[Skivvywaver]

Originally Posted by primetime212

I wonder if there are any 40 year old Geek Squaders out there...

Yes there are. I have a friend that was involved in an accident that left him in a pretty bad way. He is a Geek Squader. He really doesn't have to work as he qualifies for full disability but he does it just to get out and be active.

He does know his stuff also. I have been wanting to post about him since this thread has been here but I have held off. Yes there are good people and bad people in every work place. Garret may be the exception and not the rule but he is good. I really don't know much about them. I have been fixing my own stuff forever. I have never, ever paid for a PC repair. Well, maybe I did in a round about way. In the beginning I screwed up a few things.

[chamalon]

Originally Posted by Alex Ethridge

I guess if there are 40-year-old behind-the-counter guys at McDonald's, there are probably some 40-year-old Geekers out there somewhere--probably retarded, though.

Originally Posted by Alex Ethridge

I guess if there are 40-year-old behind-the-counter guys at McDonald's, there are probably some 40-year-old Geekers out there somewhere--probably retarded, though.

You know I believe you've stirred up a hornets nest here. I'm 40+ and an agent, with I believe more then 20 years of computer tech experience behind me. I actually do the the Geek squad job as a part-time hobby, as my full time career is an E-6 in the US Air Force. I'm A+ certified, 2 Associates degrees and 2 semesters away from a BA in computer science. I get great satisfaction from my time in the Geek Squad at Best Buy especially when I can send someone home with a fine tuned machine and a small bill.

As was said before we don't work for commission, I actually enjoy trying to find ways to save the costumer's money. For instance, if it is a quick fix, I'll normally just do it and hand the machine back to the client as fixed and not charge them a thing.

I to am sorry that some have had a bad experience with their local Geek Squad, but the actions of one or two incompetent agents should not out way the good the rest of us are trying to do.

As for price, go anywhere else and ask about their prices and you'll find that in most cases Geek Squad will actually be less. For example most tech bench's in my area charge a min 99$ diagnostic fee for items left at the bench and to come to your house, the last time I checked, it could cost $99 for the trip, $70 per hour and what ever the parts cost. Basically a simple restore because of a virus could run up around 600$ or more.

As for you Geeks out there, that built your own machines and would never take it to Geek Squad. I say good for you, neither would I! Why would I let anyone else work on my machine that I built from the ground up. Thats not what I believe our purpose is. Keep in mind though there are those individuals out there with computers that don't understand why they should buy an Anti-virus or Spy-ware protection. They have no idea how to remove the viruses or the spyware once their machine is infected. While it may be easy for you to press one button, as I read above, to install Norton av, others may not trust themselves to install it, download the updates and defs and then make sure that it is running correctly. I don't know how many times I've heard someone say "So if I buy this and install it myself, it will remove all the infection in my machine right?".

I know some are shaking their heads, while others are thinking of witty comebacks, but just remember what I said. I like my job can that kid at McDonald's say that?

[Alex Ethridge]

The remark about the 40-year-old Geek Squadder was simply sarcasm and is withdrawn.

I am convinced you are compentent and conscientious; but, from my perspective, you are the exception, not the rule.

I, too, am (semi)retired and do my work for both money and satisfaction. I enjoy a luxury most who do my type of work do not have--the time to choose to do the job right or back off and let someone more capable handle it.

That goes to the heart of the problem with The Geek Squad. I don't know if these guys are under too much pressure, under a time constraint, incompetent or simply don't care. Whatever the problem, I'm guessing from what I've seen, too large a percentage of their jobs would not pass a qualified inspection.

[sglv]

Originally Posted by Alex Ethridge

The remark about the 40-year-old Geek Squadder was simply sarcasm and is withdrawn.

I am convinced you are compentent and conscientious; but, from my perspective, you are the exception, not the rule.

I, too, am (semi)retired and do my work for both money and satisfaction. I enjoy a luxury most who do my type of work do not have--the time to choose to do the job right or back off and let someone more capable handle it.

That goes to the heart of the problem with The Geek Squad. I don't know if these guys are under too much pressure, under a time constraint, incompetent or simply don't care. Whatever the problem, I'm guessing from what I've seen, too large a percentage of their jobs would not pass a qualified inspection.

Unfortunately for the geek squad employee who wrote "no obvious abuse" on our receipt will get fired b/c I'm suing Best Buy under the warranty they sold us. I feel bad for the guy who was honest. We didn't abuse our laptop, my husband takes better care of his laptop than he does of me It will be his livelihood. I have no complaints of the Geek Squad guys, but I sure think Best Buy totally sucks!

