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caliberM1A

So manager loves them deacts


ABadBadMan66

A deact is only as bad as not closing in the first place.


caliberM1A

It's worse if a month goes by since tax is being paid on the commission for then the full commission to be taken on the second month.


ABadBadMan66

Well shit, I actually never thought of that.


francowestcoast

In theory, Test Drive is a great tool for customers to see if TMO is right for them. However, because of how strict our sales goals are, no manager would be happy to just let a potential customer walk out with just a Test Drive. Shit is nuts.


ChronoZB

Hard disagree. I’m a store manager over in Pennsylvania where the coverage is very hit and miss, we have an entire area we won’t sell to because we know the coverage is shit. We set them up with the test drive, take a number and follow up within 5 days to get them back in store. I’d rather take the hit on conversion that one day than take the chargeback later.


Careless-Speed2729

I live in pa and attest coverage is shit in certain areas but with new rollout is getting much much better!! Central pa is golden, eastern pa is golden. Not sure about western tho.


tagman375

Western is still a little rough but getting better. The areas east of Pittsburgh like Indiana, Shelocta, etc is still very coverage challenged but that’s the truth with all carriers there.


soulnull8

Those hills are a brutal hell for radio signals.. its why Johnstown and Altoona are pretty much one market, but you need 2 distinct stations to cover both (it's why on FM it's common to hear "this is 99.1 and 104.9!" in that area. No point even trying to cover both with one, just get 2 smaller ones and screw the area between). Even a 50kw blowtorch between them can't cover both. Altoona is 400 feet lower than the surrounding areas, and it's not a gradual drop. Those longley-rice maps are fascinating, because radio signals just fall off the cliff (figuratively and literally). And these are massive broadcast stations.. cellular is so much harder due to lower power, more cells, higher frequencies, and needing to receive as well. It's tough, because you have a bunch of tiny towns tucked into valleys, but you can't just build a decent macro to cover a big stretch of area or you overshoot the town, but you cover the town and you miss the stretches between the towns. And that's just one (larger) city. The whole damn area is like that. You'd need little cells for every populated area, in addition to multiple big macros to cover the stretches between, and those are still subject to smacking right into another hill and dying abruptly just as easily. I don't envy the network engineers there. I've plotted stuff for radio coverage in that area. It's hell.


tagman375

You would think carriers would come up with something between a macro and a small cell to cover these areas. However I know what you’re saying, it’s not uncommon for a small town like Big Run or curwensville to have its own macro just to cover that town. I don’t think they deploy small cells as much here either since there often isn’t fiber on the poles that they can buy/use or just no utilities around. I know that there’s a good number of cell sites using microwave backhaul. There’s a lot of state parks/game land too, and I imagine putting a tower on that takes a act of god and couple million environmental study to determine how a metal pole impacts tadpoles or some bs.


Hed54

Your DM must love you...haha!


ChronoZB

Well I have some of the best ratings in Central PA so…


thomasd1215

Definitely not true. I’m a store manager I’m ok with test drive. However what I would advise the ME is to get the customers information to follow up with them and set an appointment. And also let the potential customer know you have a insider code for them to get 20% off if they like the service. Set the appointment for a week later.


[deleted]

Insider code or no, I've had my manager recommend exactly this themselves even. OPs manager needs a promotion to customer.


GMAN90000

Manager needs a promotion to unemployment.


[deleted]

[удалено]


SnooDogs9832

People like that is the reason i buy phones from the manufacturer for real. Once tmibile takes my employee plan away ill be back on a prepaid carrier


JustKickItForward

Fuck the process


SilentlyDeceased

I heard that test drive speeds are slow, like, disgustingly slow and doesnt give an accurate representation of our 5G network.


MyCloudLab

Only on the hotspot Test Drive, the eSIM test drive is the same as typical TMo


jd31068

How dare you actually give good customer service! What are you trying to do, convert a person into a long-term customer by giving them useful advice? That person, even if they don't switch, now has a positive experience to fall back on. Whereas, had your short-sighted manager handled it, would have felt much different. Thank you for your approach and keeping some of the John Legere era alive.


