Told off a Verizon employee, then got a new customer for Apple :)

[DakotaGuy]

*golf clap* you sound a little fanboi-ish here

Well if you take some time to go check out his other posts I think you will find that he never had any intention of buying a Droid.

The iPhone and Droid are both excellent phones. I think either is a good choice for the customer. I would say even the Palm Pre is a good choice when you consider that Sprint has some excellent rates on their plans.

 

[thelatinist]

Today, I walked into the Verizon store with intentions to buy a Motorola Droid to try it out and possibly even keep it.)

Wow, you were going to buy a $500 phone just to "try it out" and then probably return it so that you could get all your money back and the phone company would be forced to recondition it and probably take the hit of selling it as a refurb, and it's the poor Verizon salesman trying to make a sale by giving his opinions who's out of line? Gimme a break.

 

[jemeinc]

Android central says "i

And since I've never seen any tests showing the droid is faster at browsing or anything else, yes, I would say it is a lie to call it faster.

There's been plenty of reports saying the droid is faster or as fast as the iPhone.. As I said, it's minimal, but there's no doubt the two are comparable so depending on the app being used to compare the relative speed of each device there's no way you can say it's a lie..

Honestly though, you missed the point.. Going into a store with no other intention other than to pick a fight with a guy doing his job is pretty lame.. And if you're gonna call a person a liar you really should have a much better case going for you than this guy did..

 

[QCassidy352]

There's been plenty of reports saying the droid is faster or as fast as the iPhone.

Sources?

I've yet to see anything other than anecdotal evidence suggesting the droid is faster, and as I posted, the droid has the same processor at a lower clock speed is lower, so technically speaking, saying it's faster is a lie.

Honestly though, you missed the point.

Seeing as my post was a direct response to a specific assertion in your post, if I missed the point, it's because you did first.

 

[jemeinc]

Sources?

I've yet to see anything other than anecdotal evidence suggesting the droid is faster, and as I posted, the droid has the same processor at a lower clock speed is lower, so technically speaking, saying it's faster is a lie.



Seeing as my post was a direct response to a specific assertion in your post, if I missed the point, it's because you did first.

<sigh>since we don't know what apps this particular salesman may have been saying the droid is faster at there are no sources.. And I really don't care that much to go and look.. The bottom line is they're both very nice phones, very capable of providing a very nice user experience, and fairly similar to one another in terms of base speed- with all things being equal of course.. To go into a store and accuse a guy of being a liar in that situation is to act like a douche..

And if I missed the point first- OK- sure.. LOL.. You're right, my bad.. I'll try harder the next time..

 

[QCassidy352]

<sigh>since we don't know what apps this particular salesman may have been saying the droid is faster at there are no sources.. And I really don't care that much to go and look.. The bottom line is they're both very nice phones, very capable of providing a very nice user experience, and fairly similar to one another in terms of base speed- with all things being equal of course.. To go into a store and accuse a guy of being a liar in that situation is to act like a douche..

And if I missed the point first- OK- sure.. LOL.. You're right, my bad.. I'll try harder the next time..

Don't get all upset. You're the one who raised the issue of whether "droid is faster" is technically true - I just responded to that point, which I assumed you were interested in (you know, since you brought it up).

 

[IronLogik]

<snip>

There are plenty of facts about the Droid that the Verizon salesperson could have used to sway the customer into a sale. First of all is the superior 3G network, second is the 5 MP camera with a flash, third is a removable battery, forth is a slide out keyboard, fifth is a much better screen. Some may argue those are not advantages, but they are features that make the Droid different then the iPhone.

Personally I think it is rude to go into stores and get into a salespersons face when you have no intent on buying the product. I understand that some may feel it is their personal duty to help Apple Inc. sell more products, but unless you are an Apple employee in an Apple store it is none of your business.

http://daringfireball.net/linked/2009/11/04/ihnatko

The Droid's camera, while having more megapixels, still produces inferior shots. Check the link on that page.

I work in sales. Sadly.

I would never lie to a customer. I go out of my way to tell the customer the truth. My employer does not pay me based on commission. Which is a nice benefit here and clearly benefits the customer.

