anyone have any info on "new player on the block" ... Geek squad?

As long as SouthWest Airlines does not get in the consulting biz, don't
worry.

Best Buy has had service for years...they have just purchased a shiny new
sign for the mobile folks. The Geek Squad should open up some doors for
tech types to cut their teeth.

Last I remembered they were around $60 in Georgia. With most folks in
Southern GA billing $25-$75/hr for on-site support, there really was not
much competition.

Granted, I have known some folks to have been "paid" with grilled meals and
sporting tickets before...YUM! There is nothing like a grill cooked (sorry
vegetarians and vegans) filet mingon with grilled asparagus right before a
University of Georgia football game. Not to mention that it is a safe way
to camp out, if a motorhome is considered camping, and have fun.

--
Bob Christian II
http://bobchristian.blogspot.com - Blog



"MitchS" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Best Buy is definately not concerned with quality of service, product, or
> customer satisfaction. It made me sick to sell e-machines to unsuspecting
> customers along with the $150 service plan on the $400 pos.
>
> --
> Mitch S.
> MCSA, A+, Net+, CCNA
>
> "kpg" <ipost@thereforeiam> wrote in message
> news:Xns96BAA9329C283ipostthereforeiam@127.0.0.1.. .
>> Have no fear, Geek squad, compu-nerds, whatever. I do consulting and
>> repair work and I often need to spend the extra time to get the customer
>> happy. A mass produced under-trained, overpriced service will never be
>> able to compete with the level of service I can offer. Now if it is
>> warrenty service then the customer won't care as much, but these guys
>> aren't cheap and I have heard many horros stories about formating hard
>> drives and the like.
>>
>> The problem, howeverm is marketing. They do it well and I don't. The
>> first call will be to the nerd squad but then the customer may get a bad
>> taste in their mouth from the eperience, so next time they need service,
>> they just go buy a new computer. A win-win for Best Buy.
>>
>>
>> kpg
>
>

Bob Christian

Geek Squad is not the only "new player" in the block, there are Geeks on
Call, Concerto Networks and I recently read a press release from Staples
which said that they are also going to be offering "computer services" to
their small biz customers.

Geeks on Call and Concerto Networks are franchises, in fact I met the CEO of
Concerto a few months ago in South Fl, a friend of mine is looking into it,
they are expanding rapidly, in the US and internationally in places like New
Zealand, Australia, and Spain.

Cheers,

loopback
MCSA, Network+, A+


"Beoweolf" <> wrote in message
news:imqOe.134$.. .
> I've seen a lot of buzz regarding "GeekSquad'. Slick ads on TV and a few
> in daily print media. Apparently Best Buy, the consumer electronics chain,
> is moving into the "mass market" consulting business. The concept is not
> bad and he market seems ripe for "McDonald-ization" of consultation. One
> of the tings we see is a wide variance in product, meaning...there are
> some really marginal people in the business. For an example or two, read
> back a few days in this or any other newsgroup.
>
> I'm wondering if this is a wave worth catching or should we sit on the
> beach and tickle the Wahinie.
>
> So, what's the read on this?
>

Loopback

"Beoweolf" <> wrote in message
news:imqOe.134$.. .
> I've seen a lot of buzz regarding "GeekSquad'. Slick ads on TV and a few
> in daily print media. Apparently Best Buy, the consumer electronics chain,
> is moving into the "mass market" consulting business. The concept is not
> bad and he market seems ripe for "McDonald-ization" of consultation. One
> of the tings we see is a wide variance in product, meaning...there are
> some really marginal people in the business. For an example or two, read
> back a few days in this or any other newsgroup.

> I'm wondering if this is a wave worth catching or should we sit on the
> beach and tickle the Wahinie.
>
> So, what's the read on this?

I read Ben Smith's take on this, and I agree with alot of what he had to
say. An infrastructure can make a difference here, but I suspect not much.

Like Ben said, Geek Squad will get an army of people for $10 an hour that
don't know what they are doing, and customers will rail against the big name
that does the job, because it takes infinite patience and infinite finesse
to talk to the yokel in their own house and explain to them that they are
stupid. Anyone capable of this level of patience and finesse should really
be working for a corporate vice president, not at Bernie's house replacing a
used hard drive for $10, and they will leave the situation as soon as
possible, creating a high turnaround.

Other areas have this same problem, telephone tech support at big companies,
for instance. Anyone with real skills sees the nightmare right away and
makes a run for it.

