Printer Friendly Forum Posts - Best Buy Installer dress code?

depends entirely on your management team for everything. if you're hired into install, you should start right away w/ no wait. i don't hire a guy in to go BS on the floor. i don't allow my guys to wear any XM, Sirius, etc. shirts/hats on the clock. it seems to show a brand preference and we're not getting paid any extra to do any extra advertising for them. must be black in color shoes/boots and pants/shorts. no riveted jeans. best buy shirt/sweatshirt/jacket with all patches and name stitched on. no name tags. most importantly is your tools and a locking tool box. you got any/some/ a lot of experience? i will not leave my box open for a newbie to screw up and loose my tools. he must be able to pick up the tools he lacks to do his job right within the first month (pref. couple weeks). it's noth that bad of a gig. like was stated, the best buy politics can really suck depending how much you wanna play into it. gains you some experience before trying to join a custom shop

Fastlearner wrote:

Have to wear black dickies with no cell phone pockets, or buttons. No belts. Black work boots. No hats. What store you going to be working at.

in West Melbourne FL we have to wear shorts. no belt cuz when your leaning on the car you dont want to scratch the paint or interrior. they dont care what shoes to wear but when you first start out you shoudl follow the dress code just to look good. but after youve been there for about amonth no one really cares as long as you look clean. your workin in the back so no one see's you the only time the managers will see you is when the sales person in car audio will come in the bay to do there down stocking.

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6 memphis PR 15's sealed enclosure. indash mobile video system. alphasonik HC800PMA 3000 rms
MECP first class installer

oh and when you do get your job start asking the guys back there about side jobs - omg! you can make so much more money doing side jobs right out of the bay - all you gotta do is ring up promo skus and then charge cash for the installs - once we made our budgets for the day we used to do that all the time - you could bring home an extra 300-1000 a week doing it.......its just paying best buy back for getting rid of our good-ole points system. most of you will disagree i know and i don't care and will say oh they will catch you - NO THEY WON'T it happens and i saw it happen for 4 years and i know it still happens at a lot of them cause i've asked around------ anyways dress code still - the shirts (xm/sirius/alpine...etc) thats a summer time weekend thing and not all stores will do it - we did cause it got hot and its not like we were the ones selling the products - we sold some things but mostly parts (kits/harnesses/amp kits/ etc...) shorts i think all best buys can where them at any time but i think our store just put a summer rule dow...we could wear belts but we don't - shoes - we got to pick as long as they were black / dark in color.................

i had a guy installing for cash out of the bay. uh, right. yeah he's since been fired

Yeah, Installing for cash out of the bay is bad news. I mean if thats the case why dont u just go work somewhere else. Cuz I know when II started to feel sourly towards best buy I was looking for another job, but since then things kinda turned around and I know Ill prolly be with them for a few more years. As far as dress code, My former store was very lax. Installers could wear blue jeans on the weekend, although i never did. They didnt care what kind or color shoes u wore. Most of the installers didnt wear a belt but I did b/c Im really skinny, but I buy my pants big in the waist and with long inseams so they'll fit me comfortably. For the longest time there was no shirt tucking, but when my sup started tucking in his shirt everybody just sort of followed his lead, although nothing was really said about it. As far as hat we got to wear whatever hat we wanted b/c it was cold. and when the m people gave us stuff like hats and shirts we were allowed to wear them. We even had a sirius basketball hoop affixed to the top of one of the bay doors. But for the most part as long as u have a clean polo and black pants, (preferably NOT jeans cuz they're the most uncomfotable pants to work on a car in) not much else should really matter.

there was 5 people doing it out of ours then they left (not fired but left to other best buys) they got the other installers to start doing it at the other stores- te new guys at the one i left are doing it and pretty much all of the ones around here are doing it - when i went down south to visit some friends the ones down there were doing it - i think if you're hitN ur budget then who cares - in fact the one in new york that one of our installers came from- he was encouraged by his manager to do it - and they ended up being like top 50 in the company for like 4 months straight

forget having other installers charging for stuff on the side! i work for best buy and i dont want to see my other installers doing that. if you are gonna do it just do it away from work not while you are on the clock. that makes me made whenever another installer is working on a homeboy's truck on the clock while i am in there busting my butt and taking all the crap from the customers and 2+ vehicles while he is out there goofing off.

