Archive for the ‘News and Events’ Category
As a Geek Squad Agent who helps clients set up their new technology in-home, I’m struck by two equally important factors that seem to create those successes: “engineering” and “emotional response.”
Engineering
While a product doesn’t have to be perfect to be a success, it does need to work well enough to accomplish the task it was purchased to perform. Of course, even tasks that may seem simple at first glance can require amazing amounts of engineering and design work before the product is considered for shipping.
Consider some of the new digital photo frames that can display photos sent to them via an email address unique to that individual frame. They have to be able to connect to a wide variety of home networks and internet broadband services. They have to be able to accept a number of image file formats, along with other unknown combinations, such as image quality and hidden file data. And the frame has to do this with a user interface simple enough to be operated by owners with wildly varying technical skill levels.
If a product isn’t produced with enough engineering care, it’s not going to function well enough for that customer checking it out in their local Best Buy to purchase it. Of course, that product is only “half-bought” at that point, because there’s the other factor to consider.
Emotional Response
Once someone has answered the question, “How would I use this product?” their next question is often, “Why would I use this product?” To use the example of that networked digital photo frame, one emotional response could come from the potential happiness they could create by giving the frame to their parents so they can remotely upload new photos of the grandchildren easily.
It’s that picture in that client’s head of how they will feel if they own a product, how it will impact their lives on an emotional level, that can quickly turn a potential purchase into an actual purchase. We are often, after all, creatures of emotion.
There’s been a lot of very positive talk recently about Best Buy’s @Twelpforce since its launch three months ago, but it’s not the only way to reach out for Geek Squad assistance.
Geek Squad is available 24 hours a day via phone at 1-800 GEEK SQUAD (1-800-433-5778). Our Mission Control Agents can help you schedule on-site appointments with our field Agents, or direct you to our other remote service options.
If you have broadband Internet access and can connect to the Internet, we can assist you with your remote support needs via our Virtual Agents at the GeekSquad.com.
If you’re looking to talk to a live Agent in person, you can use our store locator to find the nearest Geek Squad Precinct, often located in your neighborhood Best Buy.
Of course, if you have Twitter, you can always reach us through @GeekSquad or @Twelpforce .
It has come to Geek Squad’s attention that a Microsoft Windows Update released on August 25, 2009 is inadvertently causing x64 processor based computers with Windows Vista x64 SP1 to crash with a blue screen (BSOD) and the error message “STOP: 0x0000007E”.
This update, update id: KB973879, was pushed to install on computers via Windows Update. The update has been temporarily removed from Microsoft’s Web site and Windows Update.
Computers with Service Pack 2 installed prior to August 25, 2009 are not affected by this issue.
If you have a computer that is affected by this issue, please use the following directions to resolve it:
FROM NORMAL MODE OR SAFE MODE:
If this does not resolve the issue visit your local Best Buy or call 1-800-GEEKSQUAD (1-800-433-5778).
The update includes:
And more… You can read about the details at xbox.com.
If you have an iPhone, we suggest that you install patch as soon as possible.
I’d like to start this post by making the record clear: We are proud to have reached out to Ivy Bean and get her set up on Twitter. With her permission, we also publicized her accomplishment to encourage other older people to get online.
Star Trek is set to release today and I couldn’t be more excited! Sure, I’m thrilled that the new movie is coming out soon, but what’s even more exciting is all the fancy merchandise that gets released to help promote the movie itself. You’ll see tons of blogs about the movie itself, but I think I’ll change things up a bit by focusing on all the nifty gizmos that would make any Trekkie jump for joy.
There’s a new Star Trek movie coming out today and it got me thinking – what has Star Trek contributed to the modern-day universe? Could it be possible we owe some modern day conveniences to this long-running series of fictional TV shows and movies?
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