Microsoft Hires Windows “Gurus” to Troll the Aisles at Best Buy

As part of Windows Vista’s $300 million marketing rehabilitation, Microsoft will initially hire a wave of ‘Windows Gurus to walk around Best Buy and Circuit City stores to answer customer questions and defend Vista’s reputation against skeptics. Gurus will earn twenty dollars an hour or more and benefits. One way Windows Gurus will differ from Apple Geniuses is that they are not intended to be sources of free technical support for existing Vista users. ‘The Guru role is to help sell Windows-based PCs. It is not to be an alternative tech support channel for Microsoft as this has no financial return beyond improved customer satisfaction,’ Baker said. One reason: Windows Gurus could end up ‘lightning rods for customers’ frustrations with Vista.'”