you want me to just give you a list of store #'s that are doing this - you think i would rat out some of my old employees and friends - F* that you managers have no clue whats going on in that bay - they put a camera in ours and watched us do stuff and they still couldn't prove anything - and why would they say anything we were hitN budget usually 110-120% everyday , we were positive in cycle counts on some things, we had almost zero customer issues - and everyone was happy - i wasn't saying that you should just do it everytime and i know its still against company policy to do so - but they took the points system away from us and that pissed a lot of us off- now its anywhere from 10-20 an hour to do something - unlike b4 when it was get as much as you can done everyday cause you get somewhat of a bonus for doing more. i'm in the MD/DC/VA area and i know of several stores that are doing this - i'm thinking in that territory about 1/2 - 3/4 of the install bays are doing this - you can come on here and say its not true and claim you work at a store that doesn't do it - but i've been there - i did it and i know of lots of people that do - i'm about to open up my own shop and you know what - if i'm hitting the numbers i need to hit to make good money then guys doing a little side work is fine to me-

meltingplastic wrote:

be warned though.. best buy politics SUCK!

yeah it sucks. i installed a deck into a 03 tahoe.it had an aftermarket alarm that was installed somewhere else. n-e-ways he came back a week later complaning that his door locks don't work w/the remote. I did all the checks, the pre and post checks. i even had the customer check out the vehicle before he left signed the paper work and left. when he came back he wanted a new alarm. Our alarm teck checked it out and said it was the install job done on the alarm. the acting gm that day said go ahead and replce it so we did. next thing i know im getting fired for breaking the alarm when i install a deck. I fought it and they moved me to the warehouse. that was in september. the monday after christmas they put me back in the bay. Oh, that was the first time anyone ever came back for something i had installed. no claims at all. since then that guy has came back 6 times complaining about the alarm that its does not work like his first one. go figure huh.

If you want to do work on your time, with your tools, on your property, then great; more power to you. If you're doing it on Best Buy's time, with Best Buy's tools, or on Best Buy's property, then you're stealing from your employer, and you're no better than the guy who slips a few CD players out the back door.

koolspot6 wrote:

you want me to just give you a list of store #'s that are doing this - you think i would rat out some of my old employees and friends - F* that you managers have no clue whats going on in that bay - they put a camera in ours and watched us do stuff and they still couldn't prove anything - and why would they say anything we were hitN budget usually 110-120% everyday , we were positive in cycle counts on some things, we had almost zero customer issues - and everyone was happy - i wasn't saying that you should just do it everytime and i know its still against company policy to do so - but they took the points system away from us and that pissed a lot of us off- now its anywhere from 10-20 an hour to do something - unlike b4 when it was get as much as you can done everyday cause you get somewhat of a bonus for doing more. i'm in the MD/DC/VA area and i know of several stores that are doing this - i'm thinking in that territory about 1/2 - 3/4 of the install bays are doing this - you can come on here and say its not true and claim you work at a store that doesn't do it - but i've been there - i did it and i know of lots of people that do - i'm about to open up my own shop and you know what - if i'm hitting the numbers i need to hit to make good money then guys doing a little side work is fine to me-

You wont feel that way when you own or run your own shop. When people do side jobs, it literally takes money out of your pockets.

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Eye am so re todd did.

actually of the people i hired i informed them about this and stated that side jobs are ok to do as long as we have hit our mark for the day and they take any of the issues that come with the job - they can be clocked in and make a lil on the side if they want - doesn't bother me - so you're wrong....but thanks for tryN to prove something

I know for a fact that at my old store there was none of this going on, we were normally one of the top 100 monthly and I cant even imagine the nerve it would take to rip the company off like that. Best Buy may not be a perfect store for car audio and I understand its definitely not many people's first choice in places to go for it, mine included, however its not such a bad place, and in my experience was fairly pleasant to work for. If you have such a problem with the store that you feel the need to steal from it like this (and that is what you are doing) then you really should be looking for employment elsewhere. And just because you hired people and gave them poor information that could get them, you, or both of you fired doesnt mean that its right or ok.

