vB Easy Archive - Retail reps: Will you assist a customer if $$$ is not directly invovled?

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Retail reps: Will you assist a customer if $$$ is not directly invovled?
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Posted by: Telegraph

As the title states, will you help a customer out if you do not make any $$$ out of it?

Examples would include

1. Fixing another store's/channel's mistakes.
2. Handling phone service issues if they purchased it from another location (i.e online, agent, cor, et al)
3. Billing issues?
4. Paying the bill.

These are just some examples. Would you assist the customers... or would you send them somewhere else because
1. You didn't do the original sale and
2. You won't get any $$$ assisting them?

Posted by: MWPhoneGuy

I do that stuff almost every day

Posted by: Madcat455

I'm a Agent, and I do it every day too. Sometimes it shines me on, but I still do it anyway.

Just because they're not spending now, doesn't mean they won't rember the good service later on when they do spend.

Although, I know of several COR and Agents that are "sales only".

Posted by: Superpimp

I think most salespeople on this forum, or just good one's in general will do what you ask. I also know there is only so much that can be done on our end, and sometimes we have to point the customer in the correct direction, ie xbm lockline credits etc. Some people undersand this, others get mad, yell like an idiot, and threaten to leave these are the people you can't please and they also are some of the people who post here that we don't help people.

Posted by: ivwshane

If its something I can fix I'll do it. But if it involves credits or mis information or other shadiness I recommend they go back to where they got it or to call customer care.

I will almost always take care of billing issues, a good porption of my features comes from billing issues

Posted by: drewyehboi

Everyday...at least 10 times.

Posted by: lowkey16

yeah, my store doesn't have a payment center so we have to accept payments. i also help customers with any problem they have so that hopefully next time they purchase something they'll come to me instead of another store or the internet

Posted by: mafiazz

my store has a pay station and i still get stuck taking payments.

not only that but also returning phones, trouble shooting customers and devices, help with voicemail, billing analysis, helping to pair bluetooths (which i haaate), transferring contacts from one phone to the next and a bunch of other crap i haate...

i'm a salesman; not customer service. i realize that everyone does do all of the things i named, however i feeel it really isn't part of my job description. and the funny thing is, we have an SSR in our store who basically IS CUSTOMER SERVICE! and im still doing this junk! go figure..

Posted by: UNOBizStudent

most reps do all that. taking payments isn't bad because if the customer's bill looks way to high you can ask them if you can take a look at it to see what you might be able to do to assist them. most likly they may be going over minutes, using text ppu to much and need a plan, etc. this opens the door to additional lines and other services. most smart reps do this to grasp every oppertunity they can. Being seen as attentive to their needs, and helpful, leaves a mark on the customer for return business. Give them a few business cards, and a quick talk on the referral program and you have the best advertising a few minutes can buy. Being attentive to the needs of your customer base brings in the fundimentals of marketing . if you taylor what you have to what your customer needs or might need in the future they will remember you. Remember REPUTATION is key.

Posted by: Rcadden

if they just walk up randomly, and we're not busy, I used to all the time. HOWEVER, if it was someone who shopped with me and then bought online (I had several of these) I'd tell them straight up that they'd need to contact wherever they bought it, or go to the corporate store.

Posted by: Mattb2005

i help everyone and everything, thats how you maximize your opps.....

Posted by: Closethesale

if you bought it somewhere other than here go there, questions about bill call 611, questions about phone, call warranty or insurance, questions about buying phone outright go somewhere else, question about new service with features, how may I help you? I don't get paid to talk about you your family or the toilet you dropped the phone in. If you buy from indirect go back to indirect, buy online call someone, i am in sales i do sales, writing this does not pay either so by................

Posted by: mafiazz

Quote:

Originally Posted by Closethesale

if you bought it somewhere other than here go there, questions about bill call 611, questions about phone, call warranty or insurance, questions about buying phone outright go somewhere else, question about new service with features, how may I help you? I don't get paid to talk about you your family or the toilet you dropped the phone in. If you buy from indirect go back to indirect, buy online call someone, i am in sales i do sales, writing this does not pay either so by................

thats the exact way i feel.

if you buy a car from a Mercedes salesman and then you have a problem with the car, who do you see? the salesman??

n0o0o0o0o0o0o0o. you go to the service department!

i sold you the phone! leave me alone! lol...

