[DuexNoir]

These issues with sales reps aren't too surprising. Outside of their work, I'm sure many of them are fans of one phone system or another, so that bias will most likely sneak in to their work habit as well.

Best solution? Research and know what you want before you step into a store. I always know exactly what I want when I go in and I never get swayed from my decision. I had one sales rep said to me (and this wasn't a phone, can't remember exactly what it was) that I should get this because everyone is using it (so that makes it good)...and I said, "just because everyone is using it, doesn't mean that I have to get it too." (I'm rarely ever uncivil but that ignorant comment just pushed me over).

I want to add that what I really, really dislike is the disdain we BlackBerry users get just because we like BlackBerry...just because we like something different and not mainstream. It is a personal choice whether I want this phone or that. Really some of these other users should keep their own opinions to themselves. Just because they like what they are using doesn't mean that it will fit with what I would want. One size does not and never will fit all.

BlackBerry should totally sell their phones online, unlocked. I'm sure they'll do quite well that way.

[WillieLee]

If they have to push a device they will do whatever it takes. I can only speak from my own anecdotal evidence and that of my brother but we have encountered nothing but people who seem educated on the Z10 as well as enthusiastic beyond the typical "We need to sell these things, let's brag them up" attitude. I was in a Future Shop the first day it went on sale and while they were sold out of my carrier's phones, the kid asked if I wanted to see a working unit and then went through a run-down of the features.

You'll find people who try to dupe consumers into buying whatever is piling up in the back or what they make commissions on but you'll also find people who give the customer what they want when they come into the store. Just like every other occupation in the world. Some are good, some are bad.

[Neely2005]

I get that you had a negative personal experience with Bell, but your last statement is very inaccurate.

Bell and Telus jointly built a new HSPA/HSPA+/LTE network. Yes, Rogers has its own network. But that doesn't mean that Rogers won't have congestion and Bell/Telus will. It's certainly more complicated than that. In the end, there's a certain amount of data being directed through any given tower. I don't think either one of us has the expertise to state how much that can be or what the exact towers to customers ratio is for the Big 3.

That you would be wrong about.

[bigbbrybeliever]

My girlfriend just got back from the Bell store in Stone Road Mall in Guelph Ontario (20 minutes from BB HQ) and she tells me that two sales staff there told her and her sister that while the Z10 is a nice phone they could not recommend purchasing it because they didn't feel that BB would be around much longer and therefore you wouldn't want to buy a phone from a possibly defunct company.:

Wake up people! This is a pure fabricated story whose intention is to put the nativity on the Blackberry and try to manipulate the stock price.
All these BS storied posted in the Crackberry site on the Friday (this one, �I hate my Z10 and here is why�,� Native Instagram App Is Not Coming to BlackBerry 10� and etc) was concert together with the MKM downgrade.
Just think about. Do you really believe that the clerks who work for Bell dare to tell their costumers that the maker of the key phone the company carries will not exist long and tell the costumer do not buy the phone?
If it were true, then the clerks would be fired by Bell next day. I am forwarding this post to the top Bell management and ask them to investigate this and require them to inform me the investigation result. If it is true, then I am sure the clerks will be fired. On the other hand, if Bell�s investigation confirms that no such thing happened, then I will contact the Blackberry lawyer and recommend the company to take legal action to the OP for intentionally smear the company.

[bigbbrybeliever]

She got an S2 instead? I could somewhat understand an S3 but an S2???

I'd call call Bell customer service and make a complaint and then go to the Bell website and follow the How to escalate a complaint process which is under Contact Us.

I'd also call that store and ask to speak to the manager and let him/her know about your experience with the staff.



Posted via CB10

What did you find out? I am guessing that they told you that no such thing happened at all and the story was a pure fabrication. Am I right?

[BB_Ooo]

I am going to tell you right now what the actual problem is from my perspective, because sales reps at the carriers are typically stupid...

Barely any of them has even touched a working Z10! I have gone to countless places, including the place where I picked mine up, and a couple of them said that they haven't even seen or held a working phone yet. So if they don't have the phone to play around with, how can they even sell the phone with exception of the stuff they were supposed to memorize. smh

Also, I don't know if it is the Carriers fault or Blackberry, but none of the places I visited had a working model on display! Therefore, no one has the opportunity to play around with the phone, let alone the staff. smh

The funny thing is when I show people the phone, let them play with it, they like it and have bought or thinking about it. Need to push out some displays and working models Carriers/Blackberry!!!!!

