ATT Flagship Store - No New Phones on Display

estark

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I just came from the flagship store in St Louis and surprise -- no new Nokia Phones on display - no new Titan 2s on display -- no signage. The greeter didn't know what a Windows Phone was. The person they asked said they didn't know if they were getting any new Windows Phones and didn't think they sold any Nokia phones. A sales rep brought out a demo Titan 2 from the back and didn't know anything about it, but he let me look at it. Another sales rep said that people didn't really like Windows Phones and was surprised when I told him that ATT's number one customer satisfaction phone was the Samsung Windows Phone. He was also surprised when I told him that Android satisfaction was way lower.

So much for the "Hero" phone status for Nokia... So much for ATT's premier partner Microsoft...
 

mdrapps

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A little better in Rochester, NY. At least they have working phones and "new" sign next to it. They said that they sold out of Lumia 900 today so it must be doing OK.

I have come to realize that it was the old Windows Mobile Platform that is killing the new Windows Phone 7 platform. For years Microsoft sat on a sluggish phone OS with junk for apps and poor usability. Takes a while to recover from that bad perception. Windows Phone 7 is way better, but its sad that perception is trumping facts.
 

saintforlife

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How did Apple pull it off when they launched the first iPhone in 2007 without ever having made a phone before? I wish other companies learned from Apple about marketing and personnel training and getting everyone on board before they launch something.
 

keyboardP

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How did Apple pull it off when they launched the first iPhone in 2007 without ever having made a phone before? I wish other companies learned from Apple about marketing and personnel training and getting everyone on board before they launch something.

The iPod.
 

Welve

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The iPod.


and truth be told the original iPods were expensive and not so great. It is essentially the reason I am here now, I had an original iPod. It crapped out on me (multiple times mind you) and the best the people at Apple told me to do, eventually, was to "avoid jogging with it or jostling it around."

It was bad, and a PITA to get replaced, I think I had 4 or 5 in total, about 1 per year: pre-apple store it was all a mail in affair. I guess I let my Applecare coverage lapse, but by that time I was so frustrated with the quality that I started looking for a new MP3 player and then came Microsoft with the Zune, which I loved, and so I bought it. To this day it still works, my original brown and green Zune 30.

Anyway, I guess I understand, after getting burned by Apple I don't have any desire to own another Apple product.
 

estark

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They way Apple does it is to run ads on TV implying that there stuff is really cool and hip (nevermind the average Mac owner is an over 50 affluent person).

Microsoft can't get out of their rut of marketing to corporate execs. With all their money, they should hire a design/ad agency that is so hip they don't really understand the ads created, put great music on the ads and run the h**l out of them -- not do an ad about shoes, bill gates, and gary Seinfeld.
 

keyboardP

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and truth be told the original iPods were expensive and not so great. It is essentially the reason I am here now, I had an original iPod. It crapped out on me (multiple times mind you) and the best the people at Apple told me to do, eventually, was to "avoid jogging with it or jostling it around."

It was bad, and a PITA to get replaced, I think I had 4 or 5 in total, about 1 per year: pre-apple store it was all a mail in affair. I guess I let my Applecare coverage lapse, but by that time I was so frustrated with the quality that I started looking for a new MP3 player and then came Microsoft with the Zune, which I loved, and so I bought it. To this day it still works, my original brown and green Zune 30.

Anyway, I guess I understand, after getting burned by Apple I don't have any desire to own another Apple product.

I also had the original iPod and the battery died after a couple of years. My Zune's been going strong since its launch :D. But regardless, the iPod was very successful and I think that's what gave Apple the leverage to tell the carriers how they want the iPhone to function.
 

Dave Blake

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I walked in to a corporate store at lunch today to get a case I was fully expecting to see something great. All they had were 2 working phones set up way back in a corner no signage at all. I started to take a picture of the 2 lonely phones one of the reps stepped in front of me and asked what I was doing. I said I want a picture of you display. She asked me why so I told her I was planning on posting it on WPCentral she asked so I explained about the site. She told I couldn't take pictures in the store unless I used a display phone. WOW! It was obvious to me after talking with her and 2 other reps all carrying iPhones that they were supposed to have done more and weren't ready this morning like they were supposed to be. They were not at all happy with my plan to post pictures on the site. I just got out of there went to another store after work to get me a casemate.
 

saintforlife

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I walked in to a corporate store at lunch today to get a case I was fully expecting to see something great. All they had were 2 working phones set up way back in a corner no signage at all. I started to take a picture of the 2 lonely phones one of the reps stepped in front of me and asked what I was doing. I said I want a picture of you display. She asked me why so I told her I was planning on posting it on WPCentral she asked so I explained about the site. She told I couldn't take pictures in the store unless I used a display phone. WOW! It was obvious to me after talking with her and 2 other reps all carrying iPhones that they were supposed to have done more and weren't ready this morning like they were supposed to be. They were not at all happy with my plan to post pictures on the site. I just got out of there went to another store after work to get me a casemate.

