Verizon Store Visit (Kind of funny)

[dkediger]

From anecdotal evidence, return rates. A lot of people, in my experience, buy a WP8 handset because a) it looks cool and/or b) it's a Nokia. The latter is especially true in developing markets.

Then they find that [INSERT APP HERE] is not available and return the device. Or it can't do something essential, like manage email attachments properly or work with certain types of Wifi networks. Eight people on my Facebook friends list were waiting for the Moto G to launch in India so they could get rid of their WP handsets and they have done so recently. If the retailer or whatever channel you postulate, sees high return rates for a certain product, it is beneficial for them to push other products which do not have such a high return rate. Statistics.

That's a combination of incentivization and product experience, then. As opposed to a return/exchange for a hardware issue (I left that out of my list previously). Its a valid reason/concern. Just trying to fill out the point of sale experience problem.

 

[dkediger]

I spoke with VZ Customer Service on the phone with a woman who was quite helpful (surprisingly good customer service), and among other things, I asked her if there's any incentive for the sales people at the stores to push iPhone/Android and why they look at me like I have a third eye when asking about WPs. She stated there's no greater incentive in selling iPhones/Androids over Windows Phones other than they just sell more iPhones/Androids so they may be more in their comfort zones selling iPhones/Androids.

Admitting that I don't know for sure, but I would be surprised if there's not a sales incentive to hit a total unit count per month with some type of adjustment for returns other than a hardware issue. Perhaps not a specific incentive to sell "X" versus "Y". I would imagine there could also be OEM direct to salesperson spiffs. In my industry (automotive), this is a benefit that occurs directly between the sales person and the OEM, and the dealer never gets involved.

 

[Markham Ranja]

Customer validation/empathizing is a rudimentary sales tool. The real question is why it seems less prevalent when WP is involved. Product knowledge/experience? Incentivization? Peer pressure?

I see the same phenomenon people describe here at Best Buy. I was in the Sunnyvale, CA, store about 10 days ago and there were absolutely no WPs in sight except for a few T-Mobile 521s tucked away behind some GS4 cases. The shop staff there had a similar apathetic attitude towards WP when asked. Now, Best Buy has repeatedly stated that their staff are not paid a sales commission at all, so I believe incentivisation is not a problem.

 

[JBConforti]

I see the same phenomenon people describe here at Best Buy. I was in the Sunnyvale, CA, store about 10 days ago and there were absolutely no WPs in sight except for a few T-Mobile 521s tucked away behind some GS4 cases. The shop staff there had a similar apathetic attitude towards WP when asked. Now, Best Buy has repeatedly stated that their staff are not paid a sales commission at all, so I believe incentivisation is not a problem.

I think because they are not payed incentives why would they work harder to sell a different phone. Iphones and androids are easy sales, if I'm not getting anything extra out of it, why would I take time to learn and push a third place ecosystem.

 

[Morpheus Phreak]

I spoke with VZ Customer Service on the phone with a woman who was quite helpful (surprisingly good customer service), and among other things, I asked her if there's any incentive for the sales people at the stores to push iPhone/Android and why they look at me like I have a third eye when asking about WPs. She stated there's no greater incentive in selling iPhones/Androids over Windows Phones other than they just sell more iPhones/Androids so they may be more in their comfort zones selling iPhones/Androids.

When I worked for Verizon CS generally the CS reps had no idea about the store rep incentives and vice versa.

 

[etad putta]

That is a very bizarre comment. Why would posters on those forums have any complaints? When they walk into at&t there is always a pretty good chance they will have someone who will be available to tell them about a phone they like. Strange choice to insult people on this forum vs hanging out with iphone and andriod users you admire.

No one in this thread cares what phone some stranger likes or uses. If someone makes an informed decision and is happy with an iphone or Andriod phone good for them. What we take issue with is a lot of consumers can't even make an informed decision because the staff at these stores never tell them about Windows Phone or even worse actively steer them away from Windows Phone apparently 100% of the time. Trust me my friend if at&t was steering people that inquire about iphones towards Andriod or Windows Phone 100% of the time the internet would explode with people being "insecure" as you put it.