[aha]

My girlfriend just got back from the Bell store in Stone Road Mall in Guelph Ontario (20 minutes from BB HQ) and she tells me that two sales staff there told her and her sister that while the Z10 is a nice phone they could not recommend purchasing it because they didn't feel that BB would be around much longer and therefore you wouldn't want to buy a phone from a possibly defunct company. As a result her sister got a Samsung S2. I think BB should know that your carriers sales staff may not be well educated on life and business, I have owned the Z10 since Feb 5th and love it and also have 3 Playbooks in the family so needless to say I was pissed to here this news. BB might want to employ some secret shoppers to check on what some of the sales reps out there are saying to their potential customers. Just needed to share this and vent.

On the contrary a Rogers rep I met yesterday rated Z10 higher than iphone 5. He said Apple hasn't really innovated anything after Steve Jobs passing way, while Z10 is a real innovation. When asked about Android phones, he said LG Optimus G is probably the best, and different from Z10 but better than SGSIII. He think Samsung phones are popular because of the success of SGSII, then the lawsuits with Apple actually helped Samsung, and then the Ads campaign.

[carlyincanada]

Same thing here in Chatham Ontario rep at Rogers said to my friend when he went in to see about the z10. She told him that they were going to be sued for the phone by Apple. Not to buy it for it is not very good. Said she would sell it to him but he should really pick another phone. What crap. A Canadian retailer.

I'm in Chatham ON also and went to Rogers to see a demo Z10...they had one but limited functions but gave me some idea and got to feel it in my hands lol. The young lady and young man working were friendly and helpful and looked at my contract etc to upgrade. I will go back soon to get mine...just wanted to wait awhile to hear the reviews from others here

To Chad...I would have been upset too...and would have called the manager or Bell Customer service to complain. Customer service means serving
The customers needs and not what the employee wants!


Posted via CB10

[thevacantsoul]

In this day and age of the internet, if you are too lazy to do a little research before making a big purchase and signing a contract, you deserve to be ripped off. The store reps just want to sell whatever will make them most commission and they will make up any story to do it. It's the same reason a lot stores recommend android over iPhone too because the carrier gets to load up all the bloatware they want where as iPhone as none.

[Omnitech]

I spent 10 years in retail.

In addition to all the bandwagon-jumping that is so common these days, most sales clerks are lazy.

If people have Android or Apple blasted at them from every direction and all you have to do is say "Oh yeah, those are great" and someone will hand over their credit-card, then that's what the clerks will do.

If selling something, regardless how much better it is, requires actual effort - most sales clerks in their position just aren't going to go to the effort, even if they know the platform. They are going to take the quickest route to making a sale so they can move on to the next victim....-er... prospect.

One day Blackberry may regain the pre-eminent status they once enjoyed, and the reverse scenario could start happening more and more. There's already a chink in Apple's armor - they've been on top so long, and so many "regular Joes" have bought them and turned the product mainstream, they are starting to lose their "cool factor" now. Unfortunately for them, I don't think either Tim Cook or Jony Ive knows how to regain it. That was Steve Jobs forte.

There is a real opportunity for Blackberry here. As in war, do not underestimate the potential of a highly-motivated group fighting for their very existence, competing against an increasingly bloated and lazy colossus who has lost their raw edge and is getting pudgy and complacent.

[reeneebob]

I am going to tell you right now what the actual problem is from my perspective, because sales reps at the carriers are typically stupid...

Barely any of them has even touched a working Z10! I have gone to countless places, including the place where I picked mine up, and a couple of them said that they haven't even seen or held a working phone yet. So if they don't have the phone to play around with, how can they even sell the phone with exception of the stuff they were supposed to memorize. smh

Also, I don't know if it is the Carriers fault or Blackberry, but none of the places I visited had a working model on display! Therefore, no one has the opportunity to play around with the phone, let alone the staff. smh

The funny thing is when I show people the phone, let them play with it, they like it and have bought or thinking about it. Need to push out some displays and working models Carriers/Blackberry!!!!!

1) BB provides our demos.

2) we've had a working demo since a week prior to launch. We've all played extensively with it.

3) it's not out on display due to the theft of our gs3, we are waiting on new security. We do frequently put it into customer hands (when it's not charging, gotta say not impressed with our demos battery life, 4 hours and it's drained thanks to demo mode)

Not all stores are rated to have live demos. There's more to this than just sending out phones.

Sent from my Galaxy S 3 via JB 4.2.2 - thanks Tasks AOKP!

[freeyo]

carlyincanada great to hear you are going to see about the new z10. I'm glad to hear that you had a better experience at Rogers. I think some reps give a carrier neg raps. I remember at the Telus corporate store with the bold 9900 they wanted me to switch to I phone. I think it goes to bias and not customers wants. But at kelcom they were great. They said they had limited training on it but would help. I showed them a few things it could do that i learned. If you do decide on it and need help with it I will try to help you. They are awesome phones.


