Best Buy tells my family to leave the store...
09-01-02, 12:50 AM
#1
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: the ATL
Posts: 1,253
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Best Buy tells my family to leave the store...
Okay seriously long rant here, but for those Best Buy haters among us, this one's a doozy. I'm used to being approached for PSP/PRP/Warranties at Best Buy, but this time they just couldn't drop it... any advice on next steps to take are welcome, because I feel that this ordeal should be resolved, not forgotten... here goes:
Today my brother and I drove my mom up to Best Buy so she could get a new phone. She's legally blind and we're both in college, so it was one of the few chances we had to help her get a phone she could easily use. We selected a nice Panasonic with an additional handset, $250 worth of phone equipment, and headed to the register. The woman at the register of course offered us a warranty on the phones, which my mom declined. Not able to drop the subject, a nearby employee commented that my mom really should get the warranty, but she told him no as well.
The guy wouldn't stop. He mentioned again that the warranty was a good thing and should be added to this purchase. My brother told the guy to leave my mom alone because she had already said no to two people now. The guy couldn't let it drop and said, "I'm just doing my job." I told him that's fine, but we had said no and his job was done now. The guy got mad and said he was just doing what he's supposed to do. I told him the cashier already did what was supposed to be done by initially offering us the warranty, and that we had turned her down and then turned him down multiple times, and we would like to be left alone about it now.
The guy became angrier and kept on defending the warranty, so I asked him where the GM was. He said, "the GM's not here today" so I asked where his manager was. As it turns out some guy right behind him was the acting manager, so I asked him to come over. The manager walked the five feet over to the register and I said, "This guy won't leave us alone even though we already told him we don't want the warranty." The manager didn't care and simply said, "you were raising your voice and swearing at him, get out of my store." This was not the first response I expected the manager to give to a complaining customer. For some reason the manager found it necessary to lie, because I certainly was not swearing and if my voice was raised I had good reason for it to be, and I wasn’t outright yelling. I asked the manager what words I had used that might constitute swearing. He couldn't tell me and just said, "You were swearing and raising your voice, get out of my store."
My mom and my brother, among the many other customers around, had heard the entire argument and knew perfectly well that no swearing was taking place, so I'm not sure where the manager got this idea. I told him I hadn't done anything wrong that should have me thrown out of the store and that we simply wanted to buy the phones and not be hassled about warranties. He again said, "Get out of my store, this is private property." I told him again that all I wanted was to buy some phones and not be hassled. Raising his own voice so that the entire front end could hear (all customers and cashiers alike), the manager then called to the loss prevention guy and said "Throw this man out of my store!" The loss prevention guy walked over and asked me, my brother, and my mom to walk outside with him, but I pulled out my cell phone, dialed 911, and told him that if they really wanted to throw us out I'd call the police and let them decide if I was being disruptive. The loss prevention guy said, "You're really going to call the police?" and sort of stepped back.
My brother finally told my mom to have the cashier cancel the entire transaction and give her credit card back. Even after all this my mom would probably have still made the purchase, but there’s no way a store treating us in this manner was going to get her money. My mom then told the manager that today was her only chance to get a ride to the store and have some help picking out some new phones, and explained to him that she can't even see well enough to drive and that the harassment was ruining this opportunity.
The manager acted as if he couldn't have cared less and simply kept saying, "get out of my store." I asked him if he had any idea what a customer was worth to the store over the course of even ten years. He didn't respond and just walked away. The original guy that wouldn't shut up about the warranty said "we aren't even on commission, so I don't make anything off the warranty." I told him that whether he was on commission or not, we said no several times and wanted to be left alone, and that there was a list hanging somewhere in the back rooms with names and sales numbers of every employee selling warranties, so it must make some difference who sells them. He walked away with no response to that comment.
