Question for Corporate Reps
I work for a Premium retailer. We can basically only process upgrades (for discounted pricing) if a customer goes 20 months on their contract, or if they are on a high end plan that qualifies for an annual upgrade.
I know that corp reps can do something called an "exception" upgrade, but I don't like bringing this up to customers because 1) I'm not actually sure what the criteria is, and the last thing I want to do is tell people to call in when they are nowhere close to eligible (I hate shoveling my problems off on someone else) 2)if I do send them there, and I have the wrong info, I look like just another "salesman" who barely knows anything but how to take your money.
I just had a customer in my store that was not eligible for upgr...
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I know that corp reps can do something called an "exception" upgrade, but I don't like bringing this up to customers because 1) I'm not actually sure what the criteria is, and the last thing I want to do is tell people to call in when they are nowhere close to eligible (I hate shoveling my problems off on someone else) 2)if I do send them there, and I have the wrong info, I look like just another "salesman" who barely knows anything but how to take your money.
I just had a customer in my store that was not eligible for upgr...
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I understand it hard to help customers who think that they are entitled to a free upgrade. I try to explain to them that the upgrade is not free, they may have a credit on the primary line but secondary lines don't get credits. Some areas were offering some promos to allow secondary lines to upgrade early. Those customers normally receive some kind of notification like a flyer offering that to them. As far a customer being VIP, most times it really doesn't matter, we try to take inconsideration each scenario of why the customer wants to upgrade now and will it benefit the company by doing this because we take a hit on upgrades that are eligible. When they call customer service, depending on who they get, most times if they are yelling, the c...
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Im indirect too so I feel your pain. Most of the time I say its complete bull when they say "the person on the phone told me i could upgrade"
The question in my head is always "well, why didn't you do it then?"
If they came to you after being told what they wanted and didn't do it anyway then there is usually a catch. Like you said, she seemed like one of those customers with a lot of "notes"
The question in my head is always "well, why didn't you do it then?"
If they came to you after being told what they wanted and didn't do it anyway then there is usually a catch. Like you said, she seemed like one of those customers with a lot of "notes"
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I call in for the customer in these situations. Customers remember where they were when they got good service, not who they talked to. Me sending them out of the store to get it somewhere else, just sends the message that I can't handle all their needs here. I may not be able to directly in my hands handle it all, but it's nothing a simple phone call won't handle. I've in many situations helped the customer pick out a phone, then when we call in to see if they will honor the manager's approved early upgrade by direct fulfill, I tell the rep what they want/need/etc... and just tell the customer when to expect that phone on their doorstep. Some may say that this is just handing store dollars to someone else. But you know, if I can't make...
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Menno, I can answer these from the corporate retail perspective. I have some friends in customer care who have helped me understand some of their policies, too.
First, customer care, for the most part, has a different process for early upgrade exceptions than retail stores. As I understand it, customer care can usually do an early upgrade exception on just about any line within 60 days of their natural upgrade (that being, four months earlier than the end of a two-year contract, or two months earlier than the end of a one-year contract). They can do New Ever Two discounts early as well, and I believe these follow the same guideline. However, these upgrades MUST be done through customer care, as the retail stores CANNOT honor their ear...
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First, customer care, for the most part, has a different process for early upgrade exceptions than retail stores. As I understand it, customer care can usually do an early upgrade exception on just about any line within 60 days of their natural upgrade (that being, four months earlier than the end of a two-year contract, or two months earlier than the end of a one-year contract). They can do New Ever Two discounts early as well, and I believe these follow the same guideline. However, these upgrades MUST be done through customer care, as the retail stores CANNOT honor their ear...
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I know that it seems in general, if a customer calls in, a care rep will give what the customer requests.
With that being said, our policies are actually the same as corporate stores. If the upgrade date is 09/17/09 that means we will (should) not place the order until 09/17/09.
Will we make exceptions? Sure if circumstances are great enough (or you have a rep who is afraid to said no - that does not make it policy though). Stores have the same empowerment, but are probably better at upholding policy because your paychecks are more dependent on it and maybe credit/audit reviews?
I know for myself if a customer called in today for the upgrade on the 17th I would tell them to call back or if it is a NE2, I will only do the 2 yea...
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With that being said, our policies are actually the same as corporate stores. If the upgrade date is 09/17/09 that means we will (should) not place the order until 09/17/09.
Will we make exceptions? Sure if circumstances are great enough (or you have a rep who is afraid to said no - that does not make it policy though). Stores have the same empowerment, but are probably better at upholding policy because your paychecks are more dependent on it and maybe credit/audit reviews?
I know for myself if a customer called in today for the upgrade on the 17th I would tell them to call back or if it is a NE2, I will only do the 2 yea...
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I have customer care reps working in my store twice a week on "outreach" programs. Each of them have told me that they have the ability to do early upgrades as I described, including NE2. Perhaps things are different where you are, perhaps I've been told something incorrect by six different reps (and numerous occasions where I had to deal with irate customers who were told by customer care that they could do the upgrade earlier than the date in the system - I'm a manager, so I deal with that irate customer on a regular basis).
Here's the policy in retail: we cannot do upgrades early unless done as a manager override, and even then we risk our integrity and position by doing so. As you can imagine, a manager simply can't work this out e...
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Here's the policy in retail: we cannot do upgrades early unless done as a manager override, and even then we risk our integrity and position by doing so. As you can imagine, a manager simply can't work this out e...
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Do we have the ability to, yes. Does it have to be approved by a supervisor, yes.
Our policy's are the same. We should not be upgrading phones at a discounted rate until the customer is eligble or we have targeted them with a promotion.
It is easier to get the exception when you call in.
Any care rep can discount a phone to two year pricing, it will pend to a supervisor. (and they should get the approval first - but many times that does not happen) The supervisor does have the ability to decline the order; however, by that time the customer has already been promised and is expecting the device so the order gets approved.
If the rep was wrong for offering the upgrade early they should get a choaching.
Our policy's are the same. We should not be upgrading phones at a discounted rate until the customer is eligble or we have targeted them with a promotion.
It is easier to get the exception when you call in.
Any care rep can discount a phone to two year pricing, it will pend to a supervisor. (and they should get the approval first - but many times that does not happen) The supervisor does have the ability to decline the order; however, by that time the customer has already been promised and is expecting the device so the order gets approved.
If the rep was wrong for offering the upgrade early they should get a choaching.
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I'm Indirect (not "Premium") and have been for over half a decade. There are situations where we can process early upgrades. The date simply has to be changed in the system.
If the customer has recieved a mailer, or spoke with a Care Rep and the account was noted properly then most of the time (not all) all you have to do is call credit and activations and have it reviewed for an early upgrade. The customer must meet whatever criteria is required a simple note on the account won't do it.
We have never had issues geting paid if the date was changed to allow us to process the upgrade through our system like a normal upgrade. I don't know if this vary's because of Premium Retailer status or by area, i would say all it takes is an extra ...
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If the customer has recieved a mailer, or spoke with a Care Rep and the account was noted properly then most of the time (not all) all you have to do is call credit and activations and have it reviewed for an early upgrade. The customer must meet whatever criteria is required a simple note on the account won't do it.
We have never had issues geting paid if the date was changed to allow us to process the upgrade through our system like a normal upgrade. I don't know if this vary's because of Premium Retailer status or by area, i would say all it takes is an extra ...
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