[cjcampbell]

Why would the sales clerk do research on a product that they hardly ever sell? Wouldn't they know more about the products they sell ever day? That's just natural.

Posted via my Nexus 10.

A good salesperson knows all things in that particular space, including those they don't sell. I used to be in retail sales and I knew the specs, cost, benefits, hindrances, and everything else about all my competitors products, and so did all the staff. If they didn't, well, they weren't allowed to sell it. It's constant learning, but that's business in sales. Know the most, and understand the customer. That's the way to get repeat sales and get referrals.

[BobWalker]

Blackberry sat back idly as Google and Apple sprinted by them. No one had to try to destroy them, they shot themselves. They slowly became forgotten. Now they have to rebuild themselves but it won't be easy. Its as simple as that.

Posted via my Nexus 10.

Mmm hmmm... no, that's ancient history. Right now my Z30 makes your Nexus look pathetic. It even has more apps! You sure spend a lot of time here bashing a product you don't use. I'm not a psychological whiz, but let me put on my Freud hat for a bit and say, "Veddy interesteeng. Tell me about your mother."

For those who asked about how much is big money -- that's a pointless red herring. Right out of the playbook, guys! Well done! But it's many millions.

[RubberChicken76]

Oh, I have to disagree. I worked in PR long enough to know a big-money campaign when I see one. Someone has been trying to destroy BlackBerry for at least three years. That much is extremely clear, at least to me.

Seriously? I can buy the angle that negative news generates traffic (having worked in the media and seen the hits that murder, scandal and the like generate) but a conspiracy to destroy? Come now ...

The clerks don't make much, they have a lot of products to know and sell, they have personal biases (as do we) and different manufacturers spiffing.

[BobWalker]

Tens of billions of dollars on the line in short trades... a government that wants everyone to carry around a tracking device... tons of outright false reviews and a relentlessly negative media drumbeat... brand bashers on every site...

Plenty of motive, and it walks and quacks like a very well funded PR duck. Just sayin'.

[anon(4185604)]

I have an experience like this in Sunday at 3 mobile in the UK. The assistant told me. That they don't sell BlackBerry smartphones before they have stopped trading and have sold the company off in parts. 3 UK have denied this and sent word to the store, supposedly to correct the staff. It's basically everywhere

Posted via CB10

I would like to argue that it isn't AS prevalent in the UK, as a few reps at Tesco Mobile Own Z10's where I am. A person in Phones4U was holding onto her Q10 as well. (Staff)

However, every other store is full of **** and they try to convince me that BlackBerry is dead etc.

RECORD YOUR EXPERIENCE, POST IT ON YOUTUBE. <- most impact

Posted via CB10

[Wiki Cydia]

Tens of billions of dollars on the line in short trades... a government that wants everyone to carry around a tracking device... tons of outright false reviews and a relentlessly negative media drumbeat... brand bashers on every site...

Plenty of motive, and it walks and quacks like a very well funded PR duck. Just sayin'.

Yes, a well-funded PR duck that's gone on for years, required "big" money and somehow remains undocumented, even by its victim. It's the last part that's huge; if BBRY knows it's the target of a campaign, why not say something? Conversely, if this alleged PR campaign remains undiscovered by BBRY, I guess that explains the missteps. Oh, wait. Maybe the PR campaign paid BBRY to overproduce PlayBooks and Z10s? Maybe it paid Laziridis and Balsillie to pick Thorsten Heins? Maybe it paid Prem Watsa to make an offer he couldn't ultimately follow through on? This thing is just getting bigger and bigger.

As Darth Vader once said, "Never underestimate the shorts."

[TheScionicMan]

I don’t think there is a conspiracy to kill Blackberry. It just isn't an efficient use of time to research and learn about a phone she might sell one of when she could be SnapChatting and playing Flappy Bird

Fixed it for ya.

[TheScionicMan]

Thank goodness BlackBerry did this exclusive deal with Verizon! It sounds like it's really paying off.

