Printer Friendly Forum Posts - Best Buy Employees

<~best buy installer...probed around the12volt for a hot minute before they updated everything and added a link in tool kit, that and they took my internet explorer away posted_image ....now its all complicated ...product servies/offering/lookup...manufacturers and extrenal websites....depts "all"....1st comcast link

All of the infomation needed by an installer for best buy or for any company cannot be confined to internal info...I flipped out when they took it away, and I still bitch about having to fumble around etk to get outside the box

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RTFM

Best buy for 2 years nearly.
circuit for 1.
5months in between

but, been using the 12 volt since just before Circuit city.
i will not disclose my location because i swear they'll try to fire me for outside information leaking here!
ha!

been on the forums since 4/99 starting with Termpro (as I used to compete in dBdrag) and Sounddomain. Knew about the12volt well before the link was listed on TK. Carsound is my preferred.

-john
BT

9 months now with Best Buy. 6 years with a mom and pop shop before Hurrican Katrina damaged the store and forced its closure.

I have been a frequent ( sometimes 2-3 times a day ) visitor to thee 12 volt forums, and sounddomain for the last 3 to 4 years, just never registered to post.

Sounddomain has gotten to where it isn't as good as it used to be. Too many questions like " What brand is best out of Pyle, Power Accoustik, and Boss? ", "How hard do you think I'm hittin with 3 Jensen 10's?", " Why did my amp smoke when I bridged it to two Alpine Type R 12's?", make it too annoying to visit that much any more.

Worked for best buy from 96-01 then hhgregg from 01-05 currently work for a gps tracking company.

Been workin for best buy for about 10 months now, was on this site a year before that. Started in Mesquite, Tx with the "Easy Button" (you know who you are) and loved it there but then transferred to one of the Dallas BBY's and Its never been th same anymore. Ive become a victim of "The Poor Management", im sure alot of yall feel me on that! But other than the fact that I hate having to go to work now I still love what I do and I know all BBY's are not like this just a majority of them, lol. Might just have to give HR a call one of theese days and see if they even exist!

xone] wrote:

Been workin for best buy for about 10 months now, was on this site a year before that. Started in Mesquite, Tx with the "Easy Button" (you know who you are) and loved it there but then transferred to one of the Dallas BBY's and Its never been th same anymore. Ive become a victim of "The Poor Management", im sure alot of yall feel me on that! But other than the fact that I hate having to go to work now I still love what I do and I know all BBY's are not like this just a majority of them, lol. Might just have to give HR a call one of theese days and see if they even exist!

the do but the just tell you that there is nothing they can do and to talk to other people that are no help, i keep asking them about my raise that i have not got in two years

Yea, figured they wouldnt care about what hapens to us peons.

Murph] wrote:

br>Did you get your yearly review?

yes i did and was told i was gonna get a raise, that was september 11 i still have not gottin my bluecrew bucks. and i never got a 90 day review. i am still making what i came in at and i think it is under what a part time installer is supposed to get paid

I may be about to hav to call HR myself. A couple things have happened in the last week that kinda bother me. I may be just over-reacting on one of them howeve

Murph, did you get my pm?? )

Murph] wrote:

all HR, something is wrong.

talk to your store manager is all i get told and the services manager doesnot like me and wants me out of the bay caus ei am RED / green color blind, but in two years i have not done one harrnes wrong( i have but caught it before it went in to a car) and have had no p[roblems with it at all. but he thinks its to much of a risk to have me back there. but also this is the guy who knows nothing about any thing related to a car. and i keep talking to hr they dont help. i am getting sick of it aand i am about to burn the damn place down. not really

Murph] wrote:

Is it local HR or the 800 number?

i cant find my local one i ask and no one knows. the 800 is the one that gives me all the trouble

at my store u didnt even have to call hr just threaten the managers to they get off their ass and get things done then.. i worked at 344 for over a year.. never got my 90 day and they wouldnt give me my raise for mecp. when i mentioned hr i got a nice raise too bad i left the company to go back to school 5 weeks later.. came back to them 6 months later.. they jerked me around a bit about getting hired.. thank god for great people in the bay cause our sr/sup/whatever he is now lol basically told them to get off their ass and get me hired cause i know the routine and have more experience then neone applying for the winter rush.. i even got a raise when i came back.. all and all.. just threaten to push the right people's buttons and have the good guy son the inside on ur side cause i owe everything to that guy

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Driving a Bagged, Caddied 02 s10

Murph] wrote:

hich one?