Tons of ink is spilled on why Windows Phone hasn't done as well as it should. On this very forum there are tons of people saying it would be so much more successful if the 1520 had Qi built in. It would be so much more successful if the 32 GB 1520 was available at launch. For heaven sake when the 32 GB variant was finally made available the new complaint was the phone had a nano sim! Well the iphone doesn't have Qi. It has a nano SIM. Most of the iphones you see around are less than 32 GB. So what's the difference? Well one huge difference is the iphone is pushed to everyone that walks in the door at at&t and people are actively discouraged from getting Windows Phone.

I was accused of being an at&t shill when I shrugged off the gimping of the 1520. But I simply can't buy into the thesis that the1520 isn't going to be one of the top selling phones because it lacks Qi or a red 32 GB variant. Yes those features do matter to some people but people like my parents don't care about any of that. What made the difference for them is a complete lack of Windows Phone sales effort by retail sales people. Luckily they had me around to get them up to speed on Windows Phone.

We windows phone users like our phones, but currently 4% of the US market is made up of windows phones. What would you ask your sales force to focus on? The devices that 96% of the people use or the niche phone? The future of WM is murky at best with the android app news and the new MS boss seems pretty weak.....Where will Satya Nadella take Windows Phone? - Computer Business Review

 

[Citizen X]

We windows phone users like our phones, but currently 4% of the US market is made up of windows phones. What would you ask your sales force to focus on?

I would have them focus on this...

O2 wants to end the "duopoly" of Android and iOS - and it's prepared to back Windows Phone to do it.

O2's parent company Telefonica has announced it will attempt to increase the visibility of Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 software in its stores.

The "enhanced marketing effort" will be launched for 12 months in the UK, as well as Germany, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and Chile.

Telefonica said that it wants to "encourage the presence of additional mobile operating platforms as an alternative to the current duopoly of Android and iOS".

O2 Signs Deal To Push Windows Phone And Break iOS-Android 'Duopoly'

Econ 101 question. Is it better to have two suppliers or three?

 

[california86]

Econ 101 question. Is it better to have two suppliers or three?

It depends. Am I one of the two, or the third?

 

[Citizen X]

Econ 101 question. Is it better to have two suppliers or three?

It depends. Am I one of the two, or the third?

???

Carriers in the US do not make their own phones. They are not the suppliers in the relationship being discussed.

 

[california86]

???

Carriers in the US do not make their own phones. They are not the suppliers in the relationship being discussed.

It was a joke. Lighten up.

 

[jmshub]

I've had good experiences buying both of my Windows Phones, but I went to the store with my wife when she bought her 920, and that saleslady was honestly awful. I was angry when I left the store.

 

[Citizen X]

I tried to find similar stories of people being steered in the wrong direction on our sister forums (imore and android central). It would seem they are a little less insecure with their purchases.

The web is flooded with "insecure" smartphone owners who have dealt with sales practices undermining their chosen platform. Now Blackberry owners are being "insecure."

T-Mobile US, which is majority owned by Deutsche Telekom AG, sent out emails to some of its customers last week, pitching free iPhone 5s and touting the promotion as a, "great offer for BlackBerry customers."

That sparked a brouhaha in social media forums after some of the telecommunications company's loyal BlackBerry customers reacted angrily to the offer, which they perceived as a slight.

BlackBerry CEO assails T-Mobile US promo as 'ill-conceived' | Reuters

 

[dkediger]

As an aside - had the crazy realization that, in their look and feel, WP and Android actually seem to match up with the corporate look and feel of the other company. Sort of a blind taste test. Remove all hardware and software branding, find that elusive person who is smartphone ignorant, show them a Lumia and a GS4 or MotoX, and ask them which is Google centric and which is Microsoft centric. From a 10,000' view, the solid color tiles of WP matching Google's branding, and the icon/shortcut grid matching desktop Windows look.

