Better Return Policy, Customer Service Available To Best Buy Customers Who Spend $2,500 Per Year
Like shopping at Best Buy but don't like their lack of customer service and crappy return policy? They've got an offer for you. Spend $2,500 per calendar year and you'll be considered a "Reward Zone Program Premier Silver Member." The benefits of this membership are immediately apparent. You'll get your own dedicated customer service line that's only for Premier Silver Members, and a more generous return policy as well. Why should good customer service be available to bad customers? We've got the text of a Best Buy Reward Zone Silver Training Document, inside.
Three CR Teams to Handle Reward Zone Premier Silver Customer Calls
As of Monday June 9th, three teams in Customer Care will be skilled to receive calls from Reward Zone Premier Silver Customers. The role of these three teams will be to support normal BBY retail customer issues, not to adjust RZ Points or address escalated RZ issues. The three teams are Jane’s, Scott F.’s and Esau’s.
Any calls received by those teams requiring RZ point adjustments or involving an escalated RZ issue should be transferred to the dedicated Premier Silver Customer Support Representatives in Reward Zone using the UTC extension #533.
The three CR Teams have been chartered to handle Reward Zone Premier Customers in order to give those customers more immediate response to help through our phone systems, and to provide a heighten level of both service recovery and policy exception consideration from Customer Care.
All CR Agents should have a high-level knowledge of the qualifications to be a Reward Zone Premier Silver, and know the policy exceptions provided to RZ Premier Silver Customers. RZ Premier Silver Customers will be identified in fcClient in as “Premier Silver” in the Tier Fields in the fcClient “Search” and “Case” Screens.
If a CR Agent other than agents on those three trial teams happens to receive a call from a RZ Premier Silver Customer, they should transfer the call to an agent on one of those three teams. Even if the nature of the issues is within the scope of normal issues of a CR Agent, for reporting purposes, we would like those calls transferred.
The qualifying requirements to be a Reward Zone Premier Silver Customer:The customer must spend $2,500 in a calendar year to qualify for RZ Premier Silver status.
The $2,500 can be purchases at a BBY Store, Best Buy.com, or purchases at another retailer if the customer uses a RZ MasterCardThe Benefits of being a Reward Zone Premier Customer:
Extra Points
1.25 Points earned for every dollar spent (as opposed to 1 point for every dollar for other RZ levels)
1.5 Points earned for every dollar spent using a Reward Zone MasterCard at a BBY Store or BestBuy.com
Premier RZ Customers can bank points (unique to Premier Members)
Special Offers from Geek Squad
Free shipping on BestBuy.com purchases
Dedicated support services – CR, BestBuy.com & Reward Zone
Priority Access to Reward Zone Program member events such as concerts and private concerts.
(All RZ Customers will need to accumulate the same 250 Points to receive a $5 GC )Policy Exceptions for being a Reward Zone Premier Customer:
45 day product return policy
45 day price match time period
No 15% restocking fee on those products that would normally be charged that fee.
MyRewardZone/Premier [Best Buy]
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Comments:
Fxxx that best buy...i agree ,why don't they disappear...a crap outfit....i won't spend 25 cents there............
I have a better idea, I'll just stop shopping at Best Buy. I get better products at better prices online and I don't have to worry about some segregated customer service policy. I've supported Best Buy for years, but this ignorant policy ends my business relationship with the company.
The no restocking fee and 45 price match guarantee is awesome considering how many times things go on sale right after you buy them. I'm just not sure it's worth overpaying the $2500 at bestbuy when I could save the difference at another retailer. I feel like this is a type of extended warranty where people will pay more for what will in effect be a useless/rarely used insurance policy
Just like Vegas casinos.
Seriously, why would a company want to reward it's more profitable customers and give them a reason to keep shopping there? Customer loyalty is SO stupid...
This "policy change" is no different than how it used to be. When I worked at Best Buy, as part of management, we'd often turn people away if we saw that they only spent a few bucks a year at Best Buy (we didn't have a set number, it was a mixture of our mood, the situation, etc).
If we know that the customer spent large amounts of money, especially at our Best Buy, we'd let them return/exchange beyond the normal policy, etc.
But, if we saw you only spent a few bucks we'd just turn you away.
Atleast now they have it in writing as a policy now.
So if you weren't a premier member, if you call in and tell whoever answers "I was talking to a rep a few minutes ago and I had to get some more documents. They said to ask for extension 533 when I called back so I could be transferred immediately." It's pretty likely that you would get transferred to premier care and would probably be treated better as a result. At the very least, it would mess with their tracking metrics.
Best Buy is best considered to be Newegg's showroom.
So Best Buy is becoming more like the airlines! That's a great business model to follow and I wish them terrific success.
Once someone buys the big ticket items (plasma tv, home theatre, etc) home much more can be bought yearly to exceed the $2500 zone?
@sean98125: Best Buy is best considered to be Newegg's showroom.
That is the best comment I have read on Consumerist in a long time.
I agree that Best Buy is shit. Circuit City is even worse, though. Without either of them, we'd all be forced to wait 3-7 days for our stuff from NewEgg or ZipZoomFly to come in the mail.