From personal experience... I myself once tried to run a home consulting
business. "User Friendly Computers" was the moniker. For $25 I'd come out to
your house and spend an hour trying to help you with your computer problem.

At that point, I wasn't nearly as skilled as I am now, and that's why I
tried it. Also, computers weren't like they were today, this was mid-90s.
No, not the 1890s, but from my POV, might as well have been.

Most of the problems I ran into were from people who weren't sophisticated
enough to replace defective parts or fix minor software problems. Some were
OS reinstalls that would take more than an hour. I wouldn't have all the
parts or all the software.

There were other reasons why it failed on my level, some being my fault,
being the one guy trying to save the world, where it might not for the big
chain.

I couldn't warranty parts, so I had a couple of customers I lost money on
when things from the factory were defective, and they wouldn't pay me to put
it in twice. Arguments that I didn't know what I was doing when the customer
really just didn't get it that you can't unplug this when the computer is
on, and there was no 'supervisor' I could refer them to to get them off my
back. Calls at all hours of the night because I ran it from my home phone...
'I'm on call all the time for free'... Fvsking nightmares.

Other problems in trying to get them to pay for software. They want an
install of Windows 98 but they don't want to pay for it. This, of course, is
a crime, Pappy -- but sonny, why won't you just help us out here, we don't
have a lot of money. And they of course disagree that their computer is too
slow or too old to do the job they want it to.

Real issues with getting them to understand the problem, and getting them to
pay. Maybe having the right legal documents behind you and a support staff
can make a difference. I doubt it.

I suspect some members of the Geek Squad may live out some Pulp Fiction
moments and have to get medieval.

In short, no real money in going to Mom and Pop's house in the boonies and
trying to get them to buy a replacement floppy drive for their 286 with Win
3.1. "Why's it so slow? Can't you fix that? Where'd you get that horseless
carraige?"

Best bet is to get them to bring their machine into the shop. Then it's an
auto mechanic scenario. Closer to McDonaldization than you'll ever get on
the home front. I really believe that the environment here sets the tone and
that a customer at their house is going to be much more difficult to deal
with and much more demanding. If you have the option, avoid this at all
costs, unless you have insurance and enjoy hating life. If you have a choice
in finding another kind of job, do it. Get some genuine skills that are
difficult to find and learn to market them. I'm still working on that part,
but I've learned the hard way, so maybe you won't have to.


Microcephalic S. Bob

/* Microcephalic S. Bob [MCSBNGP+++ #7.13.86.42.1138.2600] */

"/* Microcephalic S. Bob [MCSBNGP+++ #7." wrote:
> I read Ben Smith's take on this, and I agree with alot of what he had to
> say.

I guess it makes sense to agree with Ben. )

*wipes brown-nose, and scuttles into the ether*

m0rk

=?Utf-8?B?bTByaw==?=

Bob Christian <> said something like

> Granted, I have known some folks to have been "paid" with grilled
> meals and sporting tickets before...YUM! There is nothing like a
> grill cooked (sorry vegetarians and vegans) filet mingon with grilled
> asparagus right before a University of Georgia football game. Not to
> mention that it is a safe way to camp out, if a motorhome is
> considered camping, and have fun.

That's funny. My first month doing this I had two customers
pay me in deer meat. Well, it all goes to food anyway.

No I ask for gas instead.

kpg

kpg

> No I ask for gas instead.

Doesn't the deer meat provide both?

Jtyc

Sorry for piggybacking, kpg, but I must have missed this post...

"kpg" <ipost@thereforeiam> wrote in message
news:Xns96BB71D9310B0ipostthereforeiam@127.0.0.1.. .
> Bob Christian <> said something like
>
>> Granted, I have known some folks to have been "paid" with grilled
>> meals and sporting tickets before...YUM! There is nothing like a
>> grill cooked (sorry vegetarians and vegans) filet mingon with grilled
>> asparagus right before a University of Georgia football game. Not to
>> mention that it is a safe way to camp out, if a motorhome is
>> considered camping, and have fun.

UGA? UGA???? You guys SUCK! Gators gonna CHOMP you this year.

Also, does your pee smell funny after you eat asparagus? Mine does. I
understand it's a genetic thing.

> That's funny. My first month doing this I had two customers
> pay me in deer meat. Well, it all goes to food anyway.

Mmmmm venison. My sister once had some venison made up into ring balogna
and then made the mistake of telling me about it. I ate the whole friggin'
ring in one sitting.

> No I ask for gas instead.

That's a dangerous thing to request. Did you bring a gas mask?

Frisbee®