This all culminated about a year ago, but I gathered all correspondence into one document. It has now become a bit of a joke amongst my friends and I'm asked to read it at parties. I even read it onstage recently at a storytelling show... I don't think it's all that entertaining (except Cherie's response at the end), but people always roll in the aisles. A few friends encouraged me to post it on the Best Buy forum to see what happened.
If you actually read all of this, I'd like some advice as to where I went wrong. What should I do in the future when these kinds of problems arise? Best Buy is pretty much the only electronics retailer left in my town, so I'm kind of stuck with them. I like *buying* things there, but I hate *shopping* there. Any advice is appreciated!
I'm expecting nothing, as usual, but here goes...
I sent this via the 'contact us' page on 11/8/12:
At the behest of your customer service representative, I would like to write about my frustrations with Best Buy. I will recount the most recent experience first.
On October 17, 2012, I received an email that I had until November 17 to use a Reward Zone certificate. Shortly afterward, I attempted to redeem it at bestbuy.com but received two alternating error messages:
“We do not recognize the following Reward Certificates: ###########. Please try another Reward Certificate.”
And (paraphrased)
The Reward Certificate number does not match the Member number.
I attempted to use the certificate several times over the next three weeks, but received the same error message(s).
I attempted to resolve the problem via online chat, but was told to call 888-BESTBUY and speak to a Reward Zone representative. Every single experience I’ve had with calling in has been incredibly time-consuming, and no issue has ever been resolved, so I asked if there was any other way to resolve the issue and was told no.
This morning at 8:17am central, I called 888-BESTBUY and asked to speak with a Reward Zone representative. The first person I spoke with had difficulty understanding my problem at first. I was put on hold several times and after I was able to fully explain the situation, the representative told me to print the certificate and bring it to a store. I explained that because of transportation issues, this is not an option for me. I was put on hold again and then told that there was a “system problem” and to try again in 24 to 48 hours. At this point I asked to speak with someone else.
At approximately 35 minutes into the call, I was connected with a Reward Zone supervisor to whom I re-explained the problem. She initially thought it might be a problem with my original certificate, so she issued me another one. I tried that one and received the same error message. She told me to print it and come to a store. I re-explained my situation and was put on hold.
At approximately 50 minutes into the call, the representative took the SKU and my payment information and attempted to place my order for me, but received the same error message. For a third time, I was told to print the certificate and bring it to a store, so I re-explained that that is not an option.
At approximately 1 hour into the call, I was connected to a customer service representative in a different department. I’m not exactly sure what the purpose of this transfer was. The Reward Zone supervisor stayed on the line and the two of them talked about my situation. After I explained again that I wouldn’t be able to come to the store, the customer service rep looked to see if I could be issued a gift card to substitute for the Reward Zone certificate. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option, so she had to tell me that there was simply nothing anyone could do for me.
At approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes into the call, I asked if she could at least have an extension on the expiration date for my certificate. She said that she couldn’t do that but that she could transfer me to the Reward Zone department. I explained that I simply didn’t have any more time, as I needed to get ready for work. She was very apologetic, and the whole exchange was very civil, but I wanted to make it clear that this astoundingly inefficient and incompetent level of service is no longer an anomaly at Best Buy… it has become the norm.
On that note, let me now copy you on a letter that I wrote to the store manager for the Champaign, IL Best Buy store about an experience I had earlier this year:
1/6/12
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to write a note about my recent shopping experience at Best Buy, Champaign, when I bought a new iPhone 4S.
First and foremost, I don’t want to be “that guy,” and write a scathing note to get anyone fired. I’m not really angry or anything… Rather, I’m a front line manager for another business here in town and after consideration, I figured that I would want to know if one of my customers had an experience like this one. I’m not a letter-writer, but I couldn’t find any other way to contact management.
On Friday afternoon, January 6th, 2012, I came to the store with the intention of re-upping my AT&T plan and purchasing a new iPhone since I had gotten a gift card for Christmas. I went straight to the Mobile section and wandered for about 20 minutes. They were busy, so no one approached me, so I browsed around the store for a bit. Every time I returned, I received no attention. After approximately two hours in the store, I had to be somewhere else, so I had to leave.
