Do You Have What it Takes to be on the Geek Squad? (Yes, You Do)
Posted 08/11/09 at 11:30:40 AM by Paul Lilly
Comments
Print
Email
Commercialized PC repair services like Best Buy's Geek Squad and, when it was still around, Circuit City's Firedog are often mocked for being over priced and under qualified, the latter of which might be an unfair generalization. Or maybe not, now that we've seen Geek Squad's CompTIA A+ preparation exam.
The exam questions were sent in to Gizmodo from an "anonymous tipster," and while some of the multiple choice answers are a bit amusing, you'd be hard pressed to find a question/answer combo that you couldn't answer correctly without too much thought. For example:
Q: What is the most effective way to increase the performance of your PC?
- Upgrade your processor from Intel to AMD
- Tweak the registry for maximum efficiency
- Installing more RAM
- Use your PC for shorter periods during the day
It doesn't get any more challenging than that out of the six samples Gizmodo posted. And we suddenly understand why a dislodged hard drive cable was so hard to diagnose.
Image Credit: Best Buy
Average upgrade procedure at
Submitted by gendoikari1 on Sun, 08/23/2009 - 9:15am
Average upgrade procedure at Future Shop:
What I wanted: 2GB DDR2-800 to 4GB DDR2-800 (1 extra 2GB stick)
What it would usually take: really short while
How long it took: the entire weekend
Normal aftereffects: none, provided you did it right (it only goes in one way)
Actual aftereffects: Hard drive wiped
Sorry Guys
Submitted by justinmc on Sat, 08/22/2009 - 7:44am
This isn't the "Geek Squad A+ Certification Exam". This is the certification that everyone even remotely associated with computers at Best Buy has to take - which means the bottom feeders as well as the gurus.
Granted, you all are probably going to ignore this fact and masturbate to your own perceived awesomeness, much like you all ignore the fact that there are good techs and bad techs everywhere.
Submitted by gendoikari1 on Sun, 08/16/2009 - 8:51pm
Do this: go to your average big-box electronics retailer (Future Shop is even worse than Best Buy), and ask for WOM (Write-Only Memory). See if the guy at "Geek" Squad/equivalent either notices the joke (competent) or proceeds to look around the back (never get tech support from there).
Submitted by Trooper_One on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 11:53am
They need to stop calling themselves 'geeks'.. It is an insult to the genuinely smart folks and computer techs alike.
Best Buy's GS needs a name change to: Sell U Crappy Knockouts Assholes (SUCKASS)
I hope on day they will get sue for the frauds they've committed.
Submitted by ready4war on Sun, 08/23/2009 - 11:20am
Goodone!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's genious, SUCKASS.
Submitted by DBsantos77 on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 7:18am
That's genious, SUCKASS.
"There's something wrong with my PC, I think it has a virus."
"Okay ma'am, just bring it here to SUCKASS, we'll juice you for the little cash you have and do a half-ass job."
With their track record, I
Submitted by vistageek on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 9:33am
With their track record, I wouldn't expect their exam to be difficult. A local computer repairman once told me this, "yeah...I could get my A+ cert, but that would be like a doctor getting his CPR card." So true.
Cheat Sheet
Submitted by patrickmaher on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 1:16am
Don't be fooled into thinking this is the A+ exam. This is just a cheat sheet in disguise. Comptia would not be happy if Geek Squad handed their employees a list of test questions and answers. This is a way for them to get around that. The absurdly wrong answers tell the employee which answer is correct so they can memorize it.
There are some extremly easy questions on the A+ but the majority are no where near this easy. You actually need to have begining computer tech knowledge or study and learn to pass. It's always possible to cheat and pass with no knowledge, which sadly many people do.
Can anyone tell me if I am right...
Submitted by Devo85x on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:10pm
that question could be considered to not have enough info to answer correctly, I know they want the third answer (add more RAM) but if you consider that they dont tell you what the system is.. if you are looking at a X58 system with 6gb of ram, but they dont have a 64Bit OS (dumber things have happened...) then it wont matter if you add more ram... and even if you have a 64Bit OS, if you upgrade from 6GB (assuming 3, 2GB sticks) to 8GB, you will take a hit in bandwidth since you are going from tri-channel to dual-channel, and if you go from 6GB (again, 3 sticks) to 12GB, you will take a hit in latency, slowing your performance slightly... I guess the person who made it didn't think of that...
Submitted by vistageek on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 9:34am
The person making the test prolly isn't any smarter than the one taking the test.
Submitted by imperium999 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 12:45pm
How else am I supposed to work my way into a spy job with a hot blonde?
Chuck reference
Submitted by n0ctis on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 8:31pm
Chuck reference ftw.
________________________________________________________________
.: vires et honos :.
