My very awkward visit to the Microsoft store today

[SwimSwim]

Wow....what do you do with (4) windows phones, (2/3) windows tablets, (2) Mac laptops, (2) ipads, and an iphone - are you a developer? Otherwise, im trying to figure out why you have so many devices.

Because he can. I'd love to be a tech reviewer simply so I could have tons and tons of gadgets to play with. Sure, only a couple would become my daily drivers, but I'd still love having gazmos and gadgets galore to play with on a daily basis.

 

[flackberry]

The experience when I purchased my Icon from the MS store on Friday was absolutely enjoyable. All of the employees were very nice and the process of upgrading took maybe a grand total of 10 mins. They were even nice when I went back a few days later to buy a case. This is completely the opposite of buying a phone at the Verizon store. After all these years having Verizon I still cannot figure out why there is such a disconnect between the retail and call center customer service. One thing I noticed that's different is if you call customer service you get a follow up survey call. When you go to the Verizon store, nada, zilch.

 

[chrisdaboss]

really? what about reading text messages or emails?

My Bluetooth Radio isn't OEM but my Icon reads text messages and you get to reply to them as well. It's so awesome. 10 points for Icon. I think you just say listen and it reads your text message, now if your having some texting fun with somebody it could be a little akward. To reply it asks you if you want to reply and just say what you want. Bam, message sent. It also says the same of who's calling you. I'm not sure about email.

 

[flackberry]

My Bluetooth Radio isn't OEM but my Icon reads text messages and you get to reply to them as well. It's so awesome. 10 points for Icon. I think you just say listen and it reads your text message, now if your having some texting fun with somebody it could be a little akward. To reply it asks you if you want to reply and just say what you want. Bam, message sent. It also says the same of who's calling you. I'm not sure about email.

I love this feature. Completely hands free. I think you can also hold down the windows key and say call or text soandso.

 

[chrisdaboss]

I love this feature. Completely hands free. I think you can also hold down the windows key and say call or text soandso.

Yes, that as well. There's a button on my radio to start hands-free dialing. And it's quick, my droid took a while to start voice controls. The Icon is almost too smart...

 

[explosive0]

Wow....what do you do with (4) windows phones, (2/3) windows tablets, (2) Mac laptops, (2) ipads, and an iphone - are you a developer? Otherwise, im trying to figure out why you have so many devices.

Not a developer but I work in IT consulting. I guess just into technology.

 

[shaan sarode]

Agreed 100% Joel. It's embarrassing sometimes (like this` morning) where I walk into my ATT dealer to get replacement sim card and these sales reps seem to only know how to operate Apple products. They carry around iPads around like it's a part of their body and only direct customers to 'the Apple section' of the store. Anyways I come in and this guy helps me to replace the sim card. Snatches the phone from me and takes 5 minutes trying to touch/slide/tap/draw/type on my Glance screen trying to unlock the phone. He finally gets frustrated with it and rashly starts button smashing and then voila! there's a lock button on the side. What on earth were they thinking putting it on the side.... who's thumb even goes on the side of their phone??? Another 5 minutes to take out the sim and 30 seconds to reset it. In all this time couple customers come in and where are they directed? the apple section.... where are the windows phones? in the back hiding one one shelf.... all 5 of them half of them not even turned on.... makes me upset

 

[Jas00555]

A salesman in the Apple store told me that Microsoft Word is better than pages. I didn't blink an eye. Some people just take sales jobs because they like sales jobs.

 

[Silverdogz]

Yah I'm in Redmond (microsoftville) and use the Bellevue ms store. When I got my surface 2 on launch weekend everyone seemed genuinely excited for me.

I remember when the RT first launched, and the employees were really excited for it.

 

[muneshyne21]

Because he can. I'd love to be a tech reviewer simply so I could have tons and tons of gadgets to play with. Sure, only a couple would become my daily drivers, but I'd still love having gazmos and gadgets galore to play with on a daily basis.

Would you also want thing-a-ma-bobs and whats-its a plenty? I would...but who cares...no big deal...I want more.

Don't judge! I was like 10 when Little Mermaid came out!

 

[jobinthomas]

I just had a similar not so great experience recently at the T-Mobile store. I went in with the wife to get her phone upgraded. She was getting an android phone because that's what she likes. That's a different story.

Either way while waiting, I casually asked each of the reps about windows phones and whether T-Mobile will be getting any new ones after 925. There was about 5 of them. All of them were very negative about the WP platform in general, (I guess mob mentality, one guy/gal might not like it and so everyone hates it) even though I showed them my 920 and said I wanted to upgrade when they'd have a new one.

When it came to copying over the data from my wife's titan2 to the new phone one of reps was all windows phones are horrible, they don't like to play well with the others. I told him wp7 didn't have mtp support and hence copying things over required Zune and even then it was a little limited. He went on to say even wp8 is horrible too and how he'd never recommend it to anyone. Either way I didn't wanna argue with them or anything, I just told him things are better than what he had known of WP.

Wife knows how passionate I am about WP. So she was consoling me on the way home.

Either way I was left with a bad taste. I had a similar (even worse) experience at the att store last year when we went to get visual voicemail on her titan 2. I am ******* tired of feeling like I have to be an apologist for WP. Everyone's all, "why are you using that stupid phone? And, "it can't do anything" and so on. I am perfectly happy with my 920. It does everything I want it to do and more. Do I want more out of it? Yes, of course, and I am looking forward to the 8.1 update.