can be clocked in and make a little on the side? and you say he's wrong? i had a corporate caseworker look into me when i did a quick fix off the clock in street clothes in a good buddy's car at best buy. i had just gotten off work and of course all my tools were there. conflict of interest was the cause for the caseworker. everything was dropped since i didn't receive any payment for he work. just cause you and management condones it, doesn't mean that it all gravy by corporate and SOP. a few side jobs is one thing, especially when it's outside the scope of best buy (building boxes, etc.). but side jobs on the clock? c'mon now

comming from a top 100 mobile department. I will say i do not condone sidework for my people. I really honestly wouldn't care, however. what happens when those customers now start comming into our business looking for you to do work on the side. IF you're going to be an installer all your life, not planning on moving up the ladder. then i'd suggest looking elsewhere.. you can't live off of 10-12$ an hour. but once you start climbing the coorperate ladder. then the money starts to come. Alot of GM's and District people start on the mobile side just because of the fun they have.
As far as the dress code. i'm pretty slack, beanies are fine. Caps i don't care for too much. but durring the summer no more beanies (of coursE)
pants, dickies double knee cell phone pocket. work good, cheap (25$ or less)
i've recieved like 10 shirts in my first year there.. 3 regular, no name, 3 named, 2 speciatly coach and now 2 more w/ (SENIOR)printed.. YAY!
the double knees come in handy when you go down on your boss for that extra 50c (it's just a joke guys) anyways.
have fun. no hating..

10 shirts your first year? 3.5 years and i only have 5. one given to me by my sup when i first started, two given for a new hire after a few months, one that came by mistake (dunno), and one i bought at a thriftstore for a $1.

yeah whe i said i hired people and told them that it was ok for side jobs - i meant at my shop that i'm about to open - i don't work for Best Buy anymore ---THANK GOD! i left to make more money 20/hr doesnt cut it.....anyways YES i know it was stealing from the company but **** um - best buy sucks balls what can i say- they pissed our whole bay off and from what i've seen the others around ours---i shouldn't of ever even mentioned this cause i knew that the 10-15 best buy loyals would come on and say how this doesnt't happen and how it's so wrong and blah-blah-blah ---- so it's over orignal ? was about dress code i think ever best buy is different on that as you can tell some are strict some aren't - want to talk more about the off subject matter then pm me and take a shot----------------------------*

Well, I'm guessing that comment wasn't for me since i went at no-ones throat. All i was saying is that when the same customers you do side work for start comming to the store and asking for you. that's when you start getting in trouble. If i don't know about it, and the store doesn't know about it.. then.. who's doing anything wrong? But.. I've seen how long people keep things hush too. and as far as being a loyal? eh. Only loyal as long as they're paying the bills. I'll do what i need to do. I used to do more when i was given a bonus on doing more. but without that now i feel like anything else i do is just as important as a "whatever".

Now as far as your own shop, Kudos to you. Now the hard thing about this is keeping it open. If you pay attention alot of small shops come and go.. and come and go.. and so on. Obviously the market for car audio is dying. so you need to hit the people who will keep your bills paid consistantly. i.e. dealerships and large businesses. used car dealerships are great. a little troubleshooting on some basic electronic circuits in the car for alot of overcharging. They don't care that much as long as someone comes to them and does it fast. Nothing beats changing 6 fuses in a car to find out the power windows, seats, horn, and radio all still work for the measely fee of 65$ an hour.. and boy.. fuses seem kinda hard to check for that price =) 10 mins turns into a minimum charge of 1hr.
aNYways. like i was saying..
no hatin' =) peace.

dont work at Best Buy, but I bet I get better discounts on mobile electronic stuff than do employees at best buy, unless you pull a 5 finger discount.

And were lookoing for a new part time installer in a top 5 best buy store in st. catharines ontario.