It wasn't an exclusive deal with Verizon, it was that Verizon was the only major US carrier that wanted it.

Verizon to Get BlackBerry Z30 Exclusively

[SmellWhole]

Why would the sales clerk do research on a product that they hardly ever sell? Wouldn't they know more about the products they sell ever day? That's just natural.

Well, I guess sales clerks like that should stop talking as if they're experts in everything. They should just shut up instead of making stuff up like the Q10 has really bad battery life. Charlatans.

[Aatir Barlas]

I've had the same experience. Look I am in sales my self and someone asks a question about a certain product, I typically ask them what got them interested, how would they use it, and what they use it for, and what are expectations. Not go and tell them right from the start that is garbage, and are wasting there time in it, and this is exactly what I have seen and experienced with my visits to several different vzw stores and the sale people there. At my last visit the guy asked me what I was looking for, and I said I am interested in a BlackBerry Z30 and if they have any on display and in stock, and I am not kidding with out missing a beat his response was oh "BlackBerry is garbage, the phone is crappy, no battery life, browser is really slow and doesn't work with most sites, and BlackBerry is going out of business "
Mind you the store was busy at that time. Now I am quite person but his answer just ticked me off. I told him with all due respect man, I didn't ask you how bad the Z30 is, I asked you if you have any on display and in stock, and also that he should do his homework before he opens up his mouth. Told him that Z30 has one of the best battery life, and one of the best browser. After that he pointed me to the display unit. I was checking it out, then I saw the new Nokia Lumia Icon next to it, and grabbed that and start checking it out..in the mean time I heard him twice saying the same garbage to 2 different people. While playing with the Nokia I fired up the browser and went to speedtest.net site and it says Flash required next thing I know he is right behind me saying that none of the phone browser support flash, and I was like oh really..let me see if it works on the z30, I know it will work because I already saw the flash option was enabled in the browser at this point one of the other guy who asked abt the Z30 was also looking..went on the speedtest.net site and walla..it loaded right away, I said to the sales guy sarcastically so none of the phone browser support flash, specially the Z30. Right ...
I am sorry for this long rant, but this is exactly why BlackBerry is not selling phones in the US. There marketing sucks, and I am sure they know this type of situation goes on daily, and they are still sitting on there *** and doing nothing. If they were really serious abt selling the devices they would have asked the carriers to train the sales staff properly . Imagine the same story with iPhone...how long you think apple will tolerate it... BlackBerry are you listening!!!

Posted via CB10

[gurasanders]

I went into a Verizon store yesterday evening and it didn't surprise me that all the sales rep's had no knowledge to the specs, functionality or features of the BB devices that were way, way back in a dark lit corner of the store. I've first hand agree that some sales rep's are not properly trained, but do you expect... As far as big business and current and future stakeholders, my advise is that BB has to go the grass roots way to build the organization from the outside in.. They have set on the sidelines too, too long and get back into the game.. #IMJUSTSAYING.

[Mr.Monty]

The sad thing is some Verizon reps (at least in my area) did receive training on the Z10 just before the BB10 release. A former colleague of mine was working for Verizon at the time and had mentioned a few of the features they were trained on, and the salesperson that I dealt with when I bought my first Z10 commented on the speed and screen share features (among others).

My colleague had mentioned they were shown a lot of the features on BB10, like the hub and screen share, and the keyboard were the ones that stuck out to her. The salesperson still asked why I wanted a Z10, even after telling him what I liked about BB10 and BB in general, and he still tried to steer me towards Android. He really stressed the apps available on Android not available on BB10 (remember this was pre-10.2.1) as a way to try and sway me to an Android phone.

[Tre Lawrence]

New record! We almost made it 2 days without a conspiracy thread!

