J & R Television

J&R in Brooklyn is definitely one of the last of the great, stand-up, consumer electronics stores in NY. I’ve been to Lowes, I’ve been to Best Buy, I’ve been to PC Richards, and they just don’t stack up. They’re fine if you know exactly what you want, and don’t want to hassle with sales-clerks who don’t know what they’re talking about; but when you want a real expert opinion, when you want real knowledgeable help from a sales clerk who honestly wants to help you out, then go to J&R! Customer service is king here, and that’s extremely important, especially in today’s economic climate. The thing that distinguishes J&R from all others is the excellent and personal service they extend to each and every customer. I stopped into the store last summer because I needed an air conditioner for my apartment. It had to be smallish, but still have enough power to cool down at least two rooms. The team over at J&R helped me find the exact AC I needed, ordered it for me and delivered it lickity split! I often just stop in there when I need little odds and ends like extension chords, or DVDs for my computer just because the guys that work there are so much fun to talk with. If I ever move out of Brooklyn, it’ll be a sad day to leave J&R behind. more

I took a damaged TV into J & R hoping that they could repair it. Literally one day later they called saying my TV was working perfectly and they would drop it off if I wanted. I was shocked at the speed, and have been so impressed by Ralph's timely responses back to me. Thank you J & R! I shall definitely be back if anything goes wrong w/ any appliances (cross fingers). more

I have been a customer of J&R for years. Whether it's a watch battery or renovating my entire kitchen, J&R is always the place I go for personal attention and good old fashioned customer service. If you go in J&R looking for something and you don't see it, ask and they will locate it for you or get it especially for you in just a few days. In this day and age, there are very few places that I can think of that do that. \r I have had many items repaired at J&R over the years and NEVER experienced anything like poster Robert11215 describes. Have they ever forgotten to call me back? Maybe once or twice over 25 years! But I have a phone too. I just pick it up and ask a living, breathing human being (not some voicemail, press 1 for service crap!) and ask if my item is ready. Robert11215 is upset because someone used his fan? How else are they going to fix it and then determine whether or not it's fixed? \r I have never found Ralph, Mario, or Bill, the guys behind the counter, to be anything but honest and helpful and I DON't BELIEVE FOR A MINUTE that any one of them would lie to a customer's face about testing an item in for repair. Robert11215 wants us to believe that J&R purposely didn't call him about his fan so that a technician could use HIS fan for a few days? In November? That must have been one amazing fan! About a year ago I was ready to buy a new vacuum cleaner when mine wasn't working properly and they suggested I let them take a look at it first rather than blow $150 on a vacuum I might not even need! A $30 repair later and my vacuum was as good as new. I would not hesitate to recommend J&R to anyone and feel lucky in this day and age to have a place to shop where I can walk in and be greated by my first name. more

I will not go back to J&R. The story below, while a bit too long, is why.\r \r I brought a broken fan to J&R on a Sunday to be repaired and the store attendant repeatedly told me I would get a phone call by Wednesday with either an estimate, if the repair cost over a specified amount, or, if the repair was under the specified amount, news that the repair had been made. But, one way or the other, I would get a call on Wednesday. \r \r By Saturday, I had heard noting and I went into the store to see what was going on. I wanted to know why I had not been called and whether my fan had been fixed. When I asked about the fan, a different store attendant from the first said “oh, the one ‘so-and-so’ has been using this week, yeah it is in the back.” \r \r I told the attendant that it was not right for them to be using my fan after it was fixed and that they should have called me when the repair was done. Auto mechanics don’t drive your car until you come to pick it up, so why did the attendants at J&R think it was o.k. for them to use my fan like it was theirs until I came in to get it? \r \r The answer to the above question is revealed in what the store attendant did after he saw my displeasure with their using my fan. He lied to me. When he saw I was not pleased, he said “oh, we were just testing it, we weren’t using it. We have to test the items after we fix them. Look at this TV, it is ‘on’ because we are testing it, not because we are watching it. We were just testing your fan.”\r \r I couldn’t believe it, all he had to do was apologize, or just say nothing and lower the repair cost a couple of bucks. Instead he changed his story with me standing there. \r \r I then asked why I had not been called on Wednesday as promised, and the attendant said that my fan had been fixed two days after I brought it in, on Tuesday, and that today was “only Saturday.” It was apparent that he believed that since I was getting my fan back six days after I brought it in, I should be happy and should ignore the fact that I had not been called after the fan was fixed. \r \r So then I asked why I was not called the day the fan was fixed, Tuesday, and the attendant told me I needed to come in another day to talk to the person who said they would call me – it was not his job to explain to me why I was not called. \r \r Finally, I said “I don’t know what kind of business you are running here,” to imply that I did not think they were doing a good job. And the attendant said, believing his response to adequately address my criticism, “we have been here for 50 some years.” As if the fact they had been open a long time in any way justified how they had treated me. \r \r I know what the people at J&R did was not criminal, but it amazes me that they think they can treat their customers with so little integrity and professionalism. I will never shop there again. \r more

The digital conversion date was approaching and I had three televisons that needed an upgrade. I had the conversion boxes, but was unsure of how to set them up correctly. J&R came to my apartment and hooked me up. Quick service and repair man very nice. Thank you J&R. I'm ready for the change over to digital tv and I won't wake up with a blank screen on June 12th!!!\r \r D. Hoque Pros: House Calls for TV more

These guys actually care about your budget, needs, and how you plan to use an appliance. I needed a space heater and after looking at five other local stores (mostly the big chains; Target, Lowes, PC Richard), I ended up somewhere my neighbors have shopped forever. The staff really listened to what I wanted and didn't try to sell me the most expensive model. It turned out I got a defective heater, so I called them immediately, and they hung onto another one until the next day when I could exchange mine. Not only were they apologetic, but they took the time to test the new one before giving it to me. A second trip over is not a big deal when you find staff who care about what they do. Definitely worth paying a little more to shop here. Pros: Helpful staff, don't try to sell you most expensive product Cons: Small store so not a ton of choices more