More than one MacDailyNews and iPodDailyNews reader has complained about how some corporate-owned AT&T stores are handling Apple’s iPhone in recent days.
These reader accounts, from scattered locations around the U.S., share the same common thread: AT&T store staff making it difficult or impossible for customers to even see Apple’s iPhone.
Some AT&T stores are giving customers of widely-ranging age groups trouble when the employees are asked to show an Apple iPhone. From what we can tell, these aren’t packs of teenagers storming AT&T stores demanding to see iPhones, but adults, alone or in pairs, asking politely to see the iPhone.
Some AT&T stores reportedly have no iPhone displays on the floor, but still claim to stock the iPhone. Other accounts tell of AT&T stores with iPhone displays, but employees who refuse to bring out the iPhones “on Sundays” or for “fear of theft” due to small staff on-hand, or even claiming that “Apple won’t allow” them to bring out the iPhone to show to customers.
One pair of customers, “business-owning adults in our mid-30s,” on two separate occasions in two different AT&T stores, asked AT&T employees point-blank, “If we have $600 in cash and want to walk out with an iPhone, will you bring one out for us to see?” Both times, the customers said the AT&T employees refused to do so.
Readers report that, at best, some staff in some AT&T stores do not seem motivated to make iPhone sales and, at worst, seem downright antagonistic.
We’re wondering: Are these just isolated instances or signs of a widespread issue or an indication of some AT&T policy we do not understand or simply misunderstandings? Have you experienced any “iPhone friction” at AT&T stores? Please let us know in reader feedback below.
I bought mine last Friday and the salesperson made a big deal about how he has to check the back to see if they have any, “not sure if we have the 8 gig..” . This went on for a little bit and the girl who greeted me said “We HAVE them, just go get one.” . The whole thing seemed bizarre to me but this sheds some light on it.
The ATT kiosk in the Pyramid Mall in Ithaca, NY will not show anyone the iPhone. I (an adult over 50) asked more than once and they simply said they have them to sell, but would not show me one. This is nuts of course and surely will negatively impact sales. After finally buying a phone blindly on faith in Apple it is clear that anyone who can see it and try it will be much more likely to buy one. ATT is hurting apple big time. Fortunately the imuchmore thanaphone is so good that Apple may be able to drag along the dead weight of ATT.
My gosh!!
The night the iPhone was released, I went in to an AT&T store in North Alabama asking to see the iPhone. The ‘receptionist / manager’ asked if I was going to buy one. I said I might, but I’d just like to see one, first. She would not let me see it. I was directed to a brochure.
I finally got around to talking to one of 10 salesmen (maybe 20 years old) and he told me they had plenty in the back room. I just assumed it must be an Apple policy.
I didn’t think anything about it at the time, but this article has made me think that perhaps they were deliberately not letting me see one.
I was probably going to buy it but I wanted to see it first. They would not let me see it and basically didn’t explain why. I’m in my mid 30’s, FWIW.
One week after iphone was available I called a local ATT store in small town near where I live, (didnt even know there was a store there), attendant was very polite, said they had iphones available (which really surprised me) and would put one asside for me, took my name and number down. I drove there a couple of hours later, asked specifically for her, she remembered my name (guess they had not had many request for the iphone in such a small town) and promptly brought it out to me, showed me accessories that I might want to consider, and I did purchase the clear plastic case, and then I completed my purchase, and drove home. So I could not have been more pleased with that stores service and friendly personel but then hey Im in Louisiana and everyone is friendly here!
Go to the AT&T Website. See if you can find anything anywhere about the iPhone without actually putting that in the search box. The iPhone is not even mentioned anywhere.
Sorry, I meant go to the AT&T Wireless website. The iPhone is mentioned on the AT&T corporate website
Went to the AT&T store in North Charlotte, NC today (Northlake Mall). There were no iPhones on display. I asked if they had any iPhones and they said yes but the displays were removed because the alarms were too sensitive and would go off every time someone picked one up. They said that someone was fixing the alarms today. There is a rule in retail that if something is not on the shelf it is more difficult to sell.
A friend of mine who went to a Cingular (ATT) store in Miami on Saturday to buy a iPhone was talked out of it by the salesman. They claimed that the iphone had too many problems, did not perform well and that the battery life was terrible. In the end they persuaded him to buy a Blackberry ….
I would like to have comments on this please. Are there serious issue with the iphone that we don’t know about or are the ATT salespeople in the ‘pockets’ of RIM ?
Thanks …
AdeG
Your friend was a victim of the mindless anti-Apple FUD perpetuated by know nothings. If you got to Best Buy or Future Shop you will find the same thing: WinTel Zombies who don’t understand Apple and therefore repeat the same tired anti-Apple arguments, many of which were never true in the first place.
If your friend is not working for a company with proprietary Blackberry services in place, then he was robbed.