The one asking about the MECP stuff, sent it yesterday.

we get 90 day raises?
2 years later.. that'd be some ok back pay.

bazzgazm wrote:

we get 90 day raises?
2 years later.. that'd be some ok back pay.

Murph] wrote:

QUOTE=nouseforaname]
hold up.........installers get 90 day raises? when i came in this store when it first opened, at my very first interveiw, i was told we get a 90 day raise, a yearly reveiw, and mecp raises. our gm told us the 90 day was only for the sales/warehouse......everybody but us, people. hopefully we'll get our yearly but if the whole 90 day thing is true......back pay, here i come!!!
murph...are you 100% sure installers are eligable for a 90 day raise before i go call my gm out?

Yes one of my new installer just had to fight for his. In NET it says 90 day review and raise but the system did not promt him for a review. He used the book and leaned on managers and it got done.[/QUOTE]

When I first started I was under the assumption that I was to get a 90 review/raise, well that's what I was told on hire day....after constant bitching and leaning on the mgt they finally told me that I wasnt supposed to get one buy since they had already put it in or whatever it was a *special case*.....lol, guess I got f*ccckkedded

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RTFM

ok ok nouseforaname here i am. working for big blue for 1 year now and one of these days gonna take that MECP test lol. big blue for a year and apprenticed at CMEC (local small chain in MS) for about 9 years. i love installing but seeing as how we are getting jerked around about raises and certification not 100% sure how i feel about the blue box right now. well, i'm sure things will get straighted out sooner or later and btw if they take my stapler one more time i will burn the building down...

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"I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think."
-Socrates-

oh yea, also there is another good site that i have been posting on for a while now called www.retailworker.com and look under best buy forums. just be careful because alot of the admins review that site and have posted several warnings about disclosing things such as pay rate, system loop holes, etc.

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"I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think."
-Socrates-

We dont get 90 day raises it says so in the compensation manual. I posted a more detailed response to this in the one of the other best buy threads. But if u can pressure somebody into throwing you one then more power to you, b/c i dont understand why we dont get one anyway. I just know for a fact that we arent supposed to.

oh yeah, but on that note I may be on my way to raises number 5, 6, and 7 within the last year if everything goes according to plan (just passed advanced mecp today, may get promoted to the empty install senior position soon, and my yearly review is coming up in september). Ive had a lot of luck with getting paid at this company in the last year, but of course I got jerked around and paid well below what i should have been making my first year here. But things are working out. Basically when you make an argument with management you have to be well educated on what you are entitled to and be able to show it to them in black and white. Between doing that and getting hr involved there's no way you wont be paid.

hey nouseforaname get back to work hehe. you might as well forget about that raise brotha. it ain't gonna happen. we might as well just make a few squirrelly, under our breathe, comments about our stapler and then burn the building down. HEHE but seriously GET BACK TO WORK!!! good luck and hope this helps.

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"I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think."
-Socrates-

Danny, dont thank me thank the guy who posted the exact same thing here like 8-9 months ago. I dont even remember who that was but i swear i owe him alot.

Oh yeah, I have been with the company longer than a year (it'll be 2 years in september), Im sorry if my post was confusing. Still, I havent been here anywhere near 13. So props to Murph for that kind of staying power.

By the way here's a story that may give some of you hope. I passed the MECP advanced yesterday, walked in today with my score report and received my raise right before I got off. The ops manager asked me how much money i wanted, I said hopefully no less than a doller... Well, lets just say I got way more than a dollar. It was actually so big that he had to split it into two parts b/c the computer wouldnt let him give one raise of more than 12 percent. So there's hope for the everybody else. Its a matter of the right peices falling into the right places sometimes.

But im still only part time... which sucks...

Best Buy is your worst move.Try some high volume car dealers,lots of people hack out their aftermarket equipment and trash the factory wiring when they trade in their car.If you can restore the car to OEM u are in big demand.Expect $45-70 Hr. for prof. work.Union shops hate this kind of work and a quick to pass it on.

Half the mechanics,teamsters in the twin cities were on strike at local car dealers,I am still on strike.Yes folks teamsters still exist.No union =no pay!

I know what you mean, but u never know with this company... Sometimes its just a matter of time...

Unions are for the most part a designed protection for lazy people. Start out with strong good intent and once people get lazy they are protected, so more laziness, still protected. The union stays and not crap can be done. But this is simply my opinion and well, I was taught to work for a paycheck. No offense to unionites, but I would be embarassed by 99% of them.