Eh. Top 5...
it's good and bad
a few months ago we were 3rd. then 80th. and in that fall we actually had some meetings on why we were performing so bad...
it seems as if the store manager himself forgets we are the only consistant department in the store.
i think we're 12th right now this month for company.
1/2/12, something like that

If you've met your points goals at BB, why not keep going forward. The more money you can make for BB, the better your pockets will be lined down the road. By saying this , I mean it may be in the form of a raise or job promotion and I must agree, performing installations on the side during business hours at your employment location is stealing from the company. I am an independent ME specialist, and I will be the first to tell you that when my sales goals are met, I don't take a vacation or allow my installation crew to do side jobs. If they are caught performing such actions, their employment is terminated on the spot. Needless to say, I have never had a problem with it. Doing side jobs is stealing plain and simple, and if your boss is ok with it, then that boss's store will never operate at it's full potential.

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1970 Cadillac Hearse
Memphis
(12)M3154
(2)MC-104
(3Pr.)MCSYNC6
(1Pr.)MCSYNC8
Earthquake
(3)PHD5000
(3)PH2000.2
Alpine
(1)CDA-9835
Audio Control
(1)DQXS
(1)EPIC160
Stinger Connection
Ir

I work at store 788.

Dress code is dark pants,no cargo pockets,dark shoes/boots,best buy shirt tucked in(in a nutshell)

I wear double knee dickies W/ cell phone phone (cell on vibrate),black reebok's,snap-on belt,"US Beer Drinking Team" hoodie, or Best buy shirt untucked unless GM/corprate is in the building.Usally I try to stay legit w/ dress code but whatever sometimes.Bazzgazm knows my hoodie,lol

As far as side jobs go,I'm always offered them,but its a big risk to take.When BB is paying the rent and shhh it's a touch much to worry about+ the mystery shoppers/pressuer for mgmt./and the termination risk.Not me.

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RTFM

And, since i'm on the forums too if i find out you're doing side work i'll personally come to your house and kill you!

If it is something best buy doesn't do (i.e. body work, paint, misc. car accessories) I don't give a rats hiney.
But the biggest problem is customers in Any professional business coming back in looking for someone to fix something while they're working on the company's time card.

Other than that. Dress code. Slack until like he said, corperate comes around.
and.. by the way =) I wouldn't give out store numbers incase someone from corperate happens to be monitoring these sites=)

i'll throw out some #'s for u store 263 / 290 / 486......try to prove anything...just try

I always have customers asking but i always say no becouse its not worth it . in order for me to make it worth my wile i would have to charge over twice what the company dose and even then i dont like most of the customers that want side jobs done . they are shady i dont like doing biz with shady people. i have seen it done some of the guys were very open about it doing them right outside the bay with managers in the bay . they did nothing and that pisses me off but im not gonna get in the middle of that one .. so i just wait and watch they dont last long. if you need cash that bad you can always find work in the 12volt industry that has not ties to best buy . its called contract work lots of companys in the larger citys will pay good cash to a good installer, most of it is pay by job with no benifits but if your good and fast you can make lots of $ on your time off i do lots of work on government / security vehicals light bars, sirens ect.

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yeh? i can do that?

see! told ya!

You know, this is really sad.

This post starts as dress code for the bay and turns into how to steal from corporate... and justifying it.

Dress code: The only thing Murph missed is undershirt color. It must be black or white. That falls more under sales floor dress code but I belive it carries over.

Our DSDM allows hats (non-carfi related) due to the extreme humidity here in the south. You just gotta keep it clean and on the up and up.

I dont think that matters any more with this post.

You folks affecting my families well being should be put on a shooting line. If you steal from my company, you steal from me. Making it seem right because you hit budget??? Where do you draw the line? Just because you department is under shrink budget do you take what you want? Or better yet on a store level???

In 5 years in LA Ive brought in $3k from shrink checks. Not much over five years but when you multiply that times our 200+ employees. Thats .6million paid for being honest.

Murph has changed my integrity over the years.... let me help you change yours.

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Someone pass me that bottle.

Even though there is a trend of similar things I'll just tell ya what my store requires and what they ignore..........

I've worked at the Mayfeild Hts. Ohio store for about four years and i've almost always worn a hat, belt, and double knee dickies with the cell phone pocket, and in the winter i usually wear a black hooded sweat shirt over the blue polo.