Submitted by downlinx on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 12:43pm
This is great, awhile back i interview with them and the manager himself told me i was over qualified and that I was more over qualified than he was. Thank God, i am working for a hospital. They dont give us TECH's a bad name they just make us look better, because we dont have to scratch our head and go to google to look up the diff. between ddr and ddr2 memroy is.
to be fair can YOU name
Submitted by nekollx on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 3:54pm
to be fair can YOU name the difference between DDR and DDR2? Besides looking at the label and mother board and saying "un that DDR while the mobo is DDR2 they arent compatible" But can you offthe top of your head list the architecural differences between the 2?
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Long story short, I went to
Submitted by chaosdsm on Wed, 08/19/2009 - 7:07pm
Long story short, I went to BB to buy some DDR2 RAM for a customer's PC, somehow a stick of DDR3 wound up in a DDR2 package, I noticed it due to the position of the index pin. I tried to point it out so that someone else wouldn't get the wrong RAM, but the GS guy swore up & down it was DDR2 till I showed him a couple of DDR2 sticks & pointed out the placement of the index pin on them compared to the DDR3.
Point is, you don't have to know the architectural differences, but you should know the physical differences.
Well said, champ! Geek Squad
Submitted by I Jedi on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 3:44pm
Well said, champ! Geek Squad is an embarrassment to the entire geek/nerd community. Imo, the best tech shops, as many point out, are the Mom & Pop shops.
Submitted by chocobo on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 12:24pm
This is a little off topic, but I build/fix/upgrade computers on a regular basis so I'm fairly knowledgeable when it comes to this stuff.
I recently took some IT classes in college and they were teaching us about parts from Pentium III computers. I could be wrong but I think the section on how the printer cable worked used a dot matrix printer in the example... and this is not at a failure of a college either. I haven't tried for any certifications yet but if that stuff is actually on the test I might actually have a little trouble with it.
Submitted by Devo85x on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:13pm
I hope I dont get in trouble for saying this... but when I took A+, there were easy questions like, (this is not an exact quote, so it wont be considered removing test material) what do you call a system with 2 graphics cards, but there were dumb ones that had typos like, how do you copy a file to internet explorer... (it ment to say windows explorer)
It's not totally crazy, as
Submitted by yourfriendlane on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 12:36pm
It's not totally crazy, as at least half the hardware you handle out in the field in this line of work is legacy hardware. Besides, there's not THAT much difference between PIII-era hardware and today's.
Submitted by globot on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 12:22pm
It's interesting how everyone generalizes a statement about an entire corporation based on one or two lousy experiences. Yes, while first impressions are critical, I don't think it's fair to say the entire population fo employees is just "moronic" and "idiotic". There's always going to be bad eggs, no matter if you've got a PhD in Computer Science Engineering and work for NASA, you may just as well lack the common sense of any of the stories you people have mentioned above.
I know from personal experience that not all Geek Squad's employees are idiots or lack any technical background. I've got a friend who's got a BS in CS and he'll be there to tell you if your hard drive is bad, or if a cable is disconnected somewhere. And half the time, if it's something he can fix in under 5 minutes, he won't charge.
I promise you that not every person in Geek Squad is a bad egg. You just have to look past the ones that are.
Also, the reason Geek Squad is still around is because there's a good chunk of people who aren't like us, reading countless articles online and in the periodicals about how to fix, build, and troubleshoot pcs. They just don't have the time. So they take it there (due to high amounts of media and often times referral). So keep that in mind as well.
True
Submitted by jwalch.hawk on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:46pm
I mostly agree with you - lots of these are stories are just anecdotes about one bad employee or maybe even one bad store. Even if you considered a hundred of them there's no evidence that the vast majority which we HAVEN'T heard anything about are fine. Nonetheless, the article is just about the pathetic qualifications required (it's commenters that decided it needed to become a sounding board for bad GS experiences). I haven't seen the latest edition of the CompTIA certification discussed in the article, but past renditions were pretty laughable.
It's true that you can get idiots in any field, but with appropriate requirements you weed more of them out. I think the big issue here is that the exam isn't really adequate for what most of us expect a computer technician to do. Yeah, yeah, I know a huge percentage of moronic consumers out there need the Geek Squad to install Windows for them... But they're marketed as computer technicians pretty much, so I don't think it's unfair to expect a reasonable level of technical knowledge (even if most people don't require that).
Submitted by lostcause64 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 5:00pm
I used to be Geek Squad, though I started before they adopted the Geek Squad brand, and got in there the hard way... by reading MaxPC and learning to do it myself.
Unfortunately, so many wannabe Techs see Geek Squad as a launching point to get into the IT profession, but they have no real skills, inspite of a degree or two. Had to work with one guy that claimed two degrees in Computer Sciences, still I had to show him how to run a defrag on an HP made Windows XP system and how to install extra RAM in it... But he'd always brag about his degrees...
