[joshska]

I went into the AT&T store the other day (staffed by seemingly arrogant, unfriendly sales reps) and asked about the expected release date for the Passport, and had such a "Dude, idk, idc, get out of my way if you're gonna ask about a BlackBerry" response.

Like don't hate what you don't understand. And if you're going to walk up to me and bother me with your "is there anything I can help you with?" question, don't afterwards dismiss my response when it's not about your selection of Androids.

Posted via CB10

[Randal Yandal]

I went into the AT&T store the other day (staffed by seemingly arrogant, unfriendly sales reps) and asked about the expected release date for the Passport, and had such a "Dude, idk, idc, get out of my way if you're gonna ask about a BlackBerry" response.

Like don't hate what you don't understand. And if you're going to walk up to me and bother me with your "is there anything I can help you with?" question, don't afterwards dismiss my response when it's not about your selection of Androids.

Posted via CB10

Always always get the name of the sales person and report them immediately instead of fighting with them is my advice.

Z30 (10.3.1)

[birdman_38]

What even harder to understand is how those who follow BlackBerry's path to consumer irrelevance expect any reasonable assistance from retail store staff.

Maybe these threads are planted.

[dguy123]

If their store sells it, they should help. If they don't want to help customers they shouldn't be working in a freaking store.

It's like going into a store and asking where the umbrellas are and getting attitude!
Nobody 'should pretend this is okay. It's just crappy employees who don't want to do their job.

Posted via CB10

[kbz1960]

LOL how is that subliminal?

But yep, jerk.

[birdman_38]

Nobody should pretend this is okay. It's just crappy employees who don't want to do their job.

No, it's about a company that doesn't engage those who sell their product. Microsoft does the exact same thing with Windows Phone.

[RH1Pearl]

Tell the sales guy to F off and then give him the Finger. That's what I would do respectfully

[joshska]

It's subliminal because, while in their uniform, the employees aren't going to overtly express that they don't like BlackBerrys and think that your interest in BlackBerrys is a joke, but instead the way they talk to you and make comments to you will be to the same affect without raising their boss' eyebrow.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[joshska]

If their store sells it, they should help. If they don't want to help customers they shouldn't be working in a freaking store.

It's like going into a store and asking where the umbrellas are and getting attitude!
Nobody 'should pretend this is okay. It's just crappy employees who don't want to do their job.

Posted via CB10

Exaaactly!

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[JeepBB]

It's subliminal because, while in their uniform, the employees aren't going to overtly express that they don't like BlackBerrys and think that your interest in BlackBerrys is a joke, but instead the way they talk to you and make comments to you will be to the same affect without raising their boss' eyebrow.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

Sales reps are in the game to *sell*. No sale equals no commission, and BB haven't given them much that folks want to buy for many, many months. With sales targets to meet, they will obviously try to influence you towards something they can sell you *now*.

Rudeness and insults from a rep are counterproductive. Nobody would buy something from a rep being an arse. It doesn't sound like you got any of that though. What you got instead was a "BB?, seriously??" attitude in an attempt to cast doubt on your preference... And swing you towards something else... and that is a well known sales technique that often works.

[anon(9188202)]

AT&T? Really? LOL

Posted via CB10

[BB_Junky]

Their loss, no sense in getting all stressed out about it. Simply move on and shop else where, good luck on your search!

[donnation]

I went into the AT&T store the other day (staffed by seemingly arrogant, unfriendly sales reps) and asked about the expected release date for the Passport, and had such a "Dude, idk, idc, get out of my way if you're gonna ask about a BlackBerry" response.

Like don't hate what you don't understand. And if you're going to walk up to me and bother me with your "is there anything I can help you with?" question, don't afterwards dismiss my response when it's not about your selection of Androids.

Posted via CB10

Why would you go into a store and expect to get any type of knowledge on when a phone is going to be released? Its been all over the web that it will be released on the 20th in store and online. I'm sure some stores will have it, some won't. Your best bet is to wait until the 20th and get one online or call the store and see if they have it.

[--TommesJay--]

No, it's about a company that doesn't engage those who sell their product. Microsoft does the exact same thing with Windows Phone.