Management wants me to lose the hat, belt, cell phone pocket, and wear the best buy sweat shirt. but they only bother me when they have other issues with my performance. the rest of the time they turn a blind eye. Just dont wear anything you cant excuse and you'll be fine.

There should be a whole pile more honest people out there. Sadly though, most employees, as some have evidenced here, are in it for themselves only. What comes around goes around. Someone said to prove it, it is extremely easy to prove...... I could make a highly respectable living being in the employ of a large dealer like BB / FS catching the scum that steal from their employer. Sad, truly sad..... Nice to see you hear Murph and give your input as well. I am also known as MR2NR on the forum that you frequent most.

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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.

Just some comments from a circuit city installer(let the flaming begin posted_image ).

So you guys have no points system what so ever? you just get a flat hourly rate? I was always told we hired in making more money than you guys... and all you are talking about hiring in at 10-13 an hour(maybe location plays into this?)... well I only hired in at $9.75... mind you with our points system it usually works out higher.

Also, does best buy furnish tools for you guys or do you all just bring your own? I know I have my own box just because the tools at the location i'm at now are half missing.

I think are the whole patches things for your name tags is an awesome idea. The damn name tag I have to wear is a magnet one and I've probably lost 4 of them in the last couple months alone. The whole wearing no belt thing?? is that really true? I mean we use fender covers, and now have new "pit" shirts which we wear untucked, so it covers our belts... but even before with our old collared shirts we always had to have a belt on.

I also see it's easy to get away with side jobs(manager dependent i guess) with different sku's and doodie. My manager doesn't care so much if I bring up a buddy's car and work on it.. but at my old shop we weren't ever allowed to do anything like that. Once again manager dependent I guess.

theft is theft! I knowing that in my last position back in Australia my boss used to get upset when he found out that i was doing side jobs OFF the clock! But would calm down when he realised that I wasn't going to stop and that I wasn't taking money from him. I wasn't taking money at all. I don't charge friends any more then a case of beer per car :)

I will be starting at a BestBuy next week and I look forward to the relaxed attitude I will be able to take. No more last minute auto show cars, no more 3am calls from customers trying to figure out how to get more bass from their $400 system. None of that stress. Just goto work. Do my install. Do my install well the first time. Come home at a reasonable hour and spend time with my kid and wife.

Peace out folks.

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Check all advice given with a meter

I wish it was that easy at my store...........I've been at work (best buy) until 2am working on last minute cars. Mostly customers that argued same day install to management successfully. I've stopped in to grab tools and find myself putting in a few time edited hours. and I dont remember the last time I actually left at the end of my shift. Oh yeah and today I actually got to leave to get food when I was on lunch the rest of the time I just punch out to meet compliance and do a deck or two for a normal break.

OK, Im a lead tech at my store which means Im an install manager with a different title. My guys take their ques from me and if the have issues those go through me as well. I will be the first to point out that alot of my guys dont go for lunch on the weekends, they work strait through, however they get paid for that time and I never stop them from taking lunch, they just dont because they are constantly driving towards beating our budgets. If I need them to work overtime I give them two choices, either punch in for the OT or I will let them leave early the next day. The only person who doesnt punch in for the OT or leave early is me, and thats cause I think they might get wized if I punch in for 60+ hours every week. My point here is that its ILLEGAL for them to not allow you to leave for lunch if you are working a full day shift, and for you to punch out and then not leave is something you do not have to put up with. And if you catch crap for that then it becomes a Labour Board issue which you would clearly win.

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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

shyne151 wrote:

Just some comments from a circuit city installer(let the flaming begin).
So you guys have no points system what so ever? you just get a flat hourly rate? I was always told we hired in making more money than you guys... and all you are talking about hiring in at 10-13 an hour(maybe location plays into this?)... well I only hired in at $9.75... mind you with our points system it usually works out higher.
Also, does best buy furnish tools for you guys or do you all just bring your own? I know I have my own box just because the tools at the location i'm at now are half missing.
I think are the whole patches things for your name tags is an awesome idea. The damn name tag I have to wear is a magnet one and I've probably lost 4 of them in the last couple months alone. The whole wearing no belt thing?? is that really true? I mean we use fender covers, and now have new "pit" shirts which we wear untucked, so it covers our belts... but even before with our old collared shirts we always had to have a belt on.
I also see it's easy to get away with side jobs(manager dependent i guess) with different sku's and doodie. My manager doesn't care so much if I bring up a buddy's car and work on it.. but at my old shop we weren't ever allowed to do anything like that. Once again manager dependent I guess.

