I don't care for dealers. I used to be a RSC and always had problems with dealers screwing our customers. I wish all customers would come to the corporate store and get the correct info the first time! So, it's funny to me because Cingular needs to close dealers and open more COR stores!

You have zero understanding of the economics of indirect distribution and your rational solves nothing.

Shoot the bad dealers and expand the good ones. There are just as many worthless COR locations (and many that are being closed) as there are agents.

Right... 😕 I'm not here to gain your approval nor for you to change my mine. You would be surprised how much I understand the economics of the indirect distribution, but you fail to see how our reputation is degraded daily by the indirect channels! My experience and opinion of indirect locations have all been horrible. Customers receive a terrible experience and end up yelling at the COR reps to fix the mess the the agents have created! You have your your opinion and I have mine. I truly feel if Cingular only sold through national retail and did away with indirect COR look-a-like stores, our churn would fall even more than it already has. Plus the reputation of the company would increase by leaps and bounds! Do I think it well every happen?...
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Whats funny is a lot of Agents have a lower churn rate than COR stores, and all I ever hear from people is how rude COR employees are. I guess that's why they're closing down the COR stores in our area instead of the Agents.

Like I stated before, my experiences. Agents and indirects are horrible here in the Carolina's. We had nothing but problems from them. They're aren't trained correctly and will tell the customer anything to get the sale.

We've got agents like that out here too. When there's a good agent in a location they tend to draw business away from those bad ones as well. I completely understand your experiences, but we're not all like that.

If agents here were trained and regulated, my views my be different. But when more than one customers looks at you in the face and says that they're canceling service because the indirect store down the street that looks like cingular sold them a used phone, or added extra features to the account without asking, or won't exchange a phone(still in the protective plastic) after two days because they say it is damaged when I look at the phone a there is no damage, I have to make my own judgments!

I honestly can't say what kind of training they do or don't get up there. We constantly have new courses being added for us to go through, and I speak to my RAE via email daily. We're a close team in my market.

Not here, they work against each other.

That's sad. Our Cingular rep wants us to do good. Partly because he makes money off it, but also because it's good for Cingular to have a strong reputation.

Our agent rep is a little lazy and let the indirects get away with murder. 😡

Hmm... my company actually has two RAEs because we're too big in this market for just one. They're fair and informative guys.

Sounds like Cingular is dropping the ball by not reigning in the bad agents in your area. They have every right to do so based on the conduct standards in our agency agreements.

In markets where they smack some hands for bad behavior people get in line. It is just like your three year old kid. If you never tell them no they will push the envelope. It is then the three year olds fault or the parents?

I know from my experience working indirect and at a COR store (used to work indirect, now work COR store) that the indirect is basically a look alike Cing store. The only difference is on the door where it says "authorized agent." We even wore Cingular shirts! I did get paid A LOT less than at a COR store and the ethics of the agent store for which I worked were less-than appealing.

With that said, I know I gave it my all working at the agent store and did everything that I could to know Cingular policy back and forth. This is no training that my peers or supervisors at work gave me. I know that I was one of the few that really cared about the customer and wanted them to have a great experience at my store. I know about making money and I...
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Are there any statistics you have to back that statement up?

The churn rate is lower for indirects because the termination fee is approximately $5000!

imcoolerthanyou said:
The churn rate is lower for indirects because the termination fee is approximately $5000!

Wow, that's close but it's actually $175.

COR and National Retail?

National Retail has the highest churn and lowest ARPU of all the sales channels.

You are right, I am not going to convince you of anything. Not with views so skewed and biased.

Exactly. I work for a company that I love and hate to see our reputation degraded by untrained, money hungry agents. 😢

I sell service for that same company, and I hate seeing the same thing. It makes us all look bad. I prefer working as an agent to working directly for Cingular. I feel that my company treats me a lot better than a large corporation would. We have two reputations to worry about, that of the company and that of the company we represent.

You may think that way but for every one agent like you, there are 10 that don't care about the customer.

