T-Mobile authorized retailer Arch Telecom wants to bring integrity back to the wireless industry
Some T-Mobile reps working in the company's corporate stores have been known to use some shady sales tactics in order to keep their jobs by meeting certain metrics pushed on them by those working in the wireless provider's executive suite. The sleaziest of reps have refused to sell phones to customers unless they agree to buy accessories like cases, chargers,insurance plans. and screen protectors. Without the addition of these accessory sales, the commission received for selling a new phone is too low to live on.
Some reps have been known to add accessories or new lines to phone upgrades even without the customer's approval. These T-Mobile employees seem to do whatever they need to do to generate larger commissions and figure that they can always use the excuse that they were simply looking to meet the tough metrics and goals forced on them by corporate. And it's not just those working in T-Mobile's corporate stores that are excused of using shady sales techniques.
Reps working for T-Mobile-authorized retailer Arch Telecom have been accused of doing many of the same fraudulent schemes as corporate reps because they too have to meet certain sales and performance goals and metrics. In one scheme mentioned by The Mobile Report, Arch Telecom employees would not let customers into a store unless they were definitely going to make a purchase. This is because employees were worried that customers entering the store without making a purchase would hurt their "door swings" metric.
Arch Telecom promises to get rid of shady sales techniques. | Image credit-The Mobile Report
If this sounds crazy, it's because it is crazy. A customer interaction without a sale would reportedly have to be reported to higher-ups. And you have to assume that whatever Arch is doing, T-Mobile is doing too with its corporate stores.
But Arch recently sent a message via chat app GroupMe that was also sent to T-Mobile’s Senior Director for Authorized Retail Accounts, the Account Manager for Dealer Channel, and the VP of Dealer Accounts. The message says that Arch's sales team must sell "the right way" and maintain T-Mobile's Un-Carrier reputation for integrity and fairness in each customer-rep interaction. "Every customer interaction must be met with transparency and a relentless commitment to do it the right way."
The message asks the Arch sales team to commit to the "proper sales techniques and standards of conduct." T-Mobile reps working in corporate stores received a similar message last month. This message noted that certain actions by reps "need to stop." The memo, which mentioned one of our articles on the subject, talked about the actions taken by some reps to prevent customers from purchasing a new phone without adding a case, insurance, a charger, and other accessories.
Hopefully, Arch takes the lead and successfully ends the fraudulent behaviors that have some third-party retailers (TPR) on the defensive along with T-Mobile's corporate-owned stores.
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