It's a shame that we have to put up with these terrible companies to live with the convenience of actual in-store purchasing.
The only time I've shopped at BB in the past 5 years was to buy a $20 pair of headphones. Guess that makes me Plebe Zone Substandard Customer. Customer service = staticky phone connections to Bangalore for me.
Funny how these basic services are now being treated as something special. How about a better idea, and just avoid Best Buy entirely.
Some of those "incentives" look more like "disincentives" to me. Take the "Special Offers from Geek Squad" - Who trusts them anyways?
although we read countless letters on here from people who feel that because they spent hundreds upon thousands of dollars at a store, they want better service and reimbursed etc. well bestbuy is basically doing that. if this works then maybe we won't read that next email from someone claiming they spent $2500 at bestbuy and want preferential treatment
Awesome. I just recently came to that realization myself. I like newegg because they don't charge tax in Texas so with shipping it costs me less to shop there than bestbuy.
Wait...is anyone else finding themselves tripping over the name?
The Reward Zone Premier Silver??? I think that they put up a dart board, put some positive words up, turned around and used whatever they hit.
How about just calling it "What We Should Have Given You In The First Place" and be done with it?
sad part is they're not even hiring new support staff for this new rewards zone - they're just making the standard support staff even shittier by moving all the good ones out.
shame on you best buy. shame.
So what's the Premium Gold gonna be like?
So yeah...how much longer will they actually be in business? Can you name me one product they sell that can't be purchased at an online place at a cheaper price and without the barrage of magazine subscriptions, extended warranties, etc? Sure with stuff like clothes you'd want to try them on first so I can see that. But CD's and movies? I haven't bought from them in years and I don't plan on it. They are one of the worst companies out there and as soon as they go under I'll be partying like it's 1999
Sounds good to me. I know a leaked document is sexy and all, but this none of this is secret info, except maybe the specifics:
As a Premier Silver member, you'll enjoy all the benefits of regular membership, plus:
• 25% point bonus
• 50% point bonus if you are a Reward Zone program MasterCard cardmember
• Point banking
• Access to the Awards Catalog for unique products and services
• Extended return policy
• Free standard shipping at BestBuy.com
• Dedicated Premier Silver Customer Service Line.
• Complimentary Geek Squad home theater consultation once per year
• Complimentary 6-month trial of Geek Squad Online Data Backup service
[myrewardzone.bestbuy.com]
Best Reward Zone- never shopping at Best Buy. Amazon, NewEgg and Crutchfield FTW!
@Bagels:
They'll be glad you don't buy CDs and movies there - they're generally a loss leader to get you into the store.
How is this different from airlines that offer VIP service to first class and business travelers. They spend more, they get better service. Oh, how many times have I stood in line herded in like cattle for over an hour only to look over at people breezing through the empty business class line. Or They also get a nice lounge to relax in at the airport. Served better food on the plane. Sit in larger more comfortable seats.
Barnes and Noble give you a 10% discount if you buy their discount card. (Paying for a discount is an absurd concept.) If you don't shell out the extra bucks, you'll pay full price.
Some car rentals will let you breeze through if you are a card carrying member.
Stadium club seat holders get nicer facilities to watch the game. Waiter service at your seat in some stadiums. They pay the big bucks, they want extra special service.
It all so disgustingly classist but I don't have a problem if a company wants to reward their big spenders. If I routinely spent that much I would expect to be treated like gold too...errr, make that silver. Unfortunately, I won't ever spend that much on electronics, airfare, football tickets, etc. so I will remain down with the masses.
So, they're offering better service to their better customers. I don't see what's that bizarre about this. Elite frequent fliers get special phone lines with shorter hold times and better trained reps. Why not something similar for Best Buy?
Policy Exceptions for being a Reward Zone Premier Customer:
45 day product return policy
45 day price match time period
No 15% restocking fee on those products that would normally be charged that fee.
This is pretty significant - wow.
@bravo369:
although we read countless letters on here from people who feel that because they spent hundreds upon thousands of dollars at a store, they want better service and reimbursed etc. well bestbuy is basically doing that. if this works then maybe we won't read that next email from someone claiming they spent $2500 at bestbuy and want preferential treatment
You're exactly right. We aren't talking about officially mandated "better service" here - just officially loosened policies for Best Buy's best customers.
Like Bravo said, that's exactly what people are asking for when they rant and rave "I spend so much money with you that you should make an exception for me, blah blah blah."
I don't see anything wrong with this. It's not hurting regular (<$2500) customers at all, and is benefiting better customers.
Anybody that chases this is a damn fool.
This company has set a new (low) standard for customer no-service. They have shown you what they are all about for YEARS. And some dumbasses will still buy into the illusion that they are "special" to BB because they drop some folding money in there. Un-fucking believable. Do the words "airline rewards program" mean anything to anyone?
I gues the birthrate of suckers is even higher than we have been told...