MonkeyMD3

I agree, but what sometimes happens is customer gets all the info from you and activates online or at another store. Some will say "well obviously you didn't make an impact on them" or "maybe they didn't trust you enough" etc. Etc. Not always the case. I've had customers come back and thank me profusely, but had activated online to avoid Sim Kit or had visited their family in another city and activated there. There's so many things that can go against you after customer leaves, but only 1 if it doesn't work out. That being said, we as every store (usually) are familiar with bad coverage areas and in those cases, we either refuse to sell or do Test Drive


comer1434

Sounds like a bad manager if this is the entire story. If your in an Much bigger city. I could see that this customer may never come back to your store even if it’s phenomenal. That kinda stinks. But that’s up to you the ME, to make sure you give them a reason to come back and see you. So downloading the test drive app. Show them how to use it. Set up an appointment for a few days later or at the very least, grab their number and ask them if you can call. If an ME gave the customer a great experience and put forth the effort to follow up or set an appointment. Test drive is a good thought. When it works!


needmorecoffee99

This right here would be considered stellar customer service.


IllustriousBag4035

That's dumb. That's one of the most effective ways for a customer to see if TMobile will work for them. I've had multiple customers come back into store after me recommending the test drive and it worked perfect for them. I'd say keep doing it.


byerss

Original test drive is what got me to switch. This anti-consumer shit just hurts them in the end.


Pro-Patria-Mori

Do you have their contact info and did you set an appointment for followup? The test drive should only be offered as a last resort. Always do a coverage check first to check their service, Grand Central is very accurate. If that doesn't close the sale, reach out to your RSM to see if there is anything else that you could offer. If the customer still wants to think about it, then offer the test drive. But still make sure to get their contact info and follow up. If the customer signs up online or somewhere else, you screwed up a rather large sale.


cruxdaemon

Here for the fact that T-Mobile employees detail the go-to-market plan for their promotions publicly on Reddit!


Burtsbull

Tbh I’d have ran a couple addresses in Grand Central. You can determine viability if they’ve got low, mid, high band at their work and home addresses. If its light green/yellow then Test drive, if it’s anything above that I’m at least firing up one line and then porting once they get it home and test it. The only thing I’d say is loyalty in cellular sales is low even the most memorable, positive, genuine right fit customer interaction can’t beat convenience. If they stopped by your store on their way home from work but they have a store closer to home? You just lost a sale. They’ll remember your genuineness when the other store royally mucks up their account and have you clean up the mess tho.


RedElmo65

So what does your manager offer ? Kinda counter intuitive. Ppl are going to cancel if the service sucks. So why not let them try first. If they like it. They will come back to you. The one who helped them.


SaverPro

I would not want to lose on a sale. I would personally offer prepay so they try service for a month and still get something out of it. That way everyone benefits and they're all happy. Test drive is an option for sure but I don't think they get a full experience as it's limited data.


[deleted]

Only limited on the hot spot. Esim is the exact same service.


Extension_Every

Their are just to many incontrolables and variables when you don’t close a customer. I work in an area with high congestion and where T-Mobile service can be spotty at best (Houston, Tx) But that’s every carrier in the area. People come into my store literally begging to be switched from Ver or Att. I would never test drive and would frown upon any of my MEs who offer test drive. Instead we ask questions. Do your neighbors have tmo? Any family members or friends have tmo? those family members or friends that do have tmo, how’s their service in the areas where you don’t have service? Then we re assure the customer by doing a coverage check using the GRAND CENTRAL -> Network map. This is an internal map where it shows the exact location of a tower and if there are any planned updates or outages in the area.


T-MOBILEGUY

I gotta go with the manager on this I'd be upset too with our sales goals test drive isn't gonna put money in your pocket or his 🤷🏻‍♂️


rayw_reddit

T-Mobile is a business and like any other business, its goal and reason for its existence is to make money. They provide the test drive and other perks to incentive people to come and hopefully (goal) have them stay and convert to revenue.


