So Pissed Off!!

[rccbrandon]

About 3 weeks ago, I went into my local T-Mobile store looking to purchase a
BB for the first time. I was looking pay full price for a 8900 or 8520. Suprisingly, I was told that I was eligible for a full upgrade and given prices for the 2 phones, both 100 and something. I had been reading the blogs and forums and knew that the 9700 was being released soon. I decided to wait and use my upgrade then.

After waiting an hour in the store today, I was told that somehow, in those 3 weeks, I became eligible for only a partial upgrade and if I wanted the phone I had to pay $438. If I knew that was going to be the case, I would have NEVER waited an hour to be told that. The same girl that waited on me 3
weeks ago was the same girl that helped me today. I came home a called customer service and was told the exact same thing.

Funny thing that I had purchased one of the older blackberries 3 weeks ago I could have had a full upgrade. I used to love T-mobile.....not so much anymore.

[fatboy97]

That's too bad you don't know the condition of your own contract... at least to within a given month of when you are eligible for an upgrade... if you think any other customer service is any better, LMAO!!!! They are all the same or worse than T-Mobile... and in most cases they are worse... I've been with Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile once, as well as AT&T/Cingular, then I came back to T-Mobile... they are all the same... know your own contract.

[berryite]

Originally Posted by fatboy97

That's too bad you don't know the condition of your own contract... at least to within a given month of when you are eligible for an upgrade... if you think any other customer service is any better, LMAO!!!! They are all the same or worse than T-Mobile... and in most cases they are worse... I've been with Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile once, as well as AT&T/Cingular, then I came back to T-Mobile... they are all the same... know your own contract.

Trouble is that the OP indicated he was told he was eligible for a full upgrade a few weeks ago and now that has somehow changed.

Something fishy here. We'll never know what it is but you don't go from being eligible for a full upgrade to not being eligible for a full upgrade in 3 weeks.

Not doubting the OP's claims and not questioning T-Mobile's policies, but something isn't quite right here.

Yea......the problem is TMO has gone to ****.........im gonna say it again.....evewr since project dark rolled out ive seen nothing but a downward spiral on support and customer service.......ill agree all carriers are equally bad but moreover customer service in the US has gone to ****.....keep it up and we wont be #1 in the world.....our manufacturing jobs are gone....were arrogant....our schools arent turning out educated kids and our corporations are raping americans with these bogus contracts and pitiful arbitration clauses.........

Support Obama and the new Federal Consumer Protection Agency

[xTemptati0n]

The rep that told you that you were eligible for a full discount was probably mistaking. There's no way for the upgrade to change itself in the system if you are eligible for a full. It won't ever revert like that unless you actually got a phone that day--which you didn't. It's sad to say, but she probably told you the wrong thing the first time.

[rccbrandon]

I'm not pissed about not getting the phone. I got over that quickly. I'm pissed that the rep in the store told me the wrong thing and also the fact that I waited in the store for an hour for someone to help me and tell me that they were mistaken the first time and that the phone was going to cost me almost the full price.

What also gets me is the "partial upgrade". The "partial upgrade wasn't much less than the full price. To me a partial upgrade should be somewhere between the full price and the full upgrade price.

[MrsRockstar]

What that rep did was set a false expectation, and even though what she told you in fact ended up not being true, T-Mobile should still honor the expectation that was set.

[Prozart]

Never trust anyone in the stores, that's basically what I've learned over the past few years. I used to be with Verizon, and now I'm with T-mobile, same story. I swear the first thing they train them on in the store is to say whatever they're saying like it's a fact. I wanted to sign a contract and get the 8900 but I didn't want the Data plan. I just wanted the unlimited text. I was all ready to check out online and it was letting me do it, but I decided to go to the store so I wouldn't have to wait for shipping. I went to two different stores and they told me the same thing. There's absolutely no way to get the discount on the BlackBerry without a data plan. I told them I almost checked out online without it and it was giving me the discount, and he continued to tell me there's no way. So I went home and did it. In my experiences if you want factual information you have to either chat with them online or call. But even sometimes when you call you can be misled, depending on the rep.

Ironically a month later I signed up for the Data plan, lol. I'd been using a Pearl for about a year without one, didn't really know all I was missing out on.

[NorrisCell]

Originally Posted by Prozart

Never trust anyone in the stores, that's basically what I've learned over the past few years. I used to be with Verizon, and now I'm with T-mobile, same story. I swear the first thing they train them on in the store is to say whatever they're saying like it's a fact. I wanted to sign a contract and get the 8900 but I didn't want the Data plan. I just wanted the unlimited text. I was all ready to check out online and it was letting me do it, but I decided to go to the store so I wouldn't have to wait for shipping. I went to two different stores and they told me the same thing. There's absolutely no way to get the discount on the BlackBerry without a data plan. I told them I almost checked out online without it and it was giving me the discount, and he continued to tell me there's no way. So I went home and did it. In my experiences if you want factual information you have to either chat with them online or call. But even sometimes when you call you can be misled, depending on the rep.