BBY for near 1 year, can't complain too much. My yearly rolling around should make me happy. Maybe more hours? I still get paid a bit under people I know that have higher stress jobs, so I def can't complain. (A GM of a pizza store would be one making $10/hr, but he also avgs like 50 hrs/wk.)

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1998 Monte Carlo w/
Eclipse CD8454
2xRockford 5.25" Power 2-way T152C
2xRockford 6"x9" Punch 3-way FRC4369
1xMemphis 16-MCH1300 5-channel
2xKicker 12" L5 Solobaric-2 Ohm

cleophus wrote:

Half the mechanics,teamsters in the twin cities were on strike at local car dealers,I am still on strike.Yes folks teamsters still exist.No union =no pay!

strike=pay??

Jim

Here is how i found out how to make money at best buy. Like everyone else said follow sop and do good. I started as a part time installer and worked my way up to senior in 2 years. When i first started senior managers didn't even know i was a senior. Then for a couple of months we were top 75 for installs. Managers started to notice. Now that we have a Services Managers I'm noticed a little more. Hopefully it will show in my 3 year next month.

Fast. Unless your manager is your friend! then. your three-year review is already decided.

there is a pay scale under componesation that lists exactly how much of a raise they can give you for EACH period without consulting district

let's say like me you're on the low end of your pay scale

then, if i score a 5 i get roughly 8%

but if i score a 5 and i'm on the high end. i get 3-0%

now, let's score a 3 like most people should AT LEAST attain

3 gets you 5.5 on the low pay end

but, nothing! on the high end.. at least you keep your job is what they say

now for installers 6% could be up 1$ an hour. but still

for most people in the store that's like 35c

and that right there is why I left. Why kill myself to make the shop look good, if I'm not getting a damn thing out of it.

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

To add a little fuel to your fire there cheif, before I left I was in the same position you are. I wound up getting a grand total of $1.65 between the 2. Oh well life happens later.

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

Personally, I still think your store just has some management issues. It doesn't help none if you do indeed have that attitude indicated in your post, as it will make things between you and management that much worse.

I do agree with many who think there should be a more "uniform" pay raise structure for how much to give when getting MECP certified and such. When looking at it from a more open mindset, I can see why it is what it is. Currently it allows more flexibility to giving greater pay increases to those who actually "know" how to install and do good work than those who can just "pass the test" but not really know how to do much. The problem arises when management doesn't really pay attention to the installers and just randomly gives amounts of raises due to favoritism among installers or what not. I also don't think there should be as much crossover in pay scale between one installer classification and the next ( for instance, a non certified installer and certified installer, the only differences in pay scale is about a $2 per hour higher cap for certified ). Reason being, if you are non cert and you get certified, but your pay is already in the scale of the certified range, thn you don't technically have to get a raise. That should be one of those moments when there is an standard $0.50 raise or something like that. I also don't think a non-certified installer within a store should make more than a certified installer ( especially in cases like my store currently, we have 2 non certified installers who both make in the $1 an hour amount more than the two first class certified installers, one of those of which is the install lead ).

I also think each and every store in the company, regardless if a 20k or not, should have a Mobile Install Sr. position, wich access to the services portal. I would love to be able to check that thing out every day, without having to hunt down my Servicees manager and hope he isn't sales leading or in a meeting at the time.

What you think Murph?

Murph, Knowing the pay system can get an employee on some not-so-friednly terms with a member or two of management, I know this from a very recent experience. They don't necessarily like knowing when they messed up, like if they hired a new person making more than than the max of their pay band, when the manual states that they can't be hired at more than the middle of the band. They also don't like knowing when one employee finds out how much another employee makes ( even if the other employee forgot to log out of e-go and had his pay check stub review up there on the screen for all to see ).

Any chance they re-institute the Instal Sr.'s in every store? Since you beleive that it was a mistake to do away with them, and you do talk to the corporate mobile team, couldn't you make that recommendation and see what happens?

I also think there should be more pay scales. For instance, leave Install Trainee, Install Tech ( non-cert ), Install Certified, Install Sr Certified ( for those Basic certified seniors ) alone. Change 1st class cert Install to Advanced Install Tech so the title matches the mecp certificate ( also change the badges on the shirts ). Add an Advanced Install Sr. for those Sr.'s who are advanced Certified ( maybe a slightly higher pay scale for this than a normal basic certified senior. ). Add a Master Certified Install Tech ( perhaps same pay scale as advanced senior ), and a Master Certified Senior position.

