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TM Needs to Take Care of Current Customers Better

rainmaker

Dec 28, 2005, 12:13 PM
I've been with TM for a little over four years now and since this past summer they have continuously dissapointed me in their care for a long time customer. I will not spend alot of time going into everything I've dealt with, so let me just tell you the latest. I came here to read about the Samsung T809 and decided that was the phone I would like to purchase. So, I looked up my nearest T-Mobile store and headed over. Unfortunately, the girl helping me said they did not have any more, so I asked if she would mind calling another store to see if they had one. Without hesitation she called the next nearest store and spoke with a woman who assured the woman helping me that they had one. Before their conversation ended, the girl at the other store asked if it was for an upgrade or for a new customer. She answered that it was for an upgrade. When I got there, about 5 minutes later, she looked and couldn't find one. They couldn't even come up with an explanation on why she said she had one just five minutes before and suddenly now they don't. However, I worked in retail and I gave her the benefit of the doubt and figured that their computer still said they had one but in reality maybe they sold it that day. So, naturally, I asked her to call another store. This other store also said they had one and they also asked if I was a new customer. She told them I wasn't. It took 6 minutes to get to the next one and once again they said they said they didn't have one. So, this time I asked her to call the last remaining TM store to see if they have one and to check their inventory to make sure. She spoke to a man, we'll say his name was Bob, and he said that he checked and they had one and that he'd put my name on it. I make it to the store and, surprise surprise, they said they didn't have one. This time, after being lied to three times in a row, my patience left me and I let them know all the BS I went through trying to get this phone. The chances of going to four stores and the latter three having back-to-back sold their very last phone just before I got there is less than being bitten by a shark on a mountain. The guy said they would have more coming on Wednesday so I said to hold one for me. "We don't hold phones for customers" he claimed. I told him that in this situation, he needs to make an exception. I didn't appriciate being lied to. They said they checked their inventory personally and had one, and suddenly I get there and they didn't. A bold face lie doesn't get any clearer than that. He refused to hold the phone, and so I left, pissed. The next morning I went out for some breakfast and when it hit nine in the morning I called the very first store I went to in the begining and asked if they had a T809. Suddenly, then, they had one left, and they would HOLD IT FOR ME. When I get there, I made sure they brought it out and when I saw it, I asked if they just got that in, and they said they have had the phones for about a week and this was the last one left. I then told them I had just came in the day before an hour before they closed and they said they didn't have one. The guy was speechless. I bought the phone for its full price after that, for there is no way I would sign away my loyalty for another two years to a company who is slowly declining in its care for its current customers. Don't misunderstand me, I am not trying to lure anyone away from signing with TM; I've never had a dropped call, I've never been cheated on the billing, and that 1500 minutes for 39.99 is perfect for me. However, I am warning everyone out there that if this latest episode is a glimpse of things to come, don't expect to ever "Get More" out of this company. If all you are interested in is an inexpensive service that you pay monthly for, you will be fine.
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Insert Witty Name Here

Dec 28, 2005, 12:24 PM
That sucks. I can assure you not all stores are like that. It's bad that because of a few money hungry stores that are only willing to make new activation commission ruin it for the rest of us.
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sowhatsowhat10

Dec 28, 2005, 12:38 PM
damn i'd leave just because the principle. or atleast tried to talk to someone at the corporate level about what was done to you.

btw i liked the:


"The chances of going to four stores and the latter three having back-to-back sold their very last phone just before I got there is less than being bitten by a shark on a mountain."

sounds like something my country uncle would say to crack me up. 🤣
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moviespaz

Dec 28, 2005, 8:41 PM
Holy wow! I've worked for T-Mobile Customer Care for 3 1/2 years and I've never heard of someone being jerked around that badly. I want to apologize on behalf of T-Mobile Sales, even thought I've never worked in that department. What another person said is true: a lot of dealers will hold on to the last 1 or 2 of a phone because they make more off the commission of a new activation than on an upgrade. Hope you have a better experience next time.
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lefteyeiu2006

Dec 28, 2005, 10:45 PM
I thought you said you weren't going to go into every detail?!!!!!!! 😲
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smg1062

