Best Buy – SQM Pick

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Breaking Boundaries at Best Buy

November 22, 2017David Lipton Comment

Although I wrote about Best Buy a few months ago, this is an unrelated experience, and one which I felt was worth sharing.

Let’s rewind the clock to a couple of weeks ago. I had been shopping for a laptop and was checking out different options, going through reviews, pricing, visiting different stores, and somehow ended up at the Best Buy at Downsview.

I was very pleased with the knowledge of the sales staff, and in addition, Best Buy had the best prices of all the competitors I was looking at. In fact, these days, they apparently even go so far as to match prices from other reputable businesses.

In addition to buying a laptop, I needed a Microsoft Windows license. As a result, the salesperson suggested that I get a Geek Squad membership, which would save me a significant amount off of the regular cost. At first, I was skeptical, but when I did the math, between the Windows license, a monthly movie pass, and the added benefit of technical support, I thought it was very much worth it to try out for six months.

In terms of technical support, I’ve brought in different items to be fixed or looked at by Geek Squad. So far, all have been fixed to my satisfaction, and in fact, they’ve consistently exceeded my expectations in terms of getting my things back to me as quickly as possible.

During my most recent Geek Squad visit, I was probably pushing it a little, and really put them to the test. I had been having problems with my phone charger, and while the Geek Squad representative was able to partially fix the issue, the end result was that I needed a new one after only having bought it a couple of months ago.

Since I didn’t have my receipt (my fault) I didn’t have much hope that they could do anything, however, without hesitation, one of the employees at Best Buy provided me with a new charger! I was completely stunned. My jaw dropped and I walked out of the store with a huge smile on my face.

While the phone manufacturer is known for making their customers jump through hoops to address issues, Best Buy stood behind the product and their goal of leaving their customers satisfied.

In last week’s blog, I suggested retailers were going to have to step up their game in their battle against Amazon and other online retailers. From my recent experiences at Best Buy, they clearly understand what they need to do to be successful, and they’re doing a terrific job!

Best Buy (Downsview)
416-636-6574
www.bestbuy.ca

Geek Squad (Downsview)
416-634-2305
www.geeksquad.ca

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OtterBox’s Phone Cases are Out-of-the-Box!

June 29, 2016David Lipton Comment

One of the reasons why I often hesitate to upgrade my mobile phone / devices is because I am quite hard on them, and frequently drop them.

That said, when I recently got my spiffy new Samsung Galazy S7, I knew that I needed to protect it from damages given the cost, and the importance of having a working device.

Soon, after receiving my new phone, my sister-in-law introduced me to a protective case made by a company known as OtterBox. OtterBox cases are shock and drop resistant, and when she showed me her phone covered with one of the cases, I immediately noticed the added weight to an otherwise sleek phone. In addition, the phone certainly didn’t look very attractive, but as my sister-in-law said, “neither does a phone with a cracked screen that is all scratched up”. By the end of the conversation, it was clear to me that this purchase was a no-brainer, and the case was well worth the price.

While I was originally going to order a case online, I decided to call my local Best Buy, who had the case in stock, and was willing to match the online price (kudos to Best Buy for going after sales aggressively). Half an hour later, with some help from the Best Buy staff, I had my phone in the case, and was ready to hit the road.

The quality of the case is truly fantastic, and while a bit challenging to put on the first time, it really does what it is meant to do… protect your device. Although, I would say that when I get dirt on my phone screen, it takes a while to clean it up. However, once you get the hang of it, it becomes much easier to clean.

I should also mention that since there are a lot of counterfeit products in the marketplace, I highly recommend spending an extra few dollars and buying it from either OtterBox’s official website or a reputable retailer.

While having a phone encased in something heavy and bulky takes away from its sleekness, it is nonetheless better than a broken phone. Fortunately, I haven’t dropped my new phone yet, however, if and when I do drop it, I know it will be very well protected.

OtterBox
855-688-7269
otterbox.com

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Best Buy Is Plugged Into Customer Service

April 13, 2016David Lipton Comment

A few months ago, I went into Best Buy because my daughter needed an iPad keyboard case. Since there was a case on sale and it was a brand name that we had trusted over the years, we bought it immediately. A couple of weeks later, however, the case had a crack in the corner, so we had to return to the store for a replacement.

During the second visit, my daughter chose a case of the same brand as last time, but decided on a different colour. Apparently, this colour case was not on sale and was approximately $30.00 more without then discounted model. When we were doing the exchange, I informed the employee about what had happened to the last case, and she immediately obtained approval from a supervisor to provide the added courtesy of allowing my daughter to choose the different coloured replacement at no additional cost. When my daughter and I left the store, it was with a smile on both of our faces.

Our smiles turned into frowns when a few weeks later, the case had yet another crack. Perhaps it was due to a manufacturing issue, as the crack was in the same location as the last one. By this time, my daughter was very upset and annoyed with the brand (note to brands…even 10 year olds have a say in certain purchase decisions).

When we went back to Best Buy once more, we picked out a new case, made by a different company. Although this case was now $10.00 more than the previous case, we reasoned that it would be worth it if it worked properly. At the service desk, I again explained why we were back at the store, and that this is now the third time in less than a month that we were having issues with the original product / brand. Immediately, the employee apologized for what had happened and did an exchange for us, again obtaining management’s approval to exchange the product at no additional cost to us. Once again, when we left the store (a third time), my daughter was happy with her new case, and I was happy with not having to pay again and again for an item.

The Best Buy employees that we encountered were efficient, pleasant, and knowledgeable and clearly attempted to put the customer first. With the increase of online retailers, sales and electronic stores like Best Buy have taken a hit, however, based on my recent experiences with the store’s excellent customer service, I would suggest that there are still numerous benefits to doing business with such a company.

Whether it is the chance to actually experience the product before you buy it, the company’s willingness to price match, and perhaps most importantly, demonstrated commitment to putting the customer first, I believe the company is heading in the right direction.

Best Buy certainly seems to be plugged into customer service….well done!

Best Buy Canada
1-866-237-8289
bestbuy.ca

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