I twittered tonite (I can stop any time) that Matt Richtel wrote in his article in the Times yesterday, Industry Rethinks Moneymaking Software Practice…
"Before they ship PCs to retailers like Best Buy, computer makers load them up with lots of free software. For $30, Best Buy will get rid of it for you.
"Robert Stephens, head of Geek Squad, said of removing preinstalled software, “We’ll give consumers what they want.”
Mr. Stephens of Geek Squad says he agrees with H. P. that the future is in allowing computer buyers to choose and download what they want. But he said he believed Best Buy, not H. P., was in the best position to help people choose what works for them because, he argued, the in-store technicians are in closest contact with them.
"Geek Squad agents have one thing over Apple and Microsoft engineers. We spend most of the day talking to people," he said.
Really? In my experience at some retailers, rarely do I see any of the in-house support agents (such as Squad members) answering questions for the customers with the puzzled looks shopping in the computer department.
Road trip: I’ll be visiting a couple of local electronics retailers tomorrow as a customer to pick up a product. Let’s see what happens.
Tags: Best Buy, Retail, New York Times, Customer Service