I feel it is my job to help the customer determine if the products I sell are good for them. And that isn't always the case. If someone comes in asking for something we don't make, I show them something similar. But I will not lie to them and say ours is better but I will show them what makes our products different. If they decide to buy one of our products then I know they are buying it because they feel the product is in fact better FOR THEM.

It does two things. I can sleep at night. I can also be pretty sure that product isn't going to be returned in a week because I lied about it.

My opinion on the original poster's comments is this: A company is perceived by the people they encounter from the company. If Verizon tells their customers to lie or gives them a reason to lie and the customer sees that, that is Verizon and the employees fault. You can certainly show where your product is in fact different. It MAY be better for this customer. BUT it won't be better for everyone.

Basically I respect anyone who speaks with their wallet in cases like this. If I heard the same thing I would've called BS on the Verizon employee and spoken with my wallet. I would've walked out.

Send a letter to Verizon. Include the employee's name. There are tons of other people out there who are jobless who would love to be honest and earn their pay by doing the right thing. A company like Verizon should be concerned about company perception. They should also be more civil in their advertisements (clearly I don't agree with the methods they're using in their commercials).

Service is no longer what it used to be.

 

[Vanarak19]

not sure why you were in the store if you believe all that. Customers, if they cant do their own research, deserve to believe a "salesman." Point being, salesmen are ALL Liars these days.

I was going to go get a droid to try as well, still may do it. However, when I get into a store, I expect to hear all that bs, Im usually in and out within 2min.

"Would you like to hear about this feature sir..." Um no, give me my 200$ phone, so I can go stand in line somewhere else

As to the employees "words." Well, given the Droid push by bigV, I am not surprised to hear "oh it is way faster than iphone." Look at the tv commercials, why would employee sales tactics be any different. I just think its FUNNY they have to resort to this type of deal just to sell a phone.

 

[IronLogik]

not sure why you were in the store if you believe all that. Customers, if they cant do their own research, deserve to believe a "salesman." Point being, salesmen are ALL Liars these days.

I was going to go get a droid to try as well, still may do it. However, when I get into a store, I expect to hear all that bs, Im usually in and out within 2min.

"Would you like to hear about this feature sir..." Um no, give me my 200$ phone, so I can go stand in line somewhere else

As to the employees "words." Well, given the Droid push by bigV, I am not surprised to hear "oh it is way faster than iphone." Look at the tv commercials, why would employee sales tactics be any different. I just think its FUNNY they have to resort to this type of deal just to sell a phone.

The problem here is that you expect to be told lies and given the salesman speech. You shouldn't have to expect it.

I have a low tolerance for idiots that come to me in a store and expect me to tell them why they should drop $3000 on a home theater system when they haven't done any research on their own. BUT I'm still not going to lie to them and say "well, you should because our products are better than the competition."

Seriously, my biggest pet peeve is a stupid customer. But that doesn't mean I should lie to them.

Nor should you expect people to lie to you. If you're tired of it, tell the employee that when you know they're lying to you. They'll get the picture soon enough if enough people complain.

Why just put up with it when you can try to change it?

That said, you shouldn't be the type of ******* customer that comes in looking for an argument either. You shouldn't go into a store and start asking if a particular product is "BETTER" than another companies product. That's just putting the employee on the spot and will likely just make them uncomfortable which benefits you in absolutely no way what-so-ever. My typical response is that I'm not familiar with competing products. And usually I'm not, I go out of my way to NOT know a lot of details about competitors so I can focus on why someone would want OUR products. It also means I'm not trying to talk about their products at all and focus on our product. That's a far cry from lying. You want to know about our products? Sure, I'll tell you. If you want to buy one I'll sell it to you. But I'm not going to lie to con you into it.

 

[dukebound85]

lol at everyone who thinks the salesman was lying

we dont know

chances are he was giving opinions that are true but the op didnt agree with

 

[IronLogik]

lol at everyone who thinks the salesman was lying

we dont know

chances are he was giving opinions that are true but the op didnt agree with

Meh. I think in the end we know people are lying about this type of thing on a daily basis. Even if this is conjured up you know it's happening somewhere. Even here on this forum. So whether this is true or not doesn't really matter. The idea is something we can all relate to somehow.

I have to go pick up a Car Mount for my brother's christmas present (a droid) tomorrow. I'll probably hit the Verizon store and check the phone out. I'll actually go through the whole thing with a salesman just to see how they present it. I'll provide some feedback here tomorrow after I get home if anything seems unusual.

