Microsoft has been struggling to meet their expected sales numbers for their Windows Phone 7 handsets, since November, and it seems AT&T sales reps may be a factor in the low results. It was a mystery to me why so few of these devices had been sold as well considering how well the Metro UI works among other things I enjoy about the phone itself.Though, after doing some research into and seeing many tweets and comments on Windows Phone articles it became more clear where the issue was.
Last month it was reported by Winextra that AT&T would be quizzing Best Buy employees on their knowledge of the phones as they were doing a large push for them, and trying to lessen the upselling of android devices. Now, despite the AT&T CEO commending Microsoft on their phone and seemingly willing to help it sell, the in-store reps have not been so generous. One consumer reported
“When a friend and myself went in to purchase two Focuses, we went into AT&T and the rep tried to do all she could to turn us away from it, only speaking about its negative qualities.”
This was said only yesterday on a windows phone message board, and those sentiments have been popping up all over the Internet. So, it seems that the AT&T sales rep also need some quizzing as they perhaps don’t have full knowledge of the phone, which has also been reported as an issue. This is no less the case in Canada at certain Rogers stores, even now some rep hardly know what the phone is aside from whether they have it in stock or not.
It would appear people are just simply not being educated on the handsets enough to inform consumers properly, as to whether it would be the right phone for their needs, or to at least sell it to them despite their personal beliefs.
Have any of you come across this situation with Windows Phone or even Android devices?
