Message to T-Mobile: You don’t know how to sell the G1
I tried to take one more step towards buying the G1 phone today, and was not helped at all by the salesperson in the T-Mobile shop in Oxford Street. I just wanted to play with the phone — pick it up, feel it, get used to it, try out the keyboard, test the touchscreen’s responsiveness, and generally see if I could like it. Here’s what happened, and some observations:
- A salesperson asked if I needed help. I said I was interested in the G1, and he asked what in particular I was interested in. In the Apple Store I can walk in and play with any of their gadgets without having a reason, but in the T-Mobile shop I had to come up with a reason before I could be directed to a G1. I shouldn’t have to work for this.
- Having given a reason to see the phone, the salesperson said “I’ll just go and get one for you” and disappeared behind a door. What? You mean they’re hidden away in a back room? Don’t you want to encourage them out the door? This is your star product, dammit — you should have a dozen of them proudly on display. (Actually, there was a G1 on hands-on display, but there was only one there, and the salesperson didn’t draw my attention to it. I noticed it only as I was leaving.)
- The salesperson returned with a phone and kept it to himself for the duration of a 2 minute run-through. Please, put the product in the customer’s hand as quickly as possible. Make them feel like they own it so that they will want to own it.
- I opened the browser and tried to load a web page, but it didn’t work because this demo phone didn’t have a SIM card set up for a 3G connection. Great. I’ve been given a phone which has been hobbled so that it can’t show off its most basic functionality.
- I asked about tariffs as I was confused: there’s a £40/month option and a £35+£5 per month option, which kind of sound the same to me, so I wanted to know the difference. The salesperson explained these were actually a £40/month option and a £35/month option, and they both required a £5/month addition for the 3G. And — he said — there’s a £30/month option, too, which means I can get it for £35/month with the 3G bit if I’m happy with fewer minutes. But that’s definitely not what the T-Mobile website says — it only gives me two options with both total £40/month. Now I’ve just ended up more confused.
So, will I buy the G1? Well, I really wanted to find out if I could feel comfortable with the keyboard, but since I had a salesperson hovering over me waiting for his phone back I couldn’t spend any time finding out. So, no, I’m not encouraged to by the G1 right now.
People do need to be “helped” with their purchasing decisions, so having sales people is good. But people also need to get used to playing with a gadget so that they can feel like they own it. Please, T-Mobile, polish up your sales act. You’re not helping anyone if you continue like this.