The loss prevention guy then said, "Well you aren't going to get anywhere arguing so you might as well leave." By this point other customers were watching my family get harassed and I wanted an apology. We weren't budging, so the manager came back and said we were causing a scene. My brother told him we were simply trying to spend $250 in his store and instead got harassed to the point of deciding not to make our purchase. The manager didn't care at all and seemed intent only on throwing us out of the store, even though our only request was that we be allowed to make a purchase without declining a warranty over and over and over. The manager walked away again and then came back. I asked him to look at me and quit leaving every 5 seconds, but he just said "no you're just sitting there swearing at me and raising your voice." I pointed out that I wasn't sitting anywhere, I was standing at the register at which I'd tried to make a $250 purchase, and that I didn't expect treatment like this and would like an apology. The manager simply walked away to the safety of the interiors of the customer service counters.
The loss prevention guy gave me the number to the store and the extension of the GM. He said that the GM was on vacation right now but that we could call her at a later date. A second loss prevention guy told my mom that they should have left us alone after we turned down the warranty once, and definitely after we actually asked to be left alone about it.
I find it hard to believe that the only manager present in the store on a busy Saturday was what looked to be a high school drop out, but if that's whom Best Buy wants to leave in charge then I guess this is the sort of thing that is bound to happen.
Overall the ordeal was an unnecessary experience that both upset and embarrassed everyone. I only hope that this was one idiot on a power trip because his GM was out of town, but given the track record of Best Buy I doubt it.
Today my brother and I drove my mom up to Best Buy so she could get a new phone. She's legally blind and we're both in college, so it was one of the few chances we had to help her get a phone she could easily use. We selected a nice Panasonic with an additional handset, $250 worth of phone equipment, and headed to the register. The woman at the register of course offered us a warranty on the phones, which my mom declined. Not able to drop the subject, a nearby employee commented that my mom really should get the warranty, but she told him no as well.
The guy wouldn't stop. He mentioned again that the warranty was a good thing and should be added to this purchase. My brother told the guy to leave my mom alone because she had already said no to two people now. The guy couldn't let it drop and said, "I'm just doing my job." I told him that's fine, but we had said no and his job was done now. The guy got mad and said he was just doing what he's supposed to do. I told him the cashier already did what was supposed to be done by initially offering us the warranty, and that we had turned her down and then turned him down multiple times, and we would like to be left alone about it now.
The guy became angrier and kept on defending the warranty, so I asked him where the GM was. He said, "the GM's not here today" so I asked where his manager was. As it turns out some guy right behind him was the acting manager, so I asked him to come over. The manager walked the five feet over to the register and I said, "This guy won't leave us alone even though we already told him we don't want the warranty." The manager didn't care and simply said, "you were raising your voice and swearing at him, get out of my store." This was not the first response I expected the manager to give to a complaining customer. For some reason the manager found it necessary to lie, because I certainly was not swearing and if my voice was raised I had good reason for it to be, and I wasn’t outright yelling. I asked the manager what words I had used that might constitute swearing. He couldn't tell me and just said, "You were swearing and raising your voice, get out of my store."
My mom and my brother, among the many other customers around, had heard the entire argument and knew perfectly well that no swearing was taking place, so I'm not sure where the manager got this idea. I told him I hadn't done anything wrong that should have me thrown out of the store and that we simply wanted to buy the phones and not be hassled about warranties. He again said, "Get out of my store, this is private property." I told him again that all I wanted was to buy some phones and not be hassled. Raising his own voice so that the entire front end could hear (all customers and cashiers alike), the manager then called to the loss prevention guy and said "Throw this man out of my store!" The loss prevention guy walked over and asked me, my brother, and my mom to walk outside with him, but I pulled out my cell phone, dialed 911, and told him that if they really wanted to throw us out I'd call the police and let them decide if I was being disruptive. The loss prevention guy said, "You're really going to call the police?" and sort of stepped back.
My brother finally told my mom to have the cashier cancel the entire transaction and give her credit card back. Even after all this my mom would probably have still made the purchase, but there’s no way a store treating us in this manner was going to get her money. My mom then told the manager that today was her only chance to get a ride to the store and have some help picking out some new phones, and explained to him that she can't even see well enough to drive and that the harassment was ruining this opportunity.