It was so bad, that we finally pushed though some interview questions so that we could avoid any more of those guys. Our favorite was "What kind of computer do you own?", and if we got something like "It's an HP.", instead of "It's an (proc), with (amount of ram), ect...", then we'd just pass on him. It was meant to check if the person knew his hardware that they owned, instead of someone bringing nothing to the table, like the guy with the degrees and it was only in the store I worked in. It didn't last, because BB wanted more salesmen and fewer actual knowledgeable techs, and I had to get out of there after over 4 years, but it did have the value of being good experience. Even if it was kind of like trial by fire, times 1000...
John
Have you ever wondered why intelligence can normally be found in an individual, but runs screaming in terror from a group? Though, there are exceptions...
Submitted by jwalch.hawk on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 4:46pm
Not that I'm condoning how people often flaunt degrees, but a degree in Computer Science isn't really a great qualification for repair work. It's sad, because the average person would *definitely* assume a person with a Bachelor's in CS would know everything about computers and it's pretty clear from some comments here that even some of us also have that wrong idea. The fact of the matter is that the major does not necessarily prepare you for this type of work (and as far as I'm concerned, that's not a problem).
A CS major is typically more focused on the software half of the equation, and there is often a strong focus on concept and theory than with specific applications. In other words, someone with a CS degree might not be able to tell you the specific way to do something in Windows, but they probably know at a pretty low level what the details of the stuff going on is. Generally speaking computer engineering is considered to be more hardware-focused. Of course, being as how that's an engineering degree, those folks are way overqualified for Geek Squad (and other similar jobs) and are seeking higher pay professional careers.
Honestly, if Best Buy was smart they'd start looking for folks with two-year degrees or certifications from community colleges that offer training programs in this sort of repair work. Those folks have the most hands-on experience (among the formally educated, that is) with current hardware and software. It's not all that different from with cars, really. Do I want someone with a PhD in physics repairing my car? I mean, in theory, they know all the details of what's going on, right? But no... Most mechanics don't have a four-year degree (as far as I'm aware, the norm is a two-year technical training). Just goes to show you that more education doesn't make you better qualified to perform all jobs that could possibly relate to the field.
Submitted by valtonray on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 11:13am
this is great. i've got a sudden urge to go apply for a job just so i can tell the manager he's an idiot before walking out.
same here. I'd do the
Submitted by Caboose on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 11:29am
same here. I'd do the interview for shits and giggles
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
Submitted by jwalch.hawk on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 11:12am
So what's the news item here? Geek Squad is generally lousy? That's old news. The CompTIA A+ Certification is a joke? That's also old news - that test has been around for years with new editions periodically. Is it that we finally discovered what the qualification requirement for them was? Frankly, I'm surprised that there's actually a formal certification requirement at all, even if it is a joke cert.
Submitted by Devo85x on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:17pm
they changed the test again last year and made it so you have to get a little over 200 points higher than what you did have to, (you origonally needed somewhere in the 500s, now you need in the 700s....) it still isnt that hard though, Network+ is MUCH harder though :(
Submitted by knopix on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 11:22am
I had an interview a month ago and they told me I was over qualified i have to many certification A +, Network + and Linux+ and because my main experience was fixing PC on me own it was a conflict of interest.
Submitted by yourfriendlane on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 10:46am
My favorite "wtf" moment I've ever had with Geek Squad was when I overheard a guy ask for a new video card for his laptop. The GS guy goes over to the videocard aisle, stands there looking for a minute with a confused look on his face, then hands the guy a full-sized Radeon 4870.
Over on Gizmodo one person
Submitted by dag1992 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 11:22am
Over on Gizmodo one person commented an even worse but sadly funny story. He was apparently looking for an SLI bridge connector, pretty mundane right? To his dismay the guy at the counter said he didn't know where the SLI Bridge was. Brilliant people indeed.
Submitted by Devo85x on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 1:21pm
Only difference was it was at my local ComputersPLUS, not Best Buy... The exact conversation went like this...
*I enter and walk up to the counter*
CompomputersPLUS Guy: "Can I help you?"
Me: "Yeah, do you carry SLI bridges?"
ComputersPLUS Guy: "a bridge?"
Me: "Yeah... a SLI bridge...?"
*Guy looks at me confused for a second...*
ComputersPLUS Guy: "There isn't anything called that..."
*I leave pissed off, not wanting to argue...*
Submitted by ready4war on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 11:01am
the GS guy is an Dumbass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by comptech08 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 10:59am
O WOW. I hope the guy did not buy it. Thats bad. With all the bad rep Geek Squad gets and all of the failed undercover tests done to them, how come they are allowed to still do business? :\
Geek Squad is a Joke!