Apple is of course Apple.

And this post is essentially a silly and nonsensical rambling.

 

[Badgerbrown]

Similar story happened to me on 2/22. I went to an Authorized Vzw Retailer and they had never heard of it either, even though one of their 'corporate reps' called me because I was due for an upgrade and they were supposed to have one turned on when I got there do I could get a hands on experience with it. Having never used a windows phone before, I did experience the hands on use of the 928. As I had researched the windows phone and the lumia icon deeply prior to my visit, I was able to spout off some differences between these two models. It was funny to me that neither of these salespersons has heard anything about this phone. By the end of the conversation one of them stated 'so are we going to do this or not?'
I quickly realized he thought I was going to buy the 928, and I was able to respond with a quick 'not.' I told him I had nothing against the 928 but I want the icon, plain and simple.
This was not a corporate vzw store, but I still expect a certain level of knowledge and customer service from a store.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pci2k]

Yet another reason why I avoid the so-called "Premier Retail" stores. 100x worse than the corporate stores.

 

[mtalinm]

Same here. Dropped by one last night, asked about Icon, guy launched into a tirade about how "we only stock high-demand phones." I was tempted to point out that he had the 822 Lumia on the floor, but instead, I just told him that if he had an Icon I would have paid full retail for it, and left.

 

[Joel S79]

Easy to forget Android went through the same thing before it took off. There were countless stories of people walking into stores looking at Android devices only to have the reps steer them to the iPhone.

 

[Kage Maru]

I know it's not realistic but I wish people took a more vested interest into their job. When I was working retail, whether it was a fast food joint as a teenager or a manager when I was older, I made sure I knew about all of the items in my place of employment. However this level of work etiquette is clearly not common when it comes to Verizon stores around me. The day before the Icon launched, I went to a few stores before realizing I needed to go to a corporate store to switch over to the EDGE plan. Still none of the people I talked to were aware of the phone launching the next day. So I found my local corporate store to ask about the EDGE plan and upgrading my phone the next day. A part of our conversation went like this:

Rep: What can I help you with today?

Me: I was wondering about switching to the EDGE plan and upgrading to the new Lumia Icon when it launches tomorrow.

Rep: You said you wanted to upgrade to the iPhone?

Me: No, the new Lumia Icon that is supposed to launch tomorrow. The newest Windows Phone.

Rep: Ohhhhh ok yeah, the Microsoft rep was here yesterday telling us about some new phone releasing soon and their plans and I was just like "Sure....whatever".

I'm sorry but if I ever heard one of my employees treating her job like this, I'd take some kind of action.

Sadly this is only one example of my two trips to this store and neither were really great with how dismissive both reps were towards WP.

 

[Joel S79]

Rep: Ohhhhh ok yeah, the Microsoft rep was here yesterday telling us about some new phone releasing soon and their plans and I was just like "Sure....whatever".

Crap like that should cost him his job.

When I talked to the Verizon rep he didn't try to steer me, but he was honest that he never heard of the phone until the day before it launched, so they were very unprepared. There were NONE on display when I walked in at ~11:30am, and they didn't set up the display until after noon. He also mentioned that the Nokia rep was supposed to setup a meeting to train them on the phone, but for some reason it never happened.

 

[awilliams1701]

Something similar happened to me when I got the 928. However they did have them in the back, but it was burried. They made me wait for about 30 minutes to find it. I didn't want to go through that again so I ordered the Icon online, but due to the SIM sizes, I had to go in anyway. This time they were so busy I had to wait 30 minutes. They had to get a new SIM card only to find out it was the wrong size, so they had to get another new SIM card. Also they had absolutely no idea how to open the SIM slot. I had to do it for them. lol

One thing I don't understand though is why activation takes so long. After they got the SIM card it took like 10 minutes of work between the computer and me restarting the phone.