I can't believe the pay is so low in the US here at our shop we are all on $18-20 an hour plus commision

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WOW Sight and Sound
Maroochydore
Nothing is impossible!
Do it right the first time or don't do it at all.

mad the cost of living here in the US is much lower then in Australia. Having been a n installer in both countries I've found it to be fairly equal.

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Check all advice given with a meter

Ah fair enough

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WOW Sight and Sound
Maroochydore
Nothing is impossible!
Do it right the first time or don't do it at all.

I was at circuit city also. We generally hire in at 8-9 an hour with no experience. 10-13 w/ exp. depending. but with the lack of a bonus structure that's it.

Honestly, Circuit city and best buy install bays do not really compete... totally different atmosphere.
you guys speed rush in tons of stuff to make your daily budget, which.. in my area is 2x that of my budget. Mainly because the keep 2x the people in order to rush in whatever they can find each day.

I kinda like not having to worry if my 10 dollars an hour is going to be 13 with bonus, and just make 12 bucks and call it a day.

Also, Is your aussie pay converted to usdollars?

let's start some complaining now.
the HIGHEST i've seen a non-manager installer @ best buy make hourly is 18.50
which i believe is cap for 1st class/silver whatever. pay rate.
so.
i'm sure some of you will go "holy crap, i work there, i'm silver certified, i make 13" but that's just how the cookie crumbles.
some NEW GUY at my shop *cough* just got a raise for something i was told i didn't get a raise for =)
i'm sure he'll read this then go "why you bring me up for" or something to that decree.

I try to explain the installer deals with the management here.. how we can be civil to them, we don't have to brag if our store is kicking their stores but and so forth. but they just don't get it. all in all, we as installers should stick together and help them out. I don't like to see people setting off airbags on cars cause they're not familiar.. i'd rather get that call and hear "hey, i've seen you here, and i know you know a few of the guys here.. can you help me"
although
sometimes.
you wish that jack-ass at the last place would stick his head out and cut the yellow harness while the cars running =)

I guess it's time for me to add my 2 cents too. I too am an installer at bestbuy. Been at my store since it opened in 02. I am also the only person left between install and the sale floor that opened the store. Back when we opened we had a great staff, everyone got along with each other and everyone knew what they needed to know to get the job done. We had a great time at work, and our numbers were always tops in the company. We went through some changes people got promoted, fired, and quit. So we wound up with a completely new staff. Of course no one knew really knew anything about the equipment, so it came down to me, still just a peon installer, to get everyone up to speed. Well it only works when everyone actually pays attention and is willing to learn. I've spent probably 50+ hours putting together papers on identifying cars with amps in them properly selling extra parts needed for remote starts and such. Things of that nature. Of course no one pays any attention so I get at least a dozen calls a day about if this car has an amp, what has do be done to put an overhead in a vehicle. I have to turn my cell off on my days off anymore just so I don't end up with another $150+ bill. Oh and heaven forbid I have to stop by work to pick up some tools. I have never been able to get out without spending at least an hour having to explain how to do something to one of the other installers.

The other thing that aggrivates me about this place is the apparent complete lack of anyone really caring about carfi and install. We always seem to be the redheaded stepchild of Best Buy. It seems to me that the big wigs would rather pay the probably $100000+ in yearly damage claims than actual proper training. Case in point, we had a home theater/mobile installer training this past summer. I wound up going for the whole day since my car is the biggest and has navi. The home theather end of the training was very informative and interactive. So we break for lunch come back for the modile end of it, and I was expecting something along the lines of the morning. Nope, had a couple of vendors trying to explain how their products worked and how they would make the customers lives easier. Ended up we, the installers, were correcting the incorrect information the vendors were stating. Yeah Best buy prides themselves on the whole MECP certified installers ok sure. The probelm is that it's just a piece of paper. It means the person is good at memorizing and taking tests. The best buy certification is a good idea, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. You can print the exam, fail it, print it again with the correct answers, and ace it 2 weeks later. Not that I've done that, though I do know some who have.

