\n<\/p>\n
Former employees of Best Buy\u2019s in-house tech support and repair team Geek Squad say there were mass layoffs this week, 404 Media<\/em> reports<\/a>. A former Geek Squad agent tells the outlet that they received an email on Tuesday about a work from home event the following day regarding a \u201ccompany change.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOur leadership gave individual calls stating we were being let go for the simple fact that the company couldn\u2019t afford to pay us, more or less. It was extremely short notice and devastating,\u201d an ex-Geek Squad worker told 404 Media<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Over at r\/GeekSquad<\/a>, recently laid-off Geek Squad agents have posted photos of their badges<\/a> in solidarity and referred to themselves as belonging to a Geek Squad \u201csleeper cell\u201d, writing that they\u2019re \u201cgoing sleeper\u201d along with their location and badge number.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Verge<\/em> has reached out to the company for more details about the layoffs and will update if we hear back.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n During the company\u2019s last earnings call in February, Best Buy\u2019s CEO Corie Barry said to expect layoffs this year as part of a push to \u201credirect corporate resources to make sure we have the necessary assets dedicated to areas like AI and other elements of our strategy and rightsize parts of the business where we expect to see lower volume than we envisioned a few years ago. whether that is the result of lower industry sales or due to decisions we made like evolving our paid membership benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As far as why, Barrie referenced multiple \u201cmacro factors\u201d affecting consumer spending on electronics, including a drop in sales following heightened demand during the pandemic, and that, \u201chonestly, really, right now, there isn\u2019t any massive current innovation that would spur you to go buy a new laptop.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Barry called out Geek Squad repair operations specifically, saying<\/a>, \u201cOur fiscal \u201825 initiatives are focused on driving further efficiencies across forward and reverse supply chain, our Geek Squad repair operations and our customer care experience. We will continue to lean heavily on analytics and technology to achieve these efficiencies. This includes leveraging AI safely and effectively.\u201d Another area she\u2019s looking at is health, mentioning Best Buy Health<\/a> as an area \u201cwhere we are leveraging our expertise and our Geek Squad agents to capitalize on the growing use of technology to help provide health care in the home.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n That \u201crightsizing\u201d also includes the physical space in stores, where she confirmed Best Buy \u201cwill be removing physical media<\/a> and updating our mobile digital imaging, computing, tablets, and smart home departments.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Numerous former and current Geek Squad employees on Reddit over the years noted the high turnover rate<\/a> associated with the job due to its relatively low pay and slim prospects of promotion. Based on 231 salaries, Glassdoor estimated a pay range<\/a> of $16-$21 per hour for a Geek Squad agent. This estimate appears to be accurate based on the listed open roles on Best Buy\u2019s website. For example, there\u2019s currently an active listing for a \u201cGeek Squad City Supervisor\u201d in Brooks, Kentucky<\/a>, with an hourly pay range of $20-$30 per hour. An opening for an entry-level Geek Squad agent at a store in Encinitas, California<\/a>, has an hourly pay range of $15-$19 per hour. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n