And cellular sales is not going to grow so rapidly anymore that they have to pay their taxes like everyone else. You do not realize how many more expenses they are now going to have running each location the legal way.
As a former Verizon Wireless Indirect Account Manager, I can testify that the Cellular Sales business model was not "illegal" but innovative. They were NOT forced to change their business model. If avoiding taxes is their game, I don't think they would have a staff of almost 500 employees prior to switching their sales force to an employee model as well. They are doing this in order to provide benefits and even better support to their sales staff. Yes, they also have an HR department. They've had one for years!
During the five years I worked for Verizon, I worked directly with the owner of Cellular Sales and numerous Regional Directors. I found them to be ethical, honest and passionate about taking care of their customers and their sales force. As a matter of fact, I left Verizon and eventually went to work for Cellular Sales as small business owner. I loved my time on the sales floor. I made a great living and the employees, sales reps and few managers were and are still professional and easy to work with. To the other agents on this thread, I would encourage you to find out who the Cellular Sales Regional Directors are in your area and let them know about any customer complaints. We see direct Verizon Wireless customers and other agent customers in our stores everyday. We don't bash anyone affiliated with Verizon even when the customers do. We recognize the value in respecting our competitors and supporting the wireless industry. We are not perfect and if you have a problem with any reps or store locations please reach out. You can go to cellularsales.com enter the closest location near you, call and ask for the name and number of the Regional Director. Regardless, I hope we can all do a better job representing the wireless industry with class and help customers have the best possible experience. If you are interested in an opportunity with Cellular Sales, visit joincellularsales.com Thanks!
What planet are you from? Lay off the kool-aid brotha. Ive been an indirect rep since 2004.. sold countless phones and forged many many relationships with quality customer service and ETHICAL sales practices. These clown shoes are a disgrace. They just opened up shop in my area in late August 2011. They lit it up the first few months... now we are getting all of our business back because they price gouge, treat people like crap and lie to their faces. They only thing they have is a bigger location and (here again) lying to people and telling them my store is closed. Luckily now NYS has stepped in and made Cellular Shysters make all of their so called contractors W-2 employees... I can't wait to see them crumble.
Exactly...it's easy to endlessly "hire" masses upon masses of "Regional Sales Directors" who flow from store to store when it's literally costing you NOTHING in the way of federal, state, medicare, and other taxes, on top of not paying them a dime of hourly salary. The CSOKI in my area opened in Feb 2011, and they had a "Now Accepting Resumes" banner hanging on the side of their store literally ALL YEAR, and I noticed it just recently came down and is no longer displayed. Guess I know why.
Low price, Excellent Service, High Quality. Pick any two, but you never get all three.
I've recently left a Best Buy Mobile store (hey, we're not all bad..) that had a CSOKI right around the corner (literally, 30 feet from us in the same mall) and Lord have mercy they would tell cutomers some of the biggest BS about us just to get a sale. 3 idiots there posted stuff on their internal site about how to overcome customers' objections in reference to Best Buy. Those 3 idiots were fired for the stupidity they posted (tell the customers BBY sells refurbs, they have secondary contracts, can't make changes to the accounts etc etc).
CSOKI is the bile of this industry, they're a big part of what gives the VZW indirect channel a bad name.
i have never seen so many haters in one place. theres always going to be bad apples no matter what indirect you shop. but to say all CS reps are lying is just ignorant. you dont get to be the largest retailer for verizon by displeasing customers..
Think of the mindset that came up with that shady idea that sales reps inside a retail store were independent businesses. It is not hard to imagine that same mindset tolerating or even promoting pushing the limits of "whatever it takes" to make a sale. In fact it would be surprising if that were not the case.
I am sure there are talented and honest reps there, but the overall culture seems to reek of pushing the extreme limits to make a buck
i have never seen so many haters in one place. theres always going to be bad apples no matter what indirect you shop. but to say all CS reps are lying is just ignorant. you dont get to be the largest retailer for verizon by displeasing customers..
I certainly agree not every single person at any organization can be classified as bad, but to your other point that you dont become the largest retailer by displeasing customers that I do not agree with. CS being the largest has absolutely nothing to do with good service, anyone in the business would laugh at that. If anything I would say the last thing that helped them grow was great service to the customer. What helped them grow was doing things differently, some good and some bad, some legal and some not so legal.
I certainly agree not every single person at any organization can be classified as bad, but to your other point that you dont become the largest retailer by displeasing customers that I do not agree with. CS being the largest has absolutely nothing to do with good service, anyone in the business would laugh at that. If anything I would say the last thing that helped them grow was great service to the customer. What helped them grow was doing things differently, some good and some bad, some legal and some not so legal.