Posted via CB10

[BB_Junky]

A Lot of mall kiosk have young girls (eye candy some might say)...more so for attracting customers than demonstrating the proper useage of the Z10 which hurts more than helps in the long run.

Posted via CB10

[scrannel]

I long ago learned to do my own research (such as coming here) before buying. You can't go into a retail shop and expect the clerk to say "I don't know." They have to say something. But to their issues, they do get a lot of phones to sort through, and though they may get training classes, all that stuff is hard to remember.

[vizZir]

This kind of comments was expected to be honest. Nokia had the same problem and they manage to avoid it by being strongly in touch with carriers. Blackberry has to do the same if they want to survive.

[neurokath]

would love to know how you do that! I've got a new Z10 and use powerpoint a lot - can you steer me to some how to demo?

[BlackStormRising]

Our carriers has a facebook page for their communication with latest news, promotions, etc. They posted the pre-order for BB Z10 yesterday, someone asked about BIS. The employee online actually replied that Z10 still requires BIS. *facepalm. However, someone else pointed the error immediately and he did apologise for the misinformation. But still kinda worrying to see that employee aren't exactly educated about the new BB10 platform. I can only imagine what will happen when the phone actually go on sale in stores.

It is confusing. When I got my Z10 I was switching carriers at the same time. I had a second phone to transfer over (Ms. Trueheart's 9780). Somehow both me and the associate messed up and we ended up with no BIS on the Bold. Yikes. No BBM and no email. Wow. I got fed a knuckle sandwich for dinner and was back to the store the next day to get it sorted out. (Of course this wouldn't have happened if the dang Q had been available at the same time as the Z)

[BlackStormRising]

would love to know how you do that! I've got a new Z10 and use powerpoint a lot - can you steer me to some how to demo?

Check this blog here:

http://bizblog.blackberry.com/2011/0...ce-presenting/

If your projector is HDMI then you need the cable shown in the photo. If it's VGA (as mine are at the office), then you need the HDMI to VGA adaptor in the middle of the picture. One tip: connect the adaptor to the phone first, then connect the VGA cable to the adaptor or else you'll have a blank screen! I thought I had a dud until I solved that bit. You won't have audio out though, only video. Hasn't been a problem for me, the playbook speakers pump out great sound in our meeting rooms.

I got my adaptor through amazon. It's not that easy to find in the usual shops.

Posted via CB10

[texazzpete]

Thanks for the welcome. My girlfriends sister may return the phone after I chat with her but truthfully a feature phone is all she needs lol, I just wanted to share their experience. I went to the Virgin booth in the same mall to get mine and had a very good experience with what seemed like a knowledgeable sales rep who admitted he had only played with it for a day but said so far he was impressed. Anyway I hope someone at BB steps up the public relations stuff soon as it would appear that all the negativity could be self fulfilling in some cases.

The way I see it (from what you just said) the sales rep did her a favour by selling her the S2, even though he was silly to use the 'going out of business' line to do so.
If she didn't need anything complicated (feature phone user) then the S2 would have been massively cheaper than the Z10. no point in buying an expensive phone that wouldn't get used.

Still, it's annoying for folks to still be spouting the 'blackberry will not be around for much longer' line...it's clear that BB aren't going anywhere soon.

[SnoozerBold]

I had nothing but a good experience at the Bell store I went to. I asked if they had any, it happened to be the manager, she told me I got the last one from their second shipment. She told me how they sold out quick the first time round from pre sales and the second shipment went fast. She also said she used to have a BlackBerry and was going to switch as soon as she was allowed too. I took that either waiting for her contract for end or they have to wait to buy the newest phones? I didn't ask.

I also had similar experiences when I bought my cases and screen protector. (not at bell stores at resellers) Sales people seemed to be really interested and said they were selling well.


Full disclosure : I work for Bell Canada. No were near sales though. I work in engineering. Network planning and Provisioning.

Posted via CB10

[BlackStormRising]

And my previous comment is equally applicable to Z10 or Playbook for the power point since they each have the same HDMI port.

Posted via CB10

[Mr.Willie]

This kind of comments was expected to be honest. Nokia had the same problem and they manage to avoid it by being strongly in touch with carriers. Blackberry has to do the same if they want to survive.

Unfortunately, here in the US, they only way to get a 920 is through AT&T. Nokia won't even sell you an unlocked one from their website. AT&T branded and locked only. .