The manager acted as if he couldn't have cared less and simply kept saying, "get out of my store." I asked him if he had any idea what a customer was worth to the store over the course of even ten years. He didn't respond and just walked away. The original guy that wouldn't shut up about the warranty said "we aren't even on commission, so I don't make anything off the warranty." I told him that whether he was on commission or not, we said no several times and wanted to be left alone, and that there was a list hanging somewhere in the back rooms with names and sales numbers of every employee selling warranties, so it must make some difference who sells them. He walked away with no response to that comment.
The loss prevention guy then said, "Well you aren't going to get anywhere arguing so you might as well leave." By this point other customers were watching my family get harassed and I wanted an apology. We weren't budging, so the manager came back and said we were causing a scene. My brother told him we were simply trying to spend $250 in his store and instead got harassed to the point of deciding not to make our purchase. The manager didn't care at all and seemed intent only on throwing us out of the store, even though our only request was that we be allowed to make a purchase without declining a warranty over and over and over. The manager walked away again and then came back. I asked him to look at me and quit leaving every 5 seconds, but he just said "no you're just sitting there swearing at me and raising your voice." I pointed out that I wasn't sitting anywhere, I was standing at the register at which I'd tried to make a $250 purchase, and that I didn't expect treatment like this and would like an apology. The manager simply walked away to the safety of the interiors of the customer service counters.
The loss prevention guy gave me the number to the store and the extension of the GM. He said that the GM was on vacation right now but that we could call her at a later date. A second loss prevention guy told my mom that they should have left us alone after we turned down the warranty once, and definitely after we actually asked to be left alone about it.
I find it hard to believe that the only manager present in the store on a busy Saturday was what looked to be a high school drop out, but if that's whom Best Buy wants to leave in charge then I guess this is the sort of thing that is bound to happen.
Overall the ordeal was an unnecessary experience that both upset and embarrassed everyone. I only hope that this was one idiot on a power trip because his GM was out of town, but given the track record of Best Buy I doubt it.
09-01-02, 01:00 AM
#2
DVD Talk Legend
This is appauling. Don't some people (not attacking Best Buy because I'm sure that this could happen at any store) know what customer service is? Did they ever hear the term "The customer is always right"? Your ordeal was ridiculous and you shouldn't have had to go through that.
A question: How did the other customers around you feel?
A question: How did the other customers around you feel?
09-01-02, 01:52 AM
#3
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: the ATL
Posts: 1,253
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
None of the other customers actually said anything to us, but I hope some of them at least gave their warranty purchases a second thought.
I'm not sure what to do about this other than shop at Circuit City from now on... but I really do want an apology sent to my mom, because this totally ruined one of the few times I'm able to help her run errands etc. I'm sure the BBB has a file a mile high on Best Buy, so adding to that probably wouldn't help. Guess I'll just rant over at bestbuysux.org and get over it
I'm not sure what to do about this other than shop at Circuit City from now on... but I really do want an apology sent to my mom, because this totally ruined one of the few times I'm able to help her run errands etc. I'm sure the BBB has a file a mile high on Best Buy, so adding to that probably wouldn't help. Guess I'll just rant over at bestbuysux.org and get over it
09-01-02, 02:05 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Seattle
Posts: 815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Totally disgusting. I've always had to decline their warranties, but never to that extent. I bet they'll even deny the whole incident ever took place. Go to Circuit City from now on, since their prices are in the same ballpark. Best Buy is suck!!!!!
09-01-02, 04:01 AM
#5
DVD Talk Limited Edition
I'd suggest writing a letter to both the GM and someone at corporate office.
But this story boggles my mind, the last thing ANY manager at any type of retail store wants is to make a huge scene such as the one you described. Maybe this guy was a high school dropout.
As for the acting manager being the only one. Thats not suprising. The store here was regularly understaffed with managers...you had a better chance of finding Jimmy Hoffa than one of those guys.