 

[GoKyu]

I work in sales. Sadly.

I would never lie to a customer. I go out of my way to tell the customer the truth. My employer does not pay me based on commission. Which is a nice benefit here and clearly benefits the customer.

I feel it is my job to help the customer determine if the products I sell are good for them.

If they decide to buy one of our products then I know they are buying it because they feel the product is in fact better FOR THEM.

It does two things. I can sleep at night. I can also be pretty sure that product isn't going to be returned in a week because I lied about it.

Basically I respect anyone who speaks with their wallet in cases like this.

Service is no longer what it used to be.

+1

I also work retail sales, and even though we have the *potential* to make commissions on protection plans and services (no, it's not guaranteed like it used to be), I refuse to lie to customers and would rather send them somewhere else to get what it is they really need if we don't carry it.

Case in point, I've sent plenty of potential PC purchasers (and potential sales for me) to the Apple store to buy Macs because after hearing what they're looking for, it's my HONEST opinion that a Mac would suit them better than a PC (yes, I listen for clues like "I need Windows compatibility", or "I just need Microsoft Office", etc.)

I don't consider myself an Apple fanboy (thinking Apple can do no wrong), but I do have my own opinion that OS X is more secure and less susceptible to malware...and believe it or not, a LOT of customers are looking for that combination, even if they need to buy a few new software titles (and I always mention Bootcamp for those who may be concerned about leaving Windows completely.)

Many of these same customers have returned to thank me for recommending Macs, saying their computer experience is so much nicer, and although our store lost a computer sale, they continue to SHOP with us for other things because they got good advice from our employees (me), and can come back to me to ask questions (I'm basically the Mac expert at my store for anyone who has a Mac-related issue, hardware or software.)

I have a low tolerance for idiots that come to me in a store and expect me to tell them why they should drop $3000 on a home theater system when they haven't done any research on their own. BUT I'm still not going to lie to them and say "well, you should because our products are better than the competition."

Seriously, my biggest pet peeve is a stupid customer. But that doesn't mean I should lie to them.

Another +1

I find it irritating to have customers come in knowing they want "a computer", and have done ZERO research - they tend to be at least somewhat computer literate, but just expect the salesperson to tell them why they need this chip or that graphics card, even if their requirements are such that I could sell them a Core2Duo or a Celeron and either would be perfectly fine for the basic tasks that they're doing.

 

[DakotaGuy]

http://daringfireball.net/linked/2009/11/04/ihnatko

The Droid's camera, while having more megapixels, still produces inferior shots. Check the link on that page.

The camera has improved since the 2.0.1 update and has a more responsive and accurate auto-focus. The flash is also helpful when you need some extra light in a picture. The LED flash also works great as a flashlight with a little app I installed.

I made that comment because if you were selling a Droid you would point that out if you were comparing pros and cons.

 

[elpmas]

Have you never seen the Mac vs. PC commercials?

It must be comfortable under your rock.

Lawl. I'm pretty sure he felt that burn. iHalo...you're a douche. How do you come on a forum and flaunt about what you just did. Whata douche.

 

[darngooddesign]

I find it irritating to have customers come in knowing they want "a computer", and have done ZERO research - they tend to be at least somewhat computer literate, but just expect the salesperson to tell them why they need this chip or that graphics card, even if their requirements are such that I could sell them a Core2Duo or a Celeron and either would be perfectly fine for the basic tasks that they're doing.

So doing your job irritates you?

I've worked retail for many years and it is absolutely your job to help people who have not done any research.

 

[-aggie-]

Another +1

I find it irritating to have customers come in knowing they want "a computer", and have done ZERO research - they tend to be at least somewhat computer literate, but just expect the salesperson to tell them why they need this chip or that graphics card, even if their requirements are such that I could sell them a Core2Duo or a Celeron and either would be perfectly fine for the basic tasks that they're doing.

You must really be irritated on the MR forums then.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

+1

Another +1

I find it irritating to have customers come in knowing they want "a computer", and have done ZERO research - they tend to be at least somewhat computer literate, but just expect the salesperson to tell them why they need this chip or that graphics card, even if their requirements are such that I could sell them a Core2Duo or a Celeron and either would be perfectly fine for the basic tasks that they're doing.

