mails and
tells me I should seek legal action!
LMichelle
sends condolences. B.T.W. she's got a beautifully designed site.
Tom in Ireland
is raising a pint of Guinness for me.
I'm pouring through the 72 e-mails right now!
Friday, September 8 - More news
Folks at Zgeek.com
post the story. I have taken a half day off work to wait for repair
folks to pick up the Wega. Looks like another Sunday without football...
Wonder if Best Buy will pay for part of my NFL Sunday Ticket? Probably
not.
Alan posts his
Best Buy experience and the Extended Warranty Game they play.
Check out another great website called ecomplaints.com.
If you've ever had a problem like mine, the place to go vent! Just
for kicks, click
here. And planetfeedback
has some helpful features.
12:00 Carphonics picks up the TV!
I have offically wasted another 5 hours. The guys from Carphonics
show up and take the TV away. I'm told to call in a week because they
are so far behind.
Tuesday, September 12 - Bad news
Tracy from Carphonics phones and tells me the set has a broken
board, not a simple reset. She informs me that Sony won't pay for
a new part and I'd be better off taking the set back. She calls Best
Buy and clears the situation. Now I must take another three hours
off work tomorrow, (they aren't open on weekends with offices across
town) pick up the TV from the shop and return it to Best Buy (which
doesn't open until 10am).
Wednesday, September 13 - It's over!
At 10:15am I walked out of Best Buy for the last time. I was at
the TV repair shop at 8:40am to pick up the set and at the front door
of Best Buy when they opened. I had a fellow customer help me upload,
since the page to the warehouse for help went unnoticed. Poor girl
behind the counter, Tara, had to answer 15 calls in a span of five
minutes (memo to Best Buy, this is counter productive). Got
the refund in full I will be shopping at Audio/Video systems next
week for a new set.
Todd did
respond to my submission on ecomplaints...big deal you can read
his original responses above.
After all of this heartache and anguish - no compensation for my wasted
time due to their mistakes, no "let us earn your business back", no
nothing. The way that I was treated made me feel that my business
was very unwanted, unimportant and unappreciated.
What you can learn from my Worst Buy experience, some great links
(Thanks to everyone who sent these):
Best
Buy sucks, another true story from the SAME BEST BUY store #268
in Charlotte!
Funny site...www.bestbuysux.org
Guess I'm not alone!
Another Best
Buy horror story
Best
Buy bites
And another Best
Buy horror story
Ron Kahlow's Best
Buy story
Best
Buy? Read Fine Print ...the 48 Hours story
Best Bye
- The Untold Story from a former employee
An open
letter to anyone who shops at Best Buy
A company that has excellent customer service (I just spent $4,500
with them)
Apple Computer CEO, Steve Jobs, took matters in his
own hands earlier this week after receiving a letter from an Apple
customer dissatisfied with the service he was getting from the company.
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