But this story boggles my mind, the last thing ANY manager at any type of retail store wants is to make a huge scene such as the one you described. Maybe this guy was a high school dropout.
As for the acting manager being the only one. Thats not suprising. The store here was regularly understaffed with managers...you had a better chance of finding Jimmy Hoffa than one of those guys.
09-01-02, 05:21 AM
#6
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,259
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
UAIOE, how is it that you and I keep finding our way into Best Buy threads?
QuAcKeR, I'm not here to excuse how you were treated that day. Since I was not there I am only going to refernce my experiences watching other customers in a retail store, including mostly Best Buy.
It's no secret that even though they are not on commission, the BB employees have an incredible amount of pressure placed on them to sell the PSP/PRP's. They are given daily and monthly goals in this area. It does seem that if they could sell you this item alone they would be happy. But the reason for this is that Best Buy is now positioned in a way where these warranties are extrememly profitable, moreso than much of the actual inventory they also sell. The employee is asked to make the desicion when to continue or cease a PSP/PRP sales presentation, but when so much is asked of them they often make the wrong choice.
{POWERBOMB's advice: In the future simply state that you are not interested and end the conversation there. If the employee persits, reiterate your position and ask if they want the sale or not. Continuing a conversation only gives the impression that you may be persuaded into buying the warranty, therefore a quick end is the best route to go.}
Now I know that many stores "empower" their employees to "act" as managers, giving them the authority of a manager ithout paying them as such. I have heard the phrase "frontend leader" and can only assume that this was the person you spoke to. Which is leading to my next sentence, which carries a lot of weight so re-read it to fully appreaciate it.
Shopping is a privlege, not a constitutional right.
Whew! Best Buy and other places of business are private property. As long as they do not discriminate along racial or gender lines they have the authority to ask anyone at anytime to leave. You do not have to be swearing, rasing your voice or even be invovled in a confrentation to be asked to leave. A manager can just walk up to you and ask that you leave his store, just like that. And guess what, you can call the cops or the local news media and they cannot do anything to force the manager to allow you into their store.
So it doesn't matter if you have spent "thousand of dollars" at Best Buy, or if you threaten to go tell all your friends/family/church groups not to shop there. These retail stores still have enough of what the majority needs to continue doing business the way they do. As I have said many times, if you want to become a Circuit City shopper, then congratulations. Enjoy everything that Circuit can offer you. You will just be one less person I stand behind at Best Buy.
{POWERBOMB's advice: You should have gotten the names of those invovled and called their corporate customer service number. Even though the manager in your situation sounded off centered, he was still within his job description to ask you to leave.}
In you post on 9-1, you said you want [Quote] an apology sent to my mom [Quote] but your first post you said that she was [Quote] legally blind [Quote]. Curious?
And finally, the infamous "the customer is always right" over kill cliche. Only companies that want to go under in a year or so still follow this old saying. It's 2002, people. Do you always get your way at Wal-Mart. K-Mart, Target, Circuit City, Home Depot, Babbage's, DDD, E-bay, etc.? To stay in business, companies are moving away from the "quick sale" and more into following their policies.
QuAcKeR, I'm not here to excuse how you were treated that day. Since I was not there I am only going to refernce my experiences watching other customers in a retail store, including mostly Best Buy.
It's no secret that even though they are not on commission, the BB employees have an incredible amount of pressure placed on them to sell the PSP/PRP's. They are given daily and monthly goals in this area. It does seem that if they could sell you this item alone they would be happy. But the reason for this is that Best Buy is now positioned in a way where these warranties are extrememly profitable, moreso than much of the actual inventory they also sell. The employee is asked to make the desicion when to continue or cease a PSP/PRP sales presentation, but when so much is asked of them they often make the wrong choice.
{POWERBOMB's advice: In the future simply state that you are not interested and end the conversation there. If the employee persits, reiterate your position and ask if they want the sale or not. Continuing a conversation only gives the impression that you may be persuaded into buying the warranty, therefore a quick end is the best route to go.}
Now I know that many stores "empower" their employees to "act" as managers, giving them the authority of a manager ithout paying them as such. I have heard the phrase "frontend leader" and can only assume that this was the person you spoke to. Which is leading to my next sentence, which carries a lot of weight so re-read it to fully appreaciate it.
