I asked to AT&T to bill my business entity for my phone when I established an account in March '07. That boxes me out of the Apple Store, since business accounts can only be serviced at an AT&T store where I have had nothing but doltish service.
i heard about that business thing. apparently if you work for a company that gets you a rate discount, even if you pay the bill yourself, you have to go to ATT. at first apparently the customer service folks on the phone would kill the discount and you could reapply but it was happening so much that they finally said they wouldn't do it anymore. they would remove one that the customer said was old and should have been turned out, but no more cutting them and then reapplying. customer had to go to the ATT stores (which of course rarely to never have stock).
Rumor has it that Apple retail workers get such a discount so they can't even buy the phone at their own store.
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but small (micro!) business transactions should be more streamlined and able to be handled at the Apple Store.
from what I have been told the way the sales system for Apple was written, it's impossible to ring up any form of business account. ATT didn't give Apple that power because they want to keep those sales for themselves
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My only fear is that the Genius Bar is going to be inundated with people who can't operate their iPhone.
that's not the job of the Bar. if someone makes an appointment for that kind of thing the Bar can send them away to a Specialist or an available Trainer. and I've seen them do it, especially when the store is busy, there are folks trying to go on standby etc. it all depends on the store and its policies.
From what I hear, there is an AT&T rep present in some Apple Stores, though it's not made generally known. If you see iPhone sales people occasionally going to the back of the store to talk to someone who almost looks like a customer, but lingers rather than browses, maybe carries a notepad or spends the entire time fingering a blackberry... there's your AT&T rep.
having a food court convo with a guy from my local store (which has a rep), it hasn't made that much of a difference. almost every issue she tells them they have to call dealer assistance. and a couple of times she's told them the wrong thing to do because she isn't trained on the sales equipment.
Are they quoting you a month? Every iPhone I've bought from them they are supplying to me in half the time they are quoting.
I was quoted 10-21 days for the 8GB iPhone 3G at the AT&T store when I ordered on 16 July. Allowing for a "fib factor" is where I figured it would take a month. Oh, yes. To add insult to injury, AT&T billed my card immediately, after telling me they would bill me when the thing shipped. Grrr.
The policy of "one person, one iPhone 3G" cheesed me off immensely, because Wifey had a conference out of town, and I guessed that pretty much meant she wouldn't have hers for some time. I was counting on the initial stock running dry, and frankly I didn't have time to drive to Pittsburgh or Columbus, OH (my two closest Apple store options). Besided, I had to rework our family phone plan, and I knew an Apple Store wouldn't be able to solve those issues.
That's why I ended up at an AT&T store for iPhone 3G. \
Comments
You emoticon is emoting disapproval but you asked a question so I take it your question is rhetorical.
I asked to AT&T to bill my business entity for my phone when I established an account in March '07. That boxes me out of the Apple Store, since business accounts can only be serviced at an AT&T store where I have had nothing but doltish service.
i heard about that business thing. apparently if you work for a company that gets you a rate discount, even if you pay the bill yourself, you have to go to ATT. at first apparently the customer service folks on the phone would kill the discount and you could reapply but it was happening so much that they finally said they wouldn't do it anymore. they would remove one that the customer said was old and should have been turned out, but no more cutting them and then reapplying. customer had to go to the ATT stores (which of course rarely to never have stock).
Rumor has it that Apple retail workers get such a discount so they can't even buy the phone at their own store.
but small (micro!) business transactions should be more streamlined and able to be handled at the Apple Store.
from what I have been told the way the sales system for Apple was written, it's impossible to ring up any form of business account. ATT didn't give Apple that power because they want to keep those sales for themselves
My only fear is that the Genius Bar is going to be inundated with people who can't operate their iPhone.
that's not the job of the Bar. if someone makes an appointment for that kind of thing the Bar can send them away to a Specialist or an available Trainer. and I've seen them do it, especially when the store is busy, there are folks trying to go on standby etc. it all depends on the store and its policies.
From what I hear, there is an AT&T rep present in some Apple Stores, though it's not made generally known. If you see iPhone sales people occasionally going to the back of the store to talk to someone who almost looks like a customer, but lingers rather than browses, maybe carries a notepad or spends the entire time fingering a blackberry... there's your AT&T rep.
having a food court convo with a guy from my local store (which has a rep), it hasn't made that much of a difference. almost every issue she tells them they have to call dealer assistance. and a couple of times she's told them the wrong thing to do because she isn't trained on the sales equipment.
Are they quoting you a month? Every iPhone I've bought from them they are supplying to me in half the time they are quoting.
I was quoted 10-21 days for the 8GB iPhone 3G at the AT&T store when I ordered on 16 July. Allowing for a "fib factor" is where I figured it would take a month. Oh, yes. To add insult to injury, AT&T billed my card immediately, after telling me they would bill me when the thing shipped. Grrr.
The policy of "one person, one iPhone 3G" cheesed me off immensely, because Wifey had a conference out of town, and I guessed that pretty much meant she wouldn't have hers for some time. I was counting on the initial stock running dry, and frankly I didn't have time to drive to Pittsburgh or Columbus, OH (my two closest Apple store options). Besided, I had to rework our family phone plan, and I knew an Apple Store wouldn't be able to solve those issues.
That's why I ended up at an AT&T store for iPhone 3G.
You really can't say that about the Wii, they have had plenty of time to meet demand.
I'm not suggesting it's sinister, just marketing.
Well I am suggesting marketing is sinister.