[Alex Ethridge]

I am in the on-site service and support business and I have gone behind enough of the Geek Squad's work now that I feel I am qualified to make an assessment of their competence--or rather lack of.

Over the last three months, I've had opportunity to check out about ten or more wireless network setups done by the Geek Squad. I find that in all cases there was not one which had any form of security. All were open and unsecured. In all cases, the default name for the wireless device was left at the manufacturer's default and not one even had the default password changed.

The worst case I saw was today's late afternoon service call that ran on to about 8:30 PM. The Geek Squad had set up three wireless networks. One in the home I visited, one directly across the street and one just next door. All were done over a period of about six weeks. The customer complained that her wireless would just come and go at will. I discovered the Geek Squad had her connecting to the internet through the next door neighbor's computer and, in addition, all of the other conditions existed as stated in the above paragraph.

So much for the Geek Squad. I guess it just proves that even the near totally incompetent can get plenty of business if they have the advertising dollars behind them. I wonder how many identity thefts they are responsible for.

[Colossus610]

I would have to punch my card in favor of the "Incompetent" party.
I also work in the customer service industry by co-managing a small family-run computer-repair/new system etc etc business, been in the area for going on 23 years strong now.
We have had an ever-increasing number of customers come in with their systems complaining on Geek Squad's ineptitude and their poor handling of mistakes or customer complaints.
And at the Best Buy closest to me, I personally know one of their "geeks" from high school and DeVry University(dropout). No offense to him, but ahem, he don't know squat.
(We've also had a system or two come in almost straight from Best Buy and when we popped the cd's, lo and behold, what do we have here but certain OS install disks. )

[linskyjack]

You get what you pay for.

[Alex Ethridge]

Not always.

This customer paid well and did not get what he should have gotten.

[heinz57]

Geek squad = CRAP

[brendandonhu]

I had to help the geek squad person at our local Best Buy...she couldn't figure out how to pull the hard drive out of a laptop

[heinz57]

Hahaha, I have best buy's techs call me a lot since I work for a computer manufacturer, you wouldn't believe some of the stuff I get from techs...doh.

Not sure what your intent is, but your link(s) seem very inappropriate!

[coderitr]

Good to know for people like me who do stuff like this on a private much smaller scale. Wow. They actually had her connecting to the internet over her next door neighbor's network. That is amazing. Truly incompetent.

[Alex Ethridge]

Regardless of what more competent services think about The Geek Squad, they are succeeding in getting a lot of undeserved business and souring the public's opinion of this service industry in general.

So, the point is they are ruining the reputations of us all simply to satisfy the wants of their stockholders with disregard for the customers who are source of their revenue.

Incompentent, yes.

Successful, yes again.

Damn the customer; just get his money and run.

[heinz57]

Their prices are also outrageous.

I don't even do consulting but I know a rip off when I see one.

[Colossus610]

Originally Posted by Alex Ethridge

Regardless of what more competent services think about The Geek Squad, they are succeeding in getting a lot of undeserved business and souring the public's opinion of this service industry in general.

So, the point is they are ruining the reputations of us all simply to satisfy the wants of their stockholders with disregard for the customers who are source of their revenue.

Incompentent, yes.

Successful, yes again.

Damn the customer; just get his money and run.

well said, well spoken , the sorry direction this country is heading

[jiml8]

JohnWill says it well in his sig: If you think experts are expensive, wait till you see how much amateurs cost you!

[Alex Ethridge]

Amateurs passing themselves off at expert rates--well, if you don't have a conscience, it works very well for you.

[primetime212]

who goes to best buy for their computer problems ??

[Colossus610]

Not me, way over priced for my spoiled blood.
Seriously.


(Plus their site still dont show up right in Firefox.)