You should report the store to AT&T. AT&T is just flushing $150M ad money down the toilet if they can't get their sales people trained properly. Hopefully somebody from corporate can smack some sense into that store's manager and the employees that work for him.

ETA: I want the Windows Phone to do well so badly, stories like this make my blood boil. I am not sure how AT&T/Nokia/MS could botch up such a big launch with such stupid incompetence. All it takes is a couple of training sessions in the weeks leading up to the launch so the sales reps are prepared. Is that too much to ask? I keep saying this - Everyone needs to take a page out of Apple's marketing playbook and learn something about what makes a company great. Spend money on hiring and training the right front line people who are the face of your company and sell your products. Brain wash them as needed. It better than hosting stupid Nicky Minaj shows. Frick!

/rant
 
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coffeemike

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Interesting. For what it's worth, I was in my local big AT&T store on Friday. While the signage wasn't up, I was having a SIM card issue in my 900 (great phone, lousy card). Not only did they help me, but all the salespeople were carrying them and talking about what a great phone it was. They were also very up-to-date in their knowledge. I'm going to try and stop by the store on my way home, but my experience was opposite of yours so far.

Here's hoping they get the kinks worked out!
 

sting7k

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How did Apple pull it off when they launched the first iPhone in 2007 without ever having made a phone before? I wish other companies learned from Apple about marketing and personnel training and getting everyone on board before they launch something.

Apple didn't pull it off with the original. The iPhone didn't take off until the iPhone 3G had a carrier subsidy.

On the iPod; I've had lots of them. I even got $50 from a class action suit settlement for bad batteries from the first iPod I ever got; a third gen unit.
 

tekhna

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ETA: I want the Windows Phone to do well so badly, stories like this make my blood boil. I am not sure how AT&T/Nokia/MS could botch up such a big launch with such stupid incompetence.
/rant

It's a phone. Go outside, go for a walk, have a beer with your friends, try a new recipe. Life's too short to get bent out of shape about a phone launch.
 

dkp23

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Went to corporate store today looking for a bumper...Didnt have one i liked so left.

Anyways, displays for both the Lumia 900 and Titan 2 were right at the entrance of the door.. you walk in, and you see it right away on the left with the cases below it. So the store in CA positioned in front for everyone to see. I didnt speak with anybody except about cases, but i was able to play with the titan 2 a bit...glad i got the 900, but i wish the titan camera was on the 900 :(
 

larrynj

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Interesting. For what it's worth, I was in my local big AT&T store on Friday. While the signage wasn't up, I was having a SIM card issue in my 900 (great phone, lousy card). Not only did they help me, but all the salespeople were carrying them and talking about what a great phone it was. They were also very up-to-date in their knowledge. I'm going to try and stop by the store on my way home, but my experience was opposite of yours so far.

My experience was exactly the same on Friday afternoon in a store in Delaware.

On Saturday in a store in Brooklyn they were wearing shirts and signs everywhere. He wasn't as knowledgeable as the rep in Delaware but he sold it to me early so I gave him rave reviews in the text message surveys today! :) I sort of felt a little bad not buying one from the Delaware sales rep.
 

bilzkh

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I think iPhone's competition sucked badly in 2008/2009, the Nokia, BB and early Android devices just didn't match in terms of performance and alternative offerings. On the other hand Windows Phone, while a great OS, has to deal with solid alternatives in iOS and Android. Often times these alternatives surpass WP in certain areas, namely apps and/or meeting specific customer needs. Moreover, people (esp iOS/Android) fans are heavily invested in their current systems, and WP doesn't blow the competition out of the water in as many as aspects the original iPhone did in 2008.

I think Microsoft should've invested heavily in developing Windows Phone as a strong enterprise device. Not at the cost of consumer-oriented development, just a parallel stream that ensured basic functions necessary of an enterprise device were ready. This might have really given WP a firm footing in overall marketshare. What's done is done though, time to move forward with lessons learned...

