[sooman54]

Hey guys, I just wanted to chime in a bit and give some more perspective on this issue.

I am a sales rep for an independent retailer that sells telus products. Our dealership, like many others, provides full support to our customers when they have purchased a device from us. This includes training them on the device, helping them set up any applications or services they need, and providing warranty service for the device if necessary.

Now although this may not be the case with all retailers, we had very bad luck with our first batch of phones. A couple of them were completely dead out of the box and unsellable, several of them came back on warranty. With apple and samsung phones we have and over the counter replacement system in place from the manufacturer, however blackberry requires us to give out a loaner and send the phone for repair which takes 2-3 weeks. and the ones that did, technically, function correctly still required a LOT of post sales support with the users. As a commissioned sales rep, this is a very frustrating experience for the rep since every time we sell a device that requires hours of post sales support we are going to spend a lot of time where we are making no money.

Like the poster above mentioned, we were given very little training on this device. Although blackberry did have a "training program", really it was just an hour long video explanation about how the blackberry phone was the best thing in the world but did not go into any technical detail about the actual features of the phone, or provide training about how to configure the device for our customers. Moreover, the device forces you to go through a slow tutorial at the beginning which increases the time it takes for us to get the device ready for the consumer.

It's also worth keeping in mind that many customers who are currently using blackberry phones want to stay with their brand because they are familiar with the device. However once they move to the Z10 or Q10 they realize that the phone is completely different from what they are used to.

Now, I do disagree with the way the rep in the original post handled the sale. However I am also very apprehensive to recommend a bb10 device to a customer. If the customer inquires about it, I make sure to get detailed answers from the customer about what he is looking for in a phone and what he wants to do with it, and make him well aware of the ways in which the phone may or may not meet his needs. If possible, I always try to recommend other phones that I think may also meet his needs.

So i'm sorry that you had a bad experience at that store, but please try to keep in mind that the rep may have just been trying to avoid a scenario where he is going to have to spend 4-5 hours looking after a sale that only made him $25.

again this is just my personal opinion and experience.

This was NOT my personal experience with my wife's Samsung GS3 with Telus. There was no instant exchange given at the store.

When her one-month-old S3 suddenly went dead, she was forced to ship the unit away to Samsung and pay $150 deposit for a used loaner device. Two weeks later, Samsung contacted us (through Telus) to say the phone had 'probably' been dropped so it was not a warranty claim. We were forced to return the loaner the next day and go without any phone until the insurance shipped us a new unit.

So the Telus/Samsung policy is the same as it is for Blackberry. I also verified this with my local Telus store manager. He also confirmed that the BB10 units were no worse or better than any other brand as far as returns and exchanges go.

[d3r3k79]

Cant say i blame telus. The Z10 is the worst phone ive ever owned. Nothing but problems, bugs and frustrations.

I'm also doing my part to make sure nobody else makes the same mistake i made by spreading the word about this horrible POS.

I gave the Z10 a shot hoping BlackBerry could redeem themselves but i quickly learned that they have zero innovation.

[thecurryman]

Cant say i blame telus. The Z10 is the worst phone ive ever owned. Nothing but problems, bugs and frustrations.

I'm also doing my part to make sure nobody else makes the same mistake i made by spreading the word about this horrible POS.

I gave the Z10 a shot hoping BlackBerry could redeem themselves but i quickly learned that they have zero innovation.

What phone do you use

Posted via CB10

[garpt]

Cant say i blame telus. The Z10 is the worst phone ive ever owned. Nothing but problems, bugs and frustrations.

I'm also doing my part to make sure nobody else makes the same mistake i made by spreading the word about this horrible POS.

I gave the Z10 a shot hoping BlackBerry could redeem themselves but i quickly learned that they have zero innovation.

Think you're in the wrong forum.

If you look at the top of this page, you will find the following options:

- "Android"

-"iPhone/ iPad"

Please select the appropriate forum.

Best Regards.

[raremage]

So what you are saying is that you don't have the time for the customer? Or you don't like the setup because it takes to long? Maybe let them set it up so they can learn the gestures themselves. I find your reasoning of not wanting to sell a phone due to laziness more than anything.

