More Customer Dis-Service

Even when you know what you want...

... getting it can be a challenge.

Case in point: I had to get a video game for a friend's birthday. I was lagging and EB Games had just closed 5 minutes earlier. Doh!

Friday night, I'm all dressed up - it's 8:05pm... I dash off to Best Buy hoping they have the game.

I know the layout (the corporation dictates it)... I head to the game section. But I don't see the games for Nintendo Wii...

Me: Excuse me, where are the games for Nintendo Wii?
Clerk#1: The cashier gets the games for you. They are locked behind the checkout stands.

ok... I go to the big long grey cage behind which are the much coveted and often nicked games that must be caged for their protection. But instead of the games & other wares being behind glass beckoning us to purchase them - they are behind a cage... tedious to look through.

Me: Is there someone who can show me the Wii games?
Clerk#2: No, I'm sorry I don't have the key - only the cashier has the keys. you'll have to get in line.

Fine. I get in line - empty handed.

After about 5 minutes, it's finally my turn.

Me: I'd like Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii.
Cashier: (hesitant) ok.

After about a minute, she returns empty handed.
Cashier: There aren't any out there, I called up the storage to see if they have any in inventory.

At this point, a customer she'd already assisted had returned to get some credit applied or to finalize his transaction.

Then she turns to me...

Cashier: Since they are checking on inventory, I'll have to help the next people in line.
Me: Wait - I'm not done! Isn't there anything else? I need to get a game.
Cashier: I'm sorry - I'm just the cashier
Me: But you're the only one who can help - you're the only one with the key.
Cashier: There's a long line - I have to help the next people.
Me: I WAITED IN LINE - I WAITED MY TURN! (i'm not shouting or anything - but i was firm)
Me (cont'd): What's the next most popular game? I don't know these things - I'm a girl - what do the guys like?
Me (cont'd): C'mon, I need your help - just show me the selection and I'll pick something - I'm not going back in that line.

I'm obviously not some slacker just moving from my couch to get a game to play for a night in. I'm dressed up for the bar/gallery - I don't have all night to just wait... I wanted to get in there and out as quickly as possible.

She concedes and takes me to the cage.

What do I see staring me in the eyes? Super Mario Galaxy.

Me: There it is - Isn't that the game I asked for?
Cashier: oh.
(wow - what a dolt! - rather than argue the point any further i hurried things along)
Me: Ok - done - I want that game - ring me up.

That took all of 2 seconds for me to spot it. If she'd done her job in the first place, I'd have been out of there 5 minutes earlier (that includes her fruitless search, her argument with me, and the other customer she helped in the meantime).

Seriously... If I hadn't known the name of the game I wanted... I wouldn't have gotten any customer service whatsoever. Even knowing what I wanted didn't ensure rapid service.

If Best Buy really cared about it's customers, it would start by treating their employees better - so that they would care and stay with the company and know what they were doing... I'm sure they have such a high turnover of employees that everyone is simply clueless - left hand doesn't know, let alone care about what the right hand is doing.