The key will be Windows 8 tablets. If released correctly, i.e. armed with the core-user apps, e.g. Netflix, Skype, MS Office, Instagram, Facebook, etc., solid assortment of games at multiple price-points, MS has a shot at blowing the Android tablets out of the water. IF the WOA tablets catch on alongside more W8 PCs, people will feel a strong inclination to adopt Windows Phone 8, especially if selling points such as PureView, HD resolutions and new innovations (e.g. backtouch screens, augmented reality, etc) and improvements (enhanced TellMe), and better integration with FB/social services, SkyDrive, XBL, etc... Then you've got a real chance at changing the market, irrespective of how crap the carriers might be, the people will demand it...
 

socialcarpet

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I just came from the flagship store in St Louis and surprise -- no new Nokia Phones on display - no new Titan 2s on display -- no signage. The greeter didn't know what a Windows Phone was. The person they asked said they didn't know if they were getting any new Windows Phones and didn't think they sold any Nokia phones. A sales rep brought out a demo Titan 2 from the back and didn't know anything about it, but he let me look at it. Another sales rep said that people didn't really like Windows Phones and was surprised when I told him that ATT's number one customer satisfaction phone was the Samsung Windows Phone. He was also surprised when I told him that Android satisfaction was way lower.

So much for the "Hero" phone status for Nokia... So much for ATT's premier partner Microsoft...

You REALLY should make an effort to contact someone in authority at Nokia, Microsoft AND AT&T about this.

I would. A strongly worded email to the right people, or even a phone call, could work wonders to get them in line.

Microsoft and Nokia have a deal with AT&T --- if one of their stores isn't meeting the terms of that agreement, they need to be held accountable.

When I think about the phone salespeople pushing Android to EVERYONE is just makes me :mad:

IMO unless you are a person who enjoys tweaking and fine tuning your phone constantly, Android is a poor choice. The average person who values reliability and ease of use would be FAR better served by a WP7 phone or an iPhone. The salespeople who sack ride the crap out of Android and recommend it to everybody are doing a lot of people a disservice.

I'd sooner have my 65 year old mother use a Blackberry than a crap Android phone that's guaranteed to frustrate her.
 

socialcarpet

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How did Apple pull it off when they launched the first iPhone in 2007 without ever having made a phone before? I wish other companies learned from Apple about marketing and personnel training and getting everyone on board before they launch something.

A lot of it was built on the popularity of the iPod.

A lot of it was built on Apple's flawless marketing acumen. Microsoft is general dorky and awkward by comparison.

A lot of it had to do with the fact that Apple does not take any crap from anyone. They are ruthless. They told AT&T exactly what they were to do and not to do. They dictated the terms from the beginning and Steve Jobs would tear anyone at AT&T a new one if they deviated from the plan.

Microsoft seems to be taking some pages from Apple's playbook, which is great. Like prioritizing the end user experience over the OEM's and carriers desire to crap the phones up with bloatware and skins.

MS is not in as strong of a position as Apple was then, so they can't exactly ram everything they want down the carriers throats, but I do think if they are going to be shelling out millions of dollars to AT&T, they should make absolutely sure

Apple was notorious for sending out "mystery shoppers" to make sure things were handled correctly. Microsoft and Nokia should be doing the same thing. If they find AT&T employees sh*t talking the WP7 phones or totally ignorant about them, then there should be consequences.

Otherwise what's the point, right?
 

saintforlife

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a lot of it was built on the popularity of the ipod.

A lot of it was built on apple's flawless marketing acumen. Microsoft is general dorky and awkward by comparison.

A lot of it had to do with the fact that apple does not take any crap from anyone. They are ruthless. They told at&t exactly what they were to do and not to do. They dictated the terms from the beginning and steve jobs would tear anyone at at&t a new one if they deviated from the plan.

Microsoft seems to be taking some pages from apple's playbook, which is great. Like prioritizing the end user experience over the oem's and carriers desire to crap the phones up with bloatware and skins.

Ms is not in as strong of a position as apple was then, so they can't exactly ram everything they want down the carriers throats, but i do think if they are going to be shelling out millions of dollars to at&t, they should make absolutely sure

apple was notorious for sending out "mystery shoppers" to make sure things were handled correctly. Microsoft and nokia should be doing the same thing. If they find at&t employees sh*t talking the wp7 phones or totally ignorant about them, then there should be consequences.

Otherwise what's the point, right?

+1
 

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