Testing equipment has been moved out of the back room so that customers can watch the procedure, explain any problems and interact more favorably with the technicians. It also allows Best Buy to reduce unnecessary shipments of product to be repaired, since often the problem lies not with a faulty product but with a customer who simply doesn't know how to operate it. Product can also be tested in front of the customer when they return to pick it up. The lead tech then fills out the paperwork and handles any monetary transactions. If the product needs to be sent to the service center it is placed in a padded bin and stacked for shipment, another procedure that has been changed.
Trucks now operate on a schedule to more closely match traffic flow within the stores.
Once the product arrives at the service center it is scanned into a new system that allows it to be tracked every step of the way. Technicians, managers and even store employees can call up the product and see exactly where it is and what services have been performed. We went from an artisan type process to a team process and concept. The new system takes Best Buy one step closer to greater operational efficiency, which is something management recognizes must be done if it is to sustain geographic expansion and earnings. Lebhar-Friedman, Inc. in association with The Gale Group and LookSmart.