Shopping is a privlege, not a constitutional right.
Whew! Best Buy and other places of business are private property. As long as they do not discriminate along racial or gender lines they have the authority to ask anyone at anytime to leave. You do not have to be swearing, rasing your voice or even be invovled in a confrentation to be asked to leave. A manager can just walk up to you and ask that you leave his store, just like that. And guess what, you can call the cops or the local news media and they cannot do anything to force the manager to allow you into their store.
So it doesn't matter if you have spent "thousand of dollars" at Best Buy, or if you threaten to go tell all your friends/family/church groups not to shop there. These retail stores still have enough of what the majority needs to continue doing business the way they do. As I have said many times, if you want to become a Circuit City shopper, then congratulations. Enjoy everything that Circuit can offer you. You will just be one less person I stand behind at Best Buy.
{POWERBOMB's advice: You should have gotten the names of those invovled and called their corporate customer service number. Even though the manager in your situation sounded off centered, he was still within his job description to ask you to leave.}
In you post on 9-1, you said you want [Quote] an apology sent to my mom [Quote] but your first post you said that she was [Quote] legally blind [Quote]. Curious?
And finally, the infamous "the customer is always right" over kill cliche. Only companies that want to go under in a year or so still follow this old saying. It's 2002, people. Do you always get your way at Wal-Mart. K-Mart, Target, Circuit City, Home Depot, Babbage's, DDD, E-bay, etc.? To stay in business, companies are moving away from the "quick sale" and more into following their policies.
09-01-02, 05:51 AM
#7
Moderator
We're only hearing one side of the story here, but from what you tell us you're 100% in the right. Keep pressing your case...that "acting manager" guy was way out of line, as was the pushy salesperson.
09-01-02, 06:54 AM
#8
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,507
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thats messed up that they did that to you. Ive been in many best buys all over the east coast and there are some really bad ones and some really good ones. I guess i shop at a good one normally since i never have any problems. But like i said ive been in some really bad ones where i just walked out. Make sure you write a letter to best buy's main office. You usually get a response
capt
capt
09-01-02, 10:06 AM
#10
DVD Talk Legend
This situation is a symptom of a far greater problem in retail.
Many years ago, people could work a job in retail as a career. While the money was not the greatest, it was a real job. Many stores had people on staff for 20-30 years plus. These jobs paid for houses and helped send kids to college.
Sadly, these jobs are gone. Retail is now a McJob, staffed by part-timers and kids. The manager who gave you a hard time has absolutely no idea how to run a store, but because he's been there 6 months and is taking business admin classes part time, he's in charge. None of these people have any real training, and none of them will be there long enough to get any real experience.
Yes, the GM and the company should be notified, but until there are changes that go far beyond Best Buy policy, little will change.
Many years ago, people could work a job in retail as a career. While the money was not the greatest, it was a real job. Many stores had people on staff for 20-30 years plus. These jobs paid for houses and helped send kids to college.
Sadly, these jobs are gone. Retail is now a McJob, staffed by part-timers and kids. The manager who gave you a hard time has absolutely no idea how to run a store, but because he's been there 6 months and is taking business admin classes part time, he's in charge. None of these people have any real training, and none of them will be there long enough to get any real experience.
Yes, the GM and the company should be notified, but until there are changes that go far beyond Best Buy policy, little will change.
09-01-02, 11:04 AM
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
Powerbomb wrote, "Shopping is a privlege, not a constitutional right.
"Whew! Best Buy and other places of business are private property. As long as they do not discriminate along racial or gender lines they have the authority to ask anyone at anytime to leave. You do not have to be swearing, rasing your voice or even be invovled in a confrentation to be asked to leave. A manager can just walk up to you and ask that you leave his store, just like that. And guess what, you can call the cops or the local news media and they cannot do anything to force the manager to allow you into their store."