I could go on and on for hours, but I'll stop now. I'll probably end up losing my job over this, but I guess that's life. Don't get me wrong I love my job. I love the expression from a customer when their car remote starts for the first time. I lke the look in the kids face when he cranks the system I put in for the first time and his friends are jealous. I absolutely love doing something for a customer that other shops say can't be done. Especially when they go show the shop and I get a call from them asking me how I did it. Yes there are customer's that will not let any one other than me work on their cars, but don't all installers have people like that? Well I guess that's it for my rant now. Oh since I noticed that there is someone from corporate on these boards, to make your job easier should you decide to can me. I work at store 475 in brick.

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Cause I'm So white and nerdy...
First Class Certi-fried installer

everything that cntrylvr79 said, ditto for me. store #036, independence, mo.

bazzgazm wrote:

I was at circuit city also. We generally hire in at 8-9 an hour with no experience. 10-13 w/ exp. depending. but with the lack of a bonus structure that's it.

Honestly, Circuit city and best buy install bays do not really compete... totally different atmosphere.
you guys speed rush in tons of stuff to make your daily budget, which.. in my area is 2x that of my budget. Mainly because the keep 2x the people in order to rush in whatever they can find each day.

I kinda like not having to worry if my 10 dollars an hour is going to be 13 with bonus, and just make 12 bucks and call it a day.

Also, Is your aussie pay converted to usdollars?

let's start some complaining now.
the HIGHEST i've seen a non-manager installer @ best buy make hourly is 18.50
which i believe is cap for 1st class/silver whatever. pay rate.
so.
i'm sure some of you will go "holy crap, i work there, i'm silver certified, i make 13" but that's just how the cookie crumbles.
some NEW GUY at my shop *cough* just got a raise for something i was told i didn't get a raise for =)
i'm sure he'll read this then go "why you bring me up for" or something to that decree.

I try to explain the installer deals with the management here.. how we can be civil to them, we don't have to brag if our store is kicking their stores but and so forth. but they just don't get it. all in all, we as installers should stick together and help them out. I don't like to see people setting off airbags on cars cause they're not familiar.. i'd rather get that call and hear "hey, i've seen you here, and i know you know a few of the guys here.. can you help me"
although
sometimes.
you wish that jack-ass at the last place would stick his head out and cut the yellow harness while the cars running =)

*cough cough* Why you bring me up for?....Whats funny is that I fought that thing like a act of congress trying to get that raise that I wasnt even supposed to get.

I agree,managment does need to stick they're heads into our world and see what should or should not be changed.Maybe when they come back there we can ask for help,"Hey...lean in that car and yank that yellow loom outta there"......I'd love to see someone airbagged,ha

it seems like the topic is going off. I was an installer for bout 4 years before I started working in avionics. I dresses with slacks and a polo shirt. basically you dont want amy metal objects around your waste so thats one reason they dont want you to wears jeans. other than thatits pretty much common sense. Oh and dont get the habit of having tools in your pocket. Go to sears and you find tool bag for cheap so you can have you main used tools with you inside the car.

hate to keep this *off topic* but nouseforaname, after that new switch and mobile sales/DI/and Wireless merge, we're trying to get all the guys crosstrained and bringing a few of em back to the bay to see how we actually do things,that might help up out a little bit around the X-mas season so we can get a few other guys prepping harnesses and simple kits an cages while we run from car to car....another thing I'd like to add having a display w/ factory speakers vs aftermarket speakers to show the comparasion is a great idea....I wont take credit for that....thats BazzGazm, just a great idea to toss around.

best buy dress code at my store is strictyl inforced. if i come out from under a dash and my shirt is untucked and a manager sees it they say some thing about it.

As far as best buy politics yes i agree with what other have said they suck. but you can learn to deal with them. E-compasses are the dumbest thing ive ever had to do working as a installer or mechanic basicly they have nothing to do with what my job is. the last e-compass i took was the mp3 to car test and it was over products that our store doesnt even have in stock. this being the blitz safe adapters im not sure if we are just waiting for them or what.