[primetime212]

Originally Posted by chamalon

You know I believe you've stirred up a hornets nest here. I'm 40+ and an agent, with I believe more then 20 years of computer tech experience behind me. I actually do the the Geek squad job as a part-time hobby, as my full time career is an E-6 in the US Air Force. I'm A+ certified, 2 Associates degrees and 2 semesters away from a BA in computer science. I get great satisfaction from my time in the Geek Squad at Best Buy especially when I can send someone home with a fine tuned machine and a small bill.

As was said before we don't work for commission, I actually enjoy trying to find ways to save the costumer's money. For instance, if it is a quick fix, I'll normally just do it and hand the machine back to the client as fixed and not charge them a thing.

I to am sorry that some have had a bad experience with their local Geek Squad, but the actions of one or two incompetent agents should not out way the good the rest of us are trying to do.

As for price, go anywhere else and ask about their prices and you'll find that in most cases Geek Squad will actually be less. For example most tech bench's in my area charge a min 99$ diagnostic fee for items left at the bench and to come to your house, the last time I checked, it could cost $99 for the trip, $70 per hour and what ever the parts cost. Basically a simple restore because of a virus could run up around 600$ or more.

As for you Geeks out there, that built your own machines and would never take it to Geek Squad. I say good for you, neither would I! Why would I let anyone else work on my machine that I built from the ground up. Thats not what I believe our purpose is. Keep in mind though there are those individuals out there with computers that don't understand why they should buy an Anti-virus or Spy-ware protection. They have no idea how to remove the viruses or the spyware once their machine is infected. While it may be easy for you to press one button, as I read above, to install Norton av, others may not trust themselves to install it, download the updates and defs and then make sure that it is running correctly. I don't know how many times I've heard someone say "So if I buy this and install it myself, it will remove all the infection in my machine right?".

I know some are shaking their heads, while others are thinking of witty comebacks, but just remember what I said. I like my job can that kid at McDonald's say that?

BA in computer science ?? I thought it was a BS

[chamalon]

You got me there, my finger hit the "a" key when it should have hit the "s" key, right next to it. This comes from typing at midnite.

[RedHelix]

Originally Posted by sglv

Unfortunately for the geek squad employee who wrote "no obvious abuse" on our receipt will get fired b/c I'm suing Best Buy under the warranty they sold us. I feel bad for the guy who was honest. We didn't abuse our laptop, my husband takes better care of his laptop than he does of me It will be his livelihood. I have no complaints of the Geek Squad guys, but I sure think Best Buy totally sucks!

You've hit the nail directly on the head. I'm also a technician for Geek Squad, and I work in a BestBuy precinct. Obviously I can't speak for all GS agents across the continent, but the general attitude is that we want to help you and charge you as little money as possible in getting your PC fixed, turned around and out the door. Unfortunately, being owned and run by Best Buy prevents us from fully applying that attitude to our jobs. We have numbers that we have to meet if we want to keep our jobs. If we're not proving our cost-effectiveness in the store, we lose technicians. It's really as terribly simple as that.

Probably the worst sight I usually see is some poor customer, with no PSP or warranty, whose computer has had a hardware failure we cannot fix in-store. Motherboards, usually. I would like nothing more than to tell this person "hey, I could fix this thing in and hour for less than two hundred bucks. I'll even buy the board for you." I would be fired for conflict of interest. Instead, it gets shipped out to a service center for two weeks where they usually charge almost a grand for the repair. I'm also sorely disappointed that BestBuy does not allow us to order the parts we need for very easy fixes. If your 80GB laptop hard drive dies and your warranty entitles you to a replacement, we can swap it out and restore the OS in an hour. However... if we don't have a hard drive of the same capacity in-store, then it's shipped out. Two weeks of waiting instead of grabbing lunch while you wait for us to fix it... it's a shame, really.


Now, concerning the technical competency of GS technicians: Geek Squad does not require certification in anything. Best Buy will pay for the A+ exam if you choose to take it, but that's about it. One misconception though, is that our services are limited to PCs. We also handle digital cameras, TVs and home theater equipment, mp3 players (read: iPods) and some bestbuy appliances. If you've had bad experiences with GS in the past, the best I can do is apologize for the occasional bad apple. I won't lie: There are some agents out there who have no idea what they're doing. Some of them are just gamers who thought installing a video card = technical competency. The rest of us, who are extremely competent technicians, try our best to catch their mistakes and keep things running smoothly.

[gyrgrls]

Originally Posted by RedHelix

We have numbers that we have to meet if we want to keep our jobs. If we're not proving our cost-effectiveness in the store, we lose technicians. It's really as terribly simple as that.

There's a term we use for that business model in gardening/landscaping:
"Blow and go".

[dr911]

Hi All,
GEEK SQUAD...pppplease !!!!