Sorry about the long rant. I just felt this would be a good place to vent since some if you might know where I'm coming from.

 

[savagelizards]

I have had the same experience in ATT online and local stores. Most do not promote MS and most would rather sell you something they know something about...iPhone or Samsung. I am starting to think it is MS who is the culprit in they must not provide proper training for ATT employees. I do believe since they are ATT employees it should be the responsibility of ATT but if MS really was to make a headway in the cell phone business I would think they would provide the training or at least the funds for the training. I have never, ever walked into an ATT store or talked to an ATT rep on the phone who knew more than me about a Windows Phone.

If MS wants to make headway in the smartphone business they would provide a spiff to Verizon/ATT reps for WP sales to help them feel better about spending time to learn the product and how to explain how the MS ecosystem works. It begins and ends with the sales reps and if they are more comfortable with iPhone or Samsung that's what they will sell. You have to give them a reason to risk selling a different, unfamiliar product.

Training is fine, as far as it goes. But it's a single step. Unless you own the product, you really can't understand it well enough to make the customers comfortable. Hell, I wanted a WP for months, and read everything I could find here and elsewhere and when I finally got my Icon I still had some uncomfortable moments.

Now imagine random customers off the street that have no particular knowledge themselves, but just want whatever the next hot new phone is. If you sell them an iPhone or a Galaxy and they don't understand something, they are surrounded with sons, daughters, co-workers, paperboys, etc. who can show them how to do what they want. I only knew one other person who had WP before I got mine and it was a marketing rep at the local credit union and she thought her phone was okay but wished she got the Galaxy 4.

I really think that unless MS buys some market share the only folks that will have WP are those who couldn't be talked out of it.

All that said, rest assured that I really still want my WP, and want WP to succeed.

I'm just sayin'.

 

[muneshyne21]

Just now I went to a Verizon (unoffical) store to help my dad pick up an ICON.

Dad: Excuse me, do you have the new Lumia Icon?
Employee: Nope.
Dad: Oh, well thank you very much for your time.

We turn around and start walking towards the entrance

Employee: Why do you want the Lumia? Samsungs are MUCH better phones.
(He said this with our backs turned to him walking towards the entrance. Neither one of us are turned towards him)
Me: Ok, thank you for your time.

Weird. Its like even when they can't convince you they still want to kick you in the nuts on on your way out.

The second store we went to a mile away was better but the Lumia phones were in the Motorola section for some reason.

 

[jobinthomas]

Just now I went to a Verizon (unoffical) store to help my dad pick up an ICON.

Dad: Excuse me, do you have the new Lumia Icon?
Employee: Nope.
Dad: Oh, well thank you very much for your time.

We turn around and start walking towards the entrance

Employee: Why do you want the Lumia? Samsungs are MUCH better phones.
(He said this with our backs turned to him walking towards the entrance. Neither one of us are turned towards him)
Me: Ok, thank you for your time.

Weird. Its like even when they can't convince you they still want to kick you in the nuts on on your way out.

The second store we went to a mile away was better but the Lumia phones were in the Motorola section for some reason.

seriously, that's just insane. Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

 

[ntice_521]

I share your outrage at a salesman who says things that he apparently personally believes. Whatever happened to good old fashioned soulless corporate dissembling?

 

[Morpheus Phreak]

Yah I'm in Redmond (microsoftville) and use the Bellevue ms store. When I got my surface 2 on launch weekend everyone seemed genuinely excited for me.

I've been there and the University Village store a couple times.

I have a friend (known him for years) that works at the Bellevue store.

I prefer the Bellevue Square location, but both seem staffed by some pretty sharp people.

I'm not the type that tends to give praise easily, but those folks have earned it.

 

[StevoPhilo]

So I gotta say after reading every post I feel determined to go out to all the carrier kiosk stands in the mall and test some WP knowledge with some associates. =P

 

[radmanvr]

I went out to the Microsoft store here in Houston @ the Galleria. I still hate parking there and that place is so huge I hate walking around in there but nonetheless I arrived at the Microsoft store. I already have an Icon but I acted as if I was interested in the Icon and the representatives were really nice and spot on. They were showing me some neat tricks with WP and telling me how much faster and fluid it is compare to other OS. They did admit that some apps are missing from the OS but emphasized that its not Microsoft's fault for missing apps its devs laziness. I had a great experience there. Sorry OP that your experience did not go so great.

 

[fdalbor]

While I can understand the thoughts about poor service and lack of insight we need to all take a long look at the nature of the beast. It seems a lot of people get very defensive when someone else degrades their choice of smartphones. Its a phone people not something that is going to change the way we live. I like WP8 phones and that is what me and my family uses. But I also have two Android tablets, and several desktop and laptop computers that run Windows and Linux. If someone uses a Apple product (I don't have any) thats fine with me. But it does not reflect on my lack of Apple products. I just choose not to use them. To rant on about one being better than the other or not is a bit of wasted breath. They are all so close to one another the adverage person can't tell the difference. And they are getting closer and closer to being the same.

If you choose to champion one brand over another thats fine; we all need causes. But no need to degrade someone who champions another brand. In the end we are all going to have dirt shoveled in our faces and the type of phone we used or computer we sat in front of is not going to matter. Peace brother, no matter what you use; or don't use.

 

[Starrbuck]

I share your outrage at a salesman who says things that he apparently personally believes. Whatever happened to good old fashioned soulless corporate dissembling?

Of course they are allowed to have opinions, but what they base them on in this case most of us here disagree with. After all, we are on the WPC forums!!!