7 Confessions of a Cingular Sales Rep
7 Confessions of a Cingular Sales Rep
March 6, 2007
http://consumerist.com/consumer/cingular/7-confessio ... »
The need for cell phone sales reps to cleanse themselves in the healing waters of the Consumerist is nearing an all-time high. Reps from all over the cell phone universe are flooding the tip line, a tidal wave of lost souls begging for redemption... Ok, not really, but a guy who works at Cingular just wrote us with some tips for the readers. Why should Verizon have all the damn fun?
Ӣ Avoid contract extensions by changing your rate plan at a store. "If you want to change your rate plan, do it in a retail store instead of on-line or over the phone. Officially after 1/2 of your contract is over ...
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March 6, 2007
http://consumerist.com/consumer/cingular/7-confessio ... »
The need for cell phone sales reps to cleanse themselves in the healing waters of the Consumerist is nearing an all-time high. Reps from all over the cell phone universe are flooding the tip line, a tidal wave of lost souls begging for redemption... Ok, not really, but a guy who works at Cingular just wrote us with some tips for the readers. Why should Verizon have all the damn fun?
Ӣ Avoid contract extensions by changing your rate plan at a store. "If you want to change your rate plan, do it in a retail store instead of on-line or over the phone. Officially after 1/2 of your contract is over ...
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Oh come on plooky-
Your making my pay checks smaller every month. I might need to start selling other things 😉 out of my store. And your hurting the shareholders too!
Your making my pay checks smaller every month. I might need to start selling other things 😉 out of my store. And your hurting the shareholders too!
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That's not my intention ☹️
I would just like to see the benefits and savings available for disposal applied against the entire customer base, as opposed, to a small percent of it.
Until then, I can only submit potentially helpful information.
I would just like to see the benefits and savings available for disposal applied against the entire customer base, as opposed, to a small percent of it.
Until then, I can only submit potentially helpful information.
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I'm not an accountant but I am assuming if customers are going to be saving money by promising to buy things then cancelling they are going to change the terms and conditions for the purchase. Like, ok mr. customer i'll discount this phone if you sign up for data but if you cancel within x timeframe I will charge your credit card the difference. Or If you buy accessories and try to return them the next day claiming you don't need them you will be charge x price difference on the phone.
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We have the option to charge or not to charge. I usually reserve that for people who are trying to abuse the system or for the people who are just complete pricks to myself or my reps. I've never charged a restock on an exchanged item.
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apparently has never worked a day for cingular because that shi* is flat out false
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yes and no...the data feature comment is very dangerous tho...it used to be true, but within the last ¿6 months? they have reset the servers that operate different data devices, and one does not eqaute to another, im not positive about pda vs phone data plans, but i know very certainly that if you use a data card on a phone data plan, your going to get a 4 digit bill at least...ive seen the bills
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When reading this keep in mind that the majority of this doesn't apply to indirects.
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🤣 Just about none of it applies to agents or indirect. No bill credits, can't compete with online, wont give away the shirt off their back for a shady SOB.
Oh, but the media max thing is untrue in any location.
Oh, but the media max thing is untrue in any location.
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Exactly. Under no circumstances am I going to take a $400 phone loss on an upgrade or activation just for a feature and a few accessories. One convenience of being an indirect is I get to pick my battles, if I don't like it I simply say no.
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I love the anonymous "Cingular employee" act.
I can tell you any Cingular employee who does a TREO 750 for that price will loose their job.
I can tell you any Cingular employee who does a TREO 750 for that price will loose their job.
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What? C'mon Tx..... you know your sales reps would give away 750's like candy for commision off of a $5 feature.... 😉
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correct the rebate thing wont work with indirects,
The contract extension is only if you jump to a promotional plan with cingy, you can change to any national or family talk plan at any time, regardless of your contract length...
Some indirects will make notes as to the reason why you got the discount(i.e. accessories, features)
some rebate forms require certain features
Some agents will put in the contract that you sign with the store that if you don't keep your features for 6 months from time of purchase that your credit card on file may be charged XX amount of dollars....although i've never seen it actually done, if the masses started doing what this states i'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to go back through and uphold this ...
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The contract extension is only if you jump to a promotional plan with cingy, you can change to any national or family talk plan at any time, regardless of your contract length...
Some indirects will make notes as to the reason why you got the discount(i.e. accessories, features)
some rebate forms require certain features
Some agents will put in the contract that you sign with the store that if you don't keep your features for 6 months from time of purchase that your credit card on file may be charged XX amount of dollars....although i've never seen it actually done, if the masses started doing what this states i'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to go back through and uphold this ...
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Some agents will put in the contract that you sign with the store that if you don't keep your features for 6 months from time of purchase that your credit card on file may be charged XX amount of dollars....although i've never seen it actually done, if the masses started doing what this states i'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to go back through and uphold this end of the contract though.
Would these be notes on an account?
My mind is envisioning a scenario where a representative does not make this clear to a customer, and what (if any) obligation a customer would have to abide by notes on an account.
As most T&C's state, the representative can agree to give you their first born child, yet once you sign th...
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It's a paper contract with a carbon copy for the consumer. It's true that enforcing is a pain though. Usually the amount is just put on your credit report, it hardly ever results in a collection.
