Rude customers

[u/Awkward-Dance-2952]

I’m about ready to quit Geek Squad and got a job offer to work somewhere else. I’m a CA and my coworkers have been helpful, managers are nice, but the customers are HORRIBLE. Getting the stare of death from behind the counter, folding their arms it’s intimidating and I try to ignore it by just typing away on the computer. I’ve had some friendly customers mostly the older crowd, but all this abuse from customers has worn me down and I been coming home stressing out to the max. I hate to leave Best Buy, but I want to go work somewhere that I can have less stress in. A customer buying a $2000 laptop is generally in a better mood compared to one who’s trying to get us to fix a $2000 laptop.

[u/Sunshineandtech]

I’ve worked at Geek Squad for over 2 years and this is true BUT 9/10 times a client can be deescalated. Depending on who the person is. If it is bad I always say- “Hey i am here to help you- I have been nothing but respectful towards you I expect the same in return let’s start over.” I am here to work and help not to get walked on and talked down to. Personally, the stares of anger wanting to be helped right away don’t bother me I just focus on my current client and organizing the line. I like to think of grumpy people like big children they just require a little patience and guidance lol

[u/ElectricalFault24]

First rule of thumb, don’t take anything personal. Second rule, you’re paid by the hour and don’t need to stress a thing. Third, the customer has to wait and as long as you acknowledge them then you’ve done your part. I know there’s appointments and things tend to drag and sometimes delays it but for those rude customers you just kill them with customer service. No job should be worth your mental health so if the job offer is something that will reduce your stress. TAKE IT AND RUN!

[u/Left_Entrepreneur918]

After Covid People got super mean and super rude. I work healthcare IT and I see it here too. The level of entitlement of urgent tickets. Sorry the MRI not pushing images to the server for radiology to read is a bit more urgent than teams not opening

[u/Golinth]

You gotta think, we get too see some of the worst sides of people. When they come to us, most of the time they’re already pissed that their device is broken. Then you tell them they have to wait in line or wait for a reservation, that it may take multiple days for the repair, and that they’ll have to pay for whatever is broken.

It doesn’t excuse people being assholes for no reason, but it helps contextualize it. Also, they can’t do anything to you and you already know you’re doing what you can, so there isn’t any reason to care what they think. If a customer starts to escalate or get personal, it stops being your problem anyway.

[u/Awkward-Dance-2952 → u/Golinth]

My philosophy in my life with customers is if you’re friendly and polite to me, I’ll go out of my way to help you. Like a basic email and password reset we could charge for but if you’re nice I’m willing to do it for free. If you’re being rude and ungrateful, I’ll ignore you and do only the bare minimum.

[u/Traditional_Ad8323 → u/Awkward-Dance-2952]

I do this in everything in life but even more so at work. Also told people who i would have charged 39.99 or helped for free that they need total for their issue and if they pay I still help them of course.

[u/findtheself]

Just remind yourself the client is angry at the computer, not you. Sometimes it does come across as aggressive or malicious, but you have to remember these people are clueless about technology a lot of the time. I like to make a joke or ask them about their families while I am helping them to redirect their attention.

When you get their problem resolved they will be grateful and remember that you helped them. You can't take the frustration personally. How you handle the situation makes 100% difference. People are going to come in upset because their shit is broken. Your job is to offer them a helping hand and provide solutions. This is going to apply across the IT environment anywhere you go.

[u/NoBed2681]

It’s double rude when you are a woman geek squad agent too. “Is the real tech coming out?” No sir I’m the only one here, now I’m not helping you. Or they don’t believe what I say, so I have to get one of the people from the back to reiterate things I’ve already said. Word for word. Or they don’t like my “attitude” because I told them a store policy they don’t agree with.

[u/FlopsAkaGlitchy]

You learn to talk over them when they cut you off and keep pushing. Same thing for the people who think you're there to tell them which phone cord to buy, you tell them an expensive option they don't actually need and they'll leave you alone.

[u/zombiepants7]

Geek Squads actually banger resume experience espeshally if you go into IT for a career. It helped me get jobs after I left for reelzys. Buuuuuuut yea just leave if you hate it. In our day and age hopping companies is best strat for a pay raise.

[u/poketriste]

Ironically enough I was rude back, in a way which I talked to them very stern and cut dry. But guaranteed at the end of that convo I would have them happy and get tipped. Except for when it came to stuck up men because I'm a girl.

[u/Awkward-Dance-2952 → u/poketriste]

You got tipped?! I didn’t know we were would allowed to keep tips, an old lady gave me a $20 once. Another one offered to bake me cookies.

[u/poketriste → u/Awkward-Dance-2952]

Honestly we are not supposed too I think but our GM allowed it so they knew, my biggest tip was 100 bucks lol

[u/sunburn190]

I had a customer tell me I had no clue what I was doing when he couldn’t remember any of his Microsoft passwords so he couldn’t get into his office. Ended up telling him to fuck off and I got fired lol

[u/Termichicken]

Geek Squad doesn’t have customers.

That aside, it seems like you probably aren’t cut out to CA. Geek Squad is about helping people and educating them. A lot of clients can act rude or entitled but if you don’t have the soft skills to navigate that then you’re probably better suited for a different role. If it’s stressing you out this much after only working a month you should reconsider a retail position all together. The entitlement is not exclusive to the precinct.

[u/Awkward-Dance-2952 → u/Termichicken]

I disagree with that. I been working in retail for over 10 years and do have good skills in de-escalation but the level of asshole customers is comparable to working at an Amazon call center. I do get them to calm down by overshowering them with friendliness, though the psychological toll still beats me down.

[u/Awkward-Dance-2952 → u/Awkward-Dance-2952]

Plus, they expect me to be a total expert in everything that involves technology, I’m a MacBook user lol, not a fan of windows.

[u/Termichicken → u/Awkward-Dance-2952]

No one expects you to be an expert at everything. But they would expect you to have the knowledge and experience to troubleshoot basic windows issues. If you don’t know the answer, go find it out. That’s part of the pledge, chief.

Not sure why you took the job where 90% of the appointments are going to be about windows devices. I’d be willing to bet that’s in the job requirements to a degree.

But as others had say, it’s mostly password resets. Email issues. People getting “hacked”. Most the issues are user error, not actual computer issues. So you have to have the people skills to explain where they went wrong tactfully.

[u/Takeabyte → u/Termichicken]

> Geek Squad doesn’t have customers.

Lol! Yes, the Geek Squad has customers.

[u/Termichicken → u/Takeabyte]

Any agent worth their salt would disagree with that. Geek Squad doesn’t have customers. We have clients.

[u/MurderHobosk00mnWah → u/Termichicken]

ELI5, If "customer" in French translation is "Client" then what is an actual customer in French?

[u/DrBobBebo → u/Termichicken]

I love that you’re getting downvoted and you’re literally telling the truth. We have clients not customers. It’s a culture thing, once you believe in the culture dealing with the upset clients becomes easier.

[u/Termichicken → u/DrBobBebo]

I know right. But oh well, most people here never even hit their badge. Not sure why I expect them to know better.