And for every one employee like you there are dozens would who rather be elsewhere. You are delusional to think it isn't an internal problem.

😕 No reason to be rude because I don't like agents. Clearly you don't believe in someone having a different opinion than you. That sounds more delusional than me voicing my opinion. I didn't insult you personally, but that just confirms why I don't like agents. Rude people that result to insults when someone disagrees with you. Please don't reply to me unless you have something important to say. 😉

I have never said there aren't some agents that create problems. What you completely fail to aknowledge is that COR can be just as bad.

You blame the ills of Cingular on my business and the actions of many of my friends and family. That is just plain ignorant, rude and delusional. Your little mini-circle of influence makes you believe that 90% of them are crooks? My lord, what do you think of other races based on the actions of the few you have met? Whether you like it or not it is the same thing.

I have fired employees for messing up stuff that a COR location got involved with. I have also helped gather evidence to assist COR managers in firing their people. The biggest difference is it took them weeks to fire someone for serio...
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Like I said I have my opinion and you have yours. And how in God's name can you compare this to RACE!? Dude, it's a job. It's really not that serious.COR here is way better than any sorry agent will ever be! You need to wake up and understand that you are biased by your beliefs as much as I am!

So, because a cingular COR store can accept cash payment and I cannot they are a better way? That is currently the only difference.

You stated long ago I could not convince you and I am not trying. I am going to counter every libelous statement you make regarding agent distribution.

THROW 'EM IN A POOL OF PUDDING! Ya'll can wrestle it out!

Dude, I'm done with you. I don't like agents and that's my final say on it. I really don't care what else you have to say on the subject. Glad you like being an agent. Good luck with that. I don't have to deal with any of that anymore, I have a professional job with the company now.

You don't like agents? Wow, glad you cleared that up for me.

Hello,

Would you tell me where the Corporate store is in Dallas, Texas?

Thanks

There are many corporate Cingular stores in Dallas. The corpoprate HQ has moved from Addison to Plano.

Thanks for your response. Would you tell me where I can find a listing of them?

Thanks

www.cingular.com

Then go to store locator. The ones that say "Cingular Wireless" are corporate stores. The agent locations are notated. If you want to go to the Cingular Corporate office, it's off the Dallas North Tollway and Legacy (I believe). I don't think that's where you wanna go though. They don't sell anything there.

Okay, I had just read on here that Corporate was the best place to go to get information.

If you want to wait an hour to be treated poorly then sure. It'll remind you of waiting in line at the Post Office. Calling in will get you a lot of varied responses to the same question though.

The agent channel has grown wireless companies over the years, and they rely heavily on this distribution. it represents anywhere from 10-40% of distribution for all carriers. Cut that, and its lonely. Company owned retail stores can only handle so much; i mean, what would they do if they didn't get dealer issues they blow up all the time since they have other things to do, i mean, they all have to find the end of the internet. And remember, not all company retail stores are top notch either. A few good ones, a whole lotta bad ones who read from the script their manager provides. The store reps are kept stupid, so they can enforce the policy, and not know why.

Thanks for your wonderfully ignorant response.

We are in agreement on this matter 😁

Should I be scared or are your meds working this week? 😁

Where have you been lately?

I am currently, nor have I been in the past, on prescription drugs like that.

I tend to staunchly advocate against their use and the hypocrisy of their use. I have always felt that if I were a child currently in public school, I would be pumped full of drugs.

Also, it never fails to amaze me that people hold the prejudices they do against soft drugs such as marijuana, yet feel no shame in popping any pill that has a pharmaceutical logo on it.

I've been around and enjoying the summer, just haven't really posted as much.

Scientology?

Holy cow it is two for two.

🤣 Heavens no!

Though I must admit I did try reading the Dianetics book once. Didn't get very far though due to a variety of reasons. It was both intriquing and baffling at the same time among a few other descriptors that come to my mind.

I just believe many "medicenes" are uneeded and produced solely for monetary gain. Of course, I also recognize that some are desparately needed by individuals.

