Stephen Elop still complaining about retail staff

January 27, 2012 | By Surur

In a sales call which accompanied their recent earnings, Stephen Elop complained that their Lumia handsets still suffered at the hands of carrier sales staff.

He said:

“We need to increase the engagement of the retail sales associates in the stores, because it is the retail associate who speaks with our consumers and puts the Lumia device in their hands. For example, in the United Kingdom, where competitive ecosystems are firmly entrenched, we have seen mixed retail execution around Lumia devices with a range of results among different locations, different chains, different stores and so on.”

It is interesting that, according to Elop, the handsets could be selling well in one locale and poorly at another, simple based on the attitude of the staff working there.

Hopefully moves to educate and more importantly to incentivise sales staff will allow this boat to be turned around.

Have any of our readers noticed any change in attitude towards the better at retail locations yet? Let us know below.

Via Slashgear.com

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC’s. He is currently sporting a HTC 7 Trophy.

http://twitter.com/winningguy Nelson Ocampo

Didn’t exactly sound like complaining to me.

http://profiles.google.com/philipcdj Philip De Jesus

Come on it is not really a complaint. But you know how WMPU embelish their headlines so… you know, they can get more reading hits.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Milad-Bazzaz/100000479683479 Milad Bazzaz

It IS a complain…if it doesn’t sound so, I can confirm this first hands.

You know how easy it is to figure this out? you take several stores from the same company, all in the same city (distance like 200 meters between the stores)…then you monitor those stores for a few weeks and see one selling 50 Lumia’s while the other is selling 3…it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the personnel of these shops are responsible for this extreme fluctuation…since every other business metric is identical in that area…same people, same purchasing power, same affinities, same commercials, same newspapers, same surroundings, and no fluctuation in demand, so its completely dependent on the sales agents and their commitment…

when you see this, you wonder why the other store couldn’t get the job done.

Anonymous

Last time I went into a Swisscom Store, the saleswoman still called Windows Phone Windows Mobile. She had no idea what she was talking about and when my friend asked what phone she could have free on contract, the saleswoman only recommended two Android phones. I knew she could also get any of the first-gen Windows Phone for free or the HTC Radar, so I asked about them, and the saleswoman said that we could also get those , after which she immediatly asked if we really wanted a Windows Mobile.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Milad-Bazzaz/100000479683479 Milad Bazzaz

thats pretty crazy…I swear I had the very same conversation with Elop like 3 weeks ago….actually I know some other Nokia vice presidents but after talking to him about this he directed me to Elop…the message was that sales people still tend to ignore the OS, still don’t understand live tiles, app connect, deep linking into apps, etc. etc. and that the results are very mixed with some stores selling Lumia’s like hot cakes and some complain about poor sales…

anyway, my advice to Nokia was that they should force carriers to give their sales agents mandatory trainings and I told them they need to sponsor this if they have to. Its crazy that the very same sentiment is now mentioned .

I actually had the pleasure to share some stuff with the smart devices business unit at Nokia…

Nokia is an amazing company, they have very very nice officials in their upper ranks and they actually really care about their business partners.

A funny thing is, they asked me what Phone I carry and I was like “an HTC Titan but only because they launched faster than you guys”…and then he asked me what my colleagues carry and I was like iPhone, iPhone and SGSII. Then a few days later I got a package from Nokia and there were 4 new Lumia’s inside and a message: “a present for you and your friends”…

http://www.facebook.com/people/Arvydas-Grušeckas/1802491461 Arvydas Grušeckas

Can I have one, please? BTW, my answer would be: because that screen is bigger. Yea, I am waiting for a bigger screen, because Lumia 800 is too expensive right now for that screen, but if I had a chance to get it, I would use it.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Milad-Bazzaz/100000479683479 Milad Bazzaz

haha, I wouldn’t have any problem with gifting you one…unfortunetly though I gifted all 4 even though 3 of those devices are right in front of me right now

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/221/wp000061m.jpg/

I didn’t even keep one for myself. I love the Lumia but I don’t need to be convinced to join the WP7 family so I gave them to people who were not WP7 fans…

Hopefully they will enjoy their experience and recommend it to others

Anonymous

How did you get such a good gig? LOL I tweeted Elop to hook it up with some Lumias so I can give them to all WP doubters but no luck
Anonymous

Can I be your friend. But, really I’m liking what Nokia is doing.

