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Best Buy Apple Employees suggesting Windows?

C

chrismac00

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 17, 2007
598
2
I recently went to a Best Buy. They have like an Apple section and separate employees. The "Apple" employee walked up to me and asked me and said "What are you interested in today? I said a MacBook. They responded. "I don't think you want a Mac. They aren't as great as a PC."

I got really mad. And asked why?

But then in the middle of his explanation, which I was not listening to I just said, "I came here for a MacBook. Can I please get one"

I walked out with a MacBook, just the one I wanted.

Can they do this??? Is there any place to report this?

I'm sorry if this isn't the right area to post. :D
 
Did they also push the extended warranty on you? I've always hated best buy since I bought a TV there and when we didn't get the warranty, they acted like total jerks going, "alright, don't come crying to us if it breaks."
 
So why did you reward Best Buy and the employe by purchasing a MacBook there??? I vote with my money and buy things at places I think need rewarding!
 
You can report them to the store manager. They probably get better spiffs for selling other computers, but they are not supposed to disparage any products.
 
Its just the opinion of that salesperson.

The Best Buy in Austin I went
to was very pro Mac, although I knew a few more details about the Macs than he did. But I know all the little stuff that is mostly not necessary to sell
a Mac.
 
Interesting. This isn't true for all Best Buys, but a lot of them that do have an Apple Section, have people who work for APPLE NOT BESTBUY working in those sections.
 
IJ Reilly said:
You can report them to the store manager. They probably get better spiffs for selling other computers, but they are not supposed to disparage any products.
Click to expand...

Best Buy employees are not on commission.

We have to look at both sides of the issue - it would be equally wrong for an employee in the "PC" section to tell a customer who is asking for a PC that they should get a Mac...it depends if he asked you questons or not. If I worked at best buy as an apple employee and after talking with a customer I realized he constantly needs to run windows programs, play games all the time, etc., I'd do the same...but it sounds like he didn't do any of that.
Probably just one of the many (but fewer these days) mac-haters.
 
chrismac00 said:
I recently went to a Best Buy. They have like an Apple section and separate employees. The "Apple" employee walked up to me and asked me and said "What are you interested in today? I said a MacBook. They responded. "I don't think you want a Mac. They aren't as great as a PC."

I got really mad. And asked why?

But then in the middle of his explanation, which I was not listening to I just said, "I came here for a MacBook. Can I please get one"

I walked out with a MacBook, just the one I wanted.

Can they do this??? Is there any place to report this?

I'm sorry if this isn't the right area to post. :D
Click to expand...

Was this the Apple Employee who is placed in charge of that Best Buys Apple Shop or this the Best Buy Employee Apple Expert? Also which store was it? If he said it exactly as you say he did then not matter who it is it obviously was someone not doing there job. If he asked you questions and then suggested that then he did his job. I am curious as to what employee it was though.

Kevin :apple:
 
queshy said:
Best Buy employees are not on commission.
Click to expand...

He never said they were on commission- a spiff is a different thing...it is used to push certain merchandise! Just like they get more moeny for selling extended warranties. spiffs can be used for specific electronic models, brands or even categories such as PC's. given that PC sales are down I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a spiff on PC's right now- or at least some brands or many models.
 
flyfish29 said:
He never said they were on commission- a spiff is a different thing...it is used to push certain merchandise! Just like they get more moeny for selling extended warranties. spiffs can be used for specific electronic models, brands or even categories such as PC's. given that PC sales are down I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a spiff on PC's right now- or at least some brands or many models.
Click to expand...

Thanks for picking up on the distinction. This was a huge problem five and more years ago -- salespeople routinely drove customers away from Apple products because they got spiffs for selling competing products. It's one of the main reasons why Apple started a chain of company stores.
 
This was at a Best Buy store in Manassas,VA.
I'm pretty sure it was someone who only sold Macs because he was at that section.

