Best Buy review: Will not answer their phone! 32

After trying 12 (yes, twelve) different stores I finally called an in-store Geek Squad in frustration, to see if one of those guys could manually grab a BestBuy employee and put him on the line to a answer a simple question about stock... Geek Squad didn't pick up either, which ###ing amazed me, because how do they get jobs if they don't pick up their phone?

BestBuy does blow. They move into a small town, drop their prices so low that after a year or so they run all the competing stores out of business... then when they're the only game in town they list everything at retail or above...

stop crying... your probably the same customer that when you come into the store, and an associate is on the phone, you complain that no one will help you... best buy is usually busy and most employees are assisting people who actually come into the store... so either stop crying or use the website cause that shows which stores stock certain items...

And obviously best buy is the big bad guy... sorry we drove circuit city out of business, along with tweeter...

Obviously their priority is the customers in the store. If you were shopping in the store and the associates kept walking away from you to answer the phone you would be enraged. Stop whining and check online to see if they have the item you are looking for...

Billy Billy,

I do believe the big bad business moving into small tones and screwing other companies, smaller local businesses, under is called Walmart, the evil empire. There are full documentaries available via google free of cost for you to enlighten and educate yourself.

The only person that needs to stop crying is the [censored] BestBuy employee who complains about having to help the customer. It's funny how BestBuy spends millions on running commercials to tell the public they can call in with any questions they have. Here's a novel concept...ditch the minimum wage idiots and spend those dollars on employees who give a ###. If you don't want to answer the phone...find another job ###. Otherwise remember where not answering the phone got Circuit City. Please boycott any BestBuy that does not answer the phone. There are many more places out there that will actually want and appreciate your business. And oh yeah...they answer their phones. If you do go into the store, bombard your sales person with product questions for fun. You will get a clear perspective on just how stupid they really are.

I have called 6 stores today to query about an item in stock... I let the phone ring at least 2 minutes at each store several times each. NOBODY answers the phone. I will take my business elsewhere.

Ha! Here it is years later and I Google this issue because I can not get them to answer either. Must be a company policy or something. They want you in the store, not on the phone asking questions.

I have worked in retail management for a strong majority of my adult life and can honestly say this: Most customers calling a store need to pass an IQ test. For every 1 person that has a legitimate request (to check if an item is in-stock, etc)... there's 6 more with an idiotic question (Why can't I turn on my tv... sir plug it in...etc).

ANY retailer will tell you the customers that are IN the store are much more valueble than those who are calling in as well. I have never worked at a Best Buy, however whenever I visit the store, it is quite swamped, and every associate is quite occupied with customers who are IN the store ready to BUY.

@Takisis, you mention an IQ test and then you spell the word "valuable" wrong. There is no way to fail an IQ test; it is a bell curve continuum (you would find yourself on the low end). If one in six customers has a legitimate reason to be calling, that is plenty of reason to answer the phone. Just hang up on the other five. You mention working in retail management as though it is like saying you are a graduate of Yale. Most retail managers are NOT renown for their intellects, but rather being corporate shills and brown-nosers.

Ok so i dont understand why a huge multi national company like bestbuy would not have staff available to answer calls. I bought a tv in store, they said they didnt have one in stock and to pick up at the distribution center the following day. I left work at 3pm and called them to go pick it up. Apparently they close at 1pm which makes no sense because if customer pickups at distribution centers close at 1pm, Which customer after spending his hard earned money to buy from your store and to pick up would have to leave the same work that he earns the living from to pick up an item for 1pm. I went back to the store and told them there was no way i could leave my job to pick it up. Store claims they have one available and they will ship it to me the following day. at 4pm to 8pm. i stayed home nothing arrived and no phone call. the store is 20km from me. So obviously i have to call and no one answers. so all you smart d****sses who think there isnt a point in calling wait till you are in a similar predicament.

Wow! I googled this question after waiting for 20 minutes on Hold. Amazing that the same thing has been going on since 2007! I wonder why they even have a phone? Why not just say what so many here say, "we're taking care of customers, so if you want to talk to someone, come to the store...we're not taking calls..."

I strongly disagree with all the complaints. Here's why.

I think I know the reason why Best Buy will not answer the phone. It might be possible that the phone may only be answered for incoming calls from commercial customers (i.e. manufacturer/distributor, UPS, Canada Post, etc.). Plenty of companies may have that policy. If Best Buy answers every phone call, in-store traffic would likely drop. That rule may be company policy.

I Had the same experience on 12/22/2016. I called many times throughout the day, and got no answer or courtesy message to say as to why they're not answering their phone. The store is about a half hour away from me so I was simply calling to see if they had an item in stock, and have a couple questions answered so I could come purchase it. It doesn't make sense for me to waste my gas, and time to drive down there if they don't have what I want. Yes, I know I can check stock online but it is often wrong. and I also wouldn't of had my additional questions answered. Bottom line is this is not good customer service and is actually going to cost them customers, and potential sales.

For those that don't agree (including a few butthurt employees who were b####ing for people to just come down to the store) I've read your arguments and your logic is severely flawed, and it shows that you lack any obvious business sense. Here's why...
Even if Best Buy had to hire someone at Minimum wage to answer the phones during their busiest hours it would actually pay off in the end.For example minimum wage here in Ontario is $11.25 an hour. If an employee came in for an 8 hour shift to answer the phones during Best Buys busiest times. It would only cost them $90.00 per day for this employee. When you factor in the amount of lost customers, and sales due to not answering the phones it would far out weigh not having that employee. I'm a perfect example of this. I ended up buying $800.00 TV online and am having it shipped to my house. Had they answered the phone and answered my questions, they would of had the sale. I can promise you the markup would of exceeded the $90.00 that they would of payed the employee for that day, and they would of likely still made a few dollars profit on top of that. But heck lets just say they broke even...I'm ONE customer. In the course of a day they're probably upsetting and losing several customers/sales. Especially during the holidays. So imagine if they had answered all these calls. Their profits would actually increase and their reputation would remain intact. Reputation is a big deal in business. You've got to also factor in the people that didn't have the calls answered like myself are now going to say "screw Bestbuy" and take our future business elseware as well. So not only did they lose one potential sale but now they've lost a lifetime of sales as myself, and other customers would of likely been repeat customers bringing them revenue year after year.

