Before going any further, I need to tell you that my family and I have been working for YEARS on convincing my grandpa to buy a computer and join the digital age. Yesterday evening, YEARS of unbridled begging, pushing, prodding and persuading finally culminated in a seemingly simple purchase at a local Best Buy.

The night started well. I went out for a nice dinner with the old man, and afterwards asked him nonchalantly if he’d like to go check out the “cool, new mini-computers that are all the rage right now.”

Curiosity got the better of him, and he agreed. We spent about half an hour walking around the computer section, discussing the specs and capabilities of the latest Dell and HP models. One of the workers promptly joined me in the gentle persuasion. She did everything she could to help seal the deal, from calling competitors to secure the lowest price to unlocking the display computer so he could feel how heavy it was. She was over-the-top with her kindness, giving her utmost attention to every little question or doubt he had.

When the decision was made and he agreed to purchase the Dell, her personality did an immediate about-face. She became all business. She informed him of Best Buy’s service plan that would, for quite a bit extra, allow him to bring his computer into the store and get any problems fixed at no additional cost for the next two years.

When I informed her that he wouldn’t be needing the plan since I am able to fix computers, her personality again shifted. Her attitude became curt and dismissive. She called someone else to transport the computer to the front of the store, and tried to walk away without a single additional word. My grandpa asked her another question about the manufacturer’s warranty, and she just sort of shrugged her shoulders and pretended she didn’t know.

Now, I used to work in sales and I know that with every one of those services plans that worker sells, she gets a commission. I also know that upper management is constantly on the shoulders of sales associates and cashiers to sell as many of those plans as possible, because it boots the store’s average transaction amount and the overall revenue for the day. However, my question to you is this: is pressure sales worth the price of good customer service?

I think of customer service as basic relationship management. Sales associates are the faces of Best Buy, and the way they interact with customers can make or break the entire corporation. When that worker was reeling in my Grandpa for the purchase, she was nothing but flowers and sunshine. However, as soon as she learned that he wasn’t going to fall for the service plan scheme, she couldn’t have cared less who he was or if he had any questions.

What does that say about Best Buy as a whole? Do they teach their employees to see customers as individuals, or just numbers?

Check out blogger Dave Fleet’s thoughts on the importance of good customer relations.