Now that retailers have honed in on wireless, realizing that it can serve as an integral part of its business, they’ve also begun to notice that customers need more help understanding the new devices. In a recent survey from Mformation Technologies Inc., the company found that 95% of people would use data services more if the set-up were easier, and 45% of people said that complex set-up issues have prevented them from upgrading to a new, more sophisticated mobile phone.
Two large big-box retailers, Wal-Mart and Best Buy, have taken measures to keep their in-store customer service up to par. Wal-Mart, which added Apple Inc.’s iPhone and HTC Corp.’s G1, launched Connection Centers inside its stores to hold mobile offerings, as well as GPS devices and digital satellites. The centers are a division inside its electronics department designed to help customers pick the right phone, view a demonstration, purchase and set up service.
Melissa O’Brien, Wal-Mart spokeswoman, said all electronics employees, especially those in the Connection Centers, are trained to help with mobile purchases and that training has increased over the years as the retailer had delved deeper into wireless.
“Where there is specialized training for specific products, our associates go through the same training program as required of all retailers by those particular brands,” O’Brien said.
80 hours of training
Best Buy’s recently launched Best Buy Mobile division – which houses about 90 mobile phones from various carriers – started its Walk Out Working program last year, a program designed to make sure customers’ devices are personalized and set up for e-mail and data services when they leave the store.
The retailer also recently unveiled a mobile buyer’s guide, which displays all the phones available at Best Buy, along with carrier and network information. As far as employee knowledge goes, Scott Moore, spokesman for Best Buy Mobile, said employees go through an intense induction program and at least 80 hours of training. All mobile employees are trained on each device and its accompanying carrier and network, Moore said.
“They are Best-Buy-trained employees,” Moore said. “There is some training from the carriers, but the overall accountability is through Best Buy. It’s a unique situation.”
With 90 devices from nine service providers, it’s no surprise that the phone purchase process may take some time.
“People are excited to get the new device and they have this vision of what it will be like,” Moore said. “It can be a little overwhelming. And it takes too long to get the phone set up. We want to improve that over time.”
Carriers’ cue
Carriers have also recently began to step up their in-store tutorials. Sprint Nextel Corp. launched its ReadyNow program last year that employs specific individuals to sit down, one-on-one with a customer once they’ve purchased a new device and help them personalize and set up the handset before they leave. Customers can either set up their device immediately after purchase or make an appointment to do so at a later time.
Phone clarification at a later time seems to be the mantra at Verizon Wireless. Thomas Pica, spokesman for the industry’s largest operator, said while all Verizon Wireless stores have technical support in their stores, the company encourages customers to attend an educational seminar. While the idea of coming back to the store might not be practical for customers, Pica said it is important.
“I don’t know if you can learn everything about a device in one sitting,” Pica said. “Some of it is self-driven. We’re happy to work on their time able and answer every question they’ve got.”
Pica also said there are self-educating options in stores for those do-it-yourself customers. All phones are active and able to demo, Pica said, and customers can sit down with the device at demo bars, which work with an online service that goes through how the phone works.
“Some people know more about the devices than our sales people because they’re so into them,” Pica said.
Mark Siegel, spokesman for AT&T Mobility, said its employees are all trained to make sure customers know how to use any device to the fullest. Siegel said AT&T Mobility is about continuous learning and training is updated constantly as new products come about.
“The product lineup is more extensive and there’s more to learn,” Siegel said.
T-Mobile USA Inc. entertains similar customer service standards, making sure the phone is set up properly before customers leave.
The carrier also said it will program that specific store’s number into a customer’s device and call back within 3-5 days to touch base on how the customer’s experience is going. Further, T-Mobile USA established a collaborative online forum for customers to ask questions and share tips on products such as the G1.