Come on now. There's only so much you can do and you can't brainwash people. The majority of the American tech crowd including sales reps sees BlackBerry as the short, fat, ugly kid. Thus they will talk people out of it. End of story.

Posted via CB10

[NYTOC83]

I went into the AT&T store the other day (staffed by seemingly arrogant, unfriendly sales reps) and asked about the expected release date for the Passport, and had such a "Dude, idk, idc, get out of my way if you're gonna ask about a BlackBerry" response.

Like don't hate what you don't understand. And if you're going to walk up to me and bother me with your "is there anything I can help you with?" question, don't afterwards dismiss my response when it's not about your selection of Androids.

Posted via CB10

About a month back I walked into a Source here in downtown Toronto, I was simply looking for BlackBerry Z30 accessories and perhaps to see the demo of a PassPort. Right out of nowhere the sales rep. came up to me and said "are you interested in a Android or Apple device"... I thought quickly to myself, ["huh, there are how many BlackBerry's here on display and yet he mentions none of them to me"..(The Z10, Q10, Classic & Z30)...okay then"]. I immediately replied to the associate, no I am not interested in those piece of **** phones, I could care less about them as they're nothing compared to BlackBerry, I'm good by the way... you can't help me, thank you. And out the store I went...

I get the same @$$ treatment at Telus stores even though they know I have a Z30 in my hand, they force their bull**** line of personal nonsense on me about their preference, until I turn around and tell them what the heck they hardly know. I still love the moment when the PassPort came out and I stood at the front of the store playing with the only demo inviting customers to take a look at what I was doing. So damn glad I sold 5 BB PP's that day, but the employees were pissed because they didn't like me standing there for 2 hours making their commission. In the words of a turtle by the name of Michelangelo, to that I say...boo-ya-kasha!

Patiently waiting with my Z30 to see what BlackBerry has on their road-map, come November my 3 year-contract will be up, Telus gives me a new phone for free because that's how it works ^_^

[birdman_38]

I still love the moment when the PassPort came out and I stood at the front of the store playing with the only demo inviting customers to take a look at what I was doing. So damn glad I sold 5 BB PP's that day, but the employees were pissed because they didn't like me standing there for 2 hours making their commission.

That's disturbing.

[birdman_38]

There's only so much you can do and you can't brainwash people. The majority of the American tech crowd including sales reps sees BlackBerry as the short, fat, ugly kid.

Yup, thanks to lack of advertising.

[anon(9188202)]

I went into the AT&T store the other day (staffed by seemingly arrogant, unfriendly sales reps) and asked about the expected release date for the Passport, and had such a "Dude, idk, idc, get out of my way if you're gonna ask about a BlackBerry" response.

Like don't hate what you don't understand. And if you're going to walk up to me and bother me with your "is there anything I can help you with?" question, don't afterwards dismiss my response when it's not about your selection of Androids.

Posted via CB10

Walking into any Best Buy, the Source or cellular store where mostly young, minimum wage employees must rely on a commission to pay their bills is a crap shoot. Four years ago, I walked into an AT&T store and got similar treatment when looking for a Motorola Atrix 4G. I personally don't think your experience is hate for BlackBerry. It is more about minimal training (good training costs money that many companies are unwilling to invest on employees who don't stay long), commission and what the employee's friends are using...

[JRM1014]

The problem is blackberry does not promote there products, every channel or magazine has an ad telling the public how great there iphone/ipad is, so a min wage salesperson working on a commision just points to an iphone and bang...a sale, not spending time explaining why a blackberry is such a better phone

[RayFineR]

Walking into any Best Buy, the Source or cellular store where mostly young, minimum wage employees must rely on a commission to pay their bills is a crap shoot. Four years ago, I walked into an AT&T store and got similar treatment when looking for a Motorola Atrix 4G. I personally don't think your experience is hate for BlackBerry. It is more about minimal training (good training costs money that many companies are unwilling to invest on employees who don't stay long), commission and what the employee's friends are using...