You may not like getting all this info I am giving, but if "My Opinion Counts", as management claims it does, and you are in a position to make more of a difference than I could on my own, I look to you for any questions and/or opinions I have.

I printed out the FY07 apy scales. Our store dropped into the -5 bracket. That really blows. Less money all around. I did see a 1st class payscale on there though. To bad seniors can't get anymore for the 1st class scale if they pass the test. I talked to my sup the other day and finally got my review done. I asked about what kind of a raise we would be seeing. I made the comment that the part time guy working one day a week (no exaggeration here) makes more then I do and I am full time. I told him it doesn't make sense to me since I am full time. I was givin we will see what the GM can do. I guess I will find out next week if I took it in the shorts again. My MECP was a whopping $.47 cents. That got me into the middle of the lower bracket. Sad thing about all this, White Castle still pays about what I make to flip burgers.... :(

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I may be lost but I am making good time.

yo , I work at Best BuY too. Im always on this site at work becaust my job is lame as f ck. I work on the sales floor selling car audio. That doodie sux, I am supposed to be an installer, but they wont let me install until I start comming in on time. When I need to get my mind off those annoying @ss customers I just log onto "THE 12 VOLT.com" and post some doodie up. Best buy is the doodie FUNK CIRKUT doodieTY. I know all you other installers that post up on here from Best Buy agree with me. You log onto THE 12 VOLT CAUSE THERE AINT doodie TO DO AT WORK. yOUR JUST TRYIN TO KILL SOME FUnKIN TIME. Our car audio manager over her is the lazyess mutherfunker I ever meet. He sits on the computer in our department for like 8 hours straight looking at some stupid videogame doodie getting paid 25 dollars an hour. Hes like 29 years, get a funking life you lame ass. He almost got busted looking at porn at work too, hahahah. .

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DA MIZILK MAZAN HIZOMMEY

Murph] wrote:

QUOTE=the milk man] yo , I work at Best BuY too. Im always on this site at work becaust my job is lame as f ck. I work on the sales floor selling car audio. That doodie sux, I am supposed to be an installer, but they wont let me install until I start comming in on time. When I need to get my mind off those annoying @ss customers I just log onto "THE 12 VOLT.com" and post some doodie up. Best buy is the doodie FUNK CIRKUT doodieTY. I know all you other installers that post up on here from Best Buy agree with me. You log onto THE 12 VOLT CAUSE THERE AINT doodie TO DO AT WORK. yOUR JUST TRYIN TO KILL SOME FUnKIN TIME. Our car audio manager over her is the lazyess mutherfunker I ever meet. He sits on the computer in our department for like 8 hours straight looking at some stupid videogame doodie getting paid 25 dollars an hour. Hes like 29 years, get a funking life you lame ass. He almost got busted looking at porn at work too, hahahah. .

Please quit now. You are no asset to Best Buy. Find a job you like and quit wasting our time.[/QUOTE]

I'll second that murph. All of the other best buy installers, well actually all of the other installers in general, post to this site either to help other people out or because they themselves need help figuring something out. We don't sit here trying to kill funkin time as you so eloquently put it.

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

I seriously doubt he works at Best Buy at all. Just on here "funkin" off and running his "funkin" mouth trying to start something.

Who is this idiot "da milk man", Im tryin to get a job at Best Buy and there is people like him workin there. They need to fire that retard and hire me. Im in desrerate need of a decent job, and Im willing to bust my ass. If anyone knows of a Best Buy in the eastside metro Detroit area please let me know.

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Ethiks313

How does Best Buy or Circut City determine how much an installer makes when they first get hired? Just wondering?

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Ethiks313

I did the BBY thing a few years back (store 166 in VA) before they linked to 12Volt...most of you guys are lucky, you threaten HR action to your mngrs and get your deserved raises...I got canned. Pretty sure I'm blacklisted now. I've tried re-applying at 2 other stores completely expaining my situation...after no calls I go in to talk, only to be AVOIDED by the management. How professional is that? Granted, I have been to some top notch BBY stores in various states and wished I had worked there instead, I do hear alot of the west coast stores are quite nice. I guess my point is, its just unfortunate that the company as a whole does not seem to realize the talent it has in alot of its install bays. As most of you probably know, your Home Theater departments probably get alot more recognition than your car-fi/install departments...I just wish they'd market their car A/V a little more and give some due credit to all the installers/salesmen out there.

