More Microsoft Stores Are Needed to Combat Pushy Carrier Employees
June 9, 2011 4 CommentsRecently we covered a story about how difficult it is for some customers to purchase Windows Phones at their local stores. Those would be WP7 customers mostly get iPhone and/or Android pushed onto them by the carriers employees. Some would be customers have even been denied service. One Windows enthusiast even created a OneNote on Skydrive so that anyone with past or present issues can be heard.
This has become such a big issue that carriers have voiced their thoughts on the situation…
Sprint:
“Our sales associates sell the device that is best going to meet the needs of the customer,” “There is no differentiation between devices.” – Kristin Wallace
Verizon:
“Keep in mind that we want customers to walk out of our store or order the device online that best fits their needs. Our incentive is their satisfaction or customers will bring the phones back. “Training is an important part of our process to make sure customers get the right device so the first question a store representative should ask a customer is how they plan to use the phone. To be able to guide the customer, the representatives have to have the training.” – Brenda Rainey
T-Mobile
“T-Mobile looks forward to our continued partnership with Microsoft and support of Windows Phone 7. However, T-Mobile does not comment or speculate on any current or potential future business strategies.” – Anna Friedges
AT&T
“We already have Windows Phone 7 in our lineup. We actually like that software very, very much. It hasn’t sold as well as Microsoft or us would want it to, but I think having the Nokia hardwarecapability with the Microsoft software capability is a really good combination. They have to prove it by bringing some great devices to market. But I would love to have a great Nokia device with Microsoft Windows Phone 7.” – CEO Ralph de la Vega
None of the carriers answers really made me believe that they were going to make any changes. Especially until Nokia starts cranking those Windows Phones.
So what should Microsoft do?
Microsoft needs more stores, by more I mean tons more. They need to build a street presence and get people that are interested in Windows Phone to go directly to them instead of losing potential customers who get met with snarky remarks for being interested in a WP7 device in the first place.
PC Mag also ran a story on their experiences trying to purchase a Windows phone at all 4 major US carriers. They were met with a negative experience about half of the time. You can read the whole article here.
Source: PCmag
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