AT&T Sales Staff Not Helping

[William Sanderson]

I had the exact same experience at a store in NJ on Friday, no label or signage, dead battery and the screen was scratched. Agree on the 640, very livable phone. I bought one for my son and he has none of the issues I have with my 830 (freezing, random reboots). $30 for that phone is a steal.

What's up with your 830, did you try a factory reset? I am giving my wife my 830 which is running the latest Win 10 preview build and it runs smooth as butter. Honestly nothing wrong with it at all.

 

[Nick Metro]

Going to try the factory reset - thanks. Not sure what the issue is, bought it on ebay 6 months ago as a stop gap until the flagships arrived. Love the look and feel. Lately the screen freezes on me and then reboots, runs fine for a day or two and then happens again.

 

[d1stort1on]

Similar story to some already posted. Went to the ATT store, the 950 was on a front table but positioned on the side away from the door so you sort of had to look around for it. No battery charge for the phone (it was plugged in), the Surface next to it also had no charge. I'm assuming they had some power supply problem under the table. The guy fiddled around and said the person that does set up wasn't there. I left. Overall a waste of time.

 

[Tom Westrick]

I know I'm going to get some hate for this, but whatever: what if the reason carriers didn't push WP (and now W10M) is because they're honestly bad systems? How many returned phones and angry customers did the representatives have to deal with because their bank or favorite service (Snapchat as an example) didn't have an app? If you were in the representative's shoes, would you recommend a phone you know most people will be happy with because all the features and apps, or would you recommend something that has very niche appeal? After 5 years of bad experiences, why waste the time recommending Windows?

I say this as someone who uses a Windows laptop every day, used a Blu Win Jr last year, and I'm going to buy a 950 XL to try out.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[wpguy]

But I'm thinking they are saving the big push for the Surface Phone. WM10 still doesn't feel right for prime time, so no need to make a big push. But when the Surface Phone comes out and they can show that you can run Photoshop on your phone, that will make some waves.

The trouble is you need to push consistently month after month, year after year. That's what Microsoft does for Xbox. That what Apple does for iWhatever. That's what Google does for Android.

When has that ever happened for Windows Phone/Mobile? At best they are trying to market it like they do with Surface and their accessory products (keyboards, mice), which have succeeded in spite of Microsoft's general insufficient level of marketing.

Microsoft spends ongoing multiple-millions developing a product. They need to spend multiple-millions advertising the product. It's good to see the product placements in prime-time TV, but those need to be backed by ads. Without ads getting the product front and center, mindshare in the masses is virtually non-existent.

 

[BrickEngraver]

First of all, not sure what country you are in, but I expect when I get in my car and go to a store and talk to a salesman about purchasing something, I expect them to know what they are selling. And at an ATT store, their job is not to sell phones but to sell the service. And to service their customers. Although ATT may make money on the phones they sell, they make a vast majority on the monthly bills. It is the job of a sales person to EDUCATE the public-that is what they get paid for. The phones dont sell because the ones selling phones dont sell them. The phones dont sell because the ones making the phones dont promote them." That is ridiculous as no amount of promotion has near the closing strength as a personal endorsement. The sales personnel are there not to sell you something, but to wait on you, the potential customer. He is not there to look down on you, dismiss you, dismiss your questions and preferences. You are possibly getting ready to spend thousands of dollars over a lifetime.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I think there is a little bit of tastes great/less filling thing going on.

Yes, its clearly not in the typical salesperson's best interest to focus on education. But that doesn't meant customers should like that or even tolerate it.

I can understand why someone might steal something I own but I am right to be upset by it and I am right to do things to prevent it or punish the thief.

 

[Tom Westrick]

I think there is a little bit of tastes great/less filling thing going on.

Yes, its clearly not in the typical salesperson's best interest to focus on education. But that doesn't meant customers should like that or even tolerate it.

I can understand why someone might steal something I own but I am right to be upset by it and I am right to do things to prevent it or punish the thief.

I'm trying to figure out how a clerk not pushing your OS of choice equates to someone stealing from you. Again, why would anyone try to sell something that customers have shown they don't like?

 

[BSobotta]

My rep sold me one with no issues, but after activation he just gave it to me and said "you're the Windows guru I don't know anything about those" and went on to the next customer. It was kind of abrupt, but I suppose suffice.

My guy did the exact same thing. He didn't even try to get me to log into the att app. But I normally ask them to just hand me the phone.

 

[rkamp]

My guy did the exact same thing. He didn't even try to get me to log into the att app. But I normally ask them to just hand me the phone.

It's a lot easier at the Microsoft Store. Picked my phone up on Thanksgiving day. Sales guy highlighted the important numbers on the box and SIM card. Gave me the number to call at AT&T and told me to tell them I just wanted to "swap" the device ID's and I got the phone up and online in 5 minutes. Bought the 950 XL at Valley Fair in San Jose, CA. These are a great bunch of guys...and really know their products. Didn't have much luck with Visual Voicemail, but that's a Microsoft software issue I think. Everything else runs great!