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This would be on the individual store's invoice, In some of the stores i've worked both in Jacksonville, FL and in Miami, FL there have been clauses on the invoice that we had to have customers initial and sign at the bottom of stating these additional terms.....
Also in these clauses, the return policy is stated for that particular agent as far as restocking fees go, as well as prepaid return limitations.
Also in these clauses, the return policy is stated for that particular agent as far as restocking fees go, as well as prepaid return limitations.
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We do the same. We charge them the $20 discount which they received for adding the features. My reps are trained that if they don't really need them they are better of paying the higher price for the handset. We do try to get customers to try new products and services but not to the point they add it just to get my guy to lay off the sales pitch. It is a fine line.
We also note the receipt for "package deals" made on accessories and/or features. You get a car charger for full price and a free case you can't return the car charger for the full price. Been there done that with all these little scams.
The guy who "confessed" obviously was unaware of how audits work.
We also note the receipt for "package deals" made on accessories and/or features. You get a car charger for full price and a free case you can't return the car charger for the full price. Been there done that with all these little scams.
The guy who "confessed" obviously was unaware of how audits work.
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If this was written by a Cingular sales agent, that agent was probably fired, most likely broke, and 110% incompetent. To put this post in perpective, let me go through it point by point:
Ӣ "Avoid contract extensions by changing your rate plan at a store."- The only time a plan change requires contract extensions is when it includes a promotional feature. 99% of Care reps don't add contracts for rate plan changes, so you're no better off going into a store.
Ӣ "Features are your friends. "You can just about get about get a rep to do anything you want if you offer to get a text package or a data package, and they can be cancelled on-line or over the phone the second you leave the store" - This explains my "most likely broke" comment. E...
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Ӣ "Avoid contract extensions by changing your rate plan at a store."- The only time a plan change requires contract extensions is when it includes a promotional feature. 99% of Care reps don't add contracts for rate plan changes, so you're no better off going into a store.
Ӣ "Features are your friends. "You can just about get about get a rep to do anything you want if you offer to get a text package or a data package, and they can be cancelled on-line or over the phone the second you leave the store" - This explains my "most likely broke" comment. E...
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and just so everyone know this only applies at core stores cause me as a dealer will not cover all these 7 things
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doesnt even apply to cor stores 1 we cant apply credit nor would we want to thats a phone call to cs
2 we cant discount phones anymore that what we have posted besides the 20 dollars for media or whatever .we would be fired for anything more .
this person who posted this is plooky the trollingest cingular hating bastard that ever lived . and the dumbest agent that ever tried to sell cingular service
2 we cant discount phones anymore that what we have posted besides the 20 dollars for media or whatever .we would be fired for anything more .
this person who posted this is plooky the trollingest cingular hating bastard that ever lived . and the dumbest agent that ever tried to sell cingular service
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Plooky, it is just as I believed, you lack integrity and moral decency.
Ӣ Features are your friends. "You can just about get about get a rep to do anything you want if you offer to get a text package or a data package, and they can be cancelled on-line or over the phone the second you leave the store. The same goes for accessories. Offer to get accessories if it will get you a deal, they can be returned no questions asked within 30 days. (Let me put it this way, if a customer came in looking to get a treo w/the data package and accessories I would have sold a Treo 750 for $100 after rebate)"
So you think that renegging the terms of a sale is acceptable for the customer to do but not for the carrier or its representatives? Why the do...
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Ӣ Features are your friends. "You can just about get about get a rep to do anything you want if you offer to get a text package or a data package, and they can be cancelled on-line or over the phone the second you leave the store. The same goes for accessories. Offer to get accessories if it will get you a deal, they can be returned no questions asked within 30 days. (Let me put it this way, if a customer came in looking to get a treo w/the data package and accessories I would have sold a Treo 750 for $100 after rebate)"
So you think that renegging the terms of a sale is acceptable for the customer to do but not for the carrier or its representatives? Why the do...
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I'm really surprised people like yourself do not realize that I am not the author of the material contained in the post, especially considering I included a link to the original site.
Although you do mention the consumerist, you still seem to believe that I "lack integrity and moral decency" and seem unable to distinguish between my statements and those of the article. This has created your unjustified characterization I believe.
Nevertheless, I did find this comment interesting.
So you think that renegging the terms of a sale is acceptable for the customer to do but not for the carrier or its representatives? Why the double standard?
This is in reference to adding features and then removing them.
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I'm really surprised people like yourself do not realize that I am not the author of the material contained in the post, especially considering I included a link to the original site.
Although you do mention the consumerist, you still seem to believe that I "lack integrity and moral decency" and seem unable to distinguish between my statements and those of the article. This has created your unjustified characterization I believe.
Nevertheless, I did find this comment interesting.
So you think that renegging the terms of a sale is acceptable for the customer to do but not for the carrier or its representatives? Why the double standard?
This is in reference to adding features and then removing them.
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If you took 1% of the time you spent searching for contract loopholes, attempting to disprove others posts, and posting inflammatory posts, and spent that time actually trying to provide helpful information to people on this site, you could be quite a helpful individual. Sadly, I doubt this will ever happen. ☹️ ☹️ ☹️ ☹️
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