Got an answer today at the Verizon store on why they don't like to sell Windows phones...

[Adrynalyne]

Sadly, don't expect anything Google on Windows Phone for a long time, until both companies get on better standings.

Oh I know, and I knew that coming in. I was just giving him examples that he asked for.

 

[Al4video]

Nobody ask for it but you but it has a high return rate? This guy saw you coming.

 

[Adrynalyne]

Nobody ask for it but you but it has a high return rate? This guy saw you coming.

I have a friend who is a Verizon Wireless manager. He tells me that more often than not, Windows Phones get returned.

 

[envio]

So it's the same vicious circle. Sales reps aren't incentivised, what ever training they do get, they're not interested in "selling" the product, are ignorant of official apps or excellent 3rd party alternatives, don't educate the customer on WP features. In turn, customers are more likely to return the phone because of the so-called app-gap and/or unfamiliarity with the OS. The carrier is then more cautious about holding any inventory for any Windows Phones. The OEMs/Microsoft then feel obliged to offer exclusivity just in order to get their foot in the door and guarantee a level of stock availability and marketing / promotion. And so it rolls on.

 

[jonnaver]

I don't find WP complicated in the least, however I can understand that there's a lot of people who dislike change that would tend to not want to adopt a UI different from the grid of icons layout they're used to from an iPhone. Look at how many people made a fuss over the start menu being gone from W8

 

[jlzimmerman]

I have a friend who is a Verizon Wireless manager. He tells me that more often than not, Windows Phones get returned.

Then your VZ manager friend isn't a very good manager. Education to the customer before and during the selling process would trim down on returns.

 

[gapost]

I agree that Windows Phone "could" be the best OS. But it's like the chicken and the egg. You need users to get the good apps and you need good apps to get the users. It's hard to believe that people say WP is harder to use than Android or Iphone. To me, Android has SO many settings and customizations, it's hard to remember where to go for settings sometime. I think people trying Windows Phone find the lack of apps the main issue. We here, know about third party apps that help bridge the gap. But most people don't. And the fact that 8.1 is not on all phones, especially on Verizon, is a negative. Also, why do people who use Android or Apple want to change? Why would they want to change to WP? It just seems like an uphill battle for MS and it's going to be tough to get marketshare and overcome the lead of Android and Apple.

 

[pursuit2550]

I have had all 3 OS's. Who ever says WP, Android or Apple is hard to use then you have no business owning a smartphone. Lest take a look at it as a phone first. They all have a icon with a phone in it, thats what you use to make calls. Press it, dial the number and send. Seems simple to me, right. Next you have a icon for messaging. It will have a picture of a cloud/bubble, what ever you want to call it. Press it and text something to someone, Also pretty simple to me. Next you have internet. Now WP is a pic of circle "E", android chrome is a circle with different colors, apple says safari. Now if you own a smartphone I am sure you know which icon will be the internet. Press it and the web opens. Type a address and it takes you to it. Once again pretty simple. Now these are your common features of a smartphone and what is mostly used, at least by me.

Now, lets take a look at the apps, which is why most, if not all people by a smartphone. No matter what OS you have , you will have a app store and I am sure it not had to find the icon for it. Now once you download a app, I am also sure that you know what the icon for that app looks like right, perfect. Open the newly downloaded app and use it. Kinda simple if you as me, on any OS so far. And I will say that this goes for all apps, mail, FB, Youtube, Twitter, etc. They are all apps, coming from the app store. They will have a pic for you to recognize it.

Next is the OS/Phone settings. Now this is where things become a little more difficult. Like I said I have owned all 3, so with that said this what I think. WP 8.0 on my 928 and Icon was pretty simple to find stuff. I have the M8 on 8.1 and the settings have become more difficult and has more user setting than before. Which is expected because 8.1 has more features. still none the less it becoming more difficult to find stuff. Apple was the 2nd easiest. My 4s and 5 had what seem to be the same settings. I would venture to say that its pretty close to WP 8.1 if not even as far as finding a specific setting. Android was the hardest for me. But its expected because it is so feature packed that there is a setting for everyone. I always had a hard time finding some setting. Found myself Google-ing it sometime. Now if you are just a no nonsense smartphone person that just want a smartphone for phone calls, text, couple of apps and a camera, then WP and Apple are for you. If you like all that and are always changing setting or trying some new feature out, etc, then I think Android is for you. Its not to say WP or Apple are lame or something is this department, but if you just set your phone once out of the box then they are easier by far than Android.
These is what I think of people who say one is easier to use than the other. Your ignorant or you should have a smartphone. Its a phone with icons. You press the icon and it opens up. How hard is that? Also if its not on you home page you scroll to the side till you find it. Pretty damm simple if you ask me.

