Argument with Verizon SR about HD Dock...

[JHOOPS2]

These guys really need to learn what it is they are selling. I mean half the time they are just hanging out in the store doing nothing. Anyhow, this is what happened.

I enter my local V-store yesterday just before noon to buy a USB/car adapter. I also decide to buy another car dock as well so I don't have to keep swapping out between vehicles. The SR goes to the back and comes out with a value-pack that includes the Car dock, HD dock, USB cable and headphones. I tell him that I don't need all of that and he starts into his pitch about how it is such a great deal and then throws me this big whopper..

Sales Rep "Do you every plan on hooking your phone up to a monitor or TV with the HDMI interface?"...
Me: Yeah, I do it all the time..
SR: "Oh, so you have the HD dock?"...
Me: No, I just plug directly in to the HDMI port on the phone and my TV
SR: You can't do that. It won't work, you need the HD dock.
Me: No really, it does work.
SR: You must be thinking of the USB port. The HDMI is for transmitting video to a monitor.
Me: It will do more than that, it will mirror it's self onto the monitor.
SR: See you are talking about the USB.
Me: What?
SR: The USB will let you copy stuff to a PC.
Me: No, mirror as in what I see on the phone's screen is sent to a monitor..You know "Mirror"
SR: (5 second dumb look)..... I think you are still talking about something different because you have to have the HD dock for HDMI to work.
Me: Can I just get a USB adapter and car dock.
SR: SURE...Whatever you need.

WTF????

 

[jrmdroid]

Yea, I have to agree with you. I ran into SR(s) like this as well. I do a lot of research before hand or I'll try it out myself and knowing the answers, I will ask questions relating to what I know just to see what they say. For one, My wife travels overseas from time to time and needs a phone that can be used for that purpose but not use a Verizon Global Plan. I asked the SR if by unlocking the Global phones SIM card if we could use a local providers SIM card overseas and the answer should have been Yes but instead I got "No you have to use our Verizon Global Services and you must be refering to AT&T's GMS phones". Well I already look into this and found out that if my account was in good standing, I could get the SIM card unlocked no questions asked. There is more to that but the SR should have told me that but did not.

In summary, there are SR's at the stores that take their job serious enough and will learn and undertsand all phones and policies but they are far and few between. They do have the time but not sure if they are given the time to learn everything there is to know about new phones or even new policies before they launch. However, we will find this issue no mater Wireless store we visit. All the SR(s) are concerned about is selling and if they are not selling they will be out on the street. This leaves me to believe they are under pressure to sell a phone / accessories and just tell the customer what they want to hear. The more they sell the better it looks. Trying to sell you a bundle that you really did not want or need is what they do and to the general customer, they buy into this alot.

 

[JHOOPS2]

Agreed.

 

[BlownSi05]

These guys really need to learn what it is they are selling. I mean half the time they are just hanging out in the store doing nothing. Anyhow, this is what happened.

I enter my local V-store yesterday just before noon to buy a USB/car adapter. I also decide to buy another car dock as well so I don't have to keep swapping out between vehicles. The SR goes to the back and comes out with a value-pack that includes the Car dock, HD dock, USB cable and headphones. I tell him that I don't need all of that and he starts into his pitch about how it is such a great deal and then throws me this big whopper..

Sales Rep "Do you every plan on hooking your phone up to a monitor or TV with the HDMI interface?"...
Me: Yeah, I do it all the time..
SR: "Oh, so you have the HD dock?"...
Me: No, I just plug directly in to the HDMI port on the phone and my TV
SR: You can't do that. It won't work, you need the HD dock.
Me: No really, it does work.
SR: You must be thinking of the USB port. The HDMI is for transmitting video to a monitor.
Me: It will do more than that, it will mirror it's self onto the monitor.
SR: See you are talking about the USB.
Me: What?
SR: The USB will let you copy stuff to a PC.
Me: No mirror as in what I see on the phone's screen is sent to a monitor..You know "Mirror"
SR: (5 second dumb look)..... I think you are still talking about something different because you have to have the HD dock for HDMI to work.
Me: Can I just get a USB adapter and car dock.
SR: SURE...Whatever you need.

