How much does an employee at "Best Buy" make an hour?

[scott1598]

Anyone a former or current employee and knows the down and dirty about how much most employees at "Best Buy" make an hour? I assume most if not all are paid on an hourly basis (sans managers).

The average for cashiers?
The average for customer service persons?
The average for non-commisioned sales associates?
The average for supervisors?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Green Jello]

Whatever it is,......it''s more than they're worth.

[Deftones]

Depends. I went in there a few years ago ago for a part time job. I had a ton of retail experience and I was make almost as much as the the people in charge below the managers. I think I got hired at like $8.50 or $9.00 per hour. I sold myself well and they hired me. Thing is, they've never had sales as high as when I was there. They beg me to come back everytime I'm in there. It's quite sad, really.

[Giantrobo]

Originally Posted by Green Jello

Whatever it is,......it''s more than they're worth.

Wow...just wow.

[The Bus]

AFAIK, all sales associates in Best Buy are non-commissioned. AFAIK, people do make "bonuses" on volume they sell, reducing shrinkage, etc. That's why they say, "I don't earn commissions" but will gladly shovel your cart full of the latest "Monster" cable as well as print cartridges.

My understanding is that store managers make well into six figures. Keep in mind one day's Black Friday gross sales will keep 50 salespeople employed for the year.

[Deftones]

Unless something has changed, BB employees get a yearly bonus. As The Bus stated, it's based strictly on the amount of shrink prevented in the store. It wasn't based on volume sales. Often, at my store, they'd put out bounties for doing certain things like signing up several people for a BB CC or getting a Netfix subscription. I didn't waste my time on that stuff. It was funny though. They couldn't really get mad at me. I never sold and Product Service Plans (PSPs) or Product Replacement Plans (PRPs) or credit cards or netflix, but I consistently sold the pants off of every sales associate in my department combined. So for as mad as they were about me not wasting my time w/ the bread and butter money for BB, they were dancing jigs in the backroom b/c they were consistently in the top 50 in company for my department.

[scott1598]

anyone know for supervisors or seniors or whatever they call them?

[Green Jello]

Originally Posted by Giantrobo

Wow...just wow.

I've worked in the industry all my life and I was a Home Audio salesperson in a major A/V chain for 7 years.

In my experience, the vast majority of Best Buy salespeople have the worst product knowledge in the industry.

[scott1598]

guys...can we please not stray from the original topic?

[Deftones]

Originally Posted by Green Jello

I've worked in the industry all my life and I was a Home Audio salesperson in a major A/V chain for 7 years.

In my experience, the vast majority of Best Buy salespeople have the worst product knowledge in the industry.

Eh. That's true and not true at the same time. I've seen much worse in places like Circuit City and Fry's, where (not sure if it is still this way) the sales associate makes a commission. I've heard so many lies at CC (especially around the time that Divx came out). And these weren't lies of omission or lack of knowledge. These were lies of deception to get the sale and comission.

Often times you'll find people working there that could give a flying flip what they are selling. Other times you might find someone like me that knew everything about every product I sold.

Part of the blame falls on Best Buy for not putting the employees through proper training about the products they are selling. The other blame goes to the apathetic employee.

[Deftones]

Pretty much for all those positions, you are looking at making no more than about $8.00 - $9.00 / hour depending on the area where the store is located. Not sure how much the Supervisors make.

[Red Dog]

Originally Posted by Green Jello

Whatever it is,......it''s more than they're worth.

[Sekots]

I'm at $7.50 now and started at $7. I know it's not much, but for a part time job while in high school it's alright. It pays my car insurance and gas and that's all it's there for. Also I had to get the job to get out of school early, it was either get a job and go to school for 4 hours or go to school for 6 1/2 hours and eventually get a job anyway.

[scott1598]

Originally Posted by Deftones

Pretty much for all those positions, you are looking at making no more than about $8.00 - $9.00 / hour depending on the area where the store is located. Not sure how much the Supervisors make.

isn't 8-9 pretty good for these type of jobs? is that the retail norm or below or what?
anyone know on the supervisors?

[Deftones]

Originally Posted by scott1598

isn't 8-9 pretty good for these type of jobs? is that the retail norm or below or what?
anyone know on the supervisors?

Here's a thought. Why don't you go to BB and find out exactly what they are paying. Your area may vary greatly from my area. I don't know. To me, for a part time job with no effort, $9/hour was pretty good. For you, it may not. I don't know.

[scott1598]

Originally Posted by Deftones

Here's a thought. Why don't you go to BB and find out exactly what they are paying. Your area may vary greatly from my area. I don't know. To me, for a part time job with no effort, $9/hour was pretty good. For you, it may not. I don't know.

that's kinda absurd don't ya think? it really isn't the norm to go up to complete strangers and ask them how much they make...at least in my area!
i was just curious in general regardless on ymmv.

[fumanstan]

Originally Posted by scott1598

that's kinda absurd don't ya think? it really isn't the norm to go up to complete strangers and ask them how much they make...at least in my area!
i was just curious in general regardless on ymmv.

So ask a manager and say you're interested in a job. If you're afraid of looking bad, say it's for a friend.

[Mad Dawg]

Originally Posted by scott1598

that's kinda absurd don't ya think? it really isn't the norm to go up to complete strangers and ask them how much they make...at least in my area!
i was just curious in general regardless on ymmv.

No, I think he's saying that you should go into the store and inquire about a position. They may or may not tell you the average hourly salary.

I left around 6 years ago, but seniors made around $9-11, and supervisors made between $11-17 per hour. It was all depending on the department, with sales departments making more than merchandising, operations, and inventory. I believe LP topped them all.

[nowayjesus]

I heard Best Buy employees like to eat small children.

[Breakfast with Girls]

Originally Posted by The Bus

AFAIK, people do make "bonuses" on reducing shrinkage

I can tell you, from the female employees I've seen that work there, they must not get many bonuses.

[Red Dog]

Originally Posted by nowayjesus

I heard Best Buy employees like to eat small children.

Someone needs to photoshop a Best Buy uniform on Mike Tyson.

[majorjoe23]

A friend of mine worked there and got $7.50.

Why the quotation marks around Best Buy? If you're trying to make a point about there name, wouldn't "Best" Buy be better? Overuse of quotation marks makes me want to go on a Herr Starr style rampage.

[J Shimmy]

Originally Posted by Green Jello

I've worked in the industry all my life and I was a Home Audio salesperson in a major A/V chain for 7 years.

What do you do now and how much do you make? Just curious to see if you made any advancement...

(Please don't flame me, I'm a newbie!)

[Sekots]

Originally Posted by nowayjesus

I heard Best Buy employees like to eat small children.

It's true, we do it all the time and never get caught.

[Goldberg74]

Double thread... there's one over in the Store Forum:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=419067