Anonymous

Im sure Google and Apple are pay incentives to all sales staff as well. What I think Microsoft and Nokia should do is built a points system for every phone you sell you get your cash incventive plus points and with these points you can build them up and get rewarded with cool things like laptops, phones, xbox’s, xbox live/zune pass subscriptions etc and that will not only get sales people to sell the phones but it gets them into the MS ecosystem.
Anonymous

finally someone not tone deaf in this dept. Microsoft WP team has woefully ignored this pathetic situation, along with Verizon/Spring neutering WP7 to date.
Anonymous

I’m offended by the mere calling of these people salespeople. They are somewhere between the WalMart greeter and the checkout person. If you are going to sell, know your product; all your products. Know the hot spots of each so when you listen to what the customer wants (and you better listen to the customer) you will have a much better idea of where to point them. You should also know your competition to a large extent. That way when the customer brings up a question or objection to the product you are trying to sell them, you can offer alternatives or explain how your product is better. Sales people my ass.

Anonymous

Alot of these guys aren’t into tech everything is told from upper management its unfortunate but thats how it works

Anonymous

its not the salespeoples fault. its the carriers. do you think they are properly training them on the phones? why do you think they still think its windows mobile. because they dont know what theyre selling,and it has windows in its name,therefore it must be the same but just updated.
mavis fisher

Went in Currys the other day and phones4U have a spot in there. I spent a few mins showing off the Lumia 800 to my father as I’m trying to get him to upgrade his phone. Everyone else including my sister is pushing the “Fruit Phone”, so my father asked the rep ( a young man) which was the best phone….. He pulled out his Lumia 800 and said, do I need to say any more??? Another Windows Phone Convert in the next couple of weeks…
Emi Cyberschreiber

its stupid when they sell you android because they have no idea what Windows Phone is, and then call it windows mobile, and make it seem like its the same thing. which is stupid since they should know the difference and don’t give wrong information to customers.

But seriously, something i cant stand its when salespeople “sell” their souls for money…
I mean, its annoying to know when salespeople throw Androids at your face only because they get money for every android they sell. I know money is cool and all, but if some product is good like windows phone and specially Nokia Lumia… then why if i ask for a windows phone, they say windows phone is garbage and i have to go to an android phone?? i could be 3 hours looking at windows phone and say “windows phone” 1000 times, and with a windows phone on my hand and still they would try to sell me android!

really, most of the time its doesnt feel its for “how good and amazing android is” its because of the few bucks they get as “incentive” for selling android = Money over customer best interest. maybe next time i should give $20 to a person trying to sell me android so they will stop trying? i dont know, but thats sad, because that means Nokia would have to pay the same or more, so some salespeople would sell a Nokia Lumia over an android.

rsgx

Money is money, people need to make a living. People are greedy.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1765918212 Gary Tenney

I can confirm that this is still a big issue where I live (AZ). Yesterday I stopped by the local at&t store to inquire about pricing on family plans (since I plan on getting the lumia 900). The manager there asked why I want a windows phone (he actually called it windows mobile 7). I told him all of the reasons I feel it is a superior OS and user experience and he literally started laughing in my face saying he had never heard of someone waiting for a windows phone to come out. Hopefully when they get to hold a lumia 900 device in their hands they will see the quality of the hardware, I just think there are a lot of sales associates with a bias already formed against WP7.

rsgx

Wow, the manager laughed in your face?

Damn. You should challenge him to a “I just got smoked by a Windows Phone”, hehe.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UWVRPJYQFEG7ZCHPD7LDPBR2CM LWSJR

@Gary…Perhaps you should consider ordering your devices online when your purchase the Lumias, or perhaps visit another store for the purchases - the manager’s attitude is unprofessional, and his team (sales associates) will likely reflect the same attitude and sentiment; in my opinion, that store/location doesn’t deserve the credit for the activations (of your Lumia devices).

Anonymous

I went in to an AT&T store with my mother to get her a Titan and the sales rep actually owned one himself. I event asked him some questions and he was actually decently informed. Maybe things are changing.
Anonymous

I wonder if stores can promote themselves and the usefulness of their sales staff. For instance, if I had a store I would make sure that the employees were well versed in all of the OS’s and screened customers accordingly to find out which device would be best for them (I’ve experienced similar sales staffs in retail before, so they exists). Then I would promote my store as having the most knowledgeable sales staff and a commitment to customer satisfaction.