WTF????

This is exactly why I do not get any of my stuff from a Verizon store. I have ordered everything I have ever bought from VW over the phone or on the website.

 

[JHOOPS2]

This is exactly why I do not get any of my stuff from a Verizon store. I have ordered everything I have ever bought from VW over the phone or on the website.

99% of the time that IS what I do as well. I was in a crunch for the USB/power adapter so I stopped in. That actually might have been the first item that I have ever purchased in a store for a phone to be honest...I probably will not make a habit of it ;-)

 

[JHOOPS2]

It was very surreal while we were talking. I got that corporate brainwashed feeling from him. No matter what facts I input into his brain he just kept regurgitating what he thought was the correct response in complete disregard.

 

[RETG]

Well, glad to see Verizon sales people are just like car/truck sales people, hardware sales people, TV sales people, etc. :icon_ banana:

 

[Oaklands]

I own a company that sells and services Point of Sale touch screen systems for Restaurants. Whenever I have hired a sales rep, he has to shadow a technician for 2 months before he can go out and sell. This means, learn how to fix them and know the product inside and out. One of those guys is my business partner now and he couldn't take the case off a computer when I first hired him. Now he is as good or better than me on support.

 

[tjk629]

It was very surreal while we were talking. I got that corporate brainwashed feeling from him. No matter what facts I input into his brain he just kept regurgitating what he thought was the correct response in complete disregard.

You just needed to find the right word to put him into submission mode. Then you could proceed to input what you needed into him.

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

I work in IT. The people that are on the first level of support are clueless (most of them). This doesn't surprise me at all.

EDIT: Oh sales rep. Gotcha. They are even worse, but they do know the cost of everything! :biggrin:

 

[Agrajag]

Don't forget that most of the time these people deal with customers that, compared to us, really don't give a damn about the issues. They just want a phone and to have it work basically. No more, no less. Thus these guys really don't need to be all that informed to do their jobs. As noted, knowing the cost of everything is a good thing for them. Knowing what every single device does and every function? That's pushing it as they handle literally hundreds of independent devices.

Don't get me wrong, I still thing this is funny as hell and I think he handled it wrong (the SR). When I got my RAZR the sales MANAGER kept complimenting me (to the point of it being odd) about how much more I knew than they did. She even offered me a job which I don't want. I make it clear I'm informed and generally they back off with the hard press.

 

[Bullitt6996]

Wow, this reminds me of some of the brainpain I got while talking to Tier 1 support regarding several different issues on many occasions. Once you get to Tier 2 or management, they're a lot more knowledgable and far more helpful.

 

[tjk629]

Don't forget that most of the time these people deal with customers that, compared to us, really don't give a damn about the issues. They just want a phone and to have it work basically. No more, no less. Thus these guys really don't need to be all that informed to do their jobs. As noted, knowing the cost of everything is a good thing for them. Knowing what every single device does and every function? That's pushing it as they handle literally hundreds of independent devices.

Don't get me wrong, I still thing this is funny as hell and I think he handled it wrong (the SR). When I got my RAZR the sales MANAGER kept complimenting me (to the point of it being odd) about how much more I knew than they did. She even offered me a job which I don't want. I make it clear I'm informed and generally they back off with the hard press.

You should have taken the job. Then climb up the corporate ladder and unlock our bootloaders!

 

[jroc]

You should have taken the job. Then climb up the corporate ladder and unlock our bootloaders!

Priceless...lol

But yea...I was at a Best Buy trying to get a PC, monitor and printer for my kids mother. If I had the time I would got it all online from where I get my stuff from. But it was needed asap. The experience wasnt as bad as this, but I kept trying to very discreetly shake my head at my kids mother when she wanted to ask them a question concerning the products. Some do know there stuff overall tho. I could see some of us working in a carrier store. They would think we were geniuses...

 

[IceAngel8381]

I went into a VZW store today due to my Charge being broken, and I exchanged it for the RAZOR (which I love, BTW) and I ended up getting the same kit (HD dock, charging dock, etc) for $25 due to rebates and discounts, and the fact the CS rep was confused over what, I have no idea!! LOL