AT&T clerk [authorized reseller-not corporate store] doesn't want someone to buy a Lumia...

[groady-ho baluzy]

I agree the average consumer shouldn't bare the cross of Windows phone. Better off following the crowd and be app happy.

I love my phone (Nokia 1520) more than the OS.

I bought a nexus 6p a while back, now I'm app happy and still have windows phone.

 

[pbilk]

Things like that just don't make sense to me. If I go into the store looking for a phone, shouldn't they try to find me what I want instead of insulting me and trying to sell me on something I don't want?

When we bought my son his new Lumia 640 for $30 from the Microsoft store he insisted that we have Cricket change out his sim card (I think he wanted to show off his new phone at the store). The lady at Cricket actually said "yuck" when she saw it! He is 11 and was extremely excited to have that phone. He saved up his own money to buy it and was very proud of himself. It really hurt his feelings.

She then said to him "Just so you know we go have the Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime for $29.99 right now". He politely said no thank you and she switched over his sim card. I don't think he will be asking to go back there any time soon.

That is extremely rude. She should be disciplined somehow for saying such things to a kid in such a rude manor.
Your poor son.
Good for your son sticking up to her though.

As a sales rep myself I am disgusted by people like that. You should recommend the best product for the customer, if the customer is keen on getting a certain product and the sales rep think they have a better product for them they should politely suggest another product and if they say no, be fine with the no.

 

[libra89]

I bought a nexus 6p a while back, now I'm app happy and still have windows phone.

Glad that you gave it a chance, I suggest that if everyone can, they should try at least one of the other platforms.

That aside, that is a shame that a sales rep would be that way towards a child.

 

[DLong4]

He then told me that the clerk said "I couldn't in good conscience allow you to walk out of here with a phone like that when he have such great phones here."

I wish the AT&T salesperson had been so honest with me when I had bought my AT&T branded L950, and had sent me over to the MS Store instead whose phones would be receiving firmware updates which AT&T withholds.

 

[xrs22]

I wish the AT&T salesperson had been so honest with me when I had bought my AT&T branded L950, and had sent me over to the MS Store instead whose phones would be receiving firmware updates which AT&T withholds.

You have to pay in full at the ms store.

 

[Sin_Co]

Whenever I go to buy something, I do ask my research online first, then I ask people that I know own that, then I go to the store, tell them what I want, and buy it. Makes life so much easier.

 

[xrs22]

Whenever I go to buy something, I do ask my research online first, then I ask people that I know own that, then I go to the store, tell them what I want, and buy it. Makes life so much easier.

Same here.

 

[calbro]

It make's you wonder why Microsoft continue to use ATT when they take away marketable features of the Lumia line.

 

[Ten Four]

Whenever I go to buy something, I do ask my research online first, then I ask people that I know own that, then I go to the store, tell them what I want, and buy it. Makes life so much easier

.
Doesn't work so well for Windows phones since almost nobody has one so you can't ask people you know. Day-to-day I only see one Windows phone owned by a person at work in another department. I bet a lot of people don't know anyone who owns one, and you are right that most people purchase a phone at least in the same ecosystem as their friends/family own.

 

[pepsicocom]

I think some of you are placing unrealistic expectations on the at&t retail clerks. As another poster mentioned, the clerks are trained on all models the stores sell. However, that training does not go much deeper than what you find in the "quick start" documentation, with a bit of at&t specific information that applies to all the at&t branded devices. The clerks are prepared to explain how hardware buttons and soft buttons relate to basic tasks and functionality. They can explain the Store/Google play/app store concept. When it comes to evaluating the OS against an individual buyer's needs and/or budget, then the clerks are not equipped to be much more effective than a fast food counterperson...or an Apple Store "genius."

 

[libra89]

It make's you wonder why Microsoft continue to use ATT when they take away marketable features of the Lumia line.

AT&T has been the only carrier that doesn't exactly kill their Windows Phones quickly, or I should say not as quickly.

 

[AiR DEGETA]

The way people are nowadays are they are programmed to have either an IPhone or a Galaxy and if you don't have the same thing they have then something is wrong with you. In my opinion when it comes to phones get the one that best fits you and if I go to the store and ask to buy a windows phone it my money give me my damn phone. You can warn me about the cons but if I choose to proceed then let me buy the phone I want. People act like they have stock in Apple and Samsung. When I went to get my Lumia 635 they asked me over a dozen times Am I sure I don't want a IPhone or a Galaxy at one point it got very annoying.

 

[Deaconclgi]

Seems like not much has changed with authorized ATT retailers since I wrote this article in 2013:

Bias: The killer of innovation, the dasher of dreams, the destroyer of hope and something that MUST be put down! : My Nokia Blog - 200

Sigh...

 

[zr2s10]

It's disappointing, but expected based on my experience in both Verizon and AT&T stores. Verizon is worse though. I had a corp store rep pushing me toward an iPhone while I was looking at the Icon, and I told her 20 seconds before that I don't want an iPhone. She said, "I don't know why anyone would want a windows phone, they're horrible!" I told her it's better than being a sheep with an iPhone, and left. I ended up switching to AT&T, but unfortunately the 830 wasn't out yet, so I went GS5Active.