Posted by: crystus

It all depends on the customers attitude. If they are just absolutely an a** i try my best to help but there are some who just can't be helped. My only pet peave is someone who comes in and spends multiple hours with me and then comes back a few days later and bought it online so they could get it cheaper. When they ask me about online in the store i tell them that it is cheaper because they don't have any over head and they are not paying for the in store service. They still come back and want to take another 2-3 hours of my time. Sorry I am losing chances to sell, I direct them back to online customer service.

Posted by: blessd24

I help everyone. That's why I get paid hourly. I'm COR and thats pretty much the job description though.

I only won't help them if it's something absolutely HAVE to do with the place they bought it from (ie CLA at agent).

If they were to come in for help with something agent screwed up (happens frequently) then I help them and then they know to come to my store from then on because I was able to help them fix it.

The one thing I don't do is give out the agents phone number. We get calls sometimes that are trying to reach "our other store" and I just tell them it is listed under "Agent Name" in the phone book, that way they know there is a difference between stores.

Posted by: LUNDiS

if they bought it from my store, then i go out of my way to help them out. online, hell no, you wanna save 50 bucks, thats what it costs you. have your website you bought it from help you. people want their cake and eat it too...and it doesent work that way.

Posted by: lowkey16

yes, you may be in sales....but you maximize your sales by helping customers that aren't there to buy anything. it's extremely easy to add a feature to their plan that they may not have known they needed if you just sit down and take the bill payment or look over their bill for them. i get atleast $300 in features every month from looking at peoples bills with them and another 4-500 in ROCCS calls...that's what makes a good salesman, not one who will only wait on customers who are there to upgrade or start a new line

Posted by: LUNDiS

i disagree. i am number ONE in my district in features, and number 2 power ranked (because this store does no new..) and i have NEVER used roccs. i do look at bills all the time, sure, but not for someone who bought their phone online/over the phone/ata dealer and has a problem they want ME to fix.

Posted by: speedtec11s

My every day grind here at Cingular wireless consists of sales, but mainly fixing other peoples **** ups. Whether its an agent, cor employee, or care mistake, I bite my tongue and fix it...thats why we are here.

Posted by: brealmp3

yes i will help a customer, that is part of my job description. when it comes to billing issues, i only help them if the problem originated in store, but if it resulted from another location or rep the customer will need to visit them or customer care. but the customers are usually aware of the way it works. so they take it for what it is. if it phone or device questions or troubleshooting i will be more than glad to help them.

Posted by: lowkey16

awesome, i'm glad you're number 1 in features...but think about how much more you could have if you did just 1 roccs call a day. i've found that out of every 5 people i call i get atleast 2 added features that are usually atleast the 14.99 media....that adds up to a good bit over the course of a month.

Posted by: Wonwad

Depends, If the store is busy, I will send them to the corporate store (evil laugh) or customer service. If the store isn't busy, I accept payments, help out with phones, bills (try to add features $$$) and give the customer a welcoming experience. Rude customers get the customer service number lol.

Posted by: Closethesale

whats roccs?

Posted by: ivwshane

Quote:

Originally Posted by Closethesale

whats roccs?

Basically a way for shady reps to slam people with features:|

Posted by: lowkey16

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivwshane

Basically a way for shady reps to slam people with features:|

how is it a shady way? these are people that have tons of usage charges and need features added...if they've got less charges than our cheapest package i just mark them as ineligible and go to the next one. it ends up saving the customers money and getting me more money in features and making my already great numbers even better

Posted by: ivwshane

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowkey16

Its great for the customer and the rep provided that the customer is actually called and agrees to such changes however there have been numerous instances of reps adding features without notifiying the customer, that is shady!

Posted by: pdirish1953

It's in in your future$ best interest to help someone, no matter where they purchased(other Cingular agent, COR Big Box, etc...) the phone. If you take the time to help. Take the time remind them who it was that helped them. (hand over business card at this time) too. Once you have asisted them with a positive end resudts, you've earned the right to ask state this phrase; "If you were satisfied, please feel comfortable to come back anytime and please, by all means could you recommend a friends or another family member to me when they are looking for wireless service".

That one time assistance will be paid back to you.

Posted by: pdirish1953

If you can help someone, just do it. It does earn you the right to ask for their business in the future once you've assisted them.