 

[alodar101]

Yea, AT&T staff do not have a wide knowledge on all the phones they have in stock. They know only Apple and Samsung and a few other Android phones. I went to three local stores and none of the staff knew anything about the 950 or the new Blackberry Priv. I had to educate them about the 950 specs and features...now that is sad. The guys at the Microsoft store are knowledgeable...that is where I would buy a unlock no att version that is cheaper after 11/26/2015 . When I mentioned the rumored Surface Phone to the MS guys they looked funny and said we have never heard of a Surface phone. I know they are on gag order so that can sale 950's. It was funny tho...

Gag order??? Why would you think any product under development, imagined or otherwise, would be known by anyone outside the Dev team?? Especially vendor employees in remote brick and mortar locations, or on the phone with technical support?? Having worked with these teams in the past, I can tell you they usually get their information from here, not personal knowledge of any development plans. You thinking this is way more funny than your imagined gag order.

 

[gordonfink]

I went into an ATT store over the weekend to look at some phones, and to fix a billing issue. I asked the rep if they had the 950 in stock, and she walked me over to the MS section. The 950 was mistakenly labeled as Surface 3. When I picked it up, she told me "that's not the 950 - it's a Surface 3". I told her it was in fact the 950, and that the Surface 3 was a tablet. They had another table in the middle of the store with a Surface on it, so I walked her over there, and showed her what the Surface looked like.

She went back and removed the Surface 3 label from the 950, and asked if I had any questions she could answer about the phone, to which I replied "not likely".

I get that they sell S6's and iPhones all day - but not knowing a 950 from a Surface seems to be a bit of weakness.

 

[RumoredNow]

I replied "not likely"

 

[gordonfink]

 

[Nick Metro]

I just stopped into a local ATT store and asked about the 950. Guy immediately took my to the display near the entrance to show me the phone. It was setup with other newly released phones, right next to the LG v10.

He mentioned upfront that they do not currently carry the XL and had no information if they will. They only had the 950 in white, sold the last black one yesterday. Didn't push an iPhone or any other phone for that matter.

Said they should get more 950s in black this week so will check back with them. All in all a pretty good experience.

 

[ACF1]

I just stopped by the MICROSOFT STORE, and asked for the 950 unlocked. The rep, who I have seen working there for at least 4 months, told me it is not possible to get the 950 unlocked. She said they only carried the ATT 950 and the 950XL unlocked. I corrected her saying it is possible to get the 950 unlocked at the Microsoft Store, but I understood if they didn't have it in stock.

Apparently she later talk with someone and came back to me saying they do carry the 950 unlocked, they just had a shipment in and have 4 in inventory. I didn't have the student id with me to purchase it at $500 so I told her I would come back.

Point of the story, if Microsoft cannot get their own staff knowledgeable with their own product, how can we expect ATT to get theirs.

 

[Bay 13]

Gag order??? Why would you think any product under development, imagined or otherwise, would be known by anyone outside the Dev team?? Especially vendor employees in remote brick and mortar locations, or on the phone with technical support?? Having worked with these teams in the past, I can tell you they usually get their information from here, not personal knowledge of any development plans. You thinking this is way more funny than your imagined gag order.

Yea, you could be right. But if you work for an organization and sale products for them...you can not tell me that an "Average Joe" off the street has heard of the possible Surface phone and you haven't? Come on man...I do not buy that one bit... To act like you have never heard about the Surface phone concept?? The guy had a smirk on his face like : " I know something but I am not talking about it."

 

[ashram]

Yea, you could be right. But if you work for an organization and sale products for them...you can not tell me that an "Average Joe" off the street has heard of the possible Surface phone and you haven't? Come on man...I do not buy that one bit... To act like you have never heard about the Surface phone concept?? The guy had a smirk on his face like : " I know something but I am not talking about it."

not everyone that works retail scours the internet on new and rumored products. So yeah, I can believe someone at retail has no idea on rumored products.

 

[zr2s10]

I went into AT&T (corp. store) Sunday, asking if they would match the $40 price MS had on the Lumia 640. The sales guy said they weren't "allowed" to do that, and apologized, saying he misses out on sales "all the time" because of that. Our local Wal-mart was out of stock, so I just ordered it from Microsoft.com.

While I was at the AT&T store, they were getting ready to close, so I was the only one there. I told the rep I was just buying it to "play" with W10 mobile. He surprisingly didn't mock me, and seemed receptive to WP. He said he liked the new 950, and hoped it did well. He thinks if MS doesn't fix their marketplace though, it's dead in the water. I said I knew they were short on some apps, but that's up to the developers, not MS. And that hopefully universal apps fixes that. I also told him to recommend people check the mobile site for what they want. I can use my banks mobile site faster than their Android app, because it's always crashing, or opening up to a dead menu, and having to restart it. Overall, he seemed very receptive to WP, but I doubt he would push people to it.

The other rep, meanwhile, told me that I had "better hurry up and update it to Windows 10, Microsoft is going to start charging you $150 to do that, starting next month!" I was sure to correct him on that, and avoided calling him an ignorant moron. It was hard...

 

[Attic Muse]

It's not just them that can be bad about it. Went to the Microsoft kiosk at my local mall, and after playing with the Surface Book and SP4 for a bit, looked around and saw absolutely zero phones on display. I turned to the employee and asked why they didn't have any phones. He then reached under the desk and pulled out a basket with a bunch of various display models tossed into it. Was able to try out the 950, but the 950XL had a dead battery. I guess they really don't expect anyone to buy a phone without prior knowledge of their existence.