Is it difficult to direct someone to YouTube where there are tons of BlackBerry Help videos on the phone?

I understand that may seem like a lot but if you even know about CB why not direct them here for tips?

Seems like you literally just set up the phone and send them off regardless of the phone. I bet most people can ask friends about the iPhone or Android so they don't come back to you.

Posted via CB10

That's not at all what the post said. It was well reasoned and explained that BlackBerry is essentially setting themselves up for failure due to their outdated return and replacement policies.

The mindset of commissioned salespeople is very different from those who work on a straight salary or hourly rate. Don't be so quick to judge.

Posted via CB10

[eddy_berry]

Cant say i blame telus. The Z10 is the worst phone ive ever owned. Nothing but problems, bugs and frustrations.

I'm also doing my part to make sure nobody else makes the same mistake i made by spreading the word about this horrible POS.

I gave the Z10 a shot hoping BlackBerry could redeem themselves but i quickly learned that they have zero innovation.

Seriously? You go out of your way to talk people out of a phone that you don't like? Get a life. You're in the wrong place to be talking like that. Tell us what you don't like. I bet it's Blackberry's lack of innovative apps. Isn't it? What a POS post. Unfortunately, more people may take your word over mine since mine ends with "it's a great phone, but remember to get a phone that fits your needs" where as yours ends with "run away, BlackBerry is dead, no apps, no innovation like Apple/Android." Which is more likely to get a reaction.

[Ermaro]

Stores should be responsible for training their employees in all devices they are offering, must of the sales people will talk about their personal experience.

Took my cousins to do a hardware upgrade salesperson wanted to sell them iPhone 5 since they had a 4s, the look in her face was priceless when they told her they wanted the same phone I had which is Z10, she said nothing brought the phones register the sim cards and we left the store, cousins have no regrets, Zero reboots, no issues.

[Carmels]

Cant say i blame telus. The Z10 is the worst phone ive ever owned. Nothing but problems, bugs and frustrations.

I'm also doing my part to make sure nobody else makes the same mistake i made by spreading the word about this horrible POS.

I gave the Z10 a shot hoping BlackBerry could redeem themselves but i quickly learned that they have zero innovation.

Perhaps you fell into the unfortunate small amount of people that have actually got a lemon!

I've have the complete opposite experience from you. Out of my 13 years of cellular use including multiple BlackBerry's. The Z10 and BB10 experience in general, has been one of the most amazing platform transitions I've had.....ever! I'm completely satisfied with my purchase however, I never make it a personal choice to convince anyone to buy products I have because of my great experience. I can only provide information and recommend based on information captured from the potential buyer. If the Z10 fits a persons life style then great, otherwise you need to buy a platform that works for you.

By the way, telling people it's a POS product is completely subjective and anyone with half a brain would instantly question your position. You my of had a bad experience but do try your best to be an objective person. That will bod well in all aspects of life.

That's just real talk!

Posted via CB10 using a Z10

[saint613]

Apple treats dealers very well when it comes to repairs. For example, if the phone is sent for repair and the repair center was unable to replicate the issue, they tell us but the customer STILL gets a new phone just in case. However "no fault found" is noted in the account and dealers are required to do extensive diagnostics before we send another one of those clients phones for repair.

Even though it is technically possible to do an over the counter replacement on blackberries, their repair center is very anal when it comes to user damage. For example, many times we send phones away for repair with both water damage sensors showing that the phone is ok, but the repair center says "oh when we opened it up there is clearly water damage" or "this phone has been dropped" even though there is really no signs of this externally.

In the event that we do an over the counter replacement for a phone and the repair center says that they will not fix the broken phone for one reason or another, the full cost of the device is deducted from the dealers comissions. Which means the dealership is going to lose 650-700 on the device and the rep will lose 150 to 250 cash straight out of their pocket. There have been 2 circumstances where I have done this for clients, but only in scenarios where I am absolutely 100% sure what the issue is and I know for a fact that the client has not abused his device.

The more flexible companies are with these repairs, the more dealers are willing to take a risk and do a OTC replacement.

