Why You Should Avoid Getting Computer Help From The Box Stores

OK, this one really makes me mad.

I was reading an article on consumer-protection website the Consumerist where they were exposing a bogus claim Best Buy made in an ad for their Geek Squad service.  In the ad, which was offering setup of new 3D TV sets, claiming they would also synchronize the 3D glasses needed to view the 3D images on the TV.

But here’s the thing: this “service” is completely BOGUS as there are no special steps required to get a pair of 3D glasses to work with the TV set they come with!

So in other words, Best Buy was using technobabble to impress regular non-technical people and make it seem like the people working for the company have some clue as to what they’re talking about, when in fact they usually don’t.

Here’s the thing: being a very technically savvy person, on the rare occasions I go into the “big box stores” to shop in their electronics department, it is immediately obvious to me that 99% of the employees don’t have a clue.

I am not exaggerating — while there surely are exceptions to the rule, I have found that in any of the big corporate chains, their employees have little to no real understanding of the technology products they’re selling.

At best, they have some common questions & answers memorized. At best. At worst they can’t even do that much.

Understand, I’m not targeting Best Buy here. What I just said applies to anything from Radio Shack to WalMart to Best Buy and other national or international chains either devoted to tech & electronics or simply having an electronics department. The fact is, those companies are more interested in hiring cheap employees than they are in hiring truly knowledgeable ones.

Also understand that I never criticize someone for not understanding computers and other modern technology — I just have a problem with people who act like they DO understand the stuff and then give bad advice or false information to others who trust them.

Here’s an example of some of the nonsense spouted by Best Buy employees when asked about this alleged 3D glasses syncing service they were offering:

HD Guru called three Best Buy stores. After confirming each employee received training on 3D TVs and installation services, we asked them to explain the process of  “syncing” the 3D glasses. We received three different but oddly similar responses.

Blue shirt one said the glasses need to be synced with the Blu-ray player. The second geek referred to the 3D glasses needing to sync to the player via the USB port within the glasses, an impossible feat as there is no USB port on the glasses. The third stated the need to acquire the glasses’ IP address to sync with the Blu-ray player. There is no IP address for 3D glasses; they have no connectivity to the Internet or network. The Samsung battery powered glasses “sync” to the 3D content wirelessly via an infra-red pulse emitted by the TV.

So when faced with a question they didn’t know the answer to, they basically made something up and threw a bunch of computer terms and jargon out there in the hopes of intimidating the person asking into dropping the question.

If they had been honest about it (or if their corporate overlords had let them be honest, as the case may be) they would have either told the truth that the service wasn’t necessary, or just admit they didn’t know the answer.

Nobody (repeat: NOBODY) knows everything about computers. I don’t mind admitting this, and they shouldn’t either. To do otherwise is dishonest.

Now since the original article was published a few days ago, Best Buy has offered a response to the justified criticism of their ads, saying:

“…we wanted to convey that they can depend on Geek Squad to answer their questions during installation and set-up. There is no additional charge for this – and the Geek Squad 3D installation and networking services are included in the total price of this offer.”

Now fair enough, they weren’t charging extra for the fictional service offered, but they still made misleading statements in their ad in the first place, and their employees literally just made stuff up when asked questions they didn’t know the answer to!

How is that the right thing to do??

So my advice: don’t go to big box stores or any similar national chains looking for people who really understand computers and electronics and who can explain them to you and give you straight answers. It’s rare to find anyone there with much (if any) true technical knowledge.

I am planning to add articles and other information on this site to help people choose the best computer help. I’ve just posted the first one — a video which reveals a major and important safety precaution many computer techs never bother with, yet which can actually damage your computer if they skip this basic step.

Click to read and watch the video to help you choose the best computer help.

If you found this article helpful or interesting, please leave a comment below, and feel free to share it with your friends.

Posted by Worth Godwin Computer Training on Mar 25, 2010 in Computer Tips, Tech News | 5 comments