Not everyone has the skills to research something. Yes it does require some skill. There are just as many lies on the net as they are lying salesmen. Plus many don't even understand the tech lingo that is used to describe something.

So unless your willing to sit somebody down a give them a 10hr course on technology, don't blame lack of information on the customer.

 

[Mischka07]

Troll?

 

[stockscalper]

Originally Posted by jemeinc
There's been plenty of reports saying the droid is faster or as fast as the iPhone.

Do a search on YouTube. There is a comparison by one of the tech sites and the iPhone beat the pants of the Droid in their speed comparison.

 

[thetexan]

I have a Droid for work, and I'm considering using it as my main phone and dropping my 3GS. It's a great phone.

As far as speed, overall I think both are similar but Verizon's network at least in my area (YMMV) blows AT&T's 3G out of the water. I did a test with my friend's 3GS and my work Droid and the "contest" was to open YouTube, find, and play a specific music video. My video started playing when my friend's 3GS was still pulling up search results.* Maybe AT&T's 3G network is subpar in our area, but everything seems much snappier on my Droid than my 3GS. I'm not a salesman and right now, today, if someone asked me which one was the faster phone I'd say Droid.

*Full disclaimer: His iPhone went into EDGE mode in the middle of searching. However, considering the coverage map on AT&T's website shows full 3G that should NOT of happened. Whatever the cause, Droid still won.

 

[EthanNixon]

The OP may have said he had intentions to buy a Droid, but contradicted himself in the same sentence by saying he wanted to try it out. I believe that was his true intention, to simply try out the phone.

He then overheard a Verizon employee lying to a potential customer just to get a sale. There is a difference from showing a device's strong points and lying. The employee lied to this customer.

I would have done the same thing, I still do it in Best Buy when I see people buying computers. The employees lie so much when trying to sell things, it's ridiculous.

They aren't doing their job, they are taking advantage of ignorant customers.

Edit:
#69
If you have a Droid, and an iPhone 3GS, why wouldn't you just compare your own phones?

 

[Looon]

http://daringfireball.net/linked/2009/11/04/ihnatko

The Droid's camera, while having more megapixels, still produces inferior shots. Check the link on that page.

I work in sales. Sadly.

I would never lie to a customer. I go out of my way to tell the customer the truth. My employer does not pay me based on commission. Which is a nice benefit here and clearly benefits the customer.

I feel it is my job to help the customer determine if the products I sell are good for them. And that isn't always the case. If someone comes in asking for something we don't make, I show them something similar. But I will not lie to them and say ours is better but I will show them what makes our products different. If they decide to buy one of our products then I know they are buying it because they feel the product is in fact better FOR THEM.

It does two things. I can sleep at night. I can also be pretty sure that product isn't going to be returned in a week because I lied about it.

My opinion on the original poster's comments is this: A company is perceived by the people they encounter from the company. If Verizon tells their customers to lie or gives them a reason to lie and the customer sees that, that is Verizon and the employees fault. You can certainly show where your product is in fact different. It MAY be better for this customer. BUT it won't be better for everyone.

Basically I respect anyone who speaks with their wallet in cases like this. If I heard the same thing I would've called BS on the Verizon employee and spoken with my wallet. I would've walked out.

Send a letter to Verizon. Include the employee's name. There are tons of other people out there who are jobless who would love to be honest and earn their pay by doing the right thing. A company like Verizon should be concerned about company perception. They should also be more civil in their advertisements (clearly I don't agree with the methods they're using in their commercials).

Service is no longer what it used to be.

So you're gonna start encouraging this guy to do something that will make the guy lose his job? You seriously need to take a step back and take a look at your life. It's just a damn phone.

 

[thetexan]

Edit:
#69
If you have a Droid, and an iPhone 3GS, why wouldn't you just compare your own phones?

It wasn't my idea to compare them, it was my friends idea. I personally don't care too much if the Droid was faster or slower, I got it late last week and was falling in love with it the more I used it. If it's a phone I like I can wait 2 additional seconds for an app to load.

 

[dukebound85]

notice how the op only made that first post

 

[sapporobaby]

I find it telling that the OP has not returned to his or her thread. I call BS, and fraud.