The session Dealerscope attended, during the lunch hour on a weekday, did not actually attract any customers, although a few patrons in the store walked by and asked questions. A customer assistance supervisor at the store, Jason Boss, explained to Dealerscope how the store is dealing with the transition.
The display set up as part of the training session included converter boxes and antennas for sale, as well as applications for the government's converter box program and a TV for demonstration. Best Buy sells three converter boxes, all of which are for slightly higher than the $40 amount of the coupons.
Boss, who has worked at the store for two years, said he has gotten "multiple questions daily" from customers about the DTV transition and what they need to do to be ready. He said efforts to reach customers through television commercials are helping, but some are not getting the information, because "the people most likely to need it are least likely to hear about it."
Therefore, his training session included explanations of what exactly digital and analog signals are and the hows and whys of the transition. It also includes an explanation of the three ways analog-only customers can ready themselves for the changeover- buying a box, upgrading their tuner, and upgrading to cable or satellite service- as well as a demonstration of the converter box and how it works. The sessions also include a question-and-answer session.
As the transition gets closer, Boss said, his and other Best Buy stores will double the space for DTV products, ramp up sales of all-digital TVs, and further get the word out with in-store fliers and signage. The literature is in both English and Spanish.
Best Buy said last week it would host events in 25 cities, bringing local news personalities along with them to several of them. The Deptford location is the largest in the Philadelphia area. The company's DTV Web site is www.bestbuy.com/dtv
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