Went to AT&T to check out XL, sales guy says "Windows Sucks"

[BenJAMIN_2009]

No, it was the LG one, don't remember the model name.

You mean the lg lancet

 

[xrs22]

Yup, that was the one.
Lord Icon

 

[neodk]

I worked in wireless for several years, well before the smartphone implosion and the need for data plans, phone insurance / replacement, etc. I can honestly say that yes, sales force staff are incentivized to sell specific kinds of hardware based upon marketing initiatives and the like. The equipment could be inferior and less desirable than the brand they are more accustomed to selling but they will have to work their tail off to sell it like it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, even if sliced bread is sitting next to it.

It's the consumer's job to educate themselves on the products available. Research, evaluate, comparison shop, and go into a store only if you need an up close demonstration. You need to vet things for yourself and follow the trust but verify mantra. Yeah, I trust that people have been as unbiased as they could be in reviewing the Lumia 640 XL, but I like to temper some of the fanboyism by actually going into a store and seeing what the fuss is about myself. The phone is huge. Don't get me wrong, there is a reason why they made it that size. Consumer demand. It appears to work for many, and I may eventually be one of those people.

Sales Associates are being trained to be too pushy. Back when I worked retail and started down the same path I had a manager tell me that my approach was anything but sincere and I was risking my job by forcing people to buy into my opinions. I think when I left retail I had gone from various forms of Monty Hall (let's make a deal) to you will buy this from me and like it to finally settling into the routine of asking questions and building a relationship with the customer. If I knew what they wanted, I resisted the easy way out and asked more probing questions to make sure that my answer was truly right (and right for the customer) versus what was right for the store. Granted, this wasn't making me a stellar salesman that could live off commissions alone but I could live with myself. Fortunately I didn't have to live off of my commissions and never took a job outside of high school that paid out commissions. I think that in turn made me a more customer-focused employee rather than a numbers / revenue kind of guy.

 

[runamuck83]

Update - I went into a corporate store about 30 mins away and they were def much better. The guy was actually talking up the 640 XL because you got good value for your money. He even said ita pretty amazing MS releases it for $250 no contract when the Galaxy Note 4 is $800 off contract.

 

[neodk]

I bought this phone myself today. I went to the MS Store rather than AT&T, even though the only variant that Microsoft Stores are selling is the AT&T variant. So I have a black Lumia 640 XL on AT&T. The increased footprint of this device isn't bothering me, as I'm able to hold it comfortably in one hand. If I have to use the phone, it's going to take two hands. That much I've figured out. $250 (plus tax) and you can walk out with a phone that is more than capable compared to similar devices on the market. Oh wait, there aren't too many similar devices on the market. If you escape the pitfalls of a 640 XL vs iPhone 6 debate, you'll realize that the XL serves its owners well as does the 6. Difference being you are paying for a device (the XL) to do things for you rather than buying into an ecosystem (Apple, iOS) to accomplish what you want.

 

[barondebxl]

The real question is would you have been this upset if he would have bashed android or IOS instead while praising windows phone? I don't think so. So stop crying and don't get someone fired because of something this silly. Yes the rep was wrong but you could have told him right then and there that it was wrong and that he should be more professional instead of trying to get him fired simply cause he went against what you like.

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[HoosierDaddy]

The real question is would you have been this upset if he would have bashed android or IOS instead while praising windows phone? I don't think so. So stop crying and don't get someone fired because of something this silly. Yes the rep was wrong but you could have told him right then and there that it was wrong and that he should be more professional instead of trying to get him fired simply cause he went against what you like.

I didn't read the entire thread but search show's your post the only time the word fire was used.

But a customer should report things like that to management. That doesn't get someone fired. Management will be able to decide what to do about it. Lets see which is more likely to "fix" the problem? Any number of individual customers telling the associate and maybe having it go in one ear and out the other, or all those customers telling management? If its an isolated case reporting to management is hardly likely to get anyone fired. On the other end of the scale, if customer complaints to management have led to training and talks and it's still happening, firing may be the only option left to management.

 

[runamuck83]

The real question is would you have been this upset if he would have bashed android or IOS instead while praising windows phone? I don't think so. So stop crying and don't get someone fired because of something this silly. Yes the rep was wrong but you could have told him right then and there that it was wrong and that he should be more professional instead of trying to get him fired simply cause he went against what you like.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

As far as I am concern​erd it's unprofessional for any sales person to walk over and say something "sucks" before talking to the customer to understand their needs.

 

[TLRtheory]

The real question is would you have been this upset if he would have bashed android or IOS instead while praising windows phone? I don't think so. So stop crying and don't get someone fired because of something this silly. Yes the rep was wrong but you could have told him right then and there that it was wrong and that he should be more professional instead of trying to get him fired simply cause he went against what you like.

In my example, it wasn't even just WP that was bashed.

If you haven't been attentive thus far: the misinformation is what we're bothered by, not just that some kid in a wireless store said mean things about WP.

 

[barondebxl]

But you wouldn't have been upset if the rep bashed android. In fact there wouldn't be a thread so what are you saying?

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[barondebxl]

Semantics. Just because the word fire wasn't there doesn't mean it was implied on pretty much every page " you should report him to the manager, someone like that shouldn't be there..." what do you think k it means? I mean really man?

