Monday, July 11, 2011

Apple A Day Will Keep Geek Squad Away

Around the web, you hear smatterings about how great Apple is and how much Geek Squad sucks. I am only going to reference Geek Squad and not Best Buy as a whole, since Best Buy offers other goods besides computers. Which is better? My opinion, Apple.

Apple machines vs PCs has been at war for dominance in the market for a while. But the main difference between Apple and PCs in the service area is that you only have to deal with one company. You don't have to run around the different companies for PCs. PCs have multiple manufacturers. If you want to escape havin to deal wih the manufacturers, there is Geek Squad. The rest of this post is based solely on customer service and not which computers have flaws.

Let's discuss courtesy first. Have you ever walked into a Best Buy in search of the Squad? When you found them, were you blown away with their courtesy? Or were you rather disappointed? I find the people in the Squad in 2 states to be real jerks. You are treated more like a nuisance and as you are an idiot. A simple "hello, how are you doing" would be nice. Instead you get a "what do you need?" When you walk into Apple, you get a friendly greeting, "hello welcome Apple store, how can we help you?" Then you are directed to where you need to go. Even at the genius bar, you greeted with a "hello, how can we help you." Simple common courtesy goes a long way when you are already bothered by whatever has befallen your equipment.

Now let's get to the assessing what is wrong with your machine. At the genius bar, they first ask you to explain what is going with your machine, then ask you for your particulars next. They listen before they make any judgements. When they look up your particulars and they find that you are not under warranty or apple care, they will inform you of it then discuss arrangements on how to fix your issue. Geek Squad first asks "did you buy our protection plan?" This question, depending how you answer, will cause 2 reactions:
- If you did have plan, can't do anything here, will have to send it out. You will fill out some paperwork.
- If you didn't, it's going to cost you so and so amount of money. Fill out paperwork and pay for service. You can't pay upon receipt of fixed goods.
After all that, you still receive a scowl from the Squad. The attitude is more like you are wasting their time.

Lastly is knowledge. The people you encounter at the Squad seem like they don't have any IT support knowledge or computer knowledge. They have no idea what your issue is or how to fix it. At the Genius Bar at Apple, they are better versed on issues with the product. They also try to explain the issues. You are part of the loop with what's going on and you are being taught at the same time.

The Geek Squad should be called Weak Squad because their customer service sucks. I am not a customer service rep for my profession, but most positions in the world has to do a little bit of it. You attract more bees with honey. Apple has presented themselves as a caring, courteous and knowledgeable. That is why Apple is steadily creeping up in the marketshare of PCs. Courtesy goes a long way. So does first impression. Geek Squad does not present itself well. They leave you with an impression of frustration and desolation. If you want to feel bad about seeking help head onto Geek Squad. If not, for PCs I suggest that you find a better service provider or just deal with the manufacturer. Apple keep doing what you're doing.

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