How do you deal with phone shop sales people?

ignore them until they are right in front of you and you can see them.

Push your tongue against the roof of your mouth and say "Sorry, I am deaf, I can't understand you!"

Normally does the job.
 
I only go into phone shops when I need a new phone.

So am glad that someone will come over and sort it out sharpish.

No point in browsing new phones while I am stuck in a contract, by the time i am out of it phones will have holograpic screens and be able to teleport stuff.
 
I got my current phone from CPW, the sales guy I had to deal with gave me the usual run round, primarily pretending to know more than me etc etc.

These people are usuaslly disarmed with a simple, "Just browsing..." although they will bounce back a couple of times. But I would rather they niggle me a little than completely ignore my presence 100%.
 
I agree with the OP. I only usually dare to enter a phone shop if I can see that all the staff are already tied up with customers. Can't be bothered with it. I updraded at P4U once and after I had signed for the phone/contract, I found myself being asked to explain to 3 members of staff why I didn't want the insurance. Maybe I should have walked, but it would have taken longer to cancel the phone that I actually wanted than to just keep saying NO. One of them suggested that if/when I smash the screen on my new phone, that it will cost £100 to fix. I pointed out that at £12.99/month and with a £50 excess that even 3 months in, it would cost me £89 anyway and that's 'just in case'. He obviously wasn't interested in the conversation that he had initiated, he just want his commision. anyway, didn't smash it and sold it 2 years later.

aaron said:
I work in an O2 shop so that may be the difference as I know the likes of carphone warehouse and P4U are not the best but please dont paint us all with the same brush.
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I used the o2 shop for my last upgrade and they were great. 10/10
 
BunnyKillBot said:
And you sound so ingratiated with this shady industry practice that you are unable to separate customer service from human interaction. For example, a self service machine at a super market gives great customer service without any human interaction at all*

Is there a poster on the wall explaining the data plans? Thats good customer service. Are the functional handsets around the store switched on and operational? Thats good customer service (very often, they are not). Is the pricing clear and readable? Thats good customer service.

In this case, being able to browse your data plans/phones without being hounded - thats good customer service.

Do you deny that high street phone shops are structured to minimise consumer freedom, using a pressure selling environment to generate a quick sale that is not necessarily the best deal for the customer?

*subject to scales which never seem to be properly balanced, and purchase of age restricted goods :p
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How much time have you spent in this thread, by that I mean writing and replying to it. I can bet more time then ive spent in my life telling people Im just browsing :rolleyes:

By everyone elses replies it seems that your the only one mortally offended by it also :P
 
One other thing I'll say is that although many people here are 'into' phones and would spend time researching and planning such a purchase, it's surprising how many people will buy a phone on impulse. Even though they have no intention of changing their network, they will let their upgrade day come and go without giving it a thought so these are the type of people their sales style is designed for. I suppose for many, it's a nice thing to buy for 'free' after a day of shopping.

Still don't like it though
 
4Play said:
How much time have you spent in this thread, by that I mean writing and replying to it. I can bet more time then ive spent in my life telling people Im just browsing :rolleyes:

By everyone elses replies it seems that your the only one mortally offended by it also :P
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Woe is me. How i choose to waste my life is my own prerogative :p
 
Rids said:
It all depends on the store that you're going into - places like Phones4u are high pressure sales environments where if you are unable to meet your targets they will find somebody that can.
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As an employee of phones 4u. (not store, sales or customer service though. I hate customers) I can say that this should be changing and the way they deal with customers in store is to give them a bit of time to browse the store and wait until they have picked up a handset to look at before talking to the customer and offering their assistance.
 
God some of you lot are miserable.

Tbh if go I into a shop and the staff don't acknowledge me then they aren't doing their job properly.

No point getting moody about it, just say "just having a look around" and viola they leave you alone!
 
Phones4U are the worst.

I went in once to enquire about prices on contract for a certain phone. They insisted I fill out a long form with a load of banal questions.

I couldn't get any network coverage with the phone (it was a network issue where I lived) and it transpired the form was to give them as much ammunition as possible to prevent them having to refund.
 
Usually just a 'No, i'm fine thanks' and staff will leave me alone.

I hold no grudges as they're just doing their job. The same with cold calling or any type of sales person. It's not just phone shops either, the likes of PC world etc and the staff in my local GAME see to approach customers allot.

I don't like being pounced on as soon as i enter a shop, as others have said, I also like to browse a bit and get my bearings first.

That being said most staff are just being prompt and attentive which is much better than having staff that can't be bothered.
 
I went into my local Phones 4 You, a guy said from the computers over the room, we will be right here if you need a hand with anything. I then browsed, asked what contracts they had in my price range and to look at a HTC and Samsung, they got 2 out unboxed them and let me have a play around, then told me to pop back in tomorrow when I had thought about it.
 
Funnily enough I remember a comedy sketch on a programme where the writers had obviously had exactly the opposite experience in phone shops.
The sketch centred around two assistants behind the desk who didn't give a toss.
Anybody know the sketch I'm on about?
 
It's all about the articulate approach, using as wider vocabulary as you have at your disposal. Most are confused easily ;)
 
Dimple it's called Phoneshop I think?

Just watching a sketch now but contains swearys :p. It's pretty good series but dies out

I did find an advert below I can post, is this the one?

 
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Funnily enough, I'm 2 months from upgrade so have been dropping into phone shops to browse/test out potential new handsets (SGS2 is currently looking like being the replacement for my iPhone 4).

Admittedly I'm going into the shops 5-10 minutes after they open, on a Monday, and have a 1 year old with me, but a simple "Just researching as I'm a few months away from upgrade" has been responded to with a "No problem, sir, let me know if you need anything." and everything has been happy :)

However, the staff in Starbucks demanding to know my name is another matter!
 
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