[Tre Lawrence]

Yes, a well-funded PR duck that's gone on for years, required "big" money and somehow remains undocumented, even by its victim. It's the last part that's huge; if BBRY knows it's the target of a campaign, why not say something? Conversely, if this alleged PR campaign remains undiscovered by BBRY, I guess that explains the missteps. Oh, wait. Maybe the PR campaign paid BBRY to overproduce PlayBooks and Z10s? Maybe it paid Laziridis and Balsillie to pick Thorsten Heins? Maybe it paid Prem Watsa to make an offer he couldn't ultimately follow through on? This thing is just getting bigger and bigger.

As Darth Vader once said, "Never underestimate the shorts."

LOL!

[jvictor77]

BBC Click....a tech reveiw on the BBC TV channel has been at Barcelona. I followed Click on Twitter for this show. They have mentioned most devices there.....but no mention at all of Blackberry, despite 2 new devices being announced, the QNX car being there and BBM for Windows etc. I'm awaiting a reply as to why Blackberry didn't get a mention ...but I hardly expect one.

I watched BBC Click from Canada for quite some time. After a while it was blatantly obvious that there was an anti-BlackBerry bias. They jumped all over bad news and remained silent on the good news - and the smirk on that presenter's mug when mentioning BB was so annoying! I too emailed them once about the whole thing. No dice! I was so pissed off that I stopped watching, even though the rest of the content was good.

[darkehawke]

Tens of billions of dollars on the line in short trades... a government that wants everyone to carry around a tracking device... tons of outright false reviews and a relentlessly negative media drumbeat... brand bashers on every site...

Plenty of motive, and it walks and quacks like a very well funded PR duck. Just sayin'.

I want some of whatever this guy is smoking!

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!

[Aatir Barlas]

It's the same story with any of the carriers store here in the US, be it Verizon, Sprint, ATT or TMO. We have seen similar posts right here on CB...for a few years now. Guess what changed??? NADA..absolutely nothing. BlackBerry doesn't seems a least bit interested in taking any action, other then pointing and blaming at every other thing out there. How are they thinking they are going to sell any devices be it now or future devices when there front sales force " sales force at carriers store" people who deal with the consumers the most don't want to, don't know about, or for what ever reason they have don't want to sell a BlackBerry device...

Posted via CB10

[iN8ter]

A good salesperson knows all things in that particular space, including those they don't sell. I used to be in retail sales and I knew the specs, cost, benefits, hindrances, and everything else about all my competitors products, and so did all the staff. If they didn't, well, they weren't allowed to sell it. It's constant learning, but that's business in sales. Know the most, and understand the customer. That's the way to get repeat sales and get referrals.

That makes no sense and is a waste of time. You just want them to push BB which may even result in lost sales or higher returns. They aren't going to do that. The platform has basically no traction or developer support.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk

[iN8ter]

Mmm hmmm... no, that's ancient history. Right now my Z30 makes your Nexus look pathetic. It even has more apps! You sure spend a lot of time here bashing a product you don't use. I'm not a psychological whiz, but let me put on my Freud hat for a bit and say, "Veddy interesteeng. Tell me about your mother."

For those who asked about how much is big money -- that's a pointless red herring. Right out of the playbook, guys! Well done! But it's many millions.

The Z30 does not make the Nexus look pathetic and no it does not have more apps.

Please tell me it makes the Note 3 look pathetic as well.

An android user who wants a good battery life with similar specs as a Z30 can get a Droid Maxx and call it a day.

You have to go out of your way with platform preference to convince yourself to get a Z30 and that's the big issues with it. What other than "a different OS" is the selling point of those devices?

The sales people need a pitch. They have nothing.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk

[RubberChicken76]

I and they are still sitting on there *** and doing nothing

With all due respect, you don't know what they are or aren't doing, don't know the constraints and don't know the people dealing with the situation personally. I get the frustration about the end result in the stores, but I'm pretty sure it's not as simple as BlackBerry refusing to do anything about it.

. If they were really serious abt selling the devices they would have asked the carriers to train the sales staff properly .

How do you know they didn't? What was does for training? What were they allowed to do for training by the carriers of the carriers employees? Etc.