Our bay hasnt recived parts (crimp caps, zip ties etc etc) in over 2 months. we are waiting on the orders and its to the point we dont have the items to do the install at the higest quality due to not having things we need.

best buy install is a good place to learn the basic skills needed to really get into this industry. ive been with best buy for almost a year and this is my last week because im feed up with the crappy hours, bad pay, same day installs,along with a few other things ive noticed at least at my store. I know the same day installs are some thing we have to do but when you have a full schedual book and are maybe even double booked with one installer covering the bay, same day drops are the biggest pain in the ass ever and should not be mandatory or at least done at some kind of profit for the company. I think if best buy wants to keep its installers longer and not have the turn around on people in the bay they will eventualy need to pay their people better and create a system that gives each installers a constant amount of hours. My hours jump + or - 10 hrs every week it seems.

Hey Murph,

Who's a "services manager"? is that something new at bby?

nouseforaname wrote:

don't you just love the ecompasses? i agree the mp3 one wasn't very helpful to say the least. all that stuff just looks good on paper for people pushing pens at corperate. some of the best installers i've ever seen aren't good at taking tests. and some of the worst installers i've ever seen ace the ecompasses but then got short out a car. go figure.

E compasses are a waste of time most of the time click threw the info and pass the test with out reading any thing or get the awnsers from some one else and then we just keep passing the awnsers to other installers untill every one has the tests done. hands on training for installers would be a better use of time in m mind. online training tests like ecompasses are just a way for the company to save money and think they are training people. this might work for sales people in departments that just need to know what some thing can do but for installers training should be more along the lines of how to make the product do some thing. this would stop installers from not knowing how to show a customer how to use a product after a install or know what steps need to be taken during the install to make the product do every thing its supposed to do.

im not sure if yours being sarcastic or not but ive seen several installers put a cd player in i mean any one can do that and make it look good if they are shown how. but then when the customer asks for a product demo or for the installer to set the clock and has no idea how to do that what good is the installer to the customer.

If i install a deck or what ever it is and have never used it before i try to take a few mins to figure out at leas the basic features for my knowledge and incase the customer wants a quick idea of how to use the product.

Murph, is this a store or a district position?

I agree completely with the afore mentioned statement..... Perfect example of how the e-compasses are worthless to us; In the MP3 to car training they used an example that is incorrect.... the focus with the factory alpine equiptment will not accept the periferial adapter for ipod, i called because i couldn't get it to recognise the ipod, Their tech support said to use what fit, (not the one listed for the 2000 ^ focus) and use the according dip switch settings, when that didn't work they said "well it probibly dosent work with the alpines then" I just love it when people state things that they do not know.

And we have an installer that has no real knowledge of 12 volt or viehicle electronics but management loves him due to his speed at deck and fours, I guess i'm at fault for not training him but he was brought on during the chrismas season and i was needed to do our three plus scheduled remote start installs a day, i needed him to do something. now i get questions like: why dosent the dimmer work when i hook up the ORANGE / black in this escort? Or, whats the squiglie line over the "V" on my meter thingie mean? He passed his best buy cert test too, another example of a good test taker vs hands on knowledge.

i work at best buy in florida. our dress code is standered balck shoes(i am exempt from this casue i cant alwaysa find them in my size and have even got bestbuy to buy me a pair cause i could not afford them, i were a size 20) shorts or paints, black, and blue shirt. now to the other stuff, besty bet for sales floor is to work with them we always try to have a installer on the floor and have all our sale traind a little in install so that we dont get the dumb questions, also you need the righht kind of sales guy, not the ones that will do anything for a sale, i have been bitched at to many times for not taking a viper 791 at 7 at night by the sales guys and he actuly said" your just lazy it cant be that hard" so a manager made him sit and watch a fuul aloram install and he never said another word. as for side jobs im not sure how to work on that. i have done a few but they were a pioneer for a pioneer swap and it was cage mounted. took no more than a minute and i charged 5 bucks. i do however take tips if they are forced on me, wich most of the time the coustmer is very determned with them