T-Mobile Sales Rep Calls Windows Phone the worst Phone ever

[antiochian2010]

I have to give my local T-Mobile store (Downtown Burbank) a big thumbs-up now. For the last 4 years or so, I have been going in there showing off my exotic, non-T-Mobile windows phones - all running perfectly on T-Mobile's SIM. Lumia 800, Lumia 900, PureView 808 (ok that one was Symbian, but was showing off the camera) and Lumia 1020 - and most recently my new 930 Green. The last visit, I was actually trying to find out about the special SIM in NanoSIM for POS purchasing via NFC.
Up until a year ago, my quick show off demos were greeted with skeptical sneers (except they loved the 808's camera). Also, their WP phones were tucked off in a corner with no power, so were all non-working.
Now, the staff there is getting more knowledgeable about WP, have nice things to say about it other than "I don't use one myself but I'm starting to hear good things from customers" and one even admitted that there's no 'real' app gap anymore!
The phones are new, clean and actually placed front & center with me-phones and Drones!

I totally agree with an earlier post in which it was mentioned that Apple helped create Droid by the exclusivity with ATT (and having very poor service on the same for a number of years). I would probably have picked up iPhone myself except I rebelled against moving to AT&T and resented Apple highly for bricking the jailbreak phones without discriminating about who had paid for the phone outright vs paying a lower contract price. That put me on Android for a year which led me to the Windows Phone Launcher someone had created - which in turn led me to the real thing!

 

[kiddori]

I can chime in...

When I returned my 635, the rep said "I never recommend anyone to get a Windows Phone. When I explained to him why I want/need one, his responded "well, maybe they're getting better, but I still stay away."

One thing to remember and I why I take reps with a grain of salt, is that they are the lowest paid T-Mobile employees with often not much technical skills (I know there are exceptions). They don't get paid to know everything about all phones and are usually swayed by sales and internal memos.

I do agree that T-Mobile should improve their relationship with MS.




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[Mike Majeski]

Went up to a T-Mobile kiosk in a mall by Cleveland hoping they had the M8 on display - they only have the Android version. However, the rep did know a bit about Windows Phone. Knew a bit more about the M8 android version, but did say that if I liked Windows Phone the M8 would be a great choice.

 

[RumoredNow]

I have NO knock against T-Mo reps in the stores. Where I live they are ALL franchises not corporate stores. I think the reps do a pretty good job.

Do they know a lot about Windows Phone - no.

As a consumer, it is ultimately my responsibility to educate myself anyway. Consumers that don't, that blindly follow what sales people say get ripped off and unhappy pretty quickly anyway.

A phone is a major purchase. Even for a billionaire like Richard Branson who owns a carrier. Your cell phone is always with you. You use it all the time. If it is a smart phone you count on it for so much more than a comm lifeline.

Why would you entrust that decision to someone you never met before?

​I never mind talking to the reps. I actually enjoy it quite a lot. But I would never buy what they wanted over what I wanted...

 

[Mike Majeski]

I know this thread is related to T-Mobile, but here's one that frustrated me recently. Walk into a BestBuy in NJ by my parents house, from the front of the store you can see they have a gigantic Windows section - it's actually Apple and Google that are tucked away in the corner.

While they have the Surface Pro 3 front and center, as well as laptops and desktops, the Windows 8 tablets are dumped in among the generic Android offerings at the front of the store. The Google section has chromebooks and Nexus tablets, the Samsung section has everything from the gear to phones, tablets and chromebooks. Apple has all of their products to try out. Only Microsoft has the phones buried in the phone section and the tablets in the tablet section.

If you are going to invest in having a huge Windows section, why not have all the tablets and phones there, instead of hiding them with the common junk?

 

[sixseven]

I'm not the type of person to go looking for a fight, but I also tend to push back when confronted.

In the examples listed above, I would have made sure the store managers knew that the associate insulted me. Yes, insulted... If I go into a retail store, I'm looking for help and service in exchange for my dollars. I do not go in there to hear negative opinions about my consumer choices.

Don't argue the strengths of Windows Phone, that'll get you nowhere. Get the manager involved, and I bet the rep never does this again. Also, he/she might be forced to get more training on WP.

 

[Mike Majeski]

Had my first negative T-Mobile experience last night. Went to the store in Fairview Park / Rocky River - my girlfriend was looking to jump from iPhone 6 to the Galaxy Avant to save some money each month on the EIP ($5 vs the $30 she was paying for an iPhone she barely used). I was also going to trade in my 6+ and get the Lumia 635. A rep at a kiosk last week told me I owe $550, I would get $407 back towards it and would only have to pay the difference when it got posted to my account - fair enough since I would have to wait to July to Jump and pay that amount anyway.

