Service Review: The Geek Squad
A Review of the In-Home Computer Installation Service Provided by the Geek Squad
Service Rating: 4.5 (of possible 5)
Pricing
We contracted to have the Geek Squad provide our wireless installation service through Best Buy, where we purchased our system. We knew that our local high speed cable Internet provider would charge us $150.00 to come to our home and perform the necessary service. Best Buy offered us the Geek Squad service for $159.00. We quoted this price offered by our Internet service provider to Best Buy, and they matched the price.
Questioning whether Best Buy might pad the pricing for the services provided by the Geek Squad in order to cover their brokerage fee, I checked out the pricing for on-site service on the Geek Squad's website. There I discovered that the Geek Squad sets flat rate pricing for a number of on-site home and business service, and the price quoted for an in-home wireless Internet installation was, in fact, $159.00. You can check out their website for flat rate pricing of the particular service you are looking to have provided.
Reliability
When we set up our appointment, we set it up for 12:45pm. Not between 9:00am and 3:00pm, but 12:45pm. And that was on a Saturday- the Geek Squad is not your telephone repairman or your cable guy. Furthermore, we were impressed to get that appointment, as we set it up at 5:30pm the evening before. At approximately 12:40pm I received a telephone call from a Geek Squad service representative letting me know that our personal geek was caught in traffic and would most likely arrive around 1:15pm, and certainly no later than 1:30pm. Michael, our geek, rang our doorbell at 1:20pm on the nose.
We wanted the Geek Squad to set up some particular things on our desktop computer and on the laptop that the wireless would be sending signal to, and we gave that list to the service rep at Best Buy who booked the appointment. A somewhat jaded homeowner, who has spent way too many hours waiting for service installers who came with wrong equipment and incomplete service orders, I hovered over our Geek Squad geek, ensuring that he had all the appropriate service information, and everything he needed to make our wireless dreams come true. He had everything in order, and our service was set up thoroughly in approximately 90 minutes, which is 30 minutes less than the two hours quoted by Best Buy.
Our system is somewhat complex, as we have some fairly intricate software loaded onto our desktop computer, which is the computer that was being set up to interface with our laptop. Our Geek Squad service man stayed with the job until it was complete. He never had to "call into the office" or "get another truck" for the "right tools."
Product Knowledge
I grilled Michael, our Geek Squad geek, about all the hardware, software, and the less tangible components of our new wireless service. I asked him direct questions about what types of computers, and what kinds of users, could break into our service, and under what conditions. He demonstrated thorough knowledge of our current system, the new system we were installing, the types of systems that were out there that could possibly corrupt our system, and the conditions under which that might happen. He was forthright and non-defensive, and seemed to have an impressive knowledge base about products he was installing as well as the more antiquated hardware he was interfacing it with.
Authenticity
The technician sent to our home by the Geek Squad was an authentic geek. He spoke geek speak fluently, and did not look out of place in his black trousers, white work shirt and thin black tie.
The Big Picture
Our experience with the Geek Squad was a positive one. While I find their rates to be a bit high, they're not significantly higher than the service provided by our local high speed Internet provider, and through their service brokerage at Best Buy, they did match the price we was offered. The service was thorough and performed by a capable professional, who was courteous and efficient. Our service continues to work properly. I would award the Geek Squad a rating of 4.5 out of 5.0 and highly recommend their service to others.
Published by K. Cauldwell
I enjoy the reliable consistency of my ability to make people say "um... what?" I have danced on stage with Bono, and I can walk barefoot over hot summer asphalt. I am a great admirer of people who just wan... View profile
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54 Comments
Post a CommentAs a computer tech I love geeksquids,
I get paid to fix their id10t mistakes
Geek squad is a joke. They schedule appointments and never show. Why...cause they say they don't have the right parts??? They never even ordered the part needed to fix the TV. Then why schedule the appointment and let me sit around waiting? Worthless just worthless.
I'm truly disgusted with Geek Squad and Best Buy. Do not trust them, I recently purchased a wireless internet service. From the beginning it's been disastrous, they were out of the "Computer cards". So they sold me a "Home Theater" card. So they sent the wrong tech for the job. I wanted the Wireless Router I purchased installed in my home Smart-box. I guess it was beyond the techs job scope, e.g. You wouldn't send a washer & dryer tech, to install car audio. This tech wasn't able to do the task, he then placed the Router in my home office. And charged me for a Samsung wireless device that I didn't need. If it had been installed properly, I could of just used the Ethernet cord I had purchased. I was unhappy with the service, so I e-mailed and contacted Bb./Gs. Corporate campus, and explained the problem. I had three re- do's sqeduled and they were all canceled with out my notification. 2 of the 3 were days wasted. And that's when I found this review. I've been getting the run-around
I've hired the geek squad for services on a computer before doing my research! Had a found all of these reviews, I never would have used their services. I ended up having to hire anyother company to get their problems fixed. Actually, whats funny, is after they screwed up, I came here and found that review below about secure remote support. I called them, got my computer fixed and am in a much better position. Thanks guys! And everyone, be sure to do your research before hiring the geek squad.
They aren't perfect, but they've come through for me also.
Geek squad sucks and I would advise, DON`T USE THEM AT ALL!! A waste of time and valuable money
Ive used both Geek Squad and Secure Remote Support. You'd be surprised the garbage that geek squad has tried to pull in the past. Eventually enough, is enough. And if something ISNT PERFECT, there is something to complain about. When you pay for a service, you expect to have it done RIGHT the first time. Secure Remote Support provides that, and does a darn good job at it. They havent messed anything of mine up yet. And the review above is obviously written by someone who works for geek squad!
computer repair is an art. there is not always one specific way to do things, so when someone else tells you that another company did a bad job, they are full of it and just trying to keep your business or get it. with the amount of viruses and spam and adware out there, a lot of the "repairs" are hit or miss and also not always a permanent fix. get used to it, get over it, and stop assuming that since the local guy is willing to lose his shirt to help you, that he is providing better service. ive bent over backwards many times for a customer working for circuit and best buy and have realized that there isnt anything special about it. if i dont bend over backward or if i do, if something isn't perfect, they complain.
My name is Catherine Herbert and I don't know much about computers. At some point in the last month I believe my computer became infected with a virus. It was making my internet run very slow and I was unable to email my grandson away in Iraq. This being my only way to communicate with him I became very distressed. I wasn't confident enough to be able to attempt to fix it myself. Besides I hear hammers and computers don't go well together. :)
I got in touch with the local geek squad and dropped my machine off. For $199.99 and three days of work they said they would have it up and running better than ever! This didn't go down like the nice gentleman wearing black trousers had promised. 7 Business days later, I still had a broken computer and a quote for $449 to remove viruses, fix the hard drive and install antivirus software. Not happy with this price, and already out $200, I started calling a few acquaintances.
One suggestion I received was to call Secure Remote Support. I calle
I dont beleive this was written by a real customer. It is clearly written by geek squad or an affiliate by how the review covers the main selling points.