Submitted by weaslem32 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 10:44am
These bozos give all of us real Computer Technicians a bad name. The only reason this department was ever developed was to bring in large amounts of cash from people who know very little about the technical side of computers. This is criminal behavior.
metropolis has you.
Actually, Geek Squad used to
Submitted by big_montana on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 11:30am
Actually, Geek Squad used to be a stand alone company that provided very good serivce. Than Best Buy decided to see what they could do to totally screw them up and figured out the best way to do this was to purchase them. And the rest, as they say, is history.
WAAAAOO, amazing
Submitted by u217946 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 10:43am
WAAAAOO, amazing.......what kind of "tech's" are these can we even call them "Tech's"......this makes me question how many people have fallen to their missjudgments and spent $100's or maybe even $1,000’s of dollars on simpleproblems like what these people could of fixed right away instead of making half ass and stupid judgments. Sad very sad…a multimillion dollar company and this is whatthey have to offer to their customers. Very, very sad
Submitted by gendoikari1 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 9:39am
Urk. Double post.
Submitted by gendoikari1 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 9:38am
Whenever my father's laptop runs slow, he decides to reinstall Windows to make it "unclogged". Keep in mind, it also has only 256 MB RAM.
Submitted by dag1992 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 8:18am
And to think I actually considered working there. I'm overqualified for once...
Submitted by mattman059 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 9:12am
A friend of mine was applying to work at Geek Squad because he had connections (easy way in). Well his friend set him up with an interview and the first question my friend was asked was "What do you do if a customer asks for a memory upgrade" and my friend being a little knowledgable replied that he would ask the customer what kind of motherboard they had (if they knew) or what kind of ram they were currently using. Well the manager replied that he was totally wrong and that he should only offer ram that was on sale, regardless of the customers needs...Bewildered my friend asked the manager "what if they RAM types do not match?" referring to DDR, DDR2, SODIMM and others...and the manager replied.."Oh it doesnt really matter, they're all the same"..
Yeah..you try fitting a 240pin stick into a 200pin hole and see if you dont have problems.
Thats terrible... Probably
Submitted by Pentium 0 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 9:35am
Thats terrible... Probably hopes the consumers will get frustrated and buy a new pc instead.
Yeah i know of stuff like
Submitted by AntiHero on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 9:31am
Yeah i know of stuff like that happening. They typically want to offer whats on sale. I know someone who went there and applied and they were asked by the interviewer "what do you do if a cusomer comes to you asking about a ticking sound from their computer that is out of warranty" and of course the answer is check the hard drive for ticking, most likely it is, so next case is to get what hard drive they need. They were told it was incorrect, that you were supposed to try and offer them a new machine or to send that one to the factory. My friend told them that was the most expensive an silly course of action because they can buy a hard drive for less than it would cost to send it away outside of warranty. I've found that best buy's geek squad won't actually do anything for you. I bought a laptop, harddrive failed on the first model, i replaced it for the same model, and that one also failed. I took it back, knowing full well i could fix it, but i shouldn't have had to after 4 months from being out of the factory and used. I got it out of box, so it wasn't like it was in the display area. They turned it on, read the error and told me i needed a new machine. I looked at him bluntly and said "you do realize that's ONLY a hard drive error" and he persisted to argue me. Eventually i just went to NCIX and got an awesome 320gb 2.5" Seagate gforce drive. Deadly silent and stays pretty cool...best laptop drive ever.
I don't like Microsoft, I associate with it.
Submitted by nekollx on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 11:27am
you know this makes me question the velidity of the Geeks on Call our offices uses for bugs I can't fix.
Though i will admit the GoC have solved the problems most of the times (like deep rooted virues) and recomended good sofhtwere (ESAT Nod 32)
What's the verdict on Geeks On Call?
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Submitted by big_montana on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 11:36am
They usually get good reviews, but are only as good as the technicians running the local franchise. yes, they are a franchise operation and you can purchase your own GOC franchise if you wish.
Must Read Articles
Feature
Review
Feature
Feature
Feature
Most Popular Articles
This Month's Issue
FEATURE How to Get FREE Programs, Services, Software & MoreFEATURE Digital Photo Printer RoundupHOW TOBuild a 3D CameraFEATUREDIY Arcade PCWHITE PAPERHow TRIM Works
Technology News
Computer Cooling Fans
Computer Cases
PC Game Controllers
PC Games
Computer Hardware
Headphones
MP3 Players
Stream Video
Computer Mouse
Monitors
Motherboards
NAS Storage
Networking
Laptop Computers
DVD Burner
Digital Cameras
Portable Storage
Computer Accessories
Smartphone
Antivirus Software
Sound Cards
Speakers
Computer Systems
Thumb Drives
Video Cameras
Video Card Reviews
Water Cooling
Gadgets
- Keyboards
© 2009 Future US, Inc. All Rights Reserved.