Posted by: Trakstar99

I have to say that I used to be like that and help everyone, until I started getting crappy numbers and had my manager and ARSM breathing down my back and threating me with discipline...They want you to be able to do everything: act like a customer service rep, and sell phones but in the end its not possbile, especially if you work in a crazy mall location like I do. If its between helping a customer program their stupid phone or getting an opp for a new line or upgrade, I am going to take the latter, because I am not going to risk losing my job or getting written up for the sake of "customer service". In the end i'm a sales rep. Period.

Posted by: irockash

I had a guy offer to buy me a frappaccino (spelling?) after i helped him copy pictures to his replacement phone. He kept asking, I regret saying no...

Every now and then people ask if they owe us anything, i've been tempted to ask for a Jackson or something.

In the end though, it is our job to provide customer service. Sure you're a salesman, but in my opinion a sale isn't finished when they pay, it's when the customer knows he hasn't been screwed.

I can understand not wanting to help an online customer, or someone who purchases from best buy or radio shack (hell, some guy came up asking me to match a radio shack price...) but you do represent Cingular... i'm sure they expect you to help them.

Posted by: Trakstar99

While I understand where your coming from, I believe that the current feeling with the reps that I know, including myself which are all located in COR locations, have become bitter and jaded when it comes to dealing with customer complaints for one reason: Agents. At least up here in the northeast (SNE Market), 90% of people that come into our locations with issues come into our store "because the agent said they were a franchise and had to come to a corporate location to do....." Why is it that the agents are so willing to sell customers phones, but yet when it comes to the easiest of tasks, such as exchanging a phone within the 30 day period, pairing a Bluetooth headset, or having to get a new SIM, they for some reason can't seem to do it? I have used the system that Cingular lets agent use (POS.Com), and I know it is not that different then our system that we use (OPUS). The reason why reps get so annoyed, is that we have to deal with all of the issues that the agents don't want to deal with because they are concerned with how much money is going into their pockets....so they send them on their merry way over to us, where we have to deal with their sh**, and it effects our numbers, which in turn gets us in trouble with our managers and ARSM's because we aren’t doing our part for the company...which in turn leads to discipline, which in turn leads to eventually getting fired.

Basically in the end it turns out to be a vicious circle.

In a perfect world, if everyone, both corporate locations and agents did their job correctly, neither side would complain about having to help out customers; But in the current situation the scales are tipped unfairly, with agents wanting to just make the sale and not deal with customer service issues, and corporate reps become jaded and don't end up wanting to help as a result.

Sorry if this comes off as a rant, but it’s the general feeling with every corporate rep I know in this market, and several others.

Posted by: Cingular13

How can agents exchange a phone (purchased online or at a corporate store) that is within the 30 day period?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trakstar99

While I understand where your coming from, I believe that the current feeling with the reps that I know, including myself which are all located in COR locations, have become bitter and jaded when it comes to dealing with customer complaints for one reason: Agents. At least up here in the northeast (SNE Market), 90% of people that come into our locations with issues come into our store "because the agent said they were a franchise and had to come to a corporate location to do....." Why is it that the agents are so willing to sell customers phones, but yet when it comes to the easiest of tasks, such as exchanging a phone within the 30 day period, pairing a Bluetooth headset, or having to get a new SIM, they for some reason can't seem to do it? I have used the system that Cingular lets agent use (POS.Com), and I know it is not that different then our system that we use (OPUS). The reason why reps get so annoyed, is that we have to deal with all of the issues that the agents don't want to deal with because they are concerned with how much money is going into their pockets....so they send them on their merry way over to us, where we have to deal with their sh**, and it effects our numbers, which in turn gets us in trouble with our managers and ARSM's because we aren’t doing our part for the company...which in turn leads to discipline, which in turn leads to eventually getting fired.

Basically in the end it turns out to be a vicious circle.

In a perfect world, if everyone, both corporate locations and agents did their job correctly, neither side would complain about having to help out customers; But in the current situation the scales are tipped unfairly, with agents wanting to just make the sale and not deal with customer service issues, and corporate reps become jaded and don't end up wanting to help as a result.

Sorry if this comes off as a rant, but it’s the general feeling with every corporate rep I know in this market, and several others.

Posted by: Trakstar99

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cingular13

How can agents exchange a phone (purchased online or at a corporate store) that is within the 30 day period?

Sorry, I was reffering to phones that were purchased at an agent's store. We get about 10-15 returns a month from agent chain stores in our COR location.