BTW, I went again last weekend "to browse"
and it wasn't the same employee but all I heard was "Don't get the MacBook Air, it has no CD drive. Check this one."
I don't know if it was a Mac, but it most likely was a PC.

I really just hate the people that hate Mac. Why I ask myself. I never disliked Windows. I use both, but Mac for me is way better.

I don't know whether to let this issue be or report it. I don't know. :confused:
 
It's simple really...

BestBuy is partnered with Geek Squad.

Geek Squad troubleshoots/repairs PCs.

The more money crappy PCs Best Buy can sell, the more both them and Geek Squad will stand to make.

Increase in company revenue may mean more wages for company employees.

;)

I hate when people talk out their @$$! Even though it may be the truth, I never tell people they should switch to Mac OS X from Windows "because its better." What's right for one person isn't the same for everybody else.
 
flyfish29 said:
He never said they were on commission- a spiff is a different thing...it is used to push certain merchandise! Just like they get more moeny for selling extended warranties. spiffs can be used for specific electronic models, brands or even categories such as PC's. given that PC sales are down I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a spiff on PC's right now- or at least some brands or many models.
Click to expand...

I work at Future Shop, BB's sister company in Canada, and the computer salesmen there are on commission. What we refer to as a "spiff" is "extra" commission for selling certain models. I.e. for one week only for some reason, a certain brand may be "spiffed". AFAIK BB does not give spiffs...they care the most about the warranty.
 
I've heard a bestbuy employee suggesting windows for someone but the customer wanted a macbook air and he needed a lot more power than what the air could provide. The situation you are talking about sounds like another story though and it's probably some dumb employee who loves PC's and can't stand macs. They aren't the brightest at bestbuy, I prefer the apple store.
 
salesmen will tell you just about anything to get the sale...even at best buy...do your research beforehand (and it looks like you did). Don't make any "decisions" in the store.
 
On the other hand, I just got a BlackBook $1350 this past weekend from Best Buy. I told the Apple rep I wanted the 2.4 white one and he said, "Would you be interested in a black one for $50 more?". It was an open box discount. I thought that was pretty damn cool. And yes- it's the new 2.4 Penryn.
 
best buy sucks.

i have a $90 credit their and i have purchased 3 things and returned them all.

every time i see something i need i look on the internet and its an 1/8 of the price

there only firewire cable was $50 (yes 50.00)
newegg, $1.99 and it was longer


edit
one day i saw the apple store guy (at best buy) getting trained by some jackhole and his iphone.

he was saying something totally out of his ass about parallels or bootcamp (something along those lines) and i corrected him and he then totally blew me off but then apple trainee did what i said and it worked.

the trainer didn't say a word.
 
Go to customer service (or check online) and ask for a customer feedback form if you want them to have the ability to improve their service. Management can't fix what they don't know is wrong (assuming their any good).

I never go into a retail store without knowing exactly what I want (good for you on that one). Employees generally can't tell you much about a specific product because 1) usually they don't care enough 2) humans are opinionated and 3) it's impossible for them to know a lot about each product they sell when they have 500 products in their department.
 
I bought both of my Macs at BestBuy.

The first was my MBP last summer before the Apple stores were set up. The person who got my MBP out of the display case had no knowledge of Macs and he said no other employees there did either.

I bought my iMac there three weeks ago and the Apple rep there was very knowledgeable. I told him I was finished with PCs and he said the best thing to happen to Apple was Windows Vista. I agreed and paid for my iMac.
 
Typically the guy who is selling the Macs is an Apple employee. Doesn't sound like you talked to that guy. I wouldn't make an issue of it. Consider the soure right?

The guy at the Plano, TX Best Buy is really good BTW. Knows his stuff.:apple:
 
hexonxonx said:
I bought my iMac there three weeks ago and the Apple rep there was very knowledgeable. I told him I was finished with PCs and he said the best thing to happen to Apple was Windows Vista. I agreed and paid for my iMac.
Click to expand...

haha.. in your face bill gates. o wait, he owns a ton of apple stock.
 
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