Looking for change...

Hello everyone:

I just joined this site looking for some advice from people who work in the retail sales division of a wireless provider.

I'm looking for other opportunities with wireless providers in Illinois and Arizona.

Currently, I've been with Sprint-Nextel since September, and things are going OK, but they are making it difficult to achieve quotas, and I'm already on written warning to lose my job if I don't start producing. I've been transferred to a store with very low traffic. We get MAYBE 10 customers a day, mostly bill payments and service issues or upgrades. As of today (March 11), I have 0 new acts, and am behind on accessories and home long distance. I hit everyone up who comes in the store to get a new activation or home long distance. In addition, every customer who comes in is nailed by almost every sales rep there to buy something. At any given time, there are 6 sales reps on duty. When people have free long distance on their cell phone, why would they want to pay for home long distance???? We should be pushed to sell items like Vision, handset insurance, etc...items/services that are related to wireless.

Our quota is purely unattainable. Everyone in the store is failing. We are all attempting to do outside business, but the entire area is saturated with Sprint. We are sending out probably 300 mailers per day, and are not seeing any results. Our regional manager is against additional advertising (except mailers), and discounting handsets. These are things we need to drive sales!!!! Those who don't meet quotas are written up, regardless of the selling conditions. If I don't meet my quota by the end of March, I will be put on final written warning, and will lose my job at the end of April if I can't produce. This is not fair to me, or any other sales rep in the store when we are against a wall to try and get customers in the store. For example, we wanted one of those huge balloons in front of our store, but the request was denied because it was too much money. I've been told that if I want to advertise in the local paper, I have to pay for it out of my pocket. I'm not down with that, but if that's what I have to do, then I want to make sure I get all the sales that resulted from the newspaper ad.

As a result of the merger with Nextel, Sprint will be laying people off. This "corrective action" is new. Everyone who does not meet their quota will be written up, regardless. This is a good way for Sprint to get rid of employees without having to pay severance, and putting a black streak on our record for other job opportunities.

In a sales job, quotas, sales, and the amount of foot traffic you have in the store are directly related to one's success or demise. At the store I was at previously, I was in a major metro area, and had no problem meeting quotas. I often overachieved on my quotas. Now I'm out in the sticks and everyone in the store is struggling. The numbers are just too high and unrealistic. Other reps are resorting to bending/breaking the rules to get sales and keep their jobs. This is wrong. We shouldn't have to do this.

Sprint has adopted many of Nextel's policies as a result of the merger. This has pissed a lot of customers off and I have seen many customers cancel their service to go elsewhere. We should be about the customer, and do whatever it takes to make them satisfied, even if it means giving them a little discount off the phone. If one customer is pissed off, they are going to tell all their friends. In the last few months, the amount of customers has dropped significantly at both stores I was at. In my mind, this is directly related to the lack of quality customer service.

So...here are my questions.

I was looking into Alltel in Arizona, but have read that they might be bought out by Verizon. Given the fact that I've just been through one merger, and things have changed for the worse, I do not want to go through another merger again. When companies merge, employees lose, bottom line.

Alltel's price plans make them enticing, and can't be compared to Verizon's price plans.

Alltel and T-Mobile's price plans blow Sprint out of the water, and customers are getting pissed off with the crappy customer service from Sprint. I wish there was more that I could do for the customers to keep them happy, but my hands are tied. Ultimately, if Sprint doesn't fix this issue, customers will look elsewhere for cell service. There's just no comparison. I, like most people, shop where I can get the best value and service for my money.

In addition to any advice or suggestions you may have, would you mind telling me:

-which company you work for and what geographical location?
-what the foot traffic is like in your store?
-your monthly quotas?
-what you like/don't like about your company?
-any merging trends that you are aware of?
-the amount of support you get from the company (can be directly from your supervisor, or from corporate)

Any and all information that you feel would be beneficial would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot for your time.

Erick