I have to agree; I think the biggest issue is lack of training. I worked at Canadian Tire for three years when I was in University and never saw any training. A few years later I was talking to a friend who was still there (had moved up to HR) and was telling me how we were supposed to have gotten 30 hours in the classroom and taken so many online courses before we were allowed on the floor with the customers. Obviously that didn't happen with either of us or any of the employees they hired. Yes, advertising on BlackBerry's part would help, but when you walk into a store with someone who isn't properly trained (which is the fault of the employer, not the employee), all they can do is fall back on what they already know, which is usually iPhone's or Android.

Just my two cents.

[ubizmo]

If their store sells it, they should help. If they don't want to help customers they shouldn't be working in a freaking store.

That's true, but AT&T doesn't sell the Passport yet. It's been my experience that sales reps will always try to steer customers toward a sale that can be completed then and there, on merchandise actually in the store. They're much less interested in customers who may or may not come back in a week. That doesn't justify a bad attitude, and it's certainly a good idea to treat a potential customer well enough that he or she will come back in a week or a month to buy something, but they're always going to favor selling what's in stock today.

[joshska]

Sales reps are in the game to *sell*. No sale equals no commission, and BB haven't given them much that folks want to buy for many, many months. With sales targets to meet, they will obviously try to influence you towards something they can sell you *now*.

Rudeness and insults from a rep are counterproductive. Nobody would buy something from a rep being an arse. It doesn't sound like you got any of that though. What you got instead was a "BB?, seriously??" attitude in an attempt to cast doubt on your preference... And swing you towards something else... and that is a well known sales technique that often works.

Unfortunately, I did get a rep being an ***. And I'd say that even if your paycheck is coming from just your Galaxy and iPhone sales, you'd think any sales rep in the game to simply SELL would still take the opportunity to earn a sale from a customer who is already interested in a particular device that IS coming to the carrier you sell for, especially since my interest means they don't have to convince me to buy it.

Posted via CB10

[joshska]

Their loss, no sense in getting all stressed out about it. Simply move on and shop else where, good luck on your search!

I know, just venting on my realization of what comes with being an enthusiastic minority in an unenthusiastic majority group. can't wait to get my hands on it!

Posted via CB10

[joshska]

Why would you go into a store and expect to get any type of knowledge on when a phone is going to be released? Its been all over the web that it will be released on the 20th in store and online. I'm sure some stores will have it, some won't. Your best bet is to wait until the 20th and get one online or call the store and see if they have it.

I would go into a store and expect to get any type of knowledge on when a phone is going to be released because, actually, I was walking past the store (aka an in-person, reliable source) and at the time it actually wasn't confirmed that the 20th was the release date.

Posted via CB10

[joshska]

About a month back I walked into a Source here in downtown Toronto, I was simply looking for BlackBerry Z30 accessories and perhaps to see the demo of a PassPort. Right out of nowhere the sales rep. came up to me and said "are you interested in a Android or Apple device"... I thought quickly to myself, ["huh, there are how many BlackBerry's here on display and yet he mentions none of them to me"..(The Z10, Q10, Classic & Z30)...okay then"]. I immediately replied to the associate, no I am not interested in those piece of **** phones, I could care less about them as they're nothing compared to BlackBerry, I'm good by the way... you can't help me, thank you. And out the store I went...

I get the same @$$ treatment at Telus stores even though they know I have a Z30 in my hand, they force their bull**** line of personal nonsense on me about their preference, until I turn around and tell them what the heck they hardly know. I still love the moment when the PassPort came out and I stood at the front of the store playing with the only demo inviting customers to take a look at what I was doing. So damn glad I sold 5 BB PP's that day, but the employees were pissed because they didn't like me standing there for 2 hours making their commission. In the words of a turtle by the name of Michelangelo, to that I say...boo-ya-kasha!

Patiently waiting with my Z30 to see what BlackBerry has on their road-map, come November my 3 year-contract will be up, Telus gives me a new phone for free because that's how it works ^_^

Oh wow, I'm surprised that even in BlackBerry's homeland of Canada where BlackBerries are still on display (they're just a memory at the stores in the US), consumers still face that kind of attitude from the employees.

Posted via CB10