I went online that afternoon and purchased the iPhone through bestbuy.com. I quickly received an email that my order was ready for in store pickup. I was coming from out of town, so I couldn’t get to the store until about 8:15pm (the email mentions that pickup hours end at 9pm). I went to the customer service counter, and after a brief back and forth on the radio, I was told that my phone was at the mobile section. The mobile section was just as busy as it was earlier in the day, so after about a ten-minute wait, each of the three representatives (#1, #2 and #3) individually asked me what I needed. Each time I was asked, I gave my order number and said that I was picking up a phone. I watched as each of the three reps checked in the same two places for my phone, and then went back to helping someone else. When a fourth person (#4) came from a different area and asked if I had been helped, I said, “not really.” I gave him my order number and said I was picking up a phone. He checked the same two places, conferred with the other three reps for a bit, and they said that I needed to go to customer service. I said that I had been there already, so #4 went to CS to check. After about a 10 minute wait (it was about 8:50pm at this point), #4 came back and said that the paperwork for my pickup was in the warehouse, but the phone was still in the mobile section. So he gave my paperwork to #3 and left.
It was about 9:05pm when #1 asked if I had been helped yet. I said that #3 had my paperwork for my pickup. He looked at it and got an iPhone out of the drawer and spent the next 15 minutes or so activating it. That whole process went smoothly and #1 was very helpful during the activation process. At about 9:20, He handed me my phone and it was working immediately. Then, he asked me how I was going to pay for it. The two obvious issues were: #1 I had already paid for it online and #2 The readout was saying that I owed $700 for the phone, but it was actually just $212 with the re-upping of my contract. I told #1 both of these facts, and he asked #3 what he should do. #3 asked me “are you sure you paid for it?” I said yes and re-stated my order number. #1 called on his radio for help. A young lady (#5) came to his station and tried to help. After a short while, #5 said, “sorry, I can’t help you” and left. #3 also left and she started to clean the area around the mobile section. So #1 and #2 spent about 25 minutes figuring out how to apply my payment while I sat and waited. Finally, I took a brief bathroom break and when I returned, they had figured out the payment and said I could leave. I felt pretty guilty at this point, as #1 told me several times that the whole debacle had caused him to miss his last bus and he was going to have to find a ride home. I was interested in the black tie protection, but didn’t want to delay any more, so I figure I’ll have to come back to brave the storm at a future date.
All in all, I’m happy with my iPhone. But needless to say, the whole process was pretty exhausting. I don’t know if it’s just my bad luck, but my last four shopping experiences (a laptop, two phones and an entire home theater system) at Best Buy have been some sort of train wreck, dealing with staff members who are either stretched way too thin (i.e. trying to help several customers at the same time) or undertrained on your system. I shop at Best Buy because of the selection, but the service has been so grossly substandard in recent years that I don’t see myself returning.
I would appreciate the opportunity to speak further about this experience if you think it would help. My contact information is below.
I received no response to this letter.
I would appreciate any sort of response to this correspondence. I’m an “electronics junkie” and I shop at Best Buy for the selection and, for some reason, out of a sense of loyalty since I’ve been going there for so long. However, I am considering switching to another retailer because every single experience I have had with your company over the last year has been incredibly frustrating. My time is valuable to me, but I don’t feel that it is worth anything when I am in your store or speaking with a representative of your company.
And the kicker... here's the email response I received on 11/10/12. I haven't edited it at all (except for one swear word, which Best Buy's forum, ironically, is making me edit), so please forgive the myriad spelling and punctuation errors:
Hi Mike,
I am Cherie with Best Buy Customer Care.
First and foremost allow me to apologize on behalf of the BestBuy group for the inconvenience you have experienced everytime you placed an order via online and instore.At Best Buy, we understand the importance of good service, as well as how frustrating poor service can be.Your experience with the agents approaches has been unpleasant.And,I really do appreciated your patience towards us,from all situations you have encountered with us wasn't really good at all but still you seemed to stay calm to give your repeated words/phrases just for the agents and manager to fully understand your issue and you still don't get too much pis-ed off.We salute you for that.We can't blame you if your decision to let go Bestbuy as one of your "favorite" store.We respect and understand you mike to that.For whatever dissapointing expections had happened to you from us would be our lessons to improve that and we thank you for that.This ain't a negative compliments to us but to face as positive challenge to take back our customers who has been dissapointed and left Bestbuy too as you are with our service.We will value this forever.
Again sorry for everything that you have experienced from us.You will be valued Mike as our loyal and thoughtful costumer from Bestbuy and would always welcome you if you wish to do a purchased from us.May GodBless you always and Have good day!
Sincerely,
Cherie
Best Buy Customer Care Team