I pretty much blame it on Quota pressures, from corp. and the company but when u have to hit those numbers versus been out the street people will do whatever it takes to get that sale in a fierce environment. I worked for both indirect and corp. and I see the two side of the coins and it comes down to the quota and the UNREALISTIC goals VZW put upon their workers.
I at one time considered working for CSOKI, but decided it was not for me. They had recruited me from a Radioshack store. When the store opened, it didn't phase me because we didn't sell verizon at the time. I am now a manager for another Radioshack location, and they opened a CSOKI store here as well. The only things I know about them are things I hear from my customers. 4 Incidents stand out: One woman claimed that her mother had gone into there and they upgraded her, even though she was NOT an authorized user on the account (I saw the contract signed by the mother, and that she was NOT listed as a user on the account), a gentleman came in asking why we and the corperate location Charge a $30 upgrade fee when he didn't have to pay one across the street (that's what they told him) and the third is one of my customers went out price shopping and the Stratosphere which was free in my store, they wouldn't tell her how much it was there and that if I promised her it for free she had best get that in writing and I would tell her it was free and put the rest on her next bill without telling her. and finally a woman that I started talking about the home phone connect with her, and she said she had one already from across the street. I mentioned a mifi for her internet and she was interested, so I showed her the device and she said "oh yeah, I have one of those already. they sold it to me, but I didnt know what it was for."
I run an honest business, and my team is held to the strictest ethics. It is insanely aggrivating how much they are misinforming customers at that location. But, I just sit back and relax as I know the walls come crumbling down.
I don't think they are going to close CS, they are literally too big to fail. If Verizon shuts them down the impact will even affect Verizon. I do believe Verizon learned a big lesson from this and is not going to let anyone grow to hundreds of stores again. I think they are going to get a few premium agents in each state and control that way.
I know moorehead has been in a similar predicament opening left and right until the complaints started pouring in and verizon stopped letting them expand. I have not seen them open a store in a while in fact ive seen them close a few stores. I think the same will happen with CS, if anything does happen it will be extremely slow.
Also worth mentioning here Moorehead is going to run into a problem sooner than later because they are trying to act like they are not a franchise to avoid the franchise tax.
I don't think they are going to close CS, they are literally too big to fail. If Verizon shuts them down the impact will even affect Verizon. I do believe Verizon learned a big lesson from this and is not going to let anyone grow to hundreds of stores again. I think they are going to get a few premium agents in each state and control that way.
I know moorehead has been in a similar predicament opening left and right until the complaints started pouring in and verizon stopped letting them expand. I have not seen them open a store in a while in fact ive seen them close a few stores. I think the same will happen with CS, if anything does happen it will be extremely slow.
Also worth mentioning here Moorehead is going to run into a problem sooner than later because they are trying to act like they are not a franchise to avoid the franchise tax.
I too can see this happening to Moorehead... only time will tell
The problem with CSOK, Moorehead, GO and all the other "Big 6" is that VZW's agent strategy is fatally flawed. Historically, VZW never liked agents and had the worst agent programs of all the carriers. 4 years ago they realized that trying to rely solely on company owned retail was too expensive. $1M per store, and they couldn't open up enough stores to satisfy the customer service issues.
Think about what a healthy agent channel does for you;
1. Extends your brand in the community served through signage, expanded points of presence, community involvement by the agent
2. Offloads customer service expense when you allow the agent locations to handle things like more upgrades, billing issues, small business deals, etc.
3. Variable acquisition cost in the agent channel vs. high fixed costs in the company stores channel. If the agent doesn't sell, they dont get paid. Think of the fixed costs that VZW has with one of their stores.
4. Lower cost of entry to open a new location.
The problem is that VZW wants to take entrepreneurs and make them operate just like VZW. Its ok that they want the stores to look the same (if they give you the $ to upgrade your fixtures), but they try to manage the agents like they are VZW employees.
Secondly, this whole idea of the "Big 6" came about because some genius decided it would be "easier to manage". Well that's great, except that it does'nt work, and worst of all look at the business models of the Big 6.
CSOK - independent contractors in the store
Wireless Zone - Franchise/sub-agent
Moorehead - Sub -agents
Z Com - Sub Agents
WeR Wireless - Sub agents
A Wireless - 100% commission
These are great models for opening a lot of stores because you are off-loading start up costs to the sub agent. But it is a lousy operating model.