But I will say that our corporate store always has at least one working WP on display. It was the 1530 and 830, now I think they only have the 950 on the high end, and a GoPhone (unsure of the number). When I bought my 640 for a "toy", I went in to see if they would price match Best Buy or MS.com. The rep said that they couldn't and apologized. He quizzed me on it a little bit, and actually wasn't derogatory. He did say that he doesn't really push them, because customers complain after getting them, that they can't find certain apps.

I think once UWP gets off the ground and people convert over more and more Apple apps, it will really start to take off. People probably use less than half of the available apps on either the App Store or Google Play. Once WP gets a large chunk of the heavily used apps, they will surely see more traction. By that time, I hope they have the kinks worked out of W10M. It's running pretty good on my 640. Sure, it hangs up now and then, but nowhere near as bad as my S5 Active that is more powerful.

 

[wgs84]

I think once UWP gets off the ground and people convert over more and more Apple apps, it will really start to take off. People probably use less than half of the available apps on either the App Store or Google Play. Once WP gets a large chunk of the heavily used apps, they will surely see more traction.

I certainly hope so on both. I personally think it's the reason why salespeople are hesitant about showing people Windows phones. Even if most people use less than a dozen apps, not having that app support is the single deal-breaker for the people I've talked to. I have a friend who won't consider a Windows phone, not because of the design, but because he can't get the Steam app on it.

 

[zr2s10]

I certainly hope so on both. I personally think it's the reason why salespeople are hesitant about showing people Windows phones. Even if most people use less than a dozen apps, not having that app support is the single deal-breaker for the people I've talked to. I have a friend who won't consider a Windows phone, not because of the design, but because he can't get the Steam app on it.

Good example! Also, I did forget to bring up Google's apps. People are very dependent on them, and even if MS offers an equivalent, most users won't switch without access to Google Maps and YouTube. MS needs to make these apps, following all of Google's rules, then Google can't block them. Even if Google makes them bend over...backward, they need to get these apps on W10M. I used "Maps" on my 640 to navigate over the weekend. I stopped at a shopping plaza to get gas at Sam's club, and it was completely confused, treated it as a dead end road. Google maps knows that plaza and can re-route through it, no problem.

 

[Ten Four]

I used "Maps" on my 640 to navigate over the weekend. I stopped at a shopping plaza to get gas at Sam's club, and it was completely confused, treated it as a dead end road. Google maps knows that plaza and can re-route through it, no problem.

Counterpoint--I was trying to help someone who was lost. He was using Google maps and I was using Maps on my Lumia 640. Maps worked perfectly, but Google steered him wrong. Frankly, I have found major errors on every map app I have tried. I keep reading that Google maps is superior, but I think someone would have to conduct some serious testing side-by-side all over the country on various types of roads, in cities, etc. before I would feel comfortable saying one is better than another. I know people who have used Google maps to find "summer only" roads they shouldn't be on in the middle of the winter, who have ended up in the middle of a farmer's field while looking for a shop, and the place I used to work was misplaced by about half a mile for years.

But, I understand that people use and love Google apps and services. I find most of them pretty clunky compared to equivalent Microsoft ones. The best of the lot is Drive, which allows the creation and editing of documents in near real time when collaborating. I find the online version of Word has so much lag that it is very frustrating trying to write and edit anything. Google photos is pretty good, but OneDrive works very well too for photo storage--in some ways better. I prefer the interface of Outlook.com to Gmail. Just the Sweep function is worth it alone. All of the Office apps work nearly seemlessly with my work programs I need to use nearly every day. Skype for Business is our tool at work for chat, and I have that on the phone along with my Exchange email that is the heart of everything we do at work. Both work flawlessly for me. Point being that maybe some of the people wedded to Google apps and services might find the Microsoft alternatives to their liking if they just tried them.

 

[Robert Tullos]

That's why a I don't mind getting an att phone, but I won't get service. Sit for a bit and read the forums. It's a blood bath. But MS should take some blame. Here's an easy fix. Since art is lazy about supporting the software, take it out of their hands. Don't release an update until it is completely ready for every device, OEM, blah blah. Don't get everyone losing their minds, when neither one is read. Then roll it out to every device, every customer, yada. AT THE SAME TIME. Or time frame. Some people were still on Amber! Insane. Or sell them unlocked with no carrier branding. These phones stand on their own without Android and iOS. Market them that way too.

 

[zr2s10]

Google maps have been pretty good for me, at least for the past few years. Maybe 2 1/2 yrs back they had an update that made it completely unusable. It got flamed hard in the ratings and comments, and got fixed in a month or so. Also, MS Maps did get where me to my destination, and it did pick a better route than the last time I went using Google Maps. I'm just pointing out that they don't have quite the same detail in their maps that Google does. All those GPS equipped streetview cars really add up to one heck of a database, at least in the US

 

[Robert Tullos]

Another thing, it's funny to me, but I can get any app to do what any Android app would do. And API? Need I say more? I have 592 apps on my my 640 XL with 18gb total still free. The other platforms can't do that on their best day.