Anybody work at BestBuy? ie. My First Job (1 Viewer)

[Van Patton]

I phoned in an application Sunday and today got a call from them that is confirming an interview setup for Friday at 4 PM. I am excited about this new job because they're opening up a store in my area for the first time but I dont know yet what the pay or hours Ill be working will be. I don't want to sound lazy but it's going to piss me off if I have to work on Friday and Saturday nights. Can anybody tell me any storys about working there or experiences you've had as an employee of them? Job interview tips?

 

[JasonD]

Hey Van,
Good luck with the job! However, not to rain on your parade but check out this site: http://www.bestbuysux.org I hope you don't end up on this site.
Once again good luck with your new job!

 

[Chad Isaacs]

I had a job there about 6 years ago.I got put in appliances and my boss was an ex sears appliance manager...we did not get along so I took an extended lunch break.Hope they are not still watching for me.
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[NickSo]

Good luck man...
Damn, i need a job so bad... ohwell, i got $20 for mowing the lawn today...

I dunno many tips, as i dont even have a job yet... damn...
Edit: heres a link to a thread i posted when i got an interview... and the tips these guys and gals gave me: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/uub/...ML/004350.html
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http://www.multimania.com/sonick182/ht/index.html
[Edited last by NickSo on September 03, 2001 at 09:20 PM]

 

[Bill Slack]

My first job was in retail...
After a few days, you'll wonder how some people manage to survive in life. It is truly an exposure to the world!
Get good discounts (~5% above cost on non-commodities) at BestBuy, from what I've been told. So, you can spend your paycheck on a nice new setup.

Good luck!

 

[Eric Scott]

Van!
From what I've heard you have to forget any knowledge you have about HT...just kidding!
I think that if you don't do the best job you can for an employer then it is you that is screwing them. And if you do the best you can, then at the very least you can go home satisfied that you have done the right thing.
I always try to remember that if a job was suppose to be pure pleasure, then it would be called a vacation and you'd have to pay them to be there. A good attitude makes everything simpler.
Good Luck
PS For interview tips check (search) "NickSo" thread here.
[Edited last by Eric Scott on September 03, 2001 at 11:04 PM]

 

[SteveGon]

I don't want to sound lazy but it's going to piss me off if I have to work on Friday and Saturday nights.

Van, I doubt if anyone likes working on the weekend (I don't), but that's just the way it goes. You work the hours that your employer needs you to work. In customer service jobs, this includes weekends. Sure, you can ask not to work on those days, but don't expect a lot of hours if you do. It's all part of growin' up.
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"Death's at the bottom of everything, Martins - leave death to the professionals!"
"Mind if use that line in my next western?"

 

[Tim Hoover]

I wouldn't mind working those types of weekends where you get off at 9 or 10. At my job, every other weekend I work 12-hour shifts Fri, Sat, and Sun from 7pm to 7am. In fact, I just got finished with one this morning!

 

[CRyan]

Well, you will get plenty tired of the MSN rebate and PSP shite they shove down your throat. My wife worked there part time for a while and that was all she heard about. All the time - "Did they get the PSP - what about MSN? Well maybe I can talk them into it." Constantly.
Oh well, every retail position has its drawbacks. I mean they all have some repetitive selling technique that completely blows.
What really sucks is that you actually have to put every customer through the pitch. If you don't, you will be "let-go" evenually.
Anyway, depending on your age, it could be a great place to work and meet people your own age. It could make it quite enjoyable.
You get the normal BS questions during the interview and they will give you at least one speific question about the area you are applying for. My wife worked in HT and they simply asked her to tell them everything she knew about Monster cable. That was it - and you wonder why the sales staff in the HT department knows nothing about HT. My wife surprised everyone in that department the first day out. They were asking her to talk to their customers within the first week. Accessories are another huge aspect of what you will be pushed to sell.
Be ready for the "What makes you qualified to be a part of our team" types of questions as well.
Work-in a few of these things into the interview and you will have the job!
- Let them know you are aware of the profit margins with accessories. They get daily lists of product to accessories sales ratios. It is very important to them.
- Be sure to bring up warranty sales and how important they are. What the benefits are to the consumer. "Hey they even include cleanings - that easily pays for the extra cost of the PSP."
C. Ryan
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[Craig Chatterton]

I dunno many tips, as i dont even have a job yet... damn...

Hey Nick, in that previous thread you linked it seemed like you had the McD's job locked up! So what happened?
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[MikeAlletto]

Hey Nick, in that previous thread you linked it seemed like you had the McD's job locked up! So what happened?