If that brought more sales, you’d think more stores and staff would be committed to it because they would sell more and thus the staff would make more commission income.

Maybe I’m oversimplifying things, but it seems like it’d be worth a shot.
http://profile.yahoo.com/O45MNZQ2DCOZ2U2GATNOLOIAQA oiler_head

Nothing has changed. I went into the same VZW store in Washington Sq in Portland OR. The first time was to show my wife the Trophy. The saleslady kept foisting Android on us saying that Windows Phone is a failure and expensive. She also continued on saying that it didn’t have any apps and used the fact that dropbox doesn’t have an app. I pointed out to her that Windows Phone uses Skydrive and its build in. She mumbled something and then tried again to point us towards a Droid. Then again a couple of weeks ago I went back to the same store to see if they sold Zaggs for the Trophy. The clerk who greeted me at the door, laughed when I asked about the Trophy and then, as I left stating I’ll look online, sarcastically cackled…”good luck with that!”.

If we didn’t have a grandfathered unlimited data plan, i’d dropped them right there.

rsgx

Haha, just… wow. These fanboys & fangirls really need to check their personal opinions at the door when they get to work.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UWVRPJYQFEG7ZCHPD7LDPBR2CM LWSJR

Not surprised. Frankly, if I encounter any unprofessional when I am ready to purchase a WP - such as what you, and Gary, experienced with managers/associates scoffing or trying to talk to me about Android when I specifically ask about Windows Phone - I am simply going to exit the store and go home to order the device online. There is no way I am going to reward that type of disrespect by giving that store/location/personnel an activation.
Anonymous

I think in general, VZW doesn’t give a rat’s ass about WP7 . . .

Anonymous

This has been MS’s biggest issue since day one! The only thing that can combat this is MS themselves. They need to really get going on their retail stores. Its sad but the more retail stor they have the more products they will sell.
http://profile.yahoo.com/TWRIPXEIDVDGH3ADCU5PPOFDXE me

I am a HUGE WP fan! I have the Titan with AT&T and I also own and use the HTC 7 Pro with US Cellular, they are the 6th largest carrier in the US. AT&T for obvious reasons has more devices and I have to admit they have GREAT support for the WP. They are knowledgeable and speak well of the WP.
US Cellular on the other hand is HORRIBLE. They carry 1 device, no fault of theirs as they are CDMA. I alone cover everything WP for a website unofficially associated to the carrier who carries android almost exclusively. Suffice to say I have my work cut out for me. Most customers aren’t even aware that WP exists. Most of the rest of the people who know of WP mistake it for WM. There are few of us owners. I am over the top in my like for this platform and do whatever I can. I soapbox whenever given the opportunity. I often find myself helping reps when in our local stores or online. The same that can be said of the customers can be said of the US Cellular staff from store to corporate. The reps say horrible things about the WP. I feel like I have helped sell more WP’s than they have in my constant interactions. I recently tried getting a few of the store reps that I communicate with to try the Retail Insider App. It was made clear that it’s not likely.
1. Most stores WP’s floor models are inactive
2. Reps use Android
3. No support from corporate
I had a couple of them suggest having an app with the same function on their Android, however it still doesn’t address the issue of not being able to play with one when go into the store. Of the few that have
active models, they are running WP7 not the updated WP7.5 and most don’t even know that there has been an update. What can I do to help? I truly care.
Anonymous

Vote on this User Voice suggestion:
http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/forums/101801-feature-suggestions/suggestions/2548985-offer-how-to-sell-windows-phones-training-classe
Anonymous

the guys here in switzerland still talk people into an iphone…. if they can’t aford it to an android… but at least the lumia handsets get unique places in the stores
Anonymous

Microsoft have only themselves to blame for this. When they brought out the new mobile platform they confused everybody by calling it Windows Phone 7 despite it not being an upgrade from Windows Mobile 6 or even having anything to do with Windows 7. (In fact, Windows 7 is actually Windows 6.1 and this is what happens if you let marketing run the company. Fortunately a lot of those people are now seeking opportunities elsewhere, but I digress.)

In addition to the confusion with Windows Mobile 6, Windows Phone 7 is still too much of a mouthful. Microsoft should rebrand it as Bing Phone or Zune Phone.
Anonymous

The biggest difference between Stephen and the rest of us is that he has the ability to do something about it. On the other hand, all we can do is hope whatever they come up with is effective so sales start really climing, otherwise eventually developers will balk and move on.