Yesterday was one giant beat-down for the most part.
First, the kiddo was still complaining of an ear ache, but I sent him off to school anyway. More on that later.
Second, it was Stereo Install day. I had made an appointment with Best Buy to get my car stereo installed two weeks ago. I even told the guy on the phone the make/model/year of my car. So, at 11 am, I trot to the store all happy I’m getting my new MP3 player stereo when… well, the situation goes something like this:
ME: Hi! I made an appointment and I’m here to get this [points to stereo] installed.
DUDE: What kinda car is it?
ME: A 2006 Kia Spectra
DUDE: Hang on… [flips through book, walks away, comes back] Yeah, um. We don’t have that kit.
[pause]
ME: AND?
DUDE: Sorry. [shrugs] Nothing I can do.
Now. To say I was livid is beyond words. Man was standing there with me at the time. This is how THAT conversation went:
MAN: So, what? She makes an appointment two weeks ago yet you don’t have the kit for the car?
DUDE: Sorry. Nothing I can do.
[pause]
MAN: Who’s your boss?
So Dude directs us to the store to talk to Ryan, the manager of the entire Best Buy store in Hurst. (Incidentally, the address is 869 NE Mall Blvd, in case you’re keeping score at home). Ryan, as it turns out, is a short, weasely dumb dick of a guy (yes, I said DICK). He was expecting us. And you know what he said to our situation?
Sorry. Nothing I can do.
Now, I don’t know about you… but THIS type of customer service is shit. Neither of these piece of crap guys even bothered to OFFER to order the kit and reschedule. No apologies. Just a shrug of the shoulders and sorry, nothing I can do.
Well, you know what Best Buy Geek Squad? You can take your Nothing I Can Do and SHOVE IT RIGHT UP YOUR ASS. I will never ever use their mobile installation EVER AGAIN. And I will tell everyone I know to never use it. And, furthermore, I will never ever purchase anything that has to be installed from Best Buy AGAIN. I have spent thousands of dollars with this store over the past 3 years (and I’m not kidding – new appliances, new computer, new cell phone) and this is the type of customer service I get out of this store? It’s appalling, really. I wonder how their corporate office will feel about this when I send them my letter of disgust. We’ll see, won’t we?
After the Best Buy Debacle, we headed next door to Car Toys. I have to say, those guys in there were completely delightful. They had the kit in stock and you know what? They installed my new stereo in 45 minutes while we waited. They even cleaned their fingerprints off my windows. Now that is a shining example of customer service. So, thank you Car Toys. You will have a repeate customer when it’s time to get my HD converter. 😉
As soon as I got back to the office, my cell phone rang and it was the school nurse. The kiddo was still in some serious ear pain. So I got back to my desk, called the doctor and made an appointment, told the boss and left. I got the kiddo to the doctor that afternoon and he has an ear infection in both ears. Lovely. He was such a trooper too.
While we were in the waiting room, there was this annoying kid in there. One of those kids that talks real loud and tells her mother she “doesn’t have to ask permission to get a drink of water and I can get a drink of water if I want to.” Yeah. I wanted to smack her. She needed a good smacking. Then she proceeds to walk back and forth in front of the waiting room, coughing and sneezing and not once did she cover her mouth and nose. I was disgusted. This kid had on those legging things and a stretchy shirt and her pants were clearly one size too small becuase they were squeezing her ass so her butt crack was showing.
Okay. Um. I was disturbed by that. How do you let your kid parade around like that? I don’t get it.
My child, however, sat in my lap and didn’t make a peep. The lady two chairs over leaned toward me and whispered, nodding at my kiddo, “He’s SO good.”
I grinned broadly. Of course he’s good. He knows he’ll get his butt kicked if he acts up.
Anyway, I got a prescription for him and we headed to Walgreen’s where, shockingly, it wasn’t a beating to get it filled. I managed to get in and out in about 15 minutes. Got home and gave him his meds and let him sit on the couch and watch Ratatouille.
The day did get somewhat better by the time I got home, though. So I guess that’s something. And because this post is rather non-cheerful, I thought I’d give you something to chuckle about. At least, it made ME laugh.
Make sure you do write and send that letter to Best Buy Corporate. Make it attention to the CEO and list your purchase history and that you can’t recommend them anymore. If they are a good company they read those letters and the ones addressed to the CEO likely get reviewed (like my company 😆 )and get acted upon. Trust me in this economy those letters are frightening. If they don’t respond or it’s whimpy you can update us here and we’ll know to think twice about taking our business there. I know how organized you are. 🙂
I agree with Sandy. I have always had great service from Best Buy. The one in San Antonio installed all my laptop stuff and they were great. I have not used the one here much, but the customer service is really good in the store, even when they are crazy busy. And it is like that most of the time because Circuit City closed down right before Christmas.
But, write to corporate, seriously. They need to know what is going on at the store. As someone who worked for a small retail corporation,I know they don’t always know what is going on in every store. We had no manager, I was managing, and corporate never knew. The district manager kept it from them–oh and the bonuses I earned.
Wow–it has to be the store–every best buy I’ve ever been to has had AWESOME customer service. I would definitely write that letter to corporate–the management in that store is bad.
Hope the Kiddo feels better soon!
I’ve never used Best Buy because I’ve heard so many bad things about them, and now I really won’t.
When you write to the CEO, make sure you CC the Better Business Bureau in your state. Since no money changed hands, the AG’s office can’t really do anything. But I’d also add an invoice, at your regular hourly freelance rate, for the time wasted at their store. Your time = money.
He knows he’ll get his butt kicked if he acts up
I am laughing because my kids are the same way. They would never DARE to act like that (in public).
Hugs on the Best Buy ~ I can’t even imagine… I worked retail for years and on my worst days–and there were many!–I would never talk to a customer like that. Okay once I did, but she started it and when she threatened to throw something at me I called security 😈
the movie is so funny 😀
for the ear pain i recommend you to check out the eardoc.it is non invasive and it treats the problem and not the symptoms
http://www.eardoc.info