Shopping is not a "privilege," it's a transaction, and is governed by tort law. Your claim that a manager "can just walk up to you and ask that you leave his store [without any legal recourse to the customer]" is dubious, and appears more ideologically than legally based. A commercial establishment cedes some private-property rights when it invites customers inside. That is established law, not my opinion.
"Whew! Best Buy and other places of business are private property. As long as they do not discriminate along racial or gender lines they have the authority to ask anyone at anytime to leave. You do not have to be swearing, rasing your voice or even be invovled in a confrentation to be asked to leave. A manager can just walk up to you and ask that you leave his store, just like that. And guess what, you can call the cops or the local news media and they cannot do anything to force the manager to allow you into their store."
Shopping is not a "privilege," it's a transaction, and is governed by tort law. Your claim that a manager "can just walk up to you and ask that you leave his store [without any legal recourse to the customer]" is dubious, and appears more ideologically than legally based. A commercial establishment cedes some private-property rights when it invites customers inside. That is established law, not my opinion.
09-01-02, 05:14 PM
#12
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally posted by POWERBOMB
UAIOE, how is it that you and I keep finding our way into Best Buy threads?
UAIOE, how is it that you and I keep finding our way into Best Buy threads?
I'm a former blue shirt & i share my thoughts and opnions on Best Buy.
09-01-02, 07:51 PM
#15
Cool New Member
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Ramesy MN
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had a similar experience about 3 years ago at best buy. The people just won't take no for an answer when I was purchasing a cheap computer for my mother.
I was with a friend who walked by and said "NO MEANS NO" and kept walking. They guy looke at him strangly.. I let him know that he was with me. The guy kept going on about it.... finally he got the computer in a cart for me... as he continued to ask me to purchase the warranty.... I just grabbed the cart and walked away... while he was still talking.
They say they don't work on commission...but they must get a good bonus for selling the extends'
Pisses me off!
I was with a friend who walked by and said "NO MEANS NO" and kept walking. They guy looke at him strangly.. I let him know that he was with me. The guy kept going on about it.... finally he got the computer in a cart for me... as he continued to ask me to purchase the warranty.... I just grabbed the cart and walked away... while he was still talking.
They say they don't work on commission...but they must get a good bonus for selling the extends'
Pisses me off!
09-01-02, 11:59 PM
#17
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally posted by Eric
They say they don't work on commission...but they must get a good bonus for selling the extends'
They say they don't work on commission...but they must get a good bonus for selling the extends'
They don't, but the managers do.
09-02-02, 01:22 AM
#18
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,758
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by POWERBOMB
Shopping is a privlege, not a constitutional right.
Whew! Best Buy and other places of business are private property. As long as they do not discriminate along racial or gender lines they have the authority to ask anyone at anytime to leave. You do not have to be swearing, rasing your voice or even be invovled in a confrentation to be asked to leave. A manager can just walk up to you and ask that you leave his store, just like that. And guess what, you can call the cops or the local news media and they cannot do anything to force the manager to allow you into their store.
Shopping is a privlege, not a constitutional right.
Whew! Best Buy and other places of business are private property. As long as they do not discriminate along racial or gender lines they have the authority to ask anyone at anytime to leave. You do not have to be swearing, rasing your voice or even be invovled in a confrentation to be asked to leave. A manager can just walk up to you and ask that you leave his store, just like that. And guess what, you can call the cops or the local news media and they cannot do anything to force the manager to allow you into their store.
09-02-02, 01:48 AM
#19
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 6,515
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm going to play devil's advocate here, and say that while you didn't cause the situation, you definately escalated it.
No store should treat their customers like they are replacable, but I've worked enough retail that if I owned a store, and you were a customer who acted like that, I'd have no problems asking you to leave either -- and I wouldn't care very much if you came back.
