Blaming Microsoft: Is it entirely fair?

[Nogitsune Micah]

Just a mini-rant about carrier exclusives...

Personally, I am fine with the Lumia 1520. It is, a year, later the best Windows Phone can pretty much get and the one, a year later, people are still talking about most.

That said, I know many people in the US are looking forward to the Lumia 730 and 830....However, Verizon's behavior with the Icon being retired and then the Lumia 730 delay until sometime in "EARLY 2015" makes me wonder.

Can we really blame Microsoft for Carrier Exclusives?

Looking at the last 4 years and the carriers

A. Sprint- Got the HTC Arrive and then used said phone as the poster child for their recycled phones program...Of all phones to use, they used the arrive a phone that wasn't even 6 months old.

Two years later they get the 8xt and the ATIV neo...which let's be real were irrelevant.

B. T-Mobile had the HTC HD7 and later the Lumia 710 and the radar in their original WP line-up.....then came the Lumia 810(We know how they treated that device) and the Lumia 925. The main reason the Lumia 521 did so well is price....it would've done well on any carrier and now they have the 635.

But T-Mobile doesn't really care much about windows phone, except low end stuff.

C. Then Verizon....
Verizon's ONLY windows phone 7 was the HTC trophy.....which they sold awhile but barely supported. THey did get the 8x and later the Lumia 928 along with the Ativ S Odyssey and SE.

They now have the One M8 and to be honest(I am not a fan of HTC) but there is a benefit to them recycling the design...I think the M8 for Android actually does help with sales because we know Verizon does next to nothing with marketing it aside from a few commercials.
(Thank goodness for the Microsoft Commercials).

But it won't surprise me when HTC releases this phone on Att(or globally) and the rest of the world gets future updates(Actually it will surprise me, since this is HTC) and Verizon's One aka the first one(pun intended) is still sitting on the same version it launched with.

I honestly feel that Microsoft is doing the right thing with the carrier exclusives. Sure it makes sense to try and get them on as many carriers as possible but we know how carriers are. Even if they do carry a good windows phone(Verizon with the One and Icon) they don't try to encourage people to get them.

Or they don't support them.

Att to me is the perfect partner for Microsoft and I honestly don't mind the exclusives. Because I feel like Att has done a whole lot for a platform that isn't gaining THAT much traction presently.

Att's WP7 line-up: HTC surround, LG quantum, Samsung Focus, Focus S, and Flash S.....Plus the HD7S and they got the first Lumia ever in the US with the 900.

(I feel like I may be missing one or two lol)

then Att's WP8 line-up has had every major lumia except the 930 released(Even their Prepaid company got the 620). I think the only other Lumia not seen in the US was the 720 and 525.

Without these carrier exclusives, I honestly don't think the platform would've done as well as it has....I'd rather have ONE carrier at least making an effort than 4 carriers just selling a phone and never updating or updating them months later.

Of all the things we can criticize them about, I honestly don't think the carrier exclusives is one of them.

Can you imagine a phone like the 1020 or 1520 being released on Verizon instead of At&t?

 

[someone2639]

How about Microsoft becomes a carrier?

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

How about Microsoft becomes a carrier?

I would LOVE that lol.

Though if it is not subsidized then I am not with it Ain't nobody got time to be paying $600 for a Lumia 1520 haha

I wish they could sell these devices themselves and update them as they see fit as I think they could do a whole lot more than carriers.

Microsoft REALLY needs a "nexus" line of devices for Windows Phone.

 

[FinancialP]

There's in all honesty no one to blame.

Carriers carry the devices that sell. It's that simple.

When you walk you into any store or even casino, the items that make the most money are presented first and prominently shown. The items that are old or just are not doing well are usually in the back somewhere and you have to search for them.

 

[JamesPTao]

I would LOVE that lol.

Though if it is not subsidized then I am not with it Ain't nobody got time to be paying $600 for a Lumia 1520 haha

I wish they could sell these devices themselves and update them as they see fit as I think they could do a whole lot more than carriers.

Microsoft REALLY needs a "nexus" line of devices for Windows Phone.

Its really an outdated business practice. Despite the bull**** they feed you most of the "testing" in the past was so they had time to male sure features weren't added that they didn't want users to have or would hurt there profit. Ex Nokia e72 no carrier had full GPSbluetooth and WiFi data sharing. The at&t model had it stripped out because they wanted to charge you for a tethering plan even with the same amount of data used. Now that they use mobile share and its allowed as well as allowing full GPS not just a-GPS these practices are irrelavent.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

There's in all honesty no one to blame.

Carriers carry the devices that sell. It's that simple.

When you walk you into any store or even casino, the items that make the most money are presented first and prominently shown. The items that are old or just are not doing well are usually in the back somewhere and you have to search for them.

I can understand that HOWEVER when an agent is pushing you away from the device and bad mouthing the device, that is the problem.

