Extremely Disappointed With Best Buy's Third-Party Installation Service and Lack of Accountability…read more
I scheduled and paid for a basic TV wall-mount installation through Best Buy approximately six days in advance. Best Buy confirmed my appointment for September 22 and, on September 21, provided an installation window of 1:30-4:30 PM.
At approximately 1:48 PM on September 22, I received a text from Best Buy's third-party installer, FINN AV, stating they were about five minutes away and asking whether someone 18 or older was available. I was in a class and could not immediately respond, but there was an adult at my home who could have let them in.
Best Buy also sent a message stating that its third-party installer was attempting to contact me.
As soon as I got out of class, I responded to both numbers, confirming that someone was home and asking whether the installers were still coming. I received no response. At one point, I even saw the text bubbles indicating someone was typing a response, but nothing was ever sent.
I then called both numbers, left messages, and again received no response.
At approximately 3:30 PM--still well within Best Buy's scheduled 1:30-4:30 PM window--I contacted Best Buy myself to find out what was happening. Only then did I learn that the technician had canceled the appointment.
I received no cancellation call, text, or email. Had I not contacted Best Buy myself, I apparently would have continued waiting for an installer who was no longer coming.
I escalated the issue to a supervisor and was told that the installer had taken a photograph of my house showing the address as evidence that they attempted the service call.
But a photograph of the outside of a customer's home proves only that someone was physically near the property. It does not prove that the installer rang the doorbell, knocked, waited a reasonable amount of time for someone to answer, or made a meaningful attempt to complete the scheduled service.
Again, an adult was inside the home and available to let them in.
What made this experience worse was Best Buy's response when I requested reasonable compensation for the inconvenience. I was told there would be no compensation, the issue had been escalated as high as it could go, I needed to reschedule, and I would still be charged full price for the installation.
I got off the phone at approximately 4:00 PM. Best Buy's original installation window did not even end until 4:30 PM.
That is unacceptable.
Customers arrange their schedules, take time away from work, cancel other obligations, and ensure someone is home based on these appointment windows. When customers miss appointments, companies frequently impose cancellation fees or other consequences. Yet when a company's contractor fails to complete an appointment, provides no cancellation notification, and leaves the customer waiting, apparently the customer is expected to absorb all of the lost time and inconvenience.
Accountability should work both ways.
I understand Best Buy uses third-party contractors, but I purchased this service from Best Buy. Best Buy accepted my payment, scheduled the appointment, established the service window, and selected the company representing its brand. From the customer's perspective, Best Buy is ultimately responsible for the service it sells.
I am not asking for anything unreasonable. I expect Best Buy to acknowledge that this experience fell below an acceptable customer-service standard, investigate what actually occurred with its third-party installer, and provide a reasonable remedy for the inconvenience.
Large companies build customer loyalty not by pretending mistakes never happen, but by taking responsibility when they do.
Best Buy had an opportunity to make this right. Instead, I was essentially told to reschedule, pay full price, and accept the inconvenience.
That is not acceptable customer service, and Best Buy needs to do better.