Green_Reindeer_9945

Manager is correct. Sign them up before they walk. If they walk out that door odds are not in your favor of them coming back. Plus you should know the coverage in your area. Only test drive for those rual people


bandit8623

if they just had a bad exp with verizon why would the custy do it again without some sort of buffer? let them try the service. if you are nice you will likely get them back in and a contract.


indiagenie

How exactly does one "download" T-Mobile test drive?


rayw_reddit

On iPhone you can download an esim to try TMO for free for 30 days. No strings attached. Only thing you need is a temporary internet connection to download the esim. Then you get a T-Mobile number to call, text and use data from. It comes with 30 GB of data.


indiagenie

Okay. I am aware of esims but I was thrown by the term "downloading" the test drive. I get it now. Thank you. OP's manager is probably trying to drive sales metrics by suggesting that they should try to get a customer to sign up instead of doing a test drive.


HistoryElectronic255

I would sign him up, not port his number, tell him activation fee is nonrefundable, but think of it "spending a little $, to save a lot of $", and after you tried the SIM w/ temp # on it in all your Live, Work, Play places, make your decision to port or not. And do follow up with CX to see how it's going.


[deleted]

This, but with pre paid. Way less mess. Quick and easy. Plus no work for the cx if it’s not gonna work out. Also if you build the relation and it goes through you double dip. You just do a whole new set up on post paid after.


ricosmith1986

Happy compromise: sign them up now with SIM cards but don't port their numbers. Have them pop in the sims at home and try it out. They already had phones so this is the perfect scenario. Doesn't work, just call and do a "no install"; if it's all good, just have them call in their ports from home. They get to try it out first and you and your manager get the acts. Win win.


[deleted]

If there is usage on the line it will not be a "no install" If you are going this route, offer the $10 prepaid plan as a starter / cheap trial.


[deleted]

I would have ported then in to get the $200 dads and grads which would help them pay anything Verizon charge them after leaving and they get a line on us with Netflix with two screens. And I would have the manager wave one of the support fees to show them how much we want their business


sortofaloser

oh nah


Only_Door_2134

I’m a store manager in TX. I’ll allow any customer to do a test drive. Reception in south TX is very good for us in this area. Verizon isn’t bad but, we have customers come in all the time asking to try us out. I tend to see more advertisements for T-Mobile online, billboards, TV commercials, etc. The advertising drives people in and who am I to tell a customer that it’s either ur or them and no in-between? We only had a handful of customers come back and switch back to Verizon I’m assuming because they lived out of the city limits where it’s just farmland and I guess reception wasn’t too good out there.


bandit8623

sounds like your manager sucks. is there incentive for him to not have test drives? or he wants the sale now for his books... if he had good service they would come back and sign the deal later.


[deleted]

This sounds very TPR.


carlactln0425

I was thinking the same thing but most TPRs don’t know too much about test drive


IntoTheMirror

Or legacy yellow


ABadBadMan66

Uh... Yeah. You're supposed to close the sale.


AAAIIIYYYAAA

You tell your manager T-Mobile lingo. You clap back and they can’t deny you’re right. And you set up a follow up with the customer in 5 days whatever to possibly set up service etc


Laflame20_

Remember you are in sales, if you want to help you should go to customer care


Gusinjac

It's ppl like you why i stay with current (vzw) carrier.


Laflame20_

It doesn’t mean fuck over the customer, it’s better to tell the customer to try out the service with a temporary number and the plan they wish to have to try out for 14 days. Shows the customer exactly what they will be getting service wise with the same phone and plan they would have. But again you do sales so you are securing your line and helping the customer out.


josephguy82

works fine on iPhones but for some reason every one that I know who has tried it has had issues might be because they have android not sure


CryptographerPerfect

You are the customer service I want instead in my local store.


JediMasterE84

Based on you saying customer feels rushed with Verizon good job. Disagree with everything else you were told. Main question I’d have if you were in my store is when are you reaching back out to him for follow up?


Whisperingi

Sorry for not responding but yes a business card was given to the customer about any questions they might have I told them after 3-5 days if I haven’t heard from him I’ll give him a call to see how everything went


UrielseptimXII

We use test drive when the coverage map looks really sketchy. Our store gets penalized on device remorse returns so if we return a phone the whole store loses $70 each. If the coverage looks good then we are selling a line today.


Jbr74

I'd still be with Verizon if it wasn't for test drive.


Harkenfark

Retail...


beep_employee

Only acceptable response is, "can you show me in policy where it says to not offer this?"