We both knew exactly what we wanted and stated all of this to the sales rep. She immediately gets defensive and asks why we are unhappy with the iPhone (none of her business) and said that she can assure us we will hate the Avant and the Windows Phone. She then proceeded to tell me that I would have to pay the $550 remaining on my iPhone up front and then T-Mobile would credit the $407 later. I explained what the person at the mall kiosk told me and she said no, they're wrong and again reiterated why the iPhone is better than the 635. I told her I use the 635 for work and I am more than happy with it. She then told my girlfriend that should couldn't process the Jump order either, because the Avant wasn't showing up in the system.

No manager around, so we got the hell out of there and drove to the North Olmstead Mall. Needless to say, they did the Jump for my girlfriend and processed the trade in exactly how it was explained to me last week. We talked to the guy for awhile and while he did say it was rare for people to downgrade from the iPhone, it's understandable and we're free to want what we want.

Just shows how the attitude can vary so much between locations. One person literally did everything she could to prevent us from walking away satisfied, while the other guy did exactly what we, as the customer, wanted.

 

[RumoredNow]

...We both knew exactly what we wanted and stated all of this to the sales rep. She immediately gets defensive and asks why we are unhappy with the iPhone (none of her business) and said that she can assure us we will hate the Avant and the Windows Phone. She then proceeded to tell me that I would have to pay the $550 remaining on my iPhone up front and then T-Mobile would credit the $407 later. I explained what the person at the mall kiosk told me and she said no, they're wrong and again reiterated why the iPhone is better than the 635. I told her I use the 635 for work and I am more than happy with it. She then told my girlfriend that should couldn't process the Jump order either, because the Avant wasn't showing up in the system...

Hope you got her name. It is worth a follow up conversation with whomever runs that store.

 

[deathdealer35]

Because at the time iPhone was att only, the other choice was blackberry.

If you wanted a touch screen you had android if you were not on att. Then gingerbread came out and made it usable, followed by a killer device in the Galaxy s3. With no other competition it wins by default.

Posted via the Windows Phone Central App

 

[terryb99]

When I stopped by a tmobile store to ask a question, several salespeople almost laughed when I pulled out my 925.
When I upgraded to my S5 at Verizon, I mentioned I really liked the Icon, but was not ready to make a Windows phone my main phone. She said no one likes or buys windows phones.
Microsoft has a long way to go.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[fatclue_98]

Microsoft has a long way to go.

That's a blanket statement. What's the problem? Is it the OS? Is it the hardware? Marketing? Training?

 

[terryb99]

That's a blanket statement. What's the problem? Is it the OS? Is it the hardware? Marketing? Training?

Most phone are sold in a store by 20 something salespeople. Until Microsoft can convince them that Windows phones are a viable contender, they are not going to go far beyond the low end phones in the emerging markets they have been successful in.
I challenge someone to go into an AT&T, Verizon, or TMobile store and say "I am thinking about a Windows phone, what do you think?"
How many times will that salesperson direct them to an Android or iPhone instead?

 

[fatclue_98]

Most phone are sold in a store by 20 something salespeople. Until Microsoft can convince them that Windows phones are a viable contender, they are not going to go far beyond the low end phones in the emerging markets they have been successful in.
I challenge someone to go into an AT&T, Verizon, or TMobile store and say "I am thinking about a Windows phone, what do you think?"
How many times will that salesperson direct them to an Android or iPhone instead?

You're preaching to the choir. We've discussed carriers' sales forces as being a detriment to WP sales. I've been told by management types that as far back as the Lumia 900, Microsoft made deals with AT&T for all their employess to carry the devices. Just short of a full-blown mutiny, the employees were allowed to carry their own devices again.

Now I don't know how other companies operate, but every time I've had a company-issued phone it's been whatever they choose and you'll be happy with it. If employees want to carry their own phones, that's fine - but they should use the company phone while on company time.

 

[troylytle]

Just thought I would come in with a sales rep prospective. I sell all phones equally. If a customer is afraid to move from one ecosystem, I'll get them the newest of their phone line. If the customer is complaining about things their phone doesn't do that another phone does, I'll talk about the other phone. Of course, I work for AT&T. So, that it's my job and I do it well. Push windows phones out the door as well. Bonus.

 

[Eustis99]

Sounds like you dealt with an ignorant, unprofessional *****. Her job as a rep is to provide support, promote, and sell all with a smile. Not knock your device.

 

[Mike Majeski]

Some just are not informed it seems. And some of that is Microsoft's fault. Was in Verizon again last night, as my GF wanted to pick up a Gear S for her Note 4. Of course the sales reps were jumping for joy as she dropped $250 on another device.

Sales rep asked what I have on my wrist and when I said it was the Microsoft Band, she scoffed and said I am missing out. Missing out on what exactly? Band does everything the Gear S does and doesn't require another cell line to use it.

Another rep came up later and asked what I had on my wrist and seemed genuinely interested in the Band. But kinda surprises me people working at a wireless store had never seen one / knew how it worked.

 

[DEF3NDER]

It is a problem with Windows as a whole. It is rapidly losing mind-share.