Which leads me to asks...Why sell something if you are going to bad mouth it. If they want to only sell Android/IOS...then why bother selling WP if you're going to discourage people.

Which is the fault of the carriers.

 

[FinancialP]

I can understand that HOWEVER when an agent is pushing you away from the device and bad mouthing the device, that is the problem.

Which leads me to asks...Why sell something if you are going to bad mouth it. If they want to only sell Android/IOS...then why bother selling WP if you're going to discourage people.

Which is the fault of the carriers.

Well maybe the agent is speaking from experience? Just a thought.

A carrier doesn't care what OS or what item it sells, as long as it sells. It's pure business.

If people were clamoring for Blackberry devices then carriers would carry more Blackberry items.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

Well maybe the agent is speaking from experience? Just a thought.

A carrier doesn't care what OS or what item it sells, as long as it sells. It's pure business.

If people were clamoring for Blackberry devices then carriers would carry more Blackberry items.

Saying things like
"Nobody uses windows phone"

"It has no apps"

"Android OR IOS is better."

Is a big reason these devices don't sell. While the carrier themselves necessarily don't care, the front end agents are the people who can persuade customers and there are many stories here from people on WPC, myself included, who have dealt with agents who actively will bash the phone even if it is a phone a customer has asked for.

That's bad business/customer service.

 

[FinancialP]

Saying things like
"Nobody uses windows phone"

"It has no apps"

"Android OR IOS is better."

Is a big reason these devices don't sell. While the carrier themselves necessarily don't care, the front end agents are the people who can persuade customers and there are many stories here from people on WPC, myself included, who have dealt with agents who actively will bash the phone even if it is a phone a customer has asked for.

That's bad business/customer service.

So WPC a fan site of windows phones is a great place to take people words about what agents are saying? Hardly.

Agents aren't to blame. A person can easily order online. A person can easily walk into these stores without agents and buy phones.

 

[Immortal Lobster]

I came to the forums to post a follow up to a question I had started about the m8. Went to a local Verizon store,(note I'm an att customer), sales staff was very pushy, and I asked to see the m8 for Windows. The sales rep to me to the Android one. I asked again for the windows one, and was told I don't want it, because it's not Android. I walked out, still haven't had a chance to play with one.

If I were an exec at Verizon who negotiated and paid for an exclusive deal for that phone, our the icon for that matter, and found my staff doing that.... I think I'd have a bona fide conniption fit.... Any body know any stores in the Dallas area where I can play with an active phone, without being pressured by salesman or being told what I want, because I can't possibly know that.....

 

[someone2639]

Saying things like
"Nobody uses windows phone"

"It has no apps"

"Android OR IOS is better."

Is a big reason these devices don't sell. While the carrier themselves necessarily don't care, the front end agents are the people who can persuade customers and there are many stories here from people on WPC, myself included, who have dealt with agents who actively will bash the phone even if it is a phone a customer has asked for.

That's bad business/customer service.

Untrue
Untrue
Opinion-based (I think untrue.)

Honestly, Microsoft is doing the advertising for the carriers so they think "why bother?". It's the only reason that people know about the Windows phones.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

So WPC a fan site of windows phones is a great place to take people words about what agents are saying? Hardly.

Agents aren't to blame. A person can easily order online. A person can easily walk into these stores without agents and buy phones.

Actually, yeah it is. considering it is a good place to hear about your experience when you go and buy a phone.

Furthermore, while most people can order a phone online....a majority of people like to be able to PHYSICALLY handle their phone in the hands vs watching a video or reading an article to see how it feels and looks and performs. Not to mention people also like to be able to walk out of a store with their phone vs having to wait.

Agents are too blame. If I want a certain phone, and I wasn't a windows phone fan and I saw the cool commercial about the Lumia's camera on tv and wanted it...then I go into a store and ask for it and the rep says "Are you sure? Windows Phone isn't that good."

As an uninformed customer, yeah I will likely be persuaded to possibly hesitate and choose something else?

Why? Because uninformed customers are far more likely to trust a rep since you know they work there lol.

I know this for a fact. I work in sales/customer service. It's quite easy to persuade a customer to buy something they didn't necessarily intend to buy or discourage them.So yeah a lot of blame DOES lie with the carriers and there is no excuse for it.

Don't sell anything you have to actively try and discourage people from using or hide in a corner like some cheap secret lol

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

I wasn't saying it is true lol.

I was saying stuff I've heard personally from my own experiences or read from here on the site lol.

Untrue
Untrue
Opinion-based (I think untrue.)

Honestly, Microsoft is doing the advertising for the carriers so they think "why bother?". It's the only reason that people know about the Windows phones.

 

[FinancialP]

Actually, yeah it is. considering it is a good place to hear about your experience when you go and buy a phone.

Furthermore, while most people can order a phone online....a majority of people like to be able to PHYSICALLY handle their phone in the hands vs watching a video or reading an article to see how it feels and looks and performs. Not to mention people also like to be able to walk out of a store with their phone vs having to wait.

