Comments
The Geek Squad -- Not Actually Made of Geeks??
Written By Scoopersmith on Jan. 3, 2008.
3 Comments
Report Note
+ Clip This
Every once in a while someone asks me about Geek Squad. Or more generally, should I take my computer to Geek Squad? Or can your techie boyfriend fix it?
I've had a few experiences with Geek Squad, all of which could be written into award-winning sitcom episodes.
I must say the ONLY reason I use them is because I have one of those Best Buy PSP things so they fix my laptop for free.
For humors sake I'll bring up the first main experience...
About 2 years ago I brought my laptop to a Geek Squad that's located in a Best Buy very close to where I live. They couldn't fix it in-house so they sent it out to replace some parts.
Only a week or so later I got my laptop back in the mail, with one added bonus. There was a burned cd-r professionally packaged to the top of my laptop. Thinking they had saved some of my documents I popped it in the drive and saw that it was in fact, porn. Girls Gone Wild and some Playboy stuff to be exact.
I tried calling customer support for Best Buy, but they didn't care and laughed it off.
Now, fast-forward 2 years and my poor 4 year old laptop needs some work done again. I somewhat reluctantly take my laptop in and they tell me that they will run some tests on it and call me in 24 - 48 hours. 1 week passes. I call THEM back and they say "Oh we were just about to call you". I highly doubt it. Long story short, my laptop had failed some stress test and needed to be sent in for work, but it could <i>only</i> be sent in with my permission. I asked when they had ran these determining tests and they told me TODAY! Not 4-5 days ago when they had said they would.
What I am wondering is:
Is this specific geek squad location terrible or are all of them this bad?
I question this because the Best Buy in which it is located is terrible. They people who work there are usually incredibly rude and unprofessional and don't know much about their products.
jensized
Written Jan. 3, 2008 / Report /
Geek Squad is designed to take advantage of people who don't know anything about technology.
They charge people money to do things that anyone who is capable of inserting a disc into a drive or plugging a cable into a jack can do themselves. That's pretty much where the in-store geeks' knowledge ends, too.
I understand that people my parents' age may not be as savvy as someone in my generation or some may not want to mess with it (probably for fear of screwing something up) but I just feel like the Geek Squad and Circuit City's equivalent are a bit of a scam. I would be more apt to take my computer to a reputable repair shop where techs are trained and familiar with the hardware. Because frankly I've out-geeked every member of the Geek Squad I've talked to, and my knowledge of what goes on inside the box is pretty minimal.
peroty
Written Jan. 3, 2008 / Report /
Geek Squad makes me cry. They prey on those who, as jensized mentioned, know absolutely nothing about computers and think the insides of the boxes are a dizzying array of magic, witchcraft and metal.
I work in Desktop Support and have professionally for years in addition to my many, many years of tinkering on my own. I am thoroughly convinced I just need to start a local business (where I am in Richmond, VA) where I could cut Geek Squad's prices in half, make house calls, and still make a tidy profit.
Why don't I do that again...?
auburn
Written Jan. 13, 2008 / Report /
I'm exactly the kind of person they are describing; no tech skills and not able to evaluate when I am taken (easy) advantage of with technology. I used to just yell for my son in the other room when I ran into a problem. Thankfully, he didn't giggle, but fixed it. Then he grew up and lived far away. Now I would ask one of his boyhood friends and although I know he emails my son to laugh together about it, at least I know and trust him more than Geek Squad.