According to a T-Mobile rep, the carrier has recently issued a new edict for its sales crew, with many rebelling against it. Fighting "the man" is what many reps have been reduced to these days what with T-Mobile forcing them to use the unreliable T-Life app to handle a certain percentage of their transactions. Reps have been told to use T-Life on at least 60% of their in-store transactions, with some stating that their goal is as high as 90%. Those who fail to meet this goal could be fired.
T-Mobile reportedly tells reps to keep their personal phones off the sales floor
The latest word from the suits upstairs is that T-Mobile reps can no longer have their phones with them while on the sales floor. This is being done, according to the rep who apparently works at a corporate-owned location, to improve the in-store experience of T-Mobile customers. Personally, I can see this making sense. You don't want to walk into a T-Mobile store to see someone scrolling through TikTok videos when you need to be helped.
Current T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert on the left, his predecessor John Legere on the right. | Image-credit-T-Mobile
On the other hand, this rep says, "They genuinely believe that these new rules will make a better experience for the customer and increase sales, instead of focusing on real problems like third-party stores, especially in my region. I wouldn't be surprised if a new rule is soon formed that bans reading books sadly enough." Yes, the rep has a point, too. It seems to me that if T-Mobile was really interested in improving the customer experience at company-owned stores, it would immediately stop forcing the T-Life app on its sales crew. After all, the T-Life app crashes often, and one rep says that it adds 10 to 20 minutes to every transaction where it is used.
"To be frank, a lot of rules like that have always been in place. They don't backfire, people just stop enforcing them when upper management stops paying attention lol. The no phone rule is absolutely stupid and counterintuitive though."
-Reddit subscriber tmerrifi1170
One T-Mobile rep lists a couple of reasons why he needs to have his phone on his person while working the sales floor. "[The] problem is we have to have our phones many times. Can't tell you how many times my system logs me out and I have to use my authenticator on my personal phone to get back in. Also, if I need to look up anything on Google to help a customer, I have to use my personal phone since the iPad doesn't let us go anywhere."
T-Mobile appears to be transitioning into a digital carrier
The "no phones" rule seems to be a hot button topic with some reps writing things like, "A cellphone company that doesn’t allow their salespeople to have their cellphone on the floor. Makes no sense. I had mine all the time on the floor." Another typed, "You’re working, you shouldn’t need your phone on the floor considering you have Demos of the phones we sell."
Overall, it seems more salesmen and saleswomen at T-Mobile do not agree with the no phones rule, which is just another issue pitting them against management. Could it be that T-Mobile is really working toward the goal of becoming a digital-only carrier with no stores, no reps, and with all customers forced to use the T-Life app to manage their accounts?Pissing off the sales crew is just one way to slowly reduce the number of reps until they are all gone. Selling the stores will be part of this transformation.
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Should T-Mobile reps be allowed to carry their personal phones on the sales floor?
Yes. They are often needed to speed up the sales process.
57.14%
No. They take away the rep's focus on the customer.
42.86%
I gave it great thought...and I just don't care.
0%
What does all of this do? It increases profits and jacks up the stock price. The only way to reverse this process is for majority owner Deutsche Telekom, with 57% of T-Mobile shares, to get involved. This has me wondering about the rumors swirling around predicting the imminent departure of T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert. While Sievert's reign has seen T-Mobile's stock soar 191% compared to a 15% increase for AT&T and a decline of 25% for Verizon over the same span, the German telecommunications firm might not appreciate being linked to some of the shady practices we've chronicled over the last couple of years.
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