I get the frustration, but comments like this are kind of like the ones that say, "BlackBerry needs to get off their *** and change the negative media stories". Yeah? How exactly. What are they doing now that is working and isn't? What can they improve? You're raising a valid complaint, but a very empty solution.

[Aatir Barlas]

With all due respect, you don't know what they are or aren't doing, don't know the constraints and don't know the people dealing with the situation personally. I get the frustration about the end result in the stores, but I'm pretty sure it's not as simple as BlackBerry refusing to do anything about it.



How do you know they didn't? What was does for training? What were they allowed to do for training by the carriers of the carriers employees? Etc.

With all due respect sir, this isn't some thing that just started happening. It's been the same story even before the BB10 launch, and there is no change to it. What will a consumer suppose to think.

I get the frustration, but comments like this are kind of like the ones that say, "BlackBerry needs to get off their *** and change the negative media stories". Yeah? How exactly. What are they doing now that is working and isn't? What can they improve? You're raising a valid complaint, but a very empty solution.

They need a good marketing team. Most non BlackBerry users or Ex BlackBerry users don't even know how different OS10 is from previous versions. Who's fault is that. Why do you think apple, Android, Microsoft advertise the crap out of there product, touching on small little things. That's what get the consumers interested and they start to do there research.
Imagine a consumer loaded with information at the carrier store trying to get hands on experience, you think how long will it take for the carriers to change there tone, and actually start training there sales staff and start taking BlackBerry seriously. Right now majority of the consumers are legacy BlackBerry users who doesn't know what and how different the OS10 is, and then they hear the negative comments what do you think they will do?


Posted via CB10

[Aatir Barlas]

Sorry I messed up in my comments earlier. I mixed up my comments with the previous one trying to reply to it. My bad.

Posted via CB10

[avt123]

Paid trolls? Maybe they are just ex BB users with bad experiences. Or other users that just think the devices look like crap.

When iOS, WP or Android devices get rated really high and great reviews, the trolls come out to play as well. BlackBerry is in the gutter right now. People have been kicking them for a while. Maybe it is more evident because BB and it's userbase is smaller, and BB barely posts "great news". BBOS devices outselling their flagship line is not "great news". Selling 5,000 devices to government employees is nothing anything cares about besides fanboys on this site. iOS and Android dominate the market. That means so do it's users. That also means more trolls to offer.

I do not think BB is being singled out. Did the media make BB wait so long to convert to a modern OS? Did the media make BlackBerry slowly adapt to the iPhones release? Are the trolls causing people to not buy BlackBerry devices that are not advertised at all or have any airtime period? Was BB forced to make the Z30 and exclusive on Verizon? Is it the trolls fault that no one knows BBs can access and use Android apps? Is it the trolls fault that some carriers have put BB10 on the back burner, most likely because the devices are selling like crap compared to the rest of their lineup?

I think the answer is No. Trolls do damage, but not like this. This company did it to itself. Just like Palm. If BB had a god marketing team, things may be very different right now. Staying silent wont help them sell devices.

[Wiki Cydia]

For those who asked about how much is big money -- that's a pointless red herring.

Translation: "I don't have any facts to back up my claim."

[anon6040766]

+1

These are sub minimum wage folks who work on commissions.

Posted via CB10

Verizon pays per activation, period and there's no commission tied to price. Doesn't matter what you pay. In fact if you pay full retail without renewing contract they get zero credit.

They choose not to push BlackBerry because at Z10 launch there were quite a few returns. A biased opinion was formed and a rep spending time doing a return keeps that rep from spending time with a customer who is there to buy.

I don't agree with the practice, but it's the explanation I've received over and over again. Moreover the corporate stores have lost millions in business with Apple stores opening everywhere. Most iPhones are now bought at Apple. Carriers would actually love another device to sell, for some reason they just aren't happy with BlackBerry

Posted via my BlackBerry Z30 on VZW from Philly