I like the question, and perhaps my response will be a useful input into positioning our brand.
Let’s take Geek Squad (GS) as a proxy for the major players in the residential space and apply a little SWOT type analysis.
In the following areas, our strengths are where the Sumo is weak, Sun Tzu would be pleased 
.
People
1a) In hiring customer-facing staff, GS over-weight sales skills at the expense of technical skills – to the extent that technical skills can fall below a minimum threshold. This is a recurring theme in GS customer feedback.
1b) We don’t view this as an either-or situation, and in our prior careers have been able to hire highly skilled IT people with great bedside manner — people you enjoy having a beer with and people who you want in your corner if you have a serious problem.
2a) In hiring technical staff, GS have outsourced a large portion of their non-customer facing services to India. This has created some quality problems. Typical scenario is that a local person behind the counter accepts PC from customer, but actually someone from India attempts to fix it over the internet. The GS code name for the Indian technician is ‘Agent Jonny Utah.’
2b) IF (a big if) we decide to source some work to lower cost providers, we have direct experience in this area, and have conducted sourcing missions in past business lives. It is a challenge to source work, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. In similar situations, we have been able to find a successful way to incorporate selective sourcing from overseas into an overall service delivery model to a client base with very high expectations.
3a) There are lots of news reports on GS staff demonstrating poor values – copying customer content without permission, using pirated software, searching for pornography, voyeur behavior in residences, over-charging for work not actually performed, deliberately creating a problem and then charging customer to fix it.
3b) Our leadership experience is that corporate culture and values come from the top down. A healthy culture is created and must be reinforced with actions, not just words. Hiring decisions are critical, and there are best practice screening techniques. Our own core values are in the general areas of Vision, Integrity, and Excellence.
Pricing
4a) GS have a fixed priced menu of services, but 1) the menu is overly complicated and 2) there is very heavy management pressure on the staff to up-sell at the point of sale. The pre-sale customer experience tends to be confusing and the post-sale expensive.
4b) We have a vastly simplified menu of fixed price services. The services are comprehensive and total solution oriented. Expectations are set up front. No up-selling. If we drop the ball, we fix it for free.
. . . . . . . . . .
Geek Squad have put a lot of effort into branding and cute cars, but they don’t deliver on the promise.
Fortunately, we are strong where they are weak.
