Category: General

I am now officially a Double Agent within the Geek Squad and my assigned badge number is 3012.

Double Agents are the individuals assigned to Geek Squad Precincts located in every Best Buy who are charged with policing technology and protecting citizens against malicious software both in the store as well as in their home. If you’ve seen any of the Geek Squad commercials, the Double Agents are the ones driving the Geekmobiles, black and white Volkswagen Beetles, to do in-home visits for clients with computer issues.

I’ve already been through the first two days of ride-along training with a highly experienced Double Agent, an experience that’s actually left me convinced that this position is a good match for my talents. I like the challenge of going to new houses or businesses every day to face some new problem that will keep my computer kung-fu skills sharp. And seeing the relief on a client’s face when you’ve come to them personally and fixed their problem is very rewarding.

Really the biggest downside of taking on the new position after having worked within the in-store Precinct is that I won’t have as much time around those Agents anymore. They’re a good bunch of guys and girls who always kept you on your toes. I intend to make regular visits back to the Precinct when I can, so they’re not completely rid of me yet.

Today I celebrate the 5^th anniversary of my 29^th birthday.

I found myself at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Virginia on Monday and Tuesday. I was there for this month’s territory-level meeting as an “employee hero”. Employee heroes are nominated and selected to represent the 12,000+ employees in that territory, which encompasses several states, based on their hard work, innovation and dedication.

It was an interesting trip, with lots of interaction with store managers, district leaders and territorial staff from around the country. Lots of ideas were presented and exchanged, in particular about the upcoming holiday season. It’s going to be a very busy time of the year, so the advanced planning and discussion was very helpful.

I’m glad to have been chosen as one of the twenty-eight store-level employees to participate and look forward to a future chance to go again.