Two stories from one day of work. Those of you who know me know that I don't 'slam' other people or businesses. I only relay information that I view as important to save technology consumers money, time and frustration. Here are two actual stories that were relayed to me today about Best Buy's Geek Squad:
Story #1
A new customer of mine informed me that she hired the Geek Squad to come to her house to setup a home network. Their advertised rate for such a service is $159 minimum. The 'professional' who showed up spent nearly seven hours at the customer's house and when he left, the network was not completed and the customer told that it couldn't be done. To the Geek Squad's credit, they didn't charge the customer.
Story #2
Again, as seen in the advertised link above, Geek Squad will setup a new computer for you at home for between $229-299. This includes installation of security software and up to two extra programs. Data transfer from an older computer could add extra money to the deal. I setup a new computer today for a customer, a wireless network, transferred all her data (almost 10 GB), installed and updated security software, installed four extra programs, and tested all the systems in less than three hours and one-half the cost quoted by Geek Squad.
Bottom line: I'm sure there are some competent, quick, and courteous folks working for Best Buy/Geek Squad, but there level of expertise does not justify their costs. When looking for good computer help, it pays to shop around, ask neighbors and friends, and get other information before jumping into a commitment that will cost you extra money and time and surely frustrate you.
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