Do ATT store employees play dumb or are they actually that way?

[Lindenhurst]

With all the info online about Samsung Galaxy Note being available for pre orders at ATT on Feb 5th, I actually called the local store here in Newtown Pa, and was told that they had no knowledge of any new products coming out anytime soon. I called another store and was told that they have no specific knowledge of phones coming out, but that they are aware that they are getting new phones in the middle of February.
I guess it is because they want to sell what they have, and they certainly don't want to encourage anyone to "hold" off for new products.

Anyone else fine the store employees less than helpful?

 

[rgarjr]

Yeah some are clueless. I wonder how much the out of contract will be for it.

 

[mattraehl]

With all the info online about Samsung Galaxy Note being available for pre orders at ATT on Feb 5th, I actually called the local store here in Newtown Pa, and was told that they had no knowledge of any new products coming out anytime soon. I called another store and was told that they have no specific knowledge of phones coming out, but that they are aware that they are getting new phones in the middle of February.
I guess it is because they want to sell what they have, and they certainly don't want to encourage anyone to "hold" off for new products.

Anyone else fine the store employees less than helpful?

They aren't dumb, they are trained to give that answer. They're just doing their job. Not much else to say really.

 

[Munkypoo7]

FWIW, the attendants at my local ATT store weren't even sure when the iPhone 4S was being released.. a day after it was officially announced. Granted, they still took down my info and what not and said to just come in on the preorder date and they'll streamline my preorder without hesitation.

Beyond nice but completely clueless.

 

[Interstella5555]

With all the info online about Samsung Galaxy Note being available for pre orders at ATT on Feb 5th, I actually called the local store here in Newtown Pa, and was told that they had no knowledge of any new products coming out anytime soon. I called another store and was told that they have no specific knowledge of phones coming out, but that they are aware that they are getting new phones in the middle of February.
I guess it is because they want to sell what they have, and they certainly don't want to encourage anyone to "hold" off for new products.

Anyone else fine the store employees less than helpful?

Didn't you just answer your own question? Retail level employees don't know about rumors any more than you do, and why would they tell everyone a new model is coming out and tanking existing sales? It truly would be a better world if everyone were as smart as the people on here, but I guess that's life.

 

[PlaceofDis]

they're not all dumb, but they're not all in the loop about the companies plans either. also, keep in mind that there are actually very FEW official AT&T stores and that the most of the places you see are just licensed places.

 

[William.Mantle]

A rather offensive thread

 

[maflynn]

You ask an apple sales rep at your local apple store about when the new macs will come out, and you'll get the same response. Sales reps are told absolutely nothing from their management.

 

[ap3604]

I guess it is because they want to sell what they have, and they certainly don't want to encourage anyone to "hold" off for new products.

Bingo... they get paid to sell things, why would they tell you anything that costs them a sale?

 

[Rocko1]

With all the info online about Samsung Galaxy Note being available for pre orders at ATT on Feb 5th, I actually called the local store here in Newtown Pa, and was told that they had no knowledge of any new products coming out anytime soon. I called another store and was told that they have no specific knowledge of phones coming out, but that they are aware that they are getting new phones in the middle of February.
I guess it is because they want to sell what they have, and they certainly don't want to encourage anyone to "hold" off for new products.

Anyone else fine the store employees less than helpful?

About as dumb as posting this in the iPhone section.

 

[squeakr]

They are instructed to answer that way to keep sales up and to also remove responsibility from them and the company. As a representative of the company things they say and do can be interpreted as representative of the company and it's policies and open he company up to lawsuits (although most companies will just deny that the rep was instructed to answer a certain way and hang the employee out to dry).

 

[Jordan921]

About as dumb as posting this in the iPhone section.

Yea not sure what the Samsung galaxy note has to do with the iPhone.

 

[Rocko1]

They are instructed to answer that way to keep sales up and to also remove responsibility from them and the company. As a representative of the company things they say and do can be interpreted as representative of the company and it's policies and open he company up to lawsuits (although most companies will just deny that the rep was instructed to answer a certain way and hang the employee out to dry).

Right, that's why when you bring your device to them with a bug they say 'there is an update coming out for that soon' when they know it's a total lie. Makes sense....

 

[ixodes]

keep in mind that there are actually very FEW official AT&T stores and that the most of the places you see are just licensed places.

Absolutely Not True.

For clarification, 92% of all AT&T stores in every state are company owned stores. Very few are resellers, and are not allowed to be called AT&T stores. AT&T's policy for franchised resellers is very strict.

For example any authorized reseller of AT&T phones will always have it's own name. They are not allowed to use AT&T in the name of their business. It makes it very easy that way to identify a real AT&T store as opposed to an independent reseller.

Also just like any other retail operation, the sales people are purposely forbidden to share info on upcoming phones. That's a standard practice in many retail businesses.

If they gave you the info on upcoming products, people would wait and not buy what the store has in stock. It's a common sense solution.

Remember, you can't always get what you want.

 

[verwon]

I had one standing outside the local store try to tell me that they were still the exclusive U.S. carrier for the iPhone.....while I was holding a Sprint 4S in my hand! LOL

 

[Applejuiced]

Do ATT store employees play dumb or are they actually that way?

They dont play, they are

 

[motoleo]

i guess it is because they want to sell what they have, and they certainly don't want to encourage anyone to "hold" off for new products.

this

 

[PlaceofDis]

Absolutely Not True.

For clarification, 92% of all AT&T stores in every state are company owned stores. Very few are resellers, and are not allowed to be called AT&T stores. AT&T's policy for franchised resellers is very strict.

For example any authorized reseller of AT&T phones will always have it's own name. They are not allowed to use AT&T in the name of their business. It makes it very easy that way to identify a real AT&T store as opposed to an independent reseller.

Also just like any other retail operation, the sales people are purposely forbidden to share info on upcoming phones. That's a standard practice in many retail businesses.

If they gave you the info on upcoming products, people would wait and not buy what the store has in stock. It's a common sense solution.

Remember, you can't always get what you want.

well that's not true according to my family members who work for AT&T. For example there are resellers which have to have a different name, and then there are authorized AT&T store which do use the AT&T name, and then there are Corporate stores. there is an authorized store right by my apartment; it has the AT&T name and logo etc and i didn't realize it was not an actual AT&T store until i saw my cc statement that indicated otherwise.

 

[robbie12345]

listen they get paid around 8 bucks an hour and they get maybe a 2-3% commission on the sales how smart can they be?

also i went to an apple genius bar the other day to get my 2.4ghz c2duo mbp 13inch 2010 fixed and he was asking if it had thunderbolt and trying to convince that there was a late 2010 mbp with thunderbolt release

so for all sales people don't expect them to be rocket scientists or anything

 

[Stealthipad]

Most AT&T people are not told anything until the day before it happens. Only way they would know more would be to visit these forums. Most of them are sick as &^%$ of cell phone after a day of selling and dealing with US!

These people are trying to make a living and are not phone nuts like most here!

Most a much smarter than a TSA Agent!!!

 

[ixodes]

well that's not true according to my family members who work for AT&T. For example there are resellers which have to have a different name, and then there are authorized AT&T store which do use the AT&T name, and then there are Corporate stores. there is an authorized store right by my apartment; it has the AT&T name and logo etc and i didn't realize it was not an actual AT&T store until i saw my cc statement that indicated otherwise.

I've been an AT&T customer for twelve years. I travel all over the Western States, tonight when I went in to my local Corp Store (to pickup a new SGSII) I asked the manager whom I know well. He said that in the Western Region they are Corp Stores but Eastern States have three types as you pointed out.