So we’re browsing around Best Buy yesterday and I see this 17″ Gateway machine that is on sale for $699. Jonna has needed a new machine for a while. The one she is using is one I bought her for her birthday about 4-5 years ago. Its a little slow, the screen is small, and the CDROM drive is on the blink, making it hard to rip music from CD to her MP3 player.
As we’re looking around, a young kid named Curt asks us if he can help us. We tell him we are just browsing, and he follows up with “if you need anything, my name is Curt, just yell if I can help you”. We nod in the affirmative and continue browsing.
There was quite a bit of debating back and forth. I was adamant that Jonna needed her own machine, that was just hers and not shared with the kids, and that actually was a little more up to date. She didn’t want to drop the money – even knowing it was on sale (a clincher for Jonna when things are in the low 2 figure ranges) wasn’t working.
So we left. We walked around the strip mall in McHenry, and I continued to persist that I wanted to get her this laptop. Finally, she relented and we walked back into the store.
I looked for Curt. He told us to grab him if we needed something. I like to grab the first person that talks to us when I have made a buying decision, so that they get credit or whatever for the sale. After about 5 minutes, I spot him across the store. I walk over to him and ask “So, do you want to sell me a laptop?”
His response floored me. It was, literally, “I don’t know, do I?”
Now, I’ve read a lot of sales books. I think the answer to this question should be “YES”. But, I guess he’s a kid and he doesn’t know any better, so I answer the question for him in the affirmative – “I think you do”.
We take him over to the laptop and I say “I want this one”. I’m one of those guys who doesn’t like a lot of cruft in the sales process. If I know what I want, you should give it to me with as little hassle as possible. Let me spend the money I’ve decided to spend, without a long conversation.
He starts to ask us what we are using it for. “School?” “No.” “Do you need MS Office”? “No, I need a laptop”. I think you can imagine how long this went on.
He disappears for a while after asking me to fill out a form. This is the first time I’ve ever been asked to fill out a form to buy a computer, but I comply. He’s gone for like, 10 minutes. He comes back and tells us that the store is out of these sale laptops, but there are 5 in Vernon Hills and other various locations. I ask him if they can reserve the inventory in the other stores, he says they can’t. Period. I guess we’re not buying a laptop. We begin to walk out.
I’m shocked that no one wants to work with me and take money that I have decided (and am adamant) to spend.
On our way out I see a guy with a name tag with the title “Customer Experience Manager”. I’ve read about these guys. Best Buy is putting them in all their stores to ensure a good customer experience. I haven’t had one so far, but I decide I’m going to give them another chance.
We go through a much abbreviated discussion with him. We find out the sale ends today, so he goes and gets next weeks flyer to see if there is anything comparable. I mention the inventory in the other stores and ask him if they can call and reserve one of them. He answers in the negative. It doesn’t work like that. We ask if they can have the inventory transferred to this store from the other one. They can, but it takes about 8 days, because the machine would go back to their distribution center and THEN to the McHenry store. I’m ready to just call it quits.
Then this guy brings up an idea. If you order it online for in store pickup, they will pull the inventory and have it waiting for you at the front when you get there. What a great idea! He takes us to their web site on one of their store kiosks, fills the cart for us, and allows me to log in and place the order. We now have the machine ordered (and the inventory reserved) and can go to Vernon Hills to pick it up.
This guy went out of his way to help us and present us with options. He didn’t try to sell us a bajillion options, he was just dealing with our problem. He was also able to think completely outside the box and came up with an idea that would get his customer what they wanted, and keep the money I wanted to spend in his store rather than have me walk out with it. More than that, I felt really good AND HELPED when I walked out to start our trek out to Vernon Hills.
Unfortunately, I don’t have this guys name – yet. I’ll be calling Best Buy today and finding this out, so that I can send a letter commending him for going the extra mile for us. I was very impressed. Not only did he solve my problem, but he did it with much less hassle than Curt did when I walked out with nothing.
So, Customer Experience Manager Guy, great job. Jonna now has a workable laptop and my wallet is a little lighter – and I feel good about my experience at your store.
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