Is there anyway NOT to get a McDonalds job? I mean, judging from who they hired when I worked there, if you can breath you got the job.
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Michael Alletto
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[LDfan]

Hi Van,
I actually just quit working there about a month ago. It's not that bad a place to work P/T which is what I did. You just have to be able to play along with the games and BS.
As mentioned previously you will be asked by every manager if you "hit" on that sale, meaning did you sell them the PSP, MSN, and every accessory imaginable. Try to get a small dept. Stay away from Video, Computers, and Media. Many people like to work those areas but they are constantly busy and are there till 12 or 1 at night trying to clean up. I worked in DI (digital imaging). Very small dept, easy to clean and re-stock.
Other good departments are car-audio and appliances. If you can handle the crap and play along then you can make out like a bandit on high-ticket items with your discount.
Jeff
[Edited last by Jeff Remer on September 04, 2001 at 12:32 PM]

 

[LDfan]

Some interview tips are:
Be very outgoing. The sales manager will probably ask you if you feel comfortable selling PSP (service plans). Tell them yes. Also tell them some crap like you feel a PSP is an added benefit for peace of mind to the customer. Also metion that you know about Monster cable products. That stuff carries such a high-markup they'll love you for even knowing the slightest bit of knowledge.
Hell, even tell them you use MSN at home and how you would be able to explain how MSN could make their lives easy. Play the game and you'll be in the door in no-time.
Jeff

 

[NickSo]

No, i didnt get a call from McD's dammit... i did good and all, like the trainee person i helped up front said i got the hang of it real quick.. maybe they weren't hiring anymore.. maybe i didnt 'smile' enough... damn, ohwell...
I'd love to work for like Bestbuy/Futureshop up here...
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http://www.multimania.com/sonick182/ht/index.html

 

[MickeS]

I don't want to sound lazy but it's going to piss me off if I have to work on Friday and Saturday nights.

Then a job in retail is not for you. You won't work EVERY Friday and Saturday of course, but your schedule will most likely include those times, if they are open.
And if you find that you don't like the job, quit. I have worked several jobs, from retail to manufacturing, and I absolutely hate all those whiners who complain about their job, how they hate it, how they hate their boss, yada yada yada. They bring the moral down and they make the job worse for those of us who happen to like it.
Retail is fun though, you get to meet a lot of mostly very nice customers, and if you treat them nice they'll treat you nice (mostly). If anyone treats you bad (it will happen, no matter how nice you try to be), calm down, stop dealing with them and have them talk to your manager. That will calm them down, and you'll get out of trouble.
/Mike

 

[Clinton McClure]

My first job was at Wal-Mart. I was 18 and thought the hours were horrendous. My schedule was the same every week:
Thursday: 5PM - close
Friday: 5PM - close
Saturday:7AM - 11AM, 5PM - close
Sunday: 7AM - 11AM, 5PM - close
The store would close at 9, but rarely did we get to leave before 10:30 or 11, because we had to do "zoning" which was nothing more than straightening up the shelves in all departments. However, the store I worked at was a supercenter and only ran a skeleton crew at night so it took quite a while to do this every night.
I wanted full time, but all they would give me was 24 hours per week. At the time, I thought it sucked pretty bad, but I stuck with it for 6 months until I landed a 40 hour job in manufacturing making 3x the pay.
When you're new to a job, the employer is usually going to give you the crappy hours, because those are the ones no one wants to work and they have trouble keeping people there during those hours. In my case at Wal-Mart, the entire evening crew was teenagers and would quit at the drop of a hat if they couldn't be off Friday and Saturday nights.
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[Jay H]

Hey, I just came back from best buys but since you can't buy a PSP for a CD, I didn't get hounded...
My first job was kind of cool, a dishwasher in a local Chinese Restaurant.. paid under the table and then I became a stock boy in the local Asian grocery store next door... Two kind of fun jobs.. The dishwasher job was either very busy or very boring.. But not being the bored type, my job when I wasn't washing dishes and this wasn't because they told me to do so, just that I like to keep busy was killing flies!! I would walk around with a fly swatter and kill flies, anything that would move with more legs than I, I'd kill.
Doing stock was kind of fun too, both jobs didn't have to deal with customers and you can have your own stocking system... and you can hang with all the delivery people and get free stuff. By far, the Coke guy was way more cooler than the Pepsi guy, I got alot of free Coke shirts and stuff, while the Pepsi guy wasn't offering jack. Not his fault, the guy was cool, just that Pepsi wasn't.
Jay
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[John Thomas]

Hook me up with some rebate-action, man.
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[Luis S]

Sorry guys , but I have to ask...John T.,Who is that under your your sig???Wow!

Thanks,
Luis S
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[Adam Tyner]

Luis: That's Christina Ricci
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