To all those saying it isn't a big deal and that big spenders = better service. I don't think people are necessarily against the philosophy PER SE, but for a company with notoriously bad service to offer such a thing is quite shady. If I'm only buying a $10 CD I should still be treated with a basic level of service. The fact is they usually don't. I think the problem is with PRODUCTS you spend more you expect to get more. But if what you're paying more for it SERVICE, like others have pointed out it's still the same CSR. So are you really going to get premium service?
@JustThatGuy3: They're offering better service to their better customers. I don't see what's that bizarre about this.
It's unique to take it to this extent in retailing, but it's just a logical extension of their angels and devils policy. It's part of the reason why Best Buy will survive and perhaps even grow in the current economic environment.
@MayorBee: you missed the part about when their account is pulled up on a computer by that customer service rep, it will say "Premier Silver" status. If it doesn't, they'll probably just get rerouted back to where they were supposed to be. Valiant effort, though!
I don't see why everyone is always down on Best Buy. If you are an educated consumer, you won't get screwed by anyone. Do your research before you buy, don't buy something if you suspect the return policy will screw you and leverage whatever the store's rewards programs are in your favor.
Sometimes you need something in your hands, right away...or you want to see how something looks before you buy it. Go to best buy, check it out, buy it if you like it.
NEVER go into a store expecting to walk out with a product unless you've done your research and know that that is what you want.
I've gotten some great deals at best buy on open box products and most of the time while things may be slightly more expensive than online, I don't have to pay the shipping and I don't have to wait for it.
NEVER trust the salesmen, I've tested a few for kicks, they don't know what they're talking about.
Bottom line, know what you're getting into before hand.
And honestly, this policy is basically making it public what is already known about companies and it's proactive. If you spend more money at a place and they know it, you will hold it over their heads if you get bad service.
@Bagels: how much service do you need to buy a 10 dollar cd?
you pick up the disk, and check out, what more is there?
some people just need to babied way too much
Rest assured however, that price may seem high.. but you wont have to lug around a lot of stuff. In-fact since its "best buy" you'll only have to stuff your cart with 2 xbox games, a wireless router and a spindle of CD's. You'll be well above the 2,500 dollar mark.
Fucking crooks
@opfreak: Not my point. True, not much is going on with a $10 CD. (well at BB actually 15 or 16$) Just an example- my point is customers spending under their threshold should still be treated with a certain level of dignity. Which in my experience isn't the case
@MayorBee: Actually, you wouldn't. We would have to pull up your information in our system before warm-transferring you with your issue/question and if you're not premier, you wouldn't be sent over there. Sorry.
@opfreak: In fact, I think as I stated earlier I DON'T want to be babied...that's why I buy all that stuff online- so I can decide MYSELF without blue shirts around me 'suggesting' things or pushing warranties and magazine subscriptions
Gay! You know, I might actually spend that much if best buy offered great service to begin with, but for it to be the other way around? Yeah, no more best buy for me.
I wish newegg shipped to Canada. Tigerdirect.ca is often just as expensive as a store, plus I have to pay a large amount in shipping.
As much as we all hate BB, they do well in the market. They do well because they deny people services and turn a profit at the expense of their customers. Now, they are extending their 'better' customers 'better' service.
Is it possible to have a business model that looks like an online business? E.g. have a large warehouse where people pull the stuff into a cart, no staff (except what's necessary) and automated checkout? Prices would be cheaper I would imagine...
it's like having a honda civic Si or some other fancy car with a abbreviation at the end, then add GTR Ultimate Xtreme to it :D
This chain represents all that's wrong with retail in America. Don't let this BS fool you. They STILL don't care about the customer(s) and won't until it becomes a fatal flaw. Costco and Newegg FTW!
I would still shop at Bestbuy for very specific items. loss leader laptops especially. Ever so often they carry entry level laptops for 300 to 450. If they turn out OK (which luckily they have for me and my friends so far) and they last atleast a year or two (and they have for a lot more), I think its smart to buy from BB.
Forums give you much better advice than what GeekDog can ever do for you.
Tack on another years worth of Warranty through Amex on top of the mf warranty and you're golden.
I guess for the Savvy shopper it still makes sense to shop at BB.Browsing FatWallet, Consumerist, knowing a little about the small print on your credit card and some common sense can go a long way.
I also think its a good idea to treat higher spending customers better. Its a business not charity.
I also think the 15% restocking fee stops retail renters.
@linus: Is it possible to have a business model that looks like an online business? E.g. have a large warehouse where people pull the stuff into a cart, no staff (except what's necessary) and automated checkout? Prices would be cheaper I would imagine...
I was always ignored by the employees at Fry's Electronics and loved it. Their Tempe store is like a ginormous, disorganized playground of awesome stuff. I heard that each Fry's Electronics is its own warehouse.
But it still costs more than Newegg; I'm not sure it's was any better on average than Best Buy (it's hard to compare because Fry's has more stuff). And you gotta have enough employees to keep people from stealing shit.
A real warehouse can use a metal detector, a security guard or two, and devote (almost) everyone else to shipping product with no downtime. Brick and mortar just can't achieve that level of efficiency.
Just another reason to HATE Best Buy. I wish this chain would just go away like CompUSA did. Please let it happen.