consumerist.com — The need for cell phone sales reps to cleanse themselves in the healing waters of the Consumerist is nearing an all-time high. Reps from all over the cell phone universe are flooding the tip line, a tidal wave of lost souls begging for redemption... Ok, not really, but a guy who works at Cingular just wrote us with some tips for the readers.
Mar 6, 2007 View in Crawl 4
audioconnellMar 7, 2007
The consumer can't win and the phone companies know it...cell phones are like crack and accessories/upgrades/features are like free crack; I don't see people throwing away their phones, do you? There hasn't been a massive revolt of cell phone being thrown into the bay, has there?Bitch all you want about service...you're not going to get any really good service from any provider...they don't need to provide you with good service. What are you going to do, leave? You're replaceable.Either deal with your cell phone addiction or stop complaining cause you're part of the problem.
adageMar 8, 2007
@popfrogsThis actually WILL work with Cingular (AT&T?), assuming that you're a "good" customer. I know for a fact they have a retention department. Every-so-often you will get someone that won't care and will cancel you, especially if you dont have an ETF. You can't jump to the conclusion that that one rep's action is a reflection of the company's termination/retention policy. Anyways, point is, there is a retention policy and department.
adageMar 8, 2007
If you have the correct Cingular settings, yes.
adageMar 8, 2007
T-mobile has a much poorer coverage area in many more places than Cingular/AT&T/Whoever-they-are-this-week.I used to sell T-Mobile, but it didn't pay well... all of my customers returned their phone because of poor coverage. That means no commission.
ceslarMar 8, 2007
@ pixelbenderHere's the digg link to T-Mobile's confession in case you want to digg it.<a class="user" href="http://digg.com/tech_news/11_Confessions_of_a_T_Mobile_Sales_Rep">http://digg.com/tech_news/11_Confessions_of_a_T_Mobile_Sales_Rep</a>And here's the direct link<a class="user" href="http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/confessions/11-confessions-of-a-tmobile-sales-rep-242720.php">http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/confessions/11-confessions-of-a-tmobile-sales-rep-242720.php</a>
frippledipMar 10, 2007
This story was submitted to Digg on March 5th. Lo and behold, on March 6th, some Yahoo blogger rips off the story idea and even cites the SAME SOURCE as the original Digg story. <a class="user" href="http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/devlin/8400/eight-cell-phone-sales-tips-from-a-sales-rep">http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/devlin/8400/eight-cell-phone-sales-tips-from-a-sales-rep</a>So they're not only ripping off format, they're ripping off content too.
slj33Mar 11, 2007
you need to check out yadayadamobile.com. these guys are about to make cell phones free! amazing concept.
icucscMar 13, 2007
Um, I just wanted to point out that I am the (current) Cingular Rep that wrote this article for Consumerist. I can verify that at least for my part this was NOT written by Consumerist. As for comparisons of cell phone companies, I've worked for several of the major ones, and they really are all evil to some extent. Anyone who thinks that I wrote this as a sales pitch misses the point. There are tools at the customer's disposal to give them an edge in getting what they want. I will also say that I have only worked at company owned stores in Northern California, and policies due vary from region to region, even from store to store. Some managers for example refuse to discount phones to match on-line prices (despite this being corporate policy) because it shows on some report somewhere. But other stores give the reps authority to do pretty much whatever they want. I suggest that if you go into a store and don't get what you want, or some of my suggestions seem to be "false" find another store in your area. I also want to point out NEVER to accept an "exception upgrade" because it's a ripoff, as someone mentioned above. In some circumstances it can result in an unwary customer resigning their contract for two years to save 12 dollars off the retail cost of a phone. At the same time, there are certainly advantages to being out of contract, but if you want to get "a good deal" in a store @ Cingular, anything less than a 2 year contract will not help you. Reps don't get paid anything on 1 year contracts. If you have any interest in getting any sort of special treatments or discounts without resigning a contract or only signing a one year, go for it, but don't waste your time in the store. Call and talk to a retention rep on the phone.
jazliveSep 19, 2007
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