Do they have a best buy in Afganistan? This guys somethin else posted_image

da milk man......I applied there a while back, on line......and they hire HIM. I'm sure I flunked the Psych test...I come off wrong on line, you need to see my smilin face... posted_image

Either that or they think Im too old!

layzboy wrote:

most of you guys are lucky, you threaten HR action to your mngrs and get your deserved raises...I got canned.
its just unfortunate that the company as a whole does not seem to realize the talent it has in alot of its install bays. As most of you probably know, your Home Theater departments probably get alot more recognition than your car-fi/install departments...I just wish they'd market their car A/V a little more and give some due credit to all the installers/salesmen out there.

I have heard from others that callign HR about anything that has to do with pay is a waste of time. They say that HR refuses to comment on it and everything is left up to the store managers.

You are absolutely correct that BB does not seem to realize the talent it has in the bays. And our HT department gets way more recognition and credit that we do. Actually, with the exception of the prices for labor and accessories in mobile, everything we sale actually goes towards the HT budget for the day. After Hurricane Katrina last year ( when I got hired ) one of the supervisors that used to be in mobile install but at that time was in our newly formed appliance department claimed that mobile was doing 35% of the business that HT was getting credit for. During that time they won a drive time contest and got some gift cards or something and mobile was left out completely. 2 of the current 7 salespeople in our HT department ( they have 3 fulltime 4 part-time ) used to be mobile sales ( one was an installer ) and when HT is real busy and mobile slow, there are 3 others in mobile who can go into HT and sale anything ( especially myself being that I do have 6 years of HT sales and install experience ) just as good as any of the HT people can. But we never get any recognition of it.

I also get an impression that Circuit City focuses more on their mobile department as being worthile while BB sees it as barely a break even aspect of the business. Every CC I have been into their mobile departments are twice the size of any BB that I have seen, their bays are larger and nicer, and they usually have higher end equipment, with BB picking up their leftovers when they decide they do not want it any longer ( Alpine, Infinity ).

Funk all yall HATERZZZ. . We sho duz have a Best Buy in Afganistan, its an opening here too. Want a job?

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DA MIZILK MAZAN HIZOMMEY

Store 019 in Des Moines , Iowa

not to bust anyones nuts but best buy installs and circuit city too, at least the ones here in el paso, suck ass. ive seen everything from punctured gas tanks to amps mounted right on the back of seats. screws gone all the way out of the roof when installing overhead screens to not even using fuses at the battery. but then again i dont complain because most cash and carry sales end up at my door for an install so please keep them comming. lol. you know somethings wrong when the sales people dont even recommend ther own install bays and just send them right to me.

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gcorrea

Murph wrote:
the milk man wrote:
yo , I work at Best BuY too. Im always on this site at work becaust my job is lame as f ck. I work on the sales floor selling car audio. That doodie sux, I am supposed to be an installer, but they wont let me install until I start comming in on time. When I need to get my mind off those annoying @ss customers I just log onto "THE 12 VOLT.com" and post some doodie up. Best buy is the doodie FUNK CIRKUT doodieTY. I know all you other installers that post up on here from Best Buy agree with me. You log onto THE 12 VOLT CAUSE THERE AINT doodie TO DO AT WORK. yOUR JUST TRYIN TO KILL SOME FUnKIN TIME. Our car audio manager over her is the lazyess mutherfunker I ever meet. He sits on the computer in our department for like 8 hours straight looking at some stupid videogame doodie getting paid 25 dollars an hour. Hes like 29 years, get a funking life you lame ass. He almost got busted looking at porn at work too, hahahah. .

Please quit now. You are no asset to Best Buy. Find a job you like and quit wasting our time.

you said it best murph, your shop is only as good as its people. now you know why you get 12 bucks an hour, if at that. find yourself another job if your unhappy, and leave the opportunity to those that actually want to work. theres always something to do at a shop. maybe its time to look for new management. seems like your best buy, like the one here, is only good for washers and driers.

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gcorrea

i a gree best buy has been around for years so why not take pride or at least supervise your installers. crap installs refflect as a whole. i personally wouldnt go to best buy to get an install after seeing how sloppy of a job is done. i dont do driveway installs we own our own shop with three bays fully insured like state law requires.

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gcorrea

nouseforaname wrote:

funny how one might see a couple not so great installs from a place and then spread the word that every install is that way. accidents happen. no one is perfect, not even you. so untill you've observed a place as a whole, all 700+ stores we have, don't slam everyone from there.

AMEN I've seen the best and the worst of both worlds. You shouldn't bash the shop that does the install, if something was done badly take it up with the installer that did it and/or their supervisor.

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