Here's what they chargeon-site)

Wireless Network Setup:$159.00
Add a Device to an Existing Network:$129.00
Broadband Service : $159.00
Media Center® plus Network Setup : $229.00
Broadband Phone Added to Existing Network : $129.00
Dial-up Service: $129.00
Online Console Gaming Setup
Get your game on. A Geek Squad Agent will hook your XBox or PS2 system up with everything you need to play online : $159.00
Broadband Phone Wiring Conversion
Take advantage of broadband phone service through the existing phone jacks in your home. : $129.00
All the above is from their web site.
Come on ppl....$159.00 to hook up a x-box.

The have a money-making business gong tho.
I won't use them.
Just my point of view.

Thinking to myself....maybe I ought to go into that kind of business !!!

Take care,
dr911

[Alex Ethridge]

The person who does this work has to maintain a listing in one or more telephone directories, maintain a shop and storage space, pay for insurance on vehicle(s) and in some cases, be bonded, pay for a stock of parts and software and suffer the losses when those parts and software go stale (outdated), keep books, pay quarterly taxes, self employment tax, make books available to every local and federal agency that has authority to examine them, keep track of taxes he owes every city in which he does busuness, every county and for the state, not to mention federal taxes and licenses for every city and county. Oh, and don't forget gasoline and maintenence on the vehicle(s).

By all means, jump right in.

[Smety]

No offense Alex, you have some good excuses, but that's total BS, those prices are way too high.

[JStergis]

Originally Posted by RedHelix

the best I can do is apologize for the occasional bad apple. I won't lie: There are some agents out there who have no idea what they're doing. Some of them are just gamers who thought installing a video card = technical competency. The rest of us, who are extremely competent technicians, try our best to catch their mistakes and keep things running smoothly.

From what I have seen it looks like they are better out of the store, such as in training semenars, etc. Maybe as not to be caught for not prooving 'cost effectiveness'. Maybe that explains the advice some have given to buy some things that are unreasonably expensive and over-powered for the customer's use. Too bad you couldn't break away from best buy, eh? Anyway, many seem to think that one bad apple spoils the bunch, but in this case, I think lots are in for the money, and know nothing. However, there seem to be a few like you that care about the customer and work your hardest. Unfortunately, it seems like more of the 'I don't care' type in my area.

[JStergis]

Originally Posted by Skivvywaver

I have been fixing my own stuff forever. I have never, ever paid for a PC repair.

So have I, so I am speaking from other's experience.

Originally Posted by Skivvywaver

In the beginning I screwed up a few things.

So have we all...my worst was probably frying a PSU. I was playing with the unmarked jumper settings trying to get it to pick up the second HDD, but never unplugged it since I was switching it so much. A spark and it was blown. New one would have been 80$(specialized) but I sort of hacked it to take another. Looks like a monster now, well, actually, then. It has shot its 10 year old MoBo since then (Its own fault), so I got another, no sense replacing something that old. I haven't messed up anything since then, though. (Well, there was that time... )

J.S.

[primetime212]

Originally Posted by dr911

Hi All,
GEEK SQUAD...pppplease !!!!

Here's what they chargeon-site)

Wireless Network Setup:$159.00
Add a Device to an Existing Network:$129.00
Broadband Service : $159.00
Media Center® plus Network Setup : $229.00
Broadband Phone Added to Existing Network : $129.00
Dial-up Service: $129.00
Online Console Gaming Setup
Get your game on. A Geek Squad Agent will hook your XBox or PS2 system up with everything you need to play online : $159.00
Broadband Phone Wiring Conversion
Take advantage of broadband phone service through the existing phone jacks in your home. : $129.00
All the above is from their web site.
Come on ppl....$159.00 to hook up a x-box.

The have a money-making business gong tho.
I won't use them.
Just my point of view.

Thinking to myself....maybe I ought to go into that kind of business !!!

Take care,
dr911

I guess its hard to plug in a cable into your XBox port..then follow the directions on screen..maybe for illiterate folks

[primetime212]

Originally Posted by Alex Ethridge

The person who does this work has to maintain a listing in one or more telephone directories, maintain a shop and storage space, pay for insurance on vehicle(s) and in some cases, be bonded, pay for a stock of parts and software and suffer the losses when those parts and software go stale (outdated), keep books, pay quarterly taxes, self employment tax, make books available to every local and federal agency that has authority to examine them, keep track of taxes he owes every city in which he does busuness, every county and for the state, not to mention federal taxes and licenses for every city and county. Oh, and don't forget gasoline and maintenence on the vehicle(s).

By all means, jump right in.

sure but you'll till make $80,000 + when its all said and done