Posted by: Cingular13

This is very true. And it does not matter if you are COR, and agent, a big box store, or an indirect - in the end we all represent CingulATT.

People who buy their phones online have chosen the 'self-service' method. I am not saying or implying that they should not be helped in store, but there is sliding-scale for service. A customer who has bought all of their goods from you (and you only) for years should be the one you bend over backwards to help.

It's in in your future$ best interest to help someone, no matter where they purchased(other Cingular agent, COR Big Box, etc...) the phone. If you take the time to help. Take the time remind them who it was that helped them. (hand over business card at this time) too. Once you have asisted them with a positive end resudts, you've earned the right to ask state this phrase; "If you were satisfied, please feel comfortable to come back anytime and please, by all means could you recommend a friends or another family member to me when they are looking for wireless service".

That one time assistance will be paid back to you.

Posted by: irockash

I can't speak for other agents, but i work at a premier agent location and we make it clear what stores they can go to for returns or exchanges... we have a good amount of stores in DFW so they're usually not limited.

Posted by: bumfights

Every customer I assist ends up purchasing an accessory, or signing up for some kind of data package, or getting DSL for their home, hence the reason for my high numbers. Turn up the charm a little bit, help them with their problem, and sell them something. Even if it's only a ****** car charger or something, it all goes towards your quota. Every single person you interact with on the sales floor is a sales opportunity, so treat them that way. You need to be in that mindset that you are here to sale and not ***** and moan when someone who bought a phone online is having a problem. They are talking with you right now and you have your chance to sell them. Do your jobs

Posted by: Seltzer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Closethesale

if you bought it somewhere other than here go there, questions about bill call 611, questions about phone, call warranty or insurance, questions about buying phone outright go somewhere else, question about new service with features, how may I help you? I don't get paid to talk about you your family or the toilet you dropped the phone in. If you buy from indirect go back to indirect, buy online call someone, i am in sales i do sales, writing this does not pay either so by................

Do you get paid hourly? If so, you better do some customer service or soon enough you'll promote yourself to customer. Why would a customer come to a store to buy a phone from you, when they can call Telesales or go through e-Store?

Posted by: Wonwad

Most of my features come from helping out customers. One got a BB Pearl somewhere else and I added the unlimited internet and $$$.

Posted by: cingulargal

When I left Cingular I left to become a dealer manager for CellOne, I hated agents when I worked at Cingular and thought it was rather ironic... but that’s not my point. I was the point of contact between CellOne and all the agents in a market, I never let them send people into the retail store to get problems fixed, I made them call CS and do it simply because we don’t want customers getting into the habit of going into another store period. To the agent’s defense, they don’t always have the resources that Corporate does to fix a problem, but as I said before they can still pick up the phone and call CS for a customer. When I was at Cingy I refused to help two certain kinds of customers, 1. The ones who came into the store and asked me why they should pay an extra $10 to get a phone there and I clearly went over the service difference and they still get their phone over the internet or at Wal-Mart then have the nerve to come back and ask me for help with setting up their voicemail because the girl at Wal-Mart didn’t even know how to turn it on. 2. The jerks that come in and say I don’t feel like calling CS then demand I do it for them. But I unless it was one of those two situations I always did my best to help them no matter who sold them the phone.
At my new job (I just went back to retail sales) I help everyone no matter what and its working, I thought I would have a ton of trouble developing a new customer base and I really haven’t because of all the referrals. And I get at least two ports a week because people are really frustrated with the lack of help they get at the Cingular, where as here, I as a Retail Rep can do almost anything for them.
BTW anyone ever have a cust come in upset they broke their phone and didn’t have insurance and they say it’s not their fault because it was never offered then you look it up and they bought it online? I loved those. “Sorry Ma’am but it appears you forgot to click the insure box when you bought your phone”

Posted by: Syriel

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trakstar99

I work for an agent (largest in CT), in SNE market and I can say that the only time i send someone to a COR store is when they want to pay a bill with CASH. Otherwise, everything that can be done in my store is done in my store. I am proud to say that I try 100% to help the customer that is in my store, regardless of if there is money involved or not because my job is not just selling, but making sure the customer enjoys their services from Cingular so when they want to come back for repeat business, they know where to come.

Posted by: Wonwad

I don't help out the customers who say "I've been with Cingular for so and so years." Those words are annoying and throws me off.