Agents are too blame. If I want a certain phone, and I wasn't a windows phone fan and I saw the cool commercial about the Lumia's camera on tv and wanted it...then I go into a store and ask for it and the rep says "Are you sure? Windows Phone isn't that good."

As an uninformed customer, yeah I will likely be persuaded to possibly hesitate and choose something else?

Why? Because uninformed customers are far more likely to trust a rep since you know they work there lol.

I know this for a fact. I work in sales/customer service. It's quite easy to persuade a customer to buy something they didn't necessarily intend to buy or discourage them.So yeah a lot of blame DOES lie with the carriers and there is no excuse for it.

Don't sell anything you have to actively try and discourage people from using or hide in a corner like some cheap secret lol

Again. There are tons of other stores besides carriers that sell windows phone devices. Grocery stores, gas stations, convenient stores, your local cell shops, authorized dealers. Tons of places. So carriers are not to blame.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

Again. There are tons of other stores besides carriers that sell windows phone devices. Grocery stores, gas stations, convenient stores, your local cell shops, authorized dealers. Tons of places. So carriers are not to blame.

Yes because our local grocery stores carry Lumia 1520, 1020 and Icons.

Generally speaking, most people don't buy their phones at a grocery store. When I go to wal-mart or Aldi's, I usually go for actual groceries not for cellphones And convenient stores are the same way.....that makes absolutely no sense what you said.

But I do value your opinion nonetheless even though it makes absolutely no sense lol

Again, Carriers should be encouraging users to buy ALL phones not trashing or dissuading otherwise. You said it yourself...they don't care about the OS, then why dissuade users from said device unless it is because of their personal belief of a windows phone lol.

 

[FinancialP]

Yes because our local grocery stores carry Lumia 1520, 1020 and Icons.

Generally speaking, most people don't buy their phones at a grocery store. When I go to wal-mart or Aldi's, I usually go for actual groceries not for cellphones And convenient stores are the same way.....that makes absolutely no sense what you said.

But I do value your opinion nonetheless even though it makes absolutely no sense lol

Again, Carriers should be encouraging users to buy ALL phones not trashing or dissuading otherwise. You said it yourself...they don't care about the OS, then why dissuade users from said device unless it is because of their personal belief of a windows phone lol.

Believe it or not, those Lumia 52X didn't fly out of the carrier stores. The 52X series which makes up the majority of windows phone devices sold are usually sold at such stores I mentioned.

The 1520 and 1020 can't even hold floor space at AT&T. They must actually sell in order to do that.

So taking from your title, it's not fair to blame the agents.

 

[Immortal Lobster]

Again. There are tons of other stores besides carriers that sell windows phone devices. Grocery stores, gas stations, convenient stores, your local cell shops, authorized dealers. Tons of places. So carriers are not to blame.

They are never. NEVER live devices. Just fake dead screens, hollow bodies. Bad argument. Go read my latest experience, few posted before this argument. That just happened is real, and if anything I sugar coated the exchange.

 

[FinancialP]

They are never. NEVER live devices. Just fake dead screens, hollow bodies. Bad argument. Go read my latest experience, few posted before this argument. That just happened is real, and if anything I sugar coated the exchange.

None of them are live devices. Yet they still sell.

Link me to your post as I don't mind reading.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

Believe it or not, those Lumia 52X didn't fly out of the carrier stores. The 52X series which makes up the majority of windows phone devices sold are usually sold at such stores I mentioned.

The 1520 and 1020 can't even hold floor space at AT&T. They must actually sell in order to do that.

So taking from your title, it's not fair to blame the agents.

Except at several att stores I have frequented the 1520 does occupy floor space. I was laughing at the fact that the 635 was so small as it was sitting directly beside the 1520 in the center of the store.

The majority of those phones in the us are not sold there. At WalMart maybe and those are generally people who walk up and grab it. However, an inquiring customer who wants to know more about the os and it's features...who are they going to ask? The bag boy at the grocery store?

No, the carriers is who they ask... which is where the problem comes in at lmao but you seem to think otherwise so ehh

 

[FinancialP]

Except at several att stores I have frequented the 1520 does occupy floor space. I was laughing at the fact that the 635 was so small as it was sitting directly beside the 1520 in the center of the store.

The majority of those phones in the us are not sold there. At WalMart maybe and those are generally people who walk up and grab it. However, an inquiring customer who wants to know more about the os and it's features...who are they going to ask? The bag boy at the grocery store?

No, the carriers is who they ask... which is where the problem comes in at lmao but you seem to think otherwise so ehh

Now you're working with the assumption that people care about OSs. Studies show people don't care, which is another assumption. A conundrum.

But hey, let's blame the carriers. It's the right thing to do, because hey, people are knocking down doors demanding windows phone devices.