I'm reading your complaint, and I'm also trying to see it through the eyes of the Best Buy employees. Now, I've run into my fair share of ******* employees (ask me about my Days Inn experience), but I've also learned that if you are dealing with an ******* who also claims to be the manager, it's better to just go ahead and leave at that point, and write a letter to the home office.
Instead, you chose to take the other route, and escalated the conflict to the point where the police were almost called (and you almost called 911 because you were getting kicked out of store? WTF dude?). The manager apparently only asked you to leave, and I would suspect that your brother and your mother would have been allowed to continue their transaction and would not have been harrased for a warranty again. When your whole family was told to leave because of your childish behavior, you again didn't leave, but camped out, refused to leave (though the manager can certainly do just that, read the posted signs), and had a big temper tantrum.
I highly suspect that the manager didn't retreat "to the safety of the customer service counters", he probably called the police to have you and your family forcibly removed and possibly arrested.
So, in the end, you embarrased Best Buy, yourself and your family, caused a big inconvience to your disabled mother, probably inconvienced some customers, and you still have to take time out of your day to go shop again for phone equipment. If you had just bitten your tongue for ten minutes, exited the store and filed a complaint the next day, it all could have been avoided.
I'm not saying the Best Buy employees should accost you to buy things, but sometimes it's better to pick your battles.
No store should treat their customers like they are replacable, but I've worked enough retail that if I owned a store, and you were a customer who acted like that, I'd have no problems asking you to leave either -- and I wouldn't care very much if you came back.
I'm reading your complaint, and I'm also trying to see it through the eyes of the Best Buy employees. Now, I've run into my fair share of ******* employees (ask me about my Days Inn experience), but I've also learned that if you are dealing with an ******* who also claims to be the manager, it's better to just go ahead and leave at that point, and write a letter to the home office.
Instead, you chose to take the other route, and escalated the conflict to the point where the police were almost called (and you almost called 911 because you were getting kicked out of store? WTF dude?). The manager apparently only asked you to leave, and I would suspect that your brother and your mother would have been allowed to continue their transaction and would not have been harrased for a warranty again. When your whole family was told to leave because of your childish behavior, you again didn't leave, but camped out, refused to leave (though the manager can certainly do just that, read the posted signs), and had a big temper tantrum.
I highly suspect that the manager didn't retreat "to the safety of the customer service counters", he probably called the police to have you and your family forcibly removed and possibly arrested.
So, in the end, you embarrased Best Buy, yourself and your family, caused a big inconvience to your disabled mother, probably inconvienced some customers, and you still have to take time out of your day to go shop again for phone equipment. If you had just bitten your tongue for ten minutes, exited the store and filed a complaint the next day, it all could have been avoided.
I'm not saying the Best Buy employees should accost you to buy things, but sometimes it's better to pick your battles.
09-02-02, 10:23 AM
#20
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,259
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Without a degree in tort law, all I know is what i've experienced. You think people don't get asked to leave a retail store? They bounced some teen out of Gaylyn's yesterday just because he "might" be attempting to shoplift. Why would they think that. It was over 90 degrees and this teen had on a heavy jacket and those pants with hundreds of pockets. They didn't see him steal anything. He wasn't creating a scene, never raised his voice, didn't swear and from all acounts was just a shopper like the rest of us. But he was told to leave. Sound somewhat familure?
I worked in some retail as well. I can't count the times customers would come in on their bad days and treat me like she-yat just because they thought I was their personal punching bag. Back then I took the abuse because I was always told "the customer is always right" and "please the customer."
Since leaving retail I have had a different look on things, and realize that customers aren't always right. If tey don't like the service they get, they should walk. But these people are almost always hypocrites because they always keep coming back. I left retail because I didn't like the abuse. Customers keep shopping and bitchin' at/about Best Buy cause they like it, i guess.
What else would they do in their life if there wasn't a Best Buy?
I worked in some retail as well. I can't count the times customers would come in on their bad days and treat me like she-yat just because they thought I was their personal punching bag. Back then I took the abuse because I was always told "the customer is always right" and "please the customer."