 

[nasellok]

It goes back to the whole argument on Windows 8 - its not what they are used to. These are people that aren't exactly "tech" smart. My wife, for instance, is one of those people that Windows Phone would have been perfect for - except she didn't like the interface - she thought it was too busy, and every time she picks up my phone is like......"I never know where the hell anything is on this phone"...........IOS = Idiot Operating System for a reason...............Android is another story - she never used any of the customization, etc. Literally, email, sms and phone, maybe maps, and music.

At the time when I got my Icon, I tried to convince her to get the 928, but she didn't like the interface, didn't want a big screen phone, so what was left was the Iphone 5s. And here we sit, and I have to do everything for her Iphone........the one plus of it all, is that all my paid MS services, we can share because she can just use my log-in on her Iphone. All our pictures upload to the same folder, we share music on xbox music etc.

 

[pursuit2550]

It goes back to the whole argument on Windows 8 - its not what they are used to. These are people that aren't exactly "tech" smart. My wife, for instance, is one of those people that Windows Phone would have been perfect for - except she didn't like the interface - she thought it was too busy, and every time she picks up my phone is like......"I never know where the hell anything is on this phone"...........IOS = Idiot Operating System for a reason...............Android is another story - she never used any of the customization, etc. Literally, email, sms and phone, maybe maps, and music.

At the time when I got my Icon, I tried to convince her to get the 928, but she didn't like the interface, didn't want a big screen phone, so what was left was the Iphone 5s. And here we sit, and I have to do everything for her Iphone........the one plus of it all, is that all my paid MS services, we can share because she can just use my log-in on her Iphone. All our pictures upload to the same folder, we share music on xbox music etc.

My wife is the same way as far as my phone. But she can use the $h!t out of her S5 in every which way. It just different looking and takes time getting use to. Kinda like going from a car to a truck, totally different driving experience.

 

[WP7Nettwerk]

I was iPhone user long time ago. I went to WP since first release. I'm happy with it. App gap is big but it goes less, less. For me what I need it works. EMail, Office, Lync, BBM. And I still love WP UI. It just work smooth, fluent, fast. My family use WP. And no prob. Same problem in UK not very well sell WP.

 

[pursuit2550]

I will miss using WP but I have to leave. There are just somethings that I like better on Android/Apple than Wp doesnt have for me. Almost everything I use is just so much better on Android/Apple. Maybe some day WP will catch up to them or surpass them, but I dont see that happening anytime soon. I also think this is why VZW or other carriers dont push WP.

 

[Al4video]

I have had all 3 OS's. Who ever says WP, Android or Apple is hard to use then you have no business owning a smartphone. Lest take a look at it as a phone first. They all have a icon with a phone in it, thats what you use to make calls. Press it, dial the number and send. Seems simple to me, right. Next you have a icon for messaging. It will have a picture of a cloud/bubble, what ever you want to call it. Press it and text something to someone, Also pretty simple to me. Next you have internet. Now WP is a pic of circle "E", android chrome is a circle with different colors, apple says safari. Now if you own a smartphone I am sure you know which icon will be the internet. Press it and the web opens. Type a address and it takes you to it. Once again pretty simple. Now these are your common features of a smartphone and what is mostly used, at least by me.

Now, lets take a look at the apps, which is why most, if not all people by a smartphone. No matter what OS you have , you will have a app store and I am sure it not had to find the icon for it. Now once you download a app, I am also sure that you know what the icon for that app looks like right, perfect. Open the newly downloaded app and use it. Kinda simple if you as me, on any OS so far. And I will say that this goes for all apps, mail, FB, Youtube, Twitter, etc. They are all apps, coming from the app store. They will have a pic for you to recognize it.

