I can definitely understand the bad reviews here, but since I was here to simply pick up an order, I can't really give that bad a rating. However, I can definitely sympathize with the lack of customer service, at least while I was browsing around.
I had a $5 promotional certificate that was randomly given to me out of the blue, and I was trying to look up Best Buy's deals, which can alter daily. I did find a deal on a product that I was interested in, but as it turns out, they didn't have any in stock at the Best Buy in Lakewood! However, they did have a few left in stock at this Best Buy in Downey Landing on the east side of Lakewood Blvd north of Imperial. I was also planning to eat lunch in the same shopping center, so I was able to do two things at once, in reference to that Travis Kelce Pfizer commercial.
I placed my order online for in store pickup with the promise that it would be ready in an hour. Sure enough, within that hour, I got an email saying my order was ready for pickup and it would be held there for 6 days. The email says that if you can't pick up your order by then, they will cancel your order and refund you, but you can also request an extension if need be, something I'd recommend doing if you used a promotional certificate as I don't think it would be refunded alongside your payment.
In addition to an email, I got a text saying that my order was ready for pickup. Both forms of communication directed me to tap the "I'm here and in line" link to signify my presence inside the store. The link from the text got me to the sign in page, but the link from the email directed me to the pickup page. I'm not sure how that happened, and I'm sure I'd get a different result were I to place a future order, but the pickup page does have a barcode that the employee needs to scan first. He also asked to see my ID to confirm I was the correct person to pick up the order.
The process was seamless until the end when he was about to walk away after scanning out my order. I wanted to ask him about the return policy, and he tried to answer while walking away. His voice kept trailing off, so I asked him to clarify a couple of times. That was kind of annoying, but other than that, his service was fine. I wish he did a better job of finishing, though.
The online order pickup was right next to the exit, so I went back to my car to drop off my order and decided to come in to explore the rest of the store.
I liked how the interior looked with all merchandise in good condition, but I didn't like how there weren't as many employees about to help out if needed. As an example, I was taking a look in the appliances section, and I only saw one employee there. He seemed to be busy over the phone or a walkie talkie, but it gave me the impression that help isn't readily available at this Best Buy. I continued browsing through the appliances section, even getting distracted by doing a few Google searches on a fridge. I heard someone offering help to someone in my direction, but he was looking at another customer instead.
Even in other parts of the store, nobody offered to help, which didn't really bug me since I wasn't planning to get anything else. However, if I was, it would have left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not sure I'd go as far to stay this Best Buy is short-staffed, but don't be surprised to wait some time for an associate to help you if needed.
Also, during my visit, there was an annoying alarm that kept sounding somewhere in the store. It wasn't screechingly loud like a banshee, but if you were nearby, it could disrupt your experience and decision making on what to get.
In the far corner of the store, there are a couple of rooms for Home Audio, but the doors were closed when I went. I don't know if you can only go in there with an associate, but I didn't bother to find out. It would have been cool if those rooms weren't enclosed spaces, and anybody could go in to experience the sights and sounds of a home theater, something I've done before at the Lakewood location.
Overall, not a bad visit. I did enjoy getting to browse around the store and seeing all the gadgets available for sale. They had a pretty good selection from what I saw, and the interior looked pretty modern as well. However, like I alluded to before, don't expect help to be available at a moment's notice. It might take several minutes before you can get someone to answer your questions. I didn't interact with any other associate besides the one at the pickup counter. read more