Earlier this month, we told you that T-Mobile reps were hoping to get help from customers looking to buy a new phone, add a new line, or make any in-store transaction. As you might know, T-Mobile is forcing its reps to use the T-Life app to handle a certain percentage of their in-store transactions (rumored to be anywhere between 60% and 90%) or face losing their cash bonus. They could even lose their jobs by failing to meet their targets.
The "penny trick" reportedly helps reps from getting penalized for ringing up a customer without using T-Life
The problem is that the T-Life app is buggy, and if a customer comes in with a broken phone, or his phone is lost or stolen, he will have trouble getting a rep to help him. Lacking a working phone, the customer can't access T-Life, and any rep who helps this customer will be risking his or her job by ringing up the customer. That's because helping a customer without using the T-Life app lowers the rep's T-Life percentage and could take him below the goal set by T-Mobile.
However, some reps believe that if a transaction is partially paid for in cash, T-Life cannot be used to complete a purchase, and the transaction will not count against the rep's T-Life percentage. As a result, some reps made it known that customers should bring a penny into the store with them to help them pay partially in cash. However, paying for a new phone, accessory, or a new line using a penny or a dollar and a credit card will not give the rep handling the transaction a free pass when it comes to T-Life usage.
Will you pay cash to avoid using T-Life?
Yes. T-Mobile is being ridiculous.
85.01%
No. The reps need to follow company rules.
5.57%
I have no opinion.
9.42%
Some believe that as much as half the cost of a purchase must be paid in cash in order to prevent the salesman or saleswoman from getting penalized for not using T-Life. In addition, T-Mobile is aware of "the penny trick" and is keeping tabs on the reps who are getting involved in gaming the system. Reps caught doing this could end up punished by the company.
A whopping majority of you said that you would help T-Mobile reps avoid having to use T-Life
While no one at T-Mobile has said officially, we believe that the carrier wants to have its customers and reps become more accustomed to using the app because T-Mobile plans to fire most reps, close most stores, and become a digital carrier allowing subscribers to manage everything through the T-Life app. This will reduce overhead, increase the profit margins, and drive the stock higher. Keep in mind that no one at T-Mobile has rejected our premise, which we've mentioned several times before (and we know they read our articles).
A vast majority of you would pay cash at T-Mobile to avoid the T-Life app. | Image credit-T-Mobile
A poll we ran inside an article published at the beginning of this month asked whether you would pay cash to avoid having to use T-Life. Amazingly, slightly more than 85% of the 4,899 PhoneArena readers responding said that they would pay cash at T-Mobile to avoid using T-Life. 5.6% said that they would not pay cash just to bypass the use of the app, while 9.4% had no opinion.
What to make of T-Life and the future of T-Mobile
Forcing its salespeople to use the T-Life app is just another way that the carrier applies pressure to its reps. We've already explained how reps must meet certain goals each month. For some T-Mobile reps, these metrics include selling three accessories for every phone they ring up. This is why many of the carrier's sales crew feel so much pressure that they add screen protectors, cases, battery chargers, and lines to a customer's invoice without their consent.
During the years when John Legere was CEO, T-Mobile often held Un-carrier events and made announcements designed to end customer pain points while differentiating the carrier from the competition. Now, under Legere's former right-hand man Mike Sievert, T-Mobile creates customer pain points and seems no different than Verizon and AT&T.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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