While I am sorry you had a bad experience, the generalizations are insulting. Saying whatever it takes to sell a product is the sign of an inexperienced salesman. I think far more misinformation comes from the customer care reps, from personal observation. Also, until you enter your credit card number and submit the order, what the website allows you to do means nothing. Most error checks are performed at the final stage of the order process, plus websites are subject to error. What the sales rep told you was correct.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

It wasnt correct prior to july 5.....mandatory data wasnt a requirement till then......and what he told you was that HE DID get the 8900 and HE DIDNT get a data plan.......and if the generalization is insulting you might be in the wrong line of work....READ PEOPLE

[NorrisCell]

Originally Posted by larrygump

It wasnt correct prior to july 5.....mandatory data wasnt a requirement till then......and what he told you was that HE DID get the 8900 and HE DIDNT get a data plan.......and if the generalization is insulting you might be in the wrong line of work....READ PEOPLE

For what it's worth, data plans became mandatory in early June. I read everything that he said. The website has an error, because the data plans are mandatory unless you pay full price for the phone. This is old news. The comments were insulting because he was insinuating the salesman lied, when in fact the website let him though the order in error.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[berryite]

Originally Posted by Prozart

Never trust anyone in the stores, that's basically what I've learned over the past few years.

Caveat emptor is latin for "let the buyer beware." It is always good to be a bit reserved when dealing with anyone you don't know or haven't worked with before. But let's also keep in mind that everywhere you go there are people trying to do the best they can.

With that said, let's keep in mind that it is a fact of life that most companies mercilessly whip their sales people for production. It's hard to become a product specialist and know everything you might need to know about your products when your boss is beating you up all day long to increase your sales. It becomes clear rather quickly that the measuring stick being applied to you has less to do with knowing your product than it does about who has the greatest volume of sales.

There is also a reason that seemingly everyone who works in a cell phone store is under 30. They are young people who generally will do what they are told without questioning the manager and will work cheap. Ask yourself when the last time you had a cell phone store experience with anyone who had any grey hair on their head. The answer is probably never unless it was an independently owned agent store and you were dealing with the owner.

These places are all sausage factories. Grind 'em up and push 'em out. They want young people who are willing to follow any directions they are given and are willing to work cheap. T-Mobile is probably better than the rest of the pack but they are not immune to the problem. There is not a soul at the T-Mobile store I use who is older than 25. Not even the manager. And this is a big metro store. There are two AT&T stores nearby as well as a Sprint store. All on the same block. I've never seen a person over 30 working in any of them.

Just as an experiment, I applied to T-Mobile and AT&T. I have 20 years of technology sales experience. But I'm also over 40 and it shows on my resume. Neither T-Mobile or AT&T ever even called me back. I wasn't surprised. They don't want anyone over 25. If you are 29 and work for a cell phone company, you are ancient ... a dinosaur.

I don't believe that all the staff who work in cell phone stores are "untrustworthy." It would be very unfair to make that incorrect generalization. However, when you staff your business with people who have very little life and work experience (not through any fault of their own - just because they are young) you are going to get very predictable results.

[berryite]

Originally Posted by NorrisCell

Saying whatever it takes to sell a product is the sign of an inexperienced salesman.

Norris, I have great respect for you and think your posts are packed with good info. But if you believe that this behavior of "saying whatever it takes" isn't going on all over, I respectfully submit that you need to spend more time in the stores.

It isn't just T-Mobile. I was in a top of the line luxury car store the other day. I knew the product well because I've driven it for 3 decades. I cringed as I heard sales people all over the floor telling whoppers and spreading misinformation simply because they did not have any product knowledge.

As someone who has been in sales for a long time, I can tell you that the guys who are masters at product knowledge don't always make the best sales people. But I can also tell you that culturally we are now in a society where people who work for businesses reliably know far less about their products than their customers.

[sorlipm]

Originally Posted by berryite

Caveat emptor is latin for "let the buyer beware." It is always good to be a bit reserved when dealing with anyone you don't know or haven't worked with before. But let's also keep in mind that everywhere you go there are people trying to do the best they can.

With that said, let's keep in mind that it is a fact of life that most companies mercilessly whip their sales people for production. It's hard to become a product specialist and know everything you might need to know about your products when your boss is beating you up all day long to increase your sales. It becomes clear rather quickly that the measuring stick being applied to you has less to do with knowing your product than it does about who has the greatest volume of sales.

There is also a reason that seemingly everyone who works in a cell phone store is under 30. They are young people who generally will do what they are told without questioning the manager and will work cheap. Ask yourself when the last time you had a cell phone store experience with anyone who had any grey hair on their head. The answer is probably never unless it was an independently owned agent store and you were dealing with the owner.

These places are all sausage factories. Grind 'em up and push 'em out. They want young people who are willing to follow any directions they are given and are willing to work cheap. T-Mobile is probably better than the rest of the pack but they are not immune to the problem. There is not a soul at the T-Mobile store I use who is older than 25. Not even the manager. And this is a big metro store. There are two AT&T stores nearby as well as a Sprint store. All on the same block. I've never seen a person over 30 working in any of them.

Just as an experiment, I applied to T-Mobile and AT&T. I have 20 years of technology sales experience. But I'm also over 40 and it shows on my resume. Neither T-Mobile or AT&T ever even called me back. I wasn't surprised. They don't want anyone over 25. If you are 29 and work for a cell phone company, you are ancient ... a dinosaur.

I don't believe that all the staff who work in cell phone stores are "untrustworthy." It would be very unfair to make that incorrect generalization. However, when you staff your business with people who have very little life and work experience (not through any fault of their own - just because they are young) you are going to get very predictable results.

I am 53 and work for a cell data center, but you are mostly right, i am the oldest one here. all aroud me are 20 yr olds, GOD help us all

[berryite]

Originally Posted by sorlipm

I am 53 and work for a cell data center, but you are mostly right, i am the oldest one here. all aroud me are 20 yr olds, GOD help us all

LOL. You're a fossil!

Seriously, these companies could use a LOT more of people who have a little grey in their hair.