Not to get into a rant about it, I just find many of the tatics of the corporations behind pharmaceuticals and other ares to be highly questionable.

Essentially, the same people who treat the side effects of chemical additives in your foods, grooming products, and other products are the ones producing the chemical additives in the...
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Here's why.

You're a corporation. You want to expand. You tell someone, "I'll let you put my name over your store, if you pay for construction / rent, utilities, employees, training, and you have to buy everything you sell from my up front."

Agents agree to do this. They cover all expenses. They build up community value and repeat business. Then corporate walks in and takes over? That's exploitation.

Of course, there are quotas and policies an Agent has to meet to keep their license, but if they're doing all that there's no grounds to have it pulled.

I hope they get their butts handed to them in court.

thank you

you, my friend, are an IDIOT!

oh my fault I wasnt aware that a company is obligated to let you sell thier products and services
🤣


oh wait they aren't

Considering your name insinuates you are a mere temp employee, this could help explain, in part, the ignorance in your replies.

I suspect it has more to do with being young and immature though as it seems the younger generations have no concept of what loyalty is.

companies stopped operating on loyalty a long time ago and the ones that didn't are long bought out, dead or dying.

Its a common misconception around here that my temp status is not by choice. I'm actually starting medical school next fall and I saw no reason to take a "real" job from someone when I am leaving soon anyway.

I see no reason why any agent would sue a company for the priviledge to line the pockets of said company. If they aren't appreciative of the job you do then move on and sell the products of a company that is.

The current model of the wireless companies is one of planned obsolescence in my opinion. Executives know this.

I keep telling the sales reps that I work with to take advantage of the tuition reimburseme...
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What is absolutely hilarious is that the company for which you work is in the midst of the largest agent expansion in their history. And all this after they decided years back that they could do better without agents.

Bottom line is that agent distribution is signically more cost effective than direct distribtution.

Word to your mother.

Eloquently put and makes complete sense.

Companies aren't obligated to keep you on. Especially if you don't have a signed contract with them stating that Company X will sell said product for x amount of months or years.

It sucks that the loyalty virtue is long gone. But, as said before, a company is in business to make money. Therefore, if they can cut costs in one place to earn money in another, it's just a good business move. What more do you want? A batch of cookies? At least you were warned as opposed to a letter saying "effective immediately." That would suck a lot harder.

Again, they are in the business to make money, not friends.

you are still and IDIOT 👿

AG050 said:
you are still and IDIOT 👿

being called an idiot by somebody over the internet who can't even phrase the put down of my intelligence properly is kinda like being called a slut by Paris Hilton it kinda misses the mark.

🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

so i had a little typo... at least I am not a "temp" 😈

well in my situation is i do 80 acts a month and data at $12.00 average and 100% 2 years they did that b/c the corp store did absoultuly no acts in the past 2 months

They shut down two blue COR stores out here that were near one of our stores. They couldn't compete with us at all. If they would've taken our agency, I can't imagine what repercussions that would've had.

where are u located?

Dallas market, Texas.

So it was his Agent that pulled it?

I am sure Cingular told the agent his location has to go due to the proximity to a branded location. He was also non exclusive. I have seen the same thing happen to protect branded agents as well.

It sucks it happened but I think he is going to have a tough time with any potential recovery.

Being a non-exclusive, I can imagine. Most people can't tell the difference from Premiere and COR stores, so that becomes a bigger deal.

And luckily he has other carriers to fall back upon.

they told me about a corp store coming in also told me nothing will happen to me keep it up on what i am doing unreal

I'm really sorry about what happened but you weren't actually an authorized agent. You were a subagent and that means a world of difference. I would still suggest seeking the advise of the attorney for which I sent you contact information.

Good luck to you.

☹️

The willingness of corporations to treat those that help to build and support those corporations as pawns is most troubling, and indicative of a much larger set of problems in our capitalitic driven world.

I hope this turns out to be a blessing in disguise for you in the long run.