Best Buy Proposal

Best Buy: A Proposal for Improvement

Sound of Music, which would later turn into Best Buy (BB) was founded in 1966 as a record store. As available technologies and customer service norms changed, so did our business model. Since then, Best Buy has evolved into a technological hub where people can get music, movies, computing devices, electronics, and appliances. We started our online store in the year 2000, and we acquired Geek Squad (GS) three years later with more than acceptable results. As of 2006 our outstanding shares had reached their maximum value at 56.00 per share, while our most visible competitor’s (Amazon) share was about 35.00. Unfortunately, that boon period would not last, after 2006, the value of our stock declined

Thanks to Costco’s ninety day return policies in electronics with no restocking fees, customers in general expect a more generous return policy. Personally, I can attest that this differential in return periods becomes critical in considering the risk associated with purchases of more than $500.00. According to ihatebestbuy.com this is one of the most upsetting issues customers have with our store. Also, numerous complaints have been filed from customers who were denied a return for not being Premier Silver members (PSMs) of our Rewards program. PSMs get sixty day returns instead of fifteen. We believe that this distinction only alienates other buyers and does not do much to increase our efficiency

One example is the simple task of adding a gift note to some item, it is just not possible. Also, Best Buy’s website is a laggard compared to those of the competition; a single task, say a purchase, takes at least double the time it takes at Amazon.com. In light of the facts described, Best Buy should end all of the outsourcing contracts at once; our online store is a core function necessary for our own survival and should not be delegated to third parties. We also suggest improvements to the online store focused on usability and ease of access. Additionally, the online store should include direct links with access to customer focused groups, for example blogs and open forums about the use of windows 8; device ratings (like Amazon’s), and direct online help for normal issues with new computers. Actually, resembling Costco’s concierge service, we could offer free use of the Geek Squad’s service for 30 days for new items. This would work as a trial and could increase Geek Squad’s sales by a significant