Employees unboxing new phones.

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Employees unboxing new phones.

tardtasticx

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#101162 25-Apr-2012 15:16

So I went with my friend today to a Telecom store to get his new phone.
He decided on getting the Nokia Lumia 800 on the $80/month plan, so $0 upfront for the phone.
Processed credit check and all that stuff, ported number, and expected to be given the phone and sim in a bag and leave the store. But no, the staff member just starts pulling the box apart, unwrapping the phone, fumbling to put the SIM in, putting the included case on the phone and handing it to us.
My friend was pissed, its a little thing but its intrusive to do, we didn't give him permission to do it.

They've also done this to me too, when I brought my iPhone 4S around the 20th of December. I paid for mine outright. Wanted to unbox it at home since I didn't have the case with me. The guy starts to open the box and unwrap my new phone, and put the SIM in. Now I planned to put a screen protector on as soon as I got home so no dust would get under it. But now the screen was all dirtied up.

Why are they still doing this? Shouldn't they be asking people if they want help setting the phone up rather than assuming they do, and just opening their brand new phone? Its kinda rude. inb4 over reacting blah blah. Its annoying. We know how to set phones up. We aren't stupid. We want to unbox our expensive items in our own homes, not the middle of a packed mall.

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BDFL - Memuneh
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Geekzone

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#614949 25-Apr-2012 15:19

Couldn't you just stop the person by saying "hold on"?

tardtasticx

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#614950 25-Apr-2012 15:21

Being done while contracts were being read over and signed etc. Phone was being unwrapped when we realised.

dontpanic42

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#614951 25-Apr-2012 15:23

Yip. I'm with you on this.

That would annoy the frack out of me.

If I order something online, and it is advertised as being a new item, I wouldn't expect it to be opened and "tinkered with" when it arrived by courier. So I don't see why a retail store should be any different.

Sure, if a customer specifically asked for help with setting it up, that would be fine, and possibly one of the things you might expect from a retail environment.

If they are going to resort to opening it up, at least ask before doing so.

jeffnz

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#614953 25-Apr-2012 15:23

ummm is it really an issue, some people may not know how to do that. Actually I think its good service but not everyone, obviously, see's it that way.

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tardtasticx

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#614955 25-Apr-2012 15:26

I see it as good service, its fantastic that they're doing it, but they should be asking before hand. It takes no time at all to ask "So would you like any help setting your phone up?"

alasta

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#614956 25-Apr-2012 15:29

jeffnz: ummm is it really an issue, some people may not know how to do that. Actually I think its good service but not everyone, obviously, see's it that way.

I agree - this would probably be seen by less tech-savvy users as good customer service, but the sales person probably should ask the question "would you like me to set it up for you" before actually doing it. I also think that it's important for any unboxing to be done in front of the customer so that they can see that the item is new and came out of a sealed box.

jeffnz

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#614959 25-Apr-2012 15:31

I can well imagine a similar thread with someone not so tech savvy complaining they were given the bag and not shown how to use it.

If it annoys you that much then say something to the sales person as they probably thought they were doping the right thing.

As to intrusive, well that's subjective.

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jbard

1377 posts

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#614961 25-Apr-2012 15:33

Got a Lumia 710 a few months ago and they left it in box for me, they asked me if I wanted them to put the screen protector on but I declined.

nix

147 posts

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#614963 25-Apr-2012 15:35

I always tell them that I will deal with the phone myself.

SteveON

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#614967 25-Apr-2012 15:41

Just another First World Issue... I think it's just great customer service TBH.

plambrechtsen

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#614970 25-Apr-2012 15:45

I don't work in retail but was in the store at midnight for the iPhone launch but IMHO I think it's pretty standard practice to unbox and check the phone isn't a DOA and with the SIM and works fine on the network. Since if you had a DOA or busted phone when you got home, wouldn't you be more unhappy than if it had been checked in-store and thus it would be replaced on the spot rather than if you returned 30 mins later it would need to be sent off to be checked by Telelogitics which is normally a 3-4 day turn around? So I would say it's probably worth saying that you will deal with the phone yourself when purchasing it as you would be by far the exception rather than the rule of someone not needing assistance when setting up their phone.

In regards to screen protectors again IMHO I would just pay the money for the person in-store to put it on. Speaking as someone who purchased an 1st gen iPhone and made a complete hack job of the first one I always recommend if you want a screen protector get the person who has put literally hundreds (or at least a dozen or more than me) put it on. Watched the guy putting them on as part of the iPhone launch, cleaned the screen, put the protector on perfectly without any fingerprints. Worth the few extra dollars you pay for the protector in-store for the more than 1K+ phone you've just purchased.

Ragnor

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#614971 25-Apr-2012 15:50

They probably do it as a standard procedure due to the amount of people that aren't that tech savy and who don't RTFM.

Agree with Mauricio, if you don't want them to open it tell them to stop?

SteveON

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#614977 25-Apr-2012 15:54

Reminds me of this Story Telecom prolly have made this policy because of so many DOA phones.

mattwnz

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#614981 25-Apr-2012 16:03

tardtasticx: Being done while contracts were being read over and signed etc. Phone was being unwrapped when we realised.

Just tell them that you want it to remain boxed, even if they have started to open it. If they refuse, say you don't want to buy it then. That will also stop them doing it in the future too. They should definitely ask you first as you own the device.

mattwnz

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#614983 25-Apr-2012 16:06

plambrechtsen: I don't work in retail but was in the store at midnight for the iPhone launch but IMHO I think it's pretty standard practice to unbox and check the phone isn't a DOA and with the SIM and works fine on the network.? Since if you had a DOA or busted phone when you got home, wouldn't you be more unhappy than if it had been checked in-store and thus it would be replaced on the spot rather than if you returned 30 mins later it would need to be sent off to be checked by Telelogitics which is normally a 3-4 day turn around?? So I would say it's probably worth saying that you will deal with the phone yourself when purchasing it as you would be by far the exception rather than the rule of someone not needing assistance when setting up their phone.

In regards to screen protectors again IMHO I would just pay the money for the person in-store to put it on.? Speaking as someone who purchased an 1st gen iPhone and made a complete hack job of the first one I always recommend if you want a screen protector get the person who has put literally hundreds (or at least a dozen or more than me) put it on.? Watched the guy putting them on as part of the iPhone launch, cleaned the screen, put the protector on perfectly without any fingerprints.? Worth the few extra dollars you pay for the protector in-store for the more than 1K+ phone you've just purchased.

It should be switched in store straight away if it is DOA. Apple stores will do this, and they will do this if you buy onine. Some phones won't work anyway out of the box, as they need charging first, which you can't do until you get home anyway.

Screen protectors are also simple to put on, as long as you buy a decent one, I have never had a problem applying them. I have found belkin ones are good, and they are thicker than the cheapies so you don't get air bubbles, so it is a case of getting what you pay for,

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