Best Buy to Customers: "Linux voids HARDWARE warranty"

[artoodeeto]

...and am feeling too lazy to drive over the Micro Center (~35-60 minute drive, as opposed to the ~10 minute drive to Best Buy).

On a positive note, I worked for the Santa Clara, CA Micro Center from 2002 thru 2005, and had a very positive experience there. I started in peripheral sales, and moved to system sales. I worked with the tech guys a lot, and since I'm a computer geek myself, I helped many of my customers troubleshoot issues. I gotta say, if you have a micro center near you, the employees there (in my experience) tend to be much better trained/more knowledgable than the competition, pricing tends to be the same or better than Fry's (comparing the same brand products, not the ultra cheap garbage Fry's often sells), etc etc. I haven't worked there in 4 years, but if it weren't for the fact that the closest store to me is in Tustin, CA (about an hour and a half drive), I'd go there. Highly recommend 'em!

As for the Best Buy thing...I truly hope that idiot was the exception rather than the rule. But, as some of the previous posts have shown, all too often stores like Best Buy are very willing to ignore the crucial role that knowledgable, competent sales/support staff can play in keeping up their reputation. I used to know Micro Center's extended plans inside and out, and that they were far superior to the competition, and it was easy for me to sell people on them because 1) I believed in it and bought them myself on items, and 2) the 3rd party vendor we worked with nearly always followed through on their end, and when they didn't, most of the time the store would try and find a way to make the customer happy. Stores like Best Buy don't tend to do that. And it's too bad, in the long run I think they'd do themselves a lot more good than financial harm.

[aintnothang]

Whats the test like to be in Geek Squad?

[x88x]

On a positive note, I worked for the Santa Clara, CA Micro Center from 2002 thru 2005, and had a very positive experience there. I started in peripheral sales, and moved to system sales. I worked with the tech guys a lot, and since I'm a computer geek myself, I helped many of my customers troubleshoot issues. I gotta say, if you have a micro center near you, the employees there (in my experience) tend to be much better trained/more knowledgable than the competition, pricing tends to be the same or better than Fry's (comparing the same brand products, not the ultra cheap garbage Fry's often sells), etc etc. I haven't worked there in 4 years, but if it weren't for the fact that the closest store to me is in Tustin, CA (about an hour and a half drive), I'd go there. Highly recommend 'em!

Definitely! I love Micro Center! Ever since I discovered them a few months ago, they've been my preferred source for computer parts, what with good inventory (they have a water cooling isle! ...and an entirely separate isle for modding supplies!), great prices (not infrequently they're even better than Newegg), and knowledgeable and friendly staff, they're worlds better than just about every electronics stores I've seen. My only problem with them is that my trips there always seem to end up much more expensive than I had planned on

[billygoat333]

wish that there was one close to where I live... the only drawback of living in a relatively unpopulated area. lol we have a best buy though! when I bought my laptop they kept trying to sell me the "geek squad optimization" or whatever where they go through and delete the bloatware on the computer, etc. The salesman kept telling me they had sunk like 3 million dollars into the programs they use to clean up and speed up your computer.

I was like, I can do it for free. I will just wipe the hdd and do a fresh install.

Its amazing the crap they push on you that is really worthless.

[mDust]

(they have a water cooling isle! ...and an entirely separate isle for modding supplies!)

/Gasp! This is too good to be true. The only store in MI is 160 miles away...drat!

Its amazing the crap they push on you that is really worthless.

What's even more amazing is the number of technologically-ignorant people that get duped into paying for it. Not everyone can be a geek though...

[msmrx57]

I'm not entirely sure that relevant computer knowledge is required to get those jobs.

None. See Berts post.

[x88x]

/Gasp! This is too good to be true. The only store in MI is 160 miles away...drat!

Hahaha, yup. They have Danger Den, Swiftech, Bitspower, AC Ryan, ...I even picked up a vandal power switch there the other day! Oh, and they have an entire wall (~20'x10') of screws/etc...and you can buy heat-shrink tubing by the foot.

[artoodeeto]

sweet! then they're really expanded what they carry since I worked there. My only complaint against them is that since they're so big in the midwest and east coast, their mindset is very against any kind of major advertising, so it kinda screws over the stores on the west coast - I can't even begin to estimate how many customers were on their cells in the store, and you could hear them saying "yeah I'm here at....umm...*turns to employee* what is this place again?"
So definitely spread the word about 'em, they're a good chain and they treat their employees well (some of the systems sales guys at the bigger east coast stores were rumored to have 6-figure incomes...)

[nevermind1534]

/Gasp! This is too good to be true. The only store in MI is 160 miles away...drat!

What's even more amazing is the number of technologically-ignorant people that get duped into paying for it. Not everyone can be a geek though...

I'm only about 20-30 minutes away from it

[mDust]

I'm only about 20-30 minutes away from it

I'm pretty sure that you're required by law to let me and others know how well stocked that MI store is if you ever go there.
I have family out that way that I could use as a base of operations if the store has neat stuff...240 miles is just too far to drive to go to a store.