Should I apply for work at Best Buy? (1 Viewer)

[Citizen87645]

I'm predicting a new thread:

"'HTF Members Moonlighting at Best Buy' Support Group"

 

[Citizen87645]

I'm predicting a new thread:

"'HTF Members Moonlighting at Best Buy' Support Group"

 

[CalvinCarr]

I had started a thread last month about this exact subject.

Will work for equipment.

 

[CalvinCarr]

I had started a thread last month about this exact subject.

Will work for equipment.

 

[Philip_G]

it comes up often

I wonder if you can make a living there.. I'm unemployed at the moment and need something, even if temporary.

 

[Philip_G]

it comes up often

I wonder if you can make a living there.. I'm unemployed at the moment and need something, even if temporary.

 

[Ted Lee]

"hi, my name is ted and i'm a part-time bb employee."

ya know, i actually like working there. it's not my primary source of income and they usually only work me anywhere from 4 to 16 hours per week. i'm in the ht department.

i started working there during the last x-mas season. i thought i was only going to work there long enough to buy all my stuff then quit. but...nearly 8 months later i'm still there. why? well, i guess i actually enjoy it.

it's nice being able to talk to customers and actually know what the heck i'm talking about. i will admit that my team is pretty solid technically ... i rarely hear them give bad answers.

as far as management goes, i can't really say. since i'm only part-time i don't think they hammer me like they do the full-timers. i do get the sense that the full-timers are more closely watched...which only makes sense.

just like any other business, bb is there to make money. so i hear a lot of talk about making the sale, etc. and they definitely like to push accessories. i don't know how many people are aware of just how much margin is in accessories. i would estimate, on average, it's about 40 to 60 percent profit.

but ya know ... it makes sense to push the accessories if only to provide the customer with the complete solution. most of the people i talk with don't realize the benefit of a decent interconnect, etc. i had one customer come back and actually thank me for telling him to use the component cable instead of the composite. so, both parties win.

as far as discount goes, i thought it was at cost....but i'm not sure now. it *definitely* depends on the product. if it's fat (high margin) to start with, you can expect a significant discount. i've bought a couple of big-ticket items and saved hundreds on each purchase. but on some i barely save anything. accessories always have a huge savings.

damn, now i'm just rambling. anyway, ask if you have any q's. i can definitely say it's not for everyone, but if you like being around the stuff, don't mind putting up with the occasional annoying customer, and enjoy the retail environment --- give it a shot.

 

[Ted Lee]

"hi, my name is ted and i'm a part-time bb employee."

ya know, i actually like working there. it's not my primary source of income and they usually only work me anywhere from 4 to 16 hours per week. i'm in the ht department.

i started working there during the last x-mas season. i thought i was only going to work there long enough to buy all my stuff then quit. but...nearly 8 months later i'm still there. why? well, i guess i actually enjoy it.

it's nice being able to talk to customers and actually know what the heck i'm talking about. i will admit that my team is pretty solid technically ... i rarely hear them give bad answers.

as far as management goes, i can't really say. since i'm only part-time i don't think they hammer me like they do the full-timers. i do get the sense that the full-timers are more closely watched...which only makes sense.

just like any other business, bb is there to make money. so i hear a lot of talk about making the sale, etc. and they definitely like to push accessories. i don't know how many people are aware of just how much margin is in accessories. i would estimate, on average, it's about 40 to 60 percent profit.

but ya know ... it makes sense to push the accessories if only to provide the customer with the complete solution. most of the people i talk with don't realize the benefit of a decent interconnect, etc. i had one customer come back and actually thank me for telling him to use the component cable instead of the composite. so, both parties win.

as far as discount goes, i thought it was at cost....but i'm not sure now. it *definitely* depends on the product. if it's fat (high margin) to start with, you can expect a significant discount. i've bought a couple of big-ticket items and saved hundreds on each purchase. but on some i barely save anything. accessories always have a huge savings.

damn, now i'm just rambling. anyway, ask if you have any q's. i can definitely say it's not for everyone, but if you like being around the stuff, don't mind putting up with the occasional annoying customer, and enjoy the retail environment --- give it a shot.

 

[Citizen87645]

Thanks for the info Ted. My current job involves a customer service mentality, but my 'customers' are basically my co-workers who aren't always so tech savvy. So I think I would do fine with customers who don't know where to start or are annoyed about something. I'm pretty patient and unflappable most of the time. My deep down, underlying thought is eventually looking into a sales job with an AV equipment supplier but I have basically no experience in sales or retail for that matter. I know they can be pretty different animals, but I figured I should get started somewhere.

