Best Buy’s Geek Squad Gets Extended-Service Program

This is just another \"gotcha capitalism\" gimmick to get revenue without concern for customer satisfaction. I put my BBY warranty to the test when my big brand name digital camera failed. The first repair was done improperly the first time but properly repaired the second time. Soon thereafter, a third (different) malfunction occurred and the camera\'\'s back at BBY. Each repair takes at least two weeks, so I lost 6 weeks of summer vacation pictures. They tell me that only after a fourth failed repair will they replace the unit. Do they really expect their customers to be satisfied with such treatment? Has anybody at BBY calculated the replace vs. repair costs in terms of dollars and customer satisfaction? If a particular product has design weaknesses making it prone to failure (as I suspect in my case), then shouldn\'\'t someone at BBY be addressing this with the manufacturer? Had BBY any serious competition, the \"assassin\" multiplier effect described by J.D. Power in his book Satisfaction would be chasing away customers like mad. As long as no CE competitor takes customer satisfaction seriously (none I know do except Apple retail), BBY will continue to frustrate customers by default. Retailers who want extended warranty profits but want someone else, like a 3rd party warranty company, to handle fulfillment, will find typical poor fulfillment only backfires, because customers perceive the responsibility for their satisfaction to be with the party that sold them the program.

This is just another "gotcha capitalism" gimmick to get revenue without
concern for customer satisfaction. I put my BBY warranty to the test
when my big brand name digital camera failed. The first repair was
done improperly the first time but properly repaired the second time.
Soon thereafter, a third (different) malfunction occurred and the
camera''s back at BBY. Each repair takes at least two weeks, so I lost 6
weeks of summer vacation pictures.

They tell me that only after a fourth failed repair will they replace the
unit. Do they really expect their customers to be satisfied with such
treatment? Has anybody at BBY calculated the replace vs. repair costs
in terms of dollars and customer satisfaction? If a particular product
has design weaknesses making it prone to failure (as I suspect in my
case), then shouldn''t someone at BBY be addressing this with the
manufacturer?

Had BBY any serious competition, the "assassin" multiplier effect
described by J.D. Power in his book Satisfaction would be chasing away
customers like mad. As long as no CE competitor takes customer
satisfaction seriously (none I know do except Apple retail), BBY will
continue to frustrate customers by default.

Retailers who want extended warranty profits but want someone else,
like a 3rd party warranty company, to handle fulfillment, will find
typical poor fulfillment only backfires, because customers perceive the
responsibility for their satisfaction to be with the party that sold them
the program.

Changing the extended warranty plan name to Geek Squad Black Tie Protection is a marvelous way to personalize an intangible product. Hats off to Best Buy for this innovative concept. Reggie Johnson, Author, \"Secrets of Selling Extended Service Contracts\"

Changing the extended warranty plan name to Geek Squad Black Tie Protection is a marvelous way to personalize an intangible product. Hats off to Best Buy for this innovative concept. Reggie Johnson, Author, "Secrets of Selling Extended Service Contracts"