Since leaving retail I have had a different look on things, and realize that customers aren't always right. If tey don't like the service they get, they should walk. But these people are almost always hypocrites because they always keep coming back. I left retail because I didn't like the abuse. Customers keep shopping and bitchin' at/about Best Buy cause they like it, i guess.
What else would they do in their life if there wasn't a Best Buy?
09-02-02, 02:37 PM
#21
DVD Talk Limited Edition
I think the kid with the jacket & pants on was kicked out for an entirely different reason, he was kicked out for being a suspious character. Its very very odd to wear a heavy jacket in 90 degree temp, no rational person would wear such things on days like that.
This is alot different than being told to leave because the manager didnt like your "attitude".
This is alot different than being told to leave because the manager didnt like your "attitude".
09-02-02, 04:06 PM
#22
DVD Talk Hero
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Not necessarily Formerly known as Solid Snake
Posts: 29,359
Received 1,255 Likes
on
864 Posts
POWERBOMB and I have tangled on this issue many a time before, but I think that we have softened to eachothers' points. 
Anyway, the most important thing to remember in these cases is TO GET NAMES! Always always always get the names of the employees. Then proceed through the chain of command.
Unfortunately, Jason is right: retail has degenerated to a "McJob" (I may steal that in the future Jason!) and companies have lost the meaning of customer service. Best Buy is a sad example that a company does not need to provide service anymore to make money.
"The customer is always right." I agree with POWERBOMB (that doesn't happen in these discussions too often) that this statement, on its face value, is not true. However, I disagree with him in that it should be followed more often. I am not talking about a case where a customer is blatantly trying to defraud a company. This was never meant to be a literal statement (What if a customer walked in and said that they owned the company and would take whatever merchandise that they pleased?), but a mentality. It is supposed to be an attitude of HELPING and SERVING the customer. It is treating the customer with respect and trying to come to a mutual resolution that leaves both parties satisfied, not a pissing contest.
Having worked in retail for way too damn long, there is ALWAYS a way to come up with an amicable situation. Unless one party is simply out to be unreasonable. Unfortunately, this is an attitude that has been severely lost. Maybe I had that ingrained by working for a small, independent business as my first management experience. Mass merchants simply do not practice customer service anymore, pure and simple. Occassionally you can find an INDIVIDUAL in the company who will though.
The next time that you recieve good customer service, let the manager know, let the company know, call the 800 number. Get the person's name and let the bosses know that service DOES matter, and not just when it's bad.
09-02-02, 06:52 PM
#23
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Posts: 5,278
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
QuAcKeR I hope for your sake you took the high road on this and didn't get into a heated pissing match with the manager, it's not worth it. In the future I suggest you just take your business elsewhere, that is your most powerful statement. If enough people did this then BB would be bye-bye in your area.
I hope you mom finally got a phone that works for her!!
I hope you mom finally got a phone that works for her!!
09-02-02, 07:37 PM
#24
Originally posted by sheesh
Shopping is not a "privilege," it's a transaction, and is governed by tort law. Your claim that a manager "can just walk up to you and ask that you leave his store [without any legal recourse to the customer]" is dubious, and appears more ideologically than legally based. A commercial establishment cedes some private-property rights when it invites customers inside. That is established law, not my opinion.
Shopping is not a "privilege," it's a transaction, and is governed by tort law. Your claim that a manager "can just walk up to you and ask that you leave his store [without any legal recourse to the customer]" is dubious, and appears more ideologically than legally based. A commercial establishment cedes some private-property rights when it invites customers inside. That is established law, not my opinion.
Whaaaaaaat? Is this "The Law According to Sheesh", or do you have some backup on the proposition that a store owner can't ask a customer to leave?
(And assuming for the sake of argument that shopping is a transaction, wouldn't it be governed by contract law, not tort law?)
09-02-02, 08:49 PM
#25
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Space Junk Galaxy
Posts: 2,470
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well since the customers did nothing wrong, it would seem to me that the only reason they would be asked to leave is that the manager was discriminating against Quaker and his/her family.