I think you guys are being sensitive by blowing this thing out of proportion. Every case is different. I go to stores all the time where a sales rep talks to me in a casual way instead of being 100% professional like " Hey what's up man, man get this note 4 it's pretty awesome " instead of "hi sir how are you today, what can I help you with". I just think you guys are overreacting cause he said windows phone sucks. Had the rep say " this lumia is freaking awesome, much better than the Isore" and the OP would have posted it here you would have many cheers.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[rhapdog]

Semantics. Just because the word fire wasn't there doesn't mean it was implied on pretty much every page " you should report him to the manager, someone like that shouldn't be there..." what do you think k it means? I mean really man?

I think you guys are being sensitive by blowing this thing out of proportion. Every case is different. I go to stores all the time where a sales rep talks to me in a casual way instead of being 100% professional like " Hey what's up man, man get this note 4 it's pretty awesome " instead of "hi sir how are you today, what can I help you with". I just think you guys are overreacting cause he said windows phone sucks. Had the rep say " this lumia is freaking awesome, much better than the Isore" and the OP would have posted it here you would have many cheers.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

It is perfectly fine to have a casual talk without being formal. It's an entirely different thing to disparage the products you sell. If I were the manager, that would be a firing offense if one of my employees did that. I speak from management experience as well, having been in management all the way up to CIO of a corporation.

The crass language also would not be tolerated. For a sales person, saying the word "sucks" is as bad for many people in the US as saying other things that would be censored very quickly on this forum. If he would have said that in front of my two young children, I would have made him apologize immediately for using such language in front of tender ears, and then I would have immediately asked to speak with the manager.

Can an employee be casual and personable? You bet. It helps in sales, and is proven to do so. Can he use inappropriate language or disparage products? No way. It hurts sales, and has been proven to do so as well.

Please try not to defend the indefensible. That particular sales person simply should not be in sales, or at the very least needs some serious re-training, and I'm not talking about knowledge on the product. I mean basic sales tactics, etc.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

But you wouldn't have been upset if the rep bashed android. In fact there wouldn't be a thread so what are you saying?

Why would you think that?

Wait, your posts make sense if you are that salesperson. Just take your medicine.

 

[rhapdog]

But you wouldn't have been upset if the rep bashed android. In fact there wouldn't be a thread so what are you saying?

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

I would have been. As you may have noticed (then again, you probably didn't read anything but the first post, or the title of the thread), I was criticizing the salesperson for disparaging a product they sold, not for saying WP sucks. I would not allow ANY product that my store sold to be talked down upon like that. Sales people are supposed to make everything in the store look good, while making the larger profit items look a lot better than just good. Nothing, and I mean nothing they sell should ever be made to look bad. That's just acting traitorous to your company. Not good.

Why would you think that?

Wait, your posts make sense if you are that salesperson. Just take your medicine.

Yeah, got to agree with you on that one.

 

[barondebxl]

Now you're showing your truly colors. Take your medicine lol, you're unable to speak intelligently.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[barondebxl]

I'm not defending the fact that the sales rep wasn't on point, I'm just not for the hypocrisy of this thread. Once again, considering this is a Windows phone forum, had the sales rep said something like "yeah should get that phone, it's better than android phones that suck" we wouldn't be here talking. In fact the sales rep would have been praised here with fan boys rejoicing.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[barondebxl]

But every situation is different. He may have seen you as someone more casual and friendly to talk to vs a business man or something. If a sales rep comes to me and tells me that a phone sucks and I shouldn't get it then I would ask him why or I would laugh it off. I would only be offended or find it very inappropriate if he was bashing something I really like. And that's what's going on here. You know how many android fans despise IOS? Do you think they would report a sales rep to the manager if the sales rep said "don't get an iPhone it sucks, get a note 4 instead"? No of course not. The fact that we are here shows that we have more interest in windows phone than your normal consumer, I guarantee you you guys would be happy if someone praised windows phone while saying android sucks compared to it in store and you wouldn't report it. It's just hypocrisy that's all. If it was genuine that you were offended by the sales rep saying that someone sucks and it was really unprofessional then it would be different but it's not the case here. So don't get someone fired because your feelings were hurt.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[neodk]

Let's make this easy without risking anyone's employment:

1. If the employee is unhelpful, find another associate or leave and go to another location. Hint: vote with your wallet.
2. If the employee is harassing or otherwise unprofessional, put a complaint in with the store manager or find the customer service number a speak with someone at corporate. If it is just an FYI, leave it at that. If you feel inclined to get resolution, ask for an update / call back.
3. If the employee did something illegal, immoral, an/or unethical it's time to escalate things even further.

That being said, you aren't the employee's manager. You have no power to hire or fire, nor is it your place to decide if they in fact should be.

 

[barondebxl]

Thank you. Let's not get someone in trouble because they said that the lumia 640 xl sucks. I mean come on now.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[rhapdog]

That being said, you aren't the employee's manager. You have no power to hire or fire, nor is it your place to decide if they in fact should be.

No, if I were, they would know my expectations concerning how to present the products and interact with customers up front, and everyone would have a better experience.