Cellphones too confusing...

[CNF2002]

Some companies even refuse to let you activate older phones, the ones that were rugged and worked forever.

my old cellphone was a nokia brick, didnt do anything but make calls, was a standard phone, heavy well built and awesome, lasted 7 years, two battles with soda and many drops, when i had to change companies cingular refused to activate it


JWF

They just want you to get their stupid phone with all the new 'features' because thats where they get a good source of profit now, data transfer for games and people paying for those ridiculous ringtones. They want you to get a new phone because its small and fragile and they know you'll be more likely to break or lose it and have to buy another one, and even though you dont want all the features you HAVE to buy an expensive $150+ new phone with Gameboy built in + baby got back ringtone, standard, because thats all they offer.

Cellphone companies, especially their salestaff, are just plain liars. In short time we are going to think of cellphone salesmen the same as we think of used car salesmen.

[roscowgo]

heh i dont have a cellphone. heck don't have a landline either now that i think about it. at home that is.


I'm chained to a desk all day every day, with a 15 line phone with built in voicemail.

Bah freakin humbug on all phones.

GAH. 40 miles from my office and i get a telemarketing call. BAH.

[zarakand]

Cellphone companies, especially their salestaff, are just plain liars. In short time we are going to think of cellphone salesmen the same as we think of used car salesmen.

I couldn't agree with that statement any more. I've put myself through most of college being a cell phone salesperson, and it is the most unethical job I've ever held. Everything is based on a commission structure, and once the customer signs a convoluted contract filled with legalese jargon there really isn't anything they can do. Companies train us to systematically lie to customers, while simultaneously attempting to convince us that we're great helpful caring people.

The worst of it is for the last two years I've made more money selling cell phones than I will in my first two years as a teacher. What a bunch of "crumb".

[camthepyro]

They just want you to get their stupid phone with all the new 'features' because thats where they get a good source of profit now, data transfer for games and people paying for those ridiculous ringtones. They want you to get a new phone because its small and fragile and they know you'll be more likely to break or lose it and have to buy another one, and even though you dont want all the features you HAVE to buy an expensive $150+ new phone with Gameboy built in + baby got back ringtone, standard, because thats all they offer.

I make my ringtones, so that's free. For the most part I like having lots of cool features on my phone.... for about two weeks, after which I never using them again. The camera on my phone is annoying, I swear on my life I've taken at least 200 pictures of the inside of my pocket. I just think companies need to spend more time concentrating on making sure I don't drop calls (which I do 50% of the time, literally), than they do making my phone light up (ooohhhh, the colors....).

[dieziege]

I browse the web on my cellphone all the time.

Just the other day I was walking through a car parts store and noticed they had tail light sockets... I decided to fill the empty tail light holes in my bike... but I didn't know what the best part number was... so I pulled out the cell phone, fired up the browser, hit google, did a quick search, and had the part numbers of the sockets I wanted.

I do something like that at least a couple times a week.

[CNF2002]

The worst of it is for the last two years I've made more money selling cell phones than I will in my first two years as a teacher. What a bunch of "crumb".

Well sure you have...its easy to make lots of money when you lie and cheat the consumer. Heck, I could make a fortune ripping people off on ebay rather than selling them honest goods...but I don't do it!

I also had Internet on my phone for a month, just a trial to try it out. I used it, it was nice, but it wasnt anything I could do without and their rates are just ridiculous. I have better things to spend my money on. If you are wealthy, have a blast.

[zarakand]

The worst of it is for the last two years I've made more money selling cell phones than I will in my first two years as a teacher. What a bunch of "crumb".

Well sure you have...its easy to make lots of money when you lie and cheat the consumer. Heck, I could make a fortune ripping people off on ebay rather than selling them honest goods...but I don't do it!

I also had Internet on my phone for a month, just a trial to try it out. I used it, it was nice, but it wasnt anything I could do without and their rates are just ridiculous. I have better things to spend my money on. If you are wealthy, have a blast.

Sad thing is I'm the worst salesmen at the store, and I don't lie or cheat. When someone comes in and wants internet, ringtones, text/picture messaging or any of those data things on their phone I make any where from $5-$25 of them if they keep it two month. Now by default, most people keep it two months because the first month is always free, and by the time they realize it wasn't worth the money they've paid one month of it. Luckily, I work at a downtown store so we see between 200-400 people a day depending on how busy it is. Don't have to do any selling with that kind of volume.

A typical conversation is like this: Customer: "I want internet, saw it was free the first month." Me: "Yes, and you have to..." Customer: "Activated? Cause I gotta go!"

[pinger05]

I think you are missing the point. Cellphones themselves really are simple to use. The menus are not confusing, but I'm sure the 'general public' is frustrated. The 'general public' can barely figure out how to use the automated checkout at the grocery store.

From your blog it would seem that everyone is trying to figure it out on the commute though.

[CNF2002]

I think you are missing the point. Cellphones themselves really are simple to use. The menus are not confusing, but I'm sure the 'general public' is frustrated. The 'general public' can barely figure out how to use the automated checkout at the grocery store.

From your blog it would seem that everyone is trying to figure it out on the commute though.

Yes it seems so.

A typical conversation is like this: Customer: "I want internet, saw it was free the first month." Me: "Yes, and you have to..." Customer: "Activated? Cause I gotta go!"

No doubt signing the contract without reading it. Same kind of folks are the ones who sign up for these stupid store credit cards so they can save 10%.

[pinger05]

[
Same kind of folks are the ones who sign up for these stupid store credit cards so they can save 10%.

I do that and when the first bill arrives I cancel the card.