Kymberly Martin
A new take on the home visit.
Multi-national CE retailer Best Buy is testing an in-home service in the US that is giving customers no-cost advice on new technology. The visiting consultants are able to assist customers with solutions for a range of problems such as speeding up their wireless network to setting up connected home systems.
Consultants can also liaise with internet, cable and other providers to help with any issues involved in the process. While consultants can also recommend products customers are under no obligation to buy.
The in-home consulting initiative has been trialled in three cities and results from these will decide if the pilot program will be rolled out to other markets. The retailer already makes home visits with its Geek Squad repairs business although this service is understood to have dwindled as a result of fewer calls and a ‘replacement over repair’ decisions.
Best Buy is the biggest CE retailer in the US with over 1900 stores and also operates in Canada and Mexico. Revenue for 2016 was US$42.57 billion.