Also, let us think this through. I am an Apple worker and I tell the guy that if he breaks his phone he needs to buy a new one, full retail. Who is to say he is going to come back to me and buy it? That is the only way that salesperson is going to get credit for the sale; if he actually rings the buyer out. I just don't see this specific scenario making sense. The employee, in this case, has a VERY small chance to gain anything by giving out this misinformation.
And, I'm telling you, the Apple guy pretty much refuted that Apple offered a 200 dollar warranty replacement. It happened whether you think it was illogical or not. Maybe he was just mis informed, or maybe he didn't want to lose that warranty sale. Just cause maybe it wasn't a good idea on his part doesn't mean he won't do it. People can be stupid and think only of the short term (sell this warranty, make my manager happy that I sold more). Hell, companies all the time get themselves in trouble by thinking only of short term goals and not how things affect them long term.
They shouldn't be cutting hours for not making the sale. If you are caught not offering the warranty, you will be placed on a performance plan. Whether you sell them or not SHOULD be irrelevant. The great majority of those who are not selling warranties are those that are found not offering them for whatever reason. You only get 1/10 offers even considering it. My fiance works for Best Buy on the corporate level, which is where I get my info by the way.
Doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I've heard several people who work (or worked) at best buy mention that happens.
It's called giving the managers bonus's for making a certain amount of sales. And the managers deciding that to motivate their employees they'll make the hours appear or disappear depending on who is selling the most. It's pretty easy to hide even if there are regulations against it.
I mean you have to prove their motivations for increasing or decreasing hours has to do with warrantys sold. But the employees sure notice that since they didn't meet quota, their hours seemed to magically disappear (to some small amount they can't get by on).
My point wasn't really to argue whether Best Buy does this, but to say that just because some one says they aren't on commission, doesn't mean they aren't pressured in some way to sell that warranty. That there are other ways to apply pressure to sell those warranties. Including job security or even just how many hours you get.
Oh, and your wife works for corporate Best Buy? Well let me just tell her maybe she needs to tell Best Buy they need to stop focusing on short term sales and not pissing people off with bad customer service. I've stopped buying from them from years ago because they pissed me off enough I refuse to give them a dime of my money. And from my experience with them, and from lots of other people's experiences, they seem to focus too much on getting the sale now no matter what and less on retaining customers. At this point it's been long enough that I might give them another chance if they actually claimed that hey, we know we have problems with our customer service and thinking short term and we're changing that and it shows that they really have changed direction. Specially since there are so few brick and mortar stores that sell electronics these days. But until it seems Best Buy has realized their own stupidity and really are working towards having decent to good customer service, I'll avoid them.