Then look at all the ways that VZW disadvantages their agents relative to their company stores, internet offers and customer service. How many times have you had a customer service rep ask to speak to the customer in your store to tell them that they cant get that new upgrade in your store, but can have it shipped to them over-night. Or tell them you're not real VZW and direct the customer to a company store?
It is hard enough for an independent agent to make the financials work in this business. How the hell is a franchisee or sub agent supposed to make a living after the Master Agent takes their cut? Can't be done. So as more and more agents struggle to cut costs and generate more revenue, they'll take it out of the customer's pocket or their salespeople's pocket. That will lead to worse and worse experience in their stores and some of the Big 6 are certainly going to crash and burn.
The issue is not CSOK vs. Moorehead vs Wireless Zone or any of the others. The issue is VZW's flawed strategy and piss poor execution. Oh yeah, and their arrogance. Just my humble opinion.
[QUOTE=zapperdaddy;14727033] look at the business models of the Big 6.
CSOK - independent contractors in the store
Wireless Zone - Franchise/sub-agent
Moorehead - Sub -agents
Z Com - Sub Agents
WeR Wireless - Sub agents
A Wireless - 100% commission
What a great point. Reality is no one can open hundreds of stores the right way in a matter of a year or two, it is just not possible. In the end the master agents are not the ones getting screwed, its the poor dealers literally getting screwed. The masters are keeping the funds verizon gives them to open the stores, they keep the spiffs, they screw the dealers on commissions to the point where dealers are making like $20 on some upgrades. Some even force you to buy phones from them where they mark that up as well! Then that forces the dealer to run a shady operation to just get by.
The biggest problem with the master agent is that they make money no matter what! If you sell 5 phones or 100 phones they are making money they cannot loose. For that reason they will tell you that every location that is available is a great location just go open. The master agents that also open their own stores are the worst, they will cherry pick the better locations and give the locations that will not perform to the first idiot that jumps.
I'm aware of the way CSOKI pays it's employees, and despite any current "employees"/fanboi's of the company that will undoubtedly flame what I'm about to say, I'll say it anyways: the way CSOKI "employs" it's salespeople is patently illegal, immoral, and unethical. Both federal and state governments set well-defined guidelines of what a 1099 employee is, and when it is or isn't OK to foster that sort of work relationship. 1099 employee's are supposed to be independent contractors, with a finite work project and/or campaign, they are incorporated businesses unto themselves, and they work under their own guidelines, own schedules, etc, and are paid accordingly. CSOKI employees are not given the same lateral work freedom of a true contractor. It is the company's way of getting all of the benefits of full time employees without having to foot the payroll expense of an "actually employed" individual. If I were a job applicant at an interview with these people and they told me that, I'd laugh my *** back out the door and keep job hunting.
Without reading the rest of the threads, I may repeating a post, but you are spot on and the "powers that be" have found out what they WERE doing too.
HUGE fines and a big red flag saying "LOOK AT US" is now on Cellular Sales and their partners. In my area the "I quits" have already started in masses and the stores are their numbers are starting to reflect it. What's going to be really sad, is all of the 1099 "contractors" that they had are going to be looked into as well. I would love to know the % of those people who didn't actually file taxes.
I run an honest business, and my team is held to the strictest ethics. It is insanely aggrivating how much they are misinforming customers at that location. But, I just sit back and relax as I know the walls come crumbling down.
I hope you're right but I fear that the Cellular Sales (among others) are just helping VZW brass keep their jobs, regardless of the work being created later to fix their mistakes.
The customer experience doesn't matter anymore. It's all about slamming the customer into a contract that is only going to create problems for VZW and cost them money to fix it. The issue is they do a TON of new activation (most of which junk) and that's all that matters right now. Doing the right thing doesn't matter because it doesn't help that DM or RM keep their job. Giving the right piece of equipment and actually helping the customer means nothing because they aren't judged on that. You need to find soldiers who are willing to go in that grey area or even cross the line at any time.
Didn't VZW have a NET LOSS of customers in January 2012 and didn't they miss their mark of money made for the first time ever in 2011? Putting stores on every corner of every city is only making things worse. Market saturation has nothing to do with it. Having stores right next to each other is only creating an "us vs them" mentality which is making certain stores look for the wrong way to do something to stay around. Then the only person who is effected is the customer, who leaves and never comes back. The most mind blowing thing, is the stores who are doing the wrong things are the ones being held in the highest regard.
I just hope doing the right thing and actually taking care of the customer starts to mean something again before I am replaced by a lesser store or someone willing to do the wrong thing comes along and takes my place.
I love this industry...I just hate what is being done to it.
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Originally Posted by atsnyder
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