Weird when I spoke with the Fido rep about upgrading to a Z10 she said she was jealous and that I was making a good choice. I wonder if maybe she's locked into a contract with an iPhone.

Why does it have to be an iPhone ? Why not one of a hundred of crappy Android models ? Or maybe even a WinMobile phone ?

A Lot of mall kiosk have young girls (eye candy some might say)...more so for attracting customers than demonstrating the proper useage of the Z10 which hurts more than helps in the long run.

Posted via CB10

The eye candy that sold me a 9810 a while back knew what she was doing. Of course she was sporting a BB on her precious lil' hip.

The way I see it (from what you just said) the sales rep did her a favour by selling her the S2, even though he was silly to use the 'going out of business' line to do so. If she didn't need anything complicated (feature phone user) then the S2 would have been massively cheaper than the Z10. no point in buying an expensive phone that wouldn't get used.

Still, it's annoying for folks to still be spouting the 'blackberry will not be around for much longer' line...it's clear that BB aren't going anywhere soon.

If she was buying a phone under a two or three year contract, the price difference (for her) is negligible. Of course the carriers profits on the cheaper phone are through the roof. But the OP has stated that he was in error, it was an S3.

In this day and age of the internet, if you are too lazy to do a little research before making a big purchase and signing a contract, you deserve to be ripped off. The store reps just want to sell whatever will make them most commission and they will make up any story to do it. It's the same reason a lot stores recommend android over iPhone too because the carrier gets to load up all the bloatware they want where as iPhone as none.

I disagree. The Internet age has given everyone a voice, no matter how qualified they are to given it. The amount of FUD by bloggers that pretend to be real journalist is mind blowing. Even the amount of crap on CrackBerry baffles the imagination. Just on this thread I learned that all people that work in retail are idiots, people that use iOS are idiots, Sheep, or Fandroids. There was a poster on this site mocking Apple users and they stated "What are you going to do with all that iTunes music when Apple goes under ?" Sad thing was, I had the headphones on, listening to iTunes music on my 9810.

I also have a few questions about BB10 (I am in the states), but I dare not ask them because I fear the forum Nazi's will have a field day if I miss the one post that answers my question out of 100,000 that don't.

No one deserves to get ripped off. (Unless they are a con man).

All the Z10 research I do just makes me feel like Vinnie...

[reggiebennett]

Unfortunately it's not just Bell.

When I called up Rogers to negotiate a better deal for my Z10 the phone rep asked me what I want and when I told her a Z10 she replied "you are going from an iPhone to a Blackberry?!?!" with complete disgust in her voice, you could tell she totally thought I was crazy and was making the wrong decision. I just replied that the phone she saw on my account was not the phone I was using, I sold my iPhone a lot time ago because I didn't like it at all.

At least she knew to drop it after the one negative comment, but it was very obvious that if someone called in asking for a phone recommendation that she wouldn't be recommending a Blackberry.

I had reserved my BB10 and when it had actually arrived in store, I called customer service and asked for a better deal, she said there were no deals available and I should choose the Lumia. I asked, What would be the point in that? With my Blackberry Z10 in store already, why would I choose another device? "That's absolutely stupid" I said to her. She then retorted with, I think it would be a better device for you. I then asked to speak to someone else. Because "You're annoying me." She said there was no one else to speak to, I said I know there is, so patch me through please. She then replied "Please hold" the phone was silent for around 10 minutes, then music played for a minute and then retention picked up and gave me offers. What a load of bull. Stupid reps over the phone.

[semperfi45]

Any idea how old she was? Youth seem to love iPhone. All there friends have them so that's what they want, apps,apps,apps. Hopefully Blackberry can hold onto 5%-9% of the market.

I had reserved my BB10 and when it had actually arrived in store, I called customer service and asked for a better deal, she said there were no deals available and I should choose the Lumia. I asked, What would be the point in that? With my Blackberry Z10 in store already, why would I choose another device? "That's absolutely stupid" I said to her. She then retorted with, I think it would be a better device for you. I then asked to speak to someone else. Because "You're annoying me." She said there was no one else to speak to, I said I know there is, so patch me through please. She then replied "Please hold" the phone was silent for around 10 minutes, then music played for a minute and then retention picked up and gave me offers. What a load of bull. Stupid reps over the phone.

[Janet Slimak]

Since you are an avowed bbfan, do you have an opinion on the Q10? I prolly won't do the Z10 cuz I'd miss the keyboard and trackpad/cut/paste features but here in the U.S., my Sprint store never heard of the 10 series. I'm patient but want to be informed when/if the 10's arrive at Sprint. In fact, if S doesn't ever offer, I'd switch providers to get the Q10. Surely S is smarter than that:-)