Dec 29, 2005, 7:49 AM
I've been with TM since the old OMNIPOINT days, long before Voicestream, now TM. I can say that in all this time, customer service has NEVER been an issue, whether on the phone or at my local stores. I have always had issues with their phone selection, but their coverage and cust. care for me anyway has been top notch. I was once on the phone with a TM rep for over an hour, going over my account and seeing what upgrades and phones I can improve on. No anger, no snottyness, nothing. I ended up getting an upgrade to a RAZR for WAY less than the normal upgrade pricing, plus a few other goodies.............of course being a customer for 15 yrs will help............now if only they can get the HOT phones!!! ENOUGH WITH THE 68 VERSIONS OF TH...
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Whitehorse

Dec 30, 2005, 11:44 AM
The focus (not just T-Mobile, it's pervasive throughout the cellular industry) is on getting new customers, not keeping the good ones a provider already has. Most of the higher-ups in cellular come from a sales & marketing background & they have little clue regarding actually keeping customers. The rewards are weighted heavily toward getting new customers & keeping existing customers is not a priority in their mindsets. Stores are rewarded in wildly disproportionate fashion for new customers instead of upgrading. It'd be really "neat" to see what would happen if a company - any company - really looked @ the cost to keep versus cost to get a new customer & put a real focus on that. Right now none do, though all realize that it's much cheaper ...
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Celling_it

Jan 3, 2006, 11:27 PM
That is not true VZW has had the New Every Two program in place for about 5 years. That is an extra 100.00 off of the cheapest price on the phone for those customers who are upgrading. They also pay there reps that same for upgrades as they do for new customers so everyone gets equal treatment.
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Whitehorse

Jan 8, 2006, 5:59 PM
This is good to hear! As long as the rep gets equal credit ALL THE WAY AROUND!!! (upgrade as equal part of quota, nothing to make a upgrade less than a new sale) that's great! It should help Verizon lower churn & that in turn will help with new customer acquisition - more happy current customers!
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lefteyeiu2006

Jan 8, 2006, 8:49 PM
T-Mobile has always been good to me. They have even given me a free upgrade in the middle of my contract. Plus they are always so pleasant to talk to when I call C/S with a question.
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yourtmobilerep

Jan 10, 2006, 1:48 AM
T-Mobile is putting a bigger emphasis on exsisting customers. By signing a two year contract with tmobile you get a fairly larger discount then new customers.
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THEGAME

Jan 10, 2006, 1:50 AM
but the phones stink 😢
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lefteyeiu2006

Dec 31, 2005, 2:49 PM
I never had any MAJOR problems with them. Some people get lucky, others, just don't!
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VR6Yetta

Jan 1, 2006, 1:23 PM
i have never had any problems with the service at all. it is much better than cingular. i have to agree with a lot of people though with the phone selection. it plain sux. i am on my 8th motorola this year. i want a good nokia but tmo doesnt have any i like at the time...
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hemobile

Jan 1, 2006, 3:38 PM
buy an unlocked one from ebay yetta.... 😎 like the nokia6111--ooo so sexy! 😉
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coowguy

Jan 1, 2006, 3:43 PM
I too have worked for TMo cust care for over 3 years and have unfortunately heard of this before. It's RARE but I have heard of it. I am very sorry that this happened to you, especially due to the fact that you have been such a loyal customer for so long.
I DO know that some stores will have phones in stock but not available for either outright purchase or upgrade.
They need those phones for new sales which is where they make their money.
As far as the sales vs. retention aspect of the cellular business...TMo does look at how much it costs to get a new customer (including advertising, HS discounts, dealer commission, etc...) but hasn't caught onto the premise yet (in my opinion) that if you have customer "A" who spends around $1000/ye...
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hemobile

Jan 1, 2006, 3:46 PM
kinda like Madison avenue! 😲 oh wait.. thats a one way. 😛
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sunilsonia

Jan 3, 2006, 10:52 PM
hemobile said:
kinda like Madison avenue! 😲 oh wait.. thats a one way. 😛


Park Ave or 42 St better fit this bill 😁
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hemobile

Jan 4, 2006, 8:49 AM
🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 lets hope so 🤣 🤣 🤣
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