Hopefully this clears it up as to why its important for a business to answer their phones, and how it not only makes logical sense but actual financial/business sense as well.

Ugh. Dealing with the same thing on 4/10/2017. Best Buy sold me $4000 in home entertainment hardware and failed to deliver one of the items due to running out of stock. Sure, no problem. But the problem comes when I'm desperately trying to call a Best Buy to verify they have the stock now so I can pick up the item I ALREADY PAID FOR and no one answers the bloody phone. Been holding for 20 minutes so far listening to this absurd juvenile hold music which dips out every 30-35 seconds making you think someone is picking up but then no one does. This is borderline criminal behavior along the lines of stealing. Since my payment was made 2 weeks ago, I am owed 2 weeks worth of interest for loaning Best Buy my money. Wouldn't care if they would ANSWER THE G**D*** PHONE. Another 5 minutes, and I'll be calling a lawyer.

And if some snot nosed Best Buy flunky dares to insult me and tell me to go to the store (only to find out they likely don't have my item still), I'll be happy to send you an invoice for my next tank of gas.

Objectively, Best Buy sucks at answering phones. I tried 3 different stores, 5 times each and still have not reached a human. One time someone picked up and hung up but that was as close as I got. I have been trying for 3 hours (work related issue, that is the only reason) and now I have given up. It's bad.I'm not mad, it is what it is, but, it is true, Best Buy should just not list a phone number.

Waited on hold for 18 minutes to find they are out of stock of all the products I need. I guarantee you the employees were just shooting the [censored] as they always are when I walk in.

I get it, I worked retail for 3 years like millions of others have, its boring hard and under paid sometimes you chat with friends when it's slow. Just pickup the phone, don't think you are the first or last to do this kind of work, get over yourselves and do your job or your going to be stuck there forever.

2019 and it’s still a problem been calling the the store since Monday and have not been able to get ahold of them.

I called the store and just let the phone ring for 30 minutes and James answered the phone and sounded like I interrupted his nap. Very rude and was annoyed that I asked questions about the products. He told me to go online if I had questions . I told him that I wanted to buy some televisions and he just told me to come to the store or go online it I had questions. I asked about recycling TV and he said I had to call and make an appointment. I asked for a manager and he said that there was not one for the store.

I think the stores are told NOT to answer to get/force people to come into the store

I called best buy and got recorded message today June 2 2021 the recording said 'THIS STORE IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING PHONE CALLS, GOOD BYE!" Wow! i could not believe it a business does not take cusotmer calls, guess what best buy i no longer will be your customer i terminated my geek squad memebership today! Ridiculous! i got ahold of national best buy and they confirmed that the store will not take phone calls, blamed it on the pandemic but i see here it is an ongoing problem. Good By best buy you will got the way of circuit city BANKRUPT!

I called best buy and got recorded message today June 2 2021 the recording said 'THIS STORE IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING PHONE CALLS, GOOD BYE!" Wow! i could not believe it a business does not take cusotmer calls, guess what best buy i no longer will be your customer i terminated my geek squad memebership today! Ridiculous! i got ahold of national best buy and they confirmed that the store will not take phone calls, blamed it on the pandemic but i see here it is an ongoing problem. Good By best buy you will got the way of circuit city BANKRUPT!

As of July 20, 2021, Best Buy is not answering their phones. It's frustrating for sure, but I imagine it has something to do with not being able to hire enough people...like so many businesses right now. I hope we see an improvement after the end of September, when the extra Unemployment Insurance runs out.

I've been a dedicated Best Buy customer for so many years I can't accurately calculate. But I DO know it is more than fifteen years and has been from three different states as I've moved across this country. PLUS I am an Elite Customer (whatever that means) plus their program for in home service whenever needed - AND IT AINT CHEAP. SADLY those "upgrades" - for which I pay a small fortune, -don't provide me any better service than a person who is first time shopping Best Buy. I can assure anyone reading this that I will NEVER shop Best Buy again. It is easier and less time consuming to drive to the nearest store and spend hours trying to get service there IN PERSON. Does this mean ANYTHING to Best Buy? Hell NO. I'm done. If Best Buy happens to see this and wants to speak personally with me, don't bother. Done means DONE. Just like with boyfriends, lovers or husbands, when I'm done, stick a fork in me because I'm overdone and dried up with a well browned exterior that you WILL never penetrate. Bye, Bye BB

I have been calling Best Buy in Flag Staff Arizona for 3 consecutive days. I have waited 3 times more than the estimated time and they still don't take my calls. I have left my phone several times for a call back. They don't call back. The one time they did call back they hung-up on me.

Seems like we need to take our business elsewhere.

I was told today by someone who picked up my call the Best Buy will never be taking calls anymore. I’m afraid we are outsourced to other countries assisting in what you need. They are not the only company that is doing this! I’m an American who needs our COUNTRY BACK! Put Americans back to work, answering calls, problems, etc. so sorry to report, but I couldn’t keep my mouth shut over the frustrations about this.

Texas Too!