Former employees of Best Buy’s in-house technical support and repair team, the Geek Squad, say there have been massive layoffs this week. 404 media Report. A former Geek Squad agent told the outlet they received an email on Tuesday regarding a “company change” regarding the next day’s work-from-home event.
“Our leadership called separately and said that the reason for our dismissal was simply that the company could not afford to pay more or less wages. This was very hasty notice and it was devastating.” A former Geek Squad member the staff said. 404 media.
On r/GeekSquad, recently fired GeekSquad agents posted photos of their badges in a show of solidarity and described themselves as belonging to GeekSquad’s “sleep squad,” writing that they were “sleeping” along with their locations and badges Number.
edge The company has been contacted for more details about the layoffs and we will update if we hear back.
During the company’s last earnings call in February, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said the layoffs were expected this year as a way to “realign the company’s resources to ensure we have the resources dedicated to AI and our strategy.” necessary assets in areas such as other elements”. We have made adjustments to parts of our business and expect volumes to be lower than we expected a few years ago. Whether this is due to lower industry sales or due to decisions we make (such as improving our paid membership benefits). “
As for why, Barry cited multiple “macro factors” affecting consumer electronics spending, including lower sales due to increased demand during the pandemic, and “to be honest, there hasn’t been any large-scale innovation to meet consumer demand.” . Will prompt you to buy a new laptop. “
Barry specifically mentioned the Geek Squad repair business, saying: “Our FY25 plan is focused on further improving the efficiency of our forward and reverse supply chains, our Geek Squad repair business and the customer service experience. We will continue to rely heavily on analytics and technology to achieve these efficiencies. This includes leveraging artificial intelligence safely and effectively.” Another area of her focus is health, mentioning Best Buy Health as a “We’re leveraging our expertise and our Geek Squad agents, An area that leverages the increasing use of technology to help deliver home health care.”
This “right sizing” also includes physical space in stores, and she confirmed that Best Buy “will be eliminating physical media and refreshing our mobile digital imaging, computing, tablet and smart home divisions.”
Over the years, many former and current Geek Squad employees on Reddit have noted the high turnover rate in the position due to relatively low pay and little prospects for advancement. According to Glassdoor, based on 231 salary estimates, the salary range for a Geek Squad agent is $16 to $21 per hour. That estimate appears to be accurate, based on job openings listed on Best Buy’s website. For example, the city of Brooks, Kentucky is currently hiring for a “Geek Squad City Supervisor” with an hourly salary range of $20 to $30 per hour. A store in Encinitas, California is hiring entry-level Geek Squad agents, with hourly pay ranging from $15 to $19.