[lorax1284]

the same question could be asked of other sellers like BB, but I'm mostly interested in answers for why customers at AT&T stores have such wildly varying experiences... The attitudes of store staff range from contempt to admiration... The in-store experience also ranges from non-existence to front and centre... I suspect that there is some kind of regional autonomy hogwash at play here...

My puzzlement lies in basic business principles: there is a cost to AT&T for every device, and they are in business to make money, I assume.

Why would they "allow" such a travesty?

My theories:
1) regional / store managers have a degree of control over their region- and store-specific marketing: good for the manager's job satisfaction, but whether these managers best serve their customers or employers well is debatable at best
2) AT&T has nothing to lose because device vendors have to promise to accept devices back that are unsold, which implies that AT&T is only paying lip service to duopoly busting.

The writing is on the wall: BlackBerry has to take control of the retail experience, by way of BlackBerry kiosks in large retailers, or stores, or selling unlocked devices online directly to consumers, effectively replicating Apple's business model.

If I were Thor I'd be calling AT&T on the carpet for this and accelerating any initiatives that lessen dependence on carriers, and start by rewarding store staff that treated BB products and customers with respect.

[John Rivas]

i feel like this was a rushed product that wasnt carefully planned because it really needed to get out to the market as fast as it could. Blackberry was really hurting

[ravenskman1]

The problem is BBRY needs to spend big money in these carriers for their support which we all know isn't currently available. I think the Z10 and Q10 will do what they will, but once the carriers see that BBRY has come strong and gained back a little market share then on the 2nd generation of bb10 devices we will see more carrier support due to more customer demand.

[Xopher]

If this inconsistency is how AT&T treats BlackBerry and the Z10, I hope they are the last US carrier to get the Q10. They certainly don't deserve to be first.

[jayemmbee]

i feel like this was a rushed product that wasnt carefully planned because it really needed to get out to the market as fast as it could. Blackberry was really hurting

How could it be rushed? It was delayed like 2 months. There was plenty of time to get their **** together in America

But I think it comes down to the individual agendas. And bias and opinions of individual workers that even a head office can't fix

In a lot of retail places you got the good customer service of those who take their jobs seriously. And then the **** experience of someone who doesn't give a ****. They are lazy. Say what they want and often come off as rude

It doesn't help when management doesn't fix it. Or sometimes believes the same garbage. I know a lot of people that are anti something and work in a place that is against their views.

I almost got a job at the apple store. I don't hate apple but I'm not fond of their practices and their smugness
I know people who are anti blackberry that if they worked at cell phone place I'd find it hard to see them be objective.
People who just do it for the money and often ignorant about something tend to be the people selling the product. It's worse when there is commission

Posted via CB10

[lorax1284]

I agree with you jayemmbee... if it were me running AT&T, I think a few high profile dismissals for under performance would turn things around pretty quick... perhaps some of the execs that manage the retail operations should do an "undercover boss" type thing and see what washouts some of their front-line employees are.

Posted via CB10

(EDITED later on PC because CB10 app doesn't let me edit posts, not that I can tell :-( )

[aha]

uh... not me.

[katiepea]

i feel like this was a rushed product that wasnt carefully planned because it really needed to get out to the market as fast as it could. Blackberry was really hurting

rushed? it was in development for 2 years. lol, rushed, that was funny

[richardat]

I don't think "blame" is the most productive way to look at it - plus the question, broad as it is, is probably unanswerable. The real issue for BB is: who might suffer from such a problem? Of course the answer is, predominantly, BB. Unfortunately for them, in that sense, the problem is entirely theirs.....

Having said all of that, we are seeing these reports on an anecdotal level - there may be reasonable consistency on a macro-scale. Assuming it exists, I don't know that the problem can truly be fixed, or that it is unique. I suspect it is not. If you have a product universally endorsed, or reviled, then you can get a lot of consistency. If it's a product like BB, which is, like it or not, now on the fringes somewhat, and has a tarnished reputation, I don't know it is feasible to get the kind of solidarity of positivity many here are probably seeking.

[Professional_Tickle_Fighter]

I blame midgets!

Posted via CB10

[Emu the Foo]

i feel like this was a rushed product that wasnt carefully planned because it really needed to get out to the market as fast as it could. Blackberry was really hurting

LOL! Keep the jokes coming! This is good. Now the playbook; rushed. The torch; rushed! Z10; not rushed. Its got great fit and finish with minor oversights. Again, iphone wasn't great when it first came out.

[Cold Dog]

There is a good definition of how they plan to market the phone going forward online. Give it a read...

Posted via CB10

[njblackberry]

I agree with you jayemmbee... if it were me, I think a few high profile dismissals for under performance would turn things around pretty quick.

Posted via CB10

Do you want the dismissals at AT&T or at BlackBerry?
Doesn't BBRY share some responsibility in helping their "partners" market properly? Where is the big promotional campaign? Where are the apps (oh, forget it - I know how many apps are there). Where's the advertising?

Keep Moving. But not selling.

[lorax1284]

It occurred to me that with BIS winding down, BB is less dependent on the carrier relationship than before... where they once wanted carriers to buy / support BIS services, I believe that they will eventually not have this issue to deal with, and can read carriers the riot act, assuming that they continue to put out competitive devices that consumers want to buy.

I also echo the suggestion that based on Verizon's and T-Mobile's launch, the carrier that performs 'best' in terms of launch support for the Z10 get first priority on the Q10 release. I can't imagine that Vzn or Tmo could do worse than ATT... I mean, if you just leave it to the BB fans that work at carrier stores, as few as there still may be, I bet the launch at Vzn or Tmo couldn't be much worse than the ATT launch.