Next is the OS/Phone settings. Now this is where things become a little more difficult. Like I said I have owned all 3, so with that said this what I think. WP 8.0 on my 928 and Icon was pretty simple to find stuff. I have the M8 on 8.1 and the settings have become more difficult and has more user setting than before. Which is expected because 8.1 has more features. still none the less it becoming more difficult to find stuff. Apple was the 2nd easiest. My 4s and 5 had what seem to be the same settings. I would venture to say that its pretty close to WP 8.1 if not even as far as finding a specific setting. Android was the hardest for me. But its expected because it is so feature packed that there is a setting for everyone. I always had a hard time finding some setting. Found myself Google-ing it sometime. Now if you are just a no nonsense smartphone person that just want a smartphone for phone calls, text, couple of apps and a camera, then WP and Apple are for you. If you like all that and are always changing setting or trying some new feature out, etc, then I think Android is for you. Its not to say WP or Apple are lame or something is this department, but if you just set your phone once out of the box then they are easier by far than Android.
These is what I think of people who say one is easier to use than the other. Your ignorant or you should have a smartphone. Its a phone with icons. You press the icon and it opens up. How hard is that? Also if its not on you home page you scroll to the side till you find it. Pretty damm simple if you ask me.

Dude you can't see the forest for the trees.
My friend just bought a iphone 6plus and he is coming from an iphone 5s. He found it difficult. As a matter of fact Apple is offering classes to learn how to use it.

Personally I never met an OS on a phone or a computer I couldn't master in 5 minutes. So while Ios interface may be easy for some, just like windows it just stumps other people.

 

[oviedofreak82]

Instead of making all store employees learn about the Windows Phone UI, train one employees as the go-to expert if a customer inquires about it. If I was a sales manager, I would want to increase sales all across the board and move my inventory. You lose money with products that don't sell, incentive or not. Also, give your employees a bonus for selling a Windows Phone and a customer keeps it for more than 14 days.

 

[pursuit2550]

Dude you can't see the forest for the trees.
My friend just bought a iphone 6plus and he is coming from an iphone 5s. He found it difficult. As a matter of fact Apple is offering classes to learn how to use it.

Personally I never met an OS on a phone or a computer I couldn't master in 5 minutes. So while Ios interface may be easy for some, just like windows it just stumps other people.

That is why I wrote what I did, separated into parts. The phone part of them selves are pretty explanatory. It still a phone first and foremost. Now if you having a difficult time finding some settings or setting up the phone then thats where people will say that a certain OS is hard to use. I havent used a Iphone 6 so i dont know how much the settings have changed. But they did pack in alot of new features into ios8 so maybe thats why.

 

[pursuit2550]

Instead of making all store employees learn about the Windows Phone UI, train one employees as the go-to expert if a customer inquires about it. If I was a sales manager, I would want to increase sales all across the board and move my inventory. You lose money with products that don't sell, incentive or not. Also, give your employees a bonus for selling a Windows Phone and a customer keeps it for more than 14 days.

The training part I agree with, not the incentive part. The incentive part or better yet initiative part should come from MS. They need to step up their game. I dont think its a lack of untrained carrier employees, it a lack of OS features with WP.

 

[dby2011]

Windows Phone is an easy sell to anyone over 50. It's light years ahead of any feature phone and those providing it has Facebook and Skype for the grandkids they're happy. They also feel safe with Windows.

I agree with that- got one for my father because I can make huge tiles for the phone , messaging and sport scores lol. I will say he has asked about a few apps and Windows doesn't have them of course. Got a new car that has the ability to remote start and other things and of course Chrysler doesn't have a Windows app for it. I can see that being an isssue that Verizon doesnt want to deal with- someone getting a WP and then taking it home only to find some apps their friends have are not on it then coming back to the store complaining.

 

[troylytle]

In my company, I make more money on a windows phone than an iPhone or LG phones. One again though, we only carry Nokia windows phones. No Samsung or HTC.

 

[Adrynalyne]

Then your VZ manager friend isn't a very good manager. Education to the customer before and during the selling process would trim down on returns.

I thought the UI was easy enough to figure out on their own? All I see is people lauding how EASY it is. Something that is allegedly so easy for everyone should not need education before and during.

Maybe my friend should deny returns. Would that make him a better manager? You target my friend, but its like this everywhere.

 

[Harry Wild]

When ever a new model is released in a Verizon store; nobody knows about it! They all play dumb. If you insist; they comeback with it from their store room. Then they tell you that the Samsung S* is a much better phone etc....