 

[Citizen87645]

Thanks for the info Ted. My current job involves a customer service mentality, but my 'customers' are basically my co-workers who aren't always so tech savvy. So I think I would do fine with customers who don't know where to start or are annoyed about something. I'm pretty patient and unflappable most of the time. My deep down, underlying thought is eventually looking into a sales job with an AV equipment supplier but I have basically no experience in sales or retail for that matter. I know they can be pretty different animals, but I figured I should get started somewhere.

 

[Ted Lee]

not a big deal. bb will teach you all sorts of acronyms (CARE, FIRST, etc.) that will remind you of the "bb way". mgmt realizes that everyone has a different "style" to them. as long as you include what they want you to tell the customer, the rest is up to you.

the only hard part with this stuff is getting into the groove. even though i've done a/v retail in the past (cc & gg), i was still nervous when starting at bb. but, after only a very short time, i found my stride. just like any new job, it's just something you have to get used to.

 

[Ted Lee]

not a big deal. bb will teach you all sorts of acronyms (CARE, FIRST, etc.) that will remind you of the "bb way". mgmt realizes that everyone has a different "style" to them. as long as you include what they want you to tell the customer, the rest is up to you.

the only hard part with this stuff is getting into the groove. even though i've done a/v retail in the past (cc & gg), i was still nervous when starting at bb. but, after only a very short time, i found my stride. just like any new job, it's just something you have to get used to.

 

[Justin Lane]

When I worked at Circuit City starting at the holidays it was my first job in retail (all previous job experience was landscaping, construction, engineering/manufacturing), and it did take getting used to a bit. Most of the training they give you at these places as far as product lines goes is useless, and it is up to you personally to learn the ins and out of what you sell. Once you have worked for a little while, you kind of learn a routine and how to deal with different kinds of customers and sell the wares.

My one problem with the big box electronic stores is the lack of commissions for the employees. I was constantly the top seller in my area, yet all I would get is a pat on the back, while others did much less, made the company less money, and got paid at a similar rate. As the saying goes, you can't eat praise. This atmosphere is fine for those who want a part-time type job with little stress or responsibility, but I can't imagine making a living at these places. As far as long term employment, the pay structure and environment breeds mediocrity.

J

 

[Justin Lane]

When I worked at Circuit City starting at the holidays it was my first job in retail (all previous job experience was landscaping, construction, engineering/manufacturing), and it did take getting used to a bit. Most of the training they give you at these places as far as product lines goes is useless, and it is up to you personally to learn the ins and out of what you sell. Once you have worked for a little while, you kind of learn a routine and how to deal with different kinds of customers and sell the wares.

My one problem with the big box electronic stores is the lack of commissions for the employees. I was constantly the top seller in my area, yet all I would get is a pat on the back, while others did much less, made the company less money, and got paid at a similar rate. As the saying goes, you can't eat praise. This atmosphere is fine for those who want a part-time type job with little stress or responsibility, but I can't imagine making a living at these places. As far as long term employment, the pay structure and environment breeds mediocrity.

J

 

[Mike Graham]

Working with the public sucks, but if you need the money and you're interested in the product BB sells, I'd say go for it.

 

[Mike Graham]

Working with the public sucks, but if you need the money and you're interested in the product BB sells, I'd say go for it.

 

[Ted Lee]

very good point...especially for part-timers. however, when i worked ft at cc and gg - they did give me a week-long course in the stuff. but i already knew most of it and ended up helping the teacher out. at bb they just tossed me to the wolves ... but i knew i could handle it. the key is to learn basic concepts, then apply them to the specific product.

 

[Ted Lee]

very good point...especially for part-timers. however, when i worked ft at cc and gg - they did give me a week-long course in the stuff. but i already knew most of it and ended up helping the teacher out. at bb they just tossed me to the wolves ... but i knew i could handle it. the key is to learn basic concepts, then apply them to the specific product.

 

[Justin Lane]

Not sure when you worked at Circuit City, but they have now placed almost every aspect of the training on the computer system with no actual live training aside from a couple of token assesments with the manager (they evaluate you dealing with a customer for about 5 minutes and that is it). Like anything, they can train you until you are blue in the face, but if you have no intrest in the products you are selling, you will little interest beyond reading back the specifications on the box to the customer. This is one of the biggest problems at these stores, but I can't really blame non-motivated employees based on the lowish pay scales and lack of motivation to succeed at your job.

J

 

[Justin Lane]

Not sure when you worked at Circuit City, but they have now placed almost every aspect of the training on the computer system with no actual live training aside from a couple of token assesments with the manager (they evaluate you dealing with a customer for about 5 minutes and that is it). Like anything, they can train you until you are blue in the face, but if you have no intrest in the products you are selling, you will little interest beyond reading back the specifications on the box to the customer. This is one of the biggest problems at these stores, but I can't really blame non-motivated employees based on the lowish pay scales and lack of motivation to succeed at your job.

J