Somebody mentioned a few pages back that the rep gave them an android for a loaner phone. To explain this policy a bit, telus has what is called an "escalated repair". The scenario where this would apply is where the phone is sent for repair, the repair center says "we diagnosed xx problem and it has been repaired" but the phone is still clearly dysfunctional. In this circumstance, telus basically allows the client to renew his line with no fees so you can pick whatever phone you want, and they fee is waived 100% if they choose the same model. They can also elect to move to a different model of phone in which case the customer has to pay the 3 year price of the phone but the upgrade fee is waived.

So perhaps the rep was not very transparent with his decision making process, but the few times i've had this happen (with any phone) the client has elected to choose a different phone brand. So I usually give my clients the option of trying out a different type of phone on their loaner.

Plus we never ever get the top end models available as loaners, so if you have a brand new phone there is 0 chance of you getting the same phone for your loaner. And putting you on a bb 9900 or earler wouldn't be possible since the data plans are provisioned differently so your internet wouldn't work.

it's also worth noting that you friends who are getting replacement iPhones with cracked screens have to have the extended apple warranty. Manufacturer warranties will never cover physical damage. If you have the extended warranty with a bb the process would also be different from what is being described in this thread.

I am a former Rogers employee (Rogers, not a dealer). I worked for head office and on occasion would visit our corporate stores. If this stores were outside of an area with an Apple Store the end user had to go to the Apple store to get anything done with their iPhone even days after first purchase if they didn't want to have loaner and wait for repair. Basically some people would have to drive for 2 house to get their new phone fixed. It was an equal blame between Apple and Rogers asinine policies but just as bad as Blackberry.

Posted via CB10

[Gator99]

Hey guys, I just wanted to chime in a bit and give some more perspective on this issue.

I am a sales rep for an independent retailer that sells telus products. Our dealership, like many others, provides full support to our customers when they have purchased a device from us. This includes training them on the device, helping them set up any applications or services they need, and providing warranty service for the device if necessary.

Now although this may not be the case with all retailers, we had very bad luck with our first batch of phones. A couple of them were completely dead out of the box and unsellable, several of them came back on warranty. With apple and samsung phones we have and over the counter replacement system in place from the manufacturer, however blackberry requires us to give out a loaner and send the phone for repair which takes 2-3 weeks. and the ones that did, technically, function correctly still required a LOT of post sales support with the users. As a commissioned sales rep, this is a very frustrating experience for the rep since every time we sell a device that requires hours of post sales support we are going to spend a lot of time where we are making no money.

Like the poster above mentioned, we were given very little training on this device. Although blackberry did have a "training program", really it was just an hour long video explanation about how the blackberry phone was the best thing in the world but did not go into any technical detail about the actual features of the phone, or provide training about how to configure the device for our customers. Moreover, the device forces you to go through a slow tutorial at the beginning which increases the time it takes for us to get the device ready for the consumer.

It's also worth keeping in mind that many customers who are currently using blackberry phones want to stay with their brand because they are familiar with the device. However once they move to the Z10 or Q10 they realize that the phone is completely different from what they are used to.

Now, I do disagree with the way the rep in the original post handled the sale. However I am also very apprehensive to recommend a bb10 device to a customer. If the customer inquires about it, I make sure to get detailed answers from the customer about what he is looking for in a phone and what he wants to do with it, and make him well aware of the ways in which the phone may or may not meet his needs. If possible, I always try to recommend other phones that I think may also meet his needs.

So i'm sorry that you had a bad experience at that store, but please try to keep in mind that the rep may have just been trying to avoid a scenario where he is going to have to spend 4-5 hours looking after a sale that only made him $25.

again this is just my personal opinion and experience.

Are you kidding dude? This phone was easier to figure out than any BlackBerry phone I've ever had. Like you are 'suggesting', I was given the same load of crap by the idiotic telus rep when I bought the phone which is "you may want to reconsider buying this phone because the learning curve of the UI is extremely difficult!". I think you might be in the wrong line of work if you are having trouble figuring out how to teach a new user how to navigate with this phone. Furthermore, there are clearly too many limited individuals like yourself out there, causing damage to what should be a successful phone launch. Brutal.

Sent from the future on my Z10.