Buying a Telus EVDO card–lessons for retail customer service

I blogged about my new Telus EVDO card this morning, I’ve been using it all day and been very much enjoying it.  Okay I think I’ve found a conflict with my built-in SD card reader and the PCMCIA slot, but that might be an Acer thing and I’m not too worried right now.  However, what I’d like to relate here is my buying the card yesterday.  What I learned and experienced is pretty interesting and can be a lesson to all of us, but especially customer-facing people.

I’m a busy person who would like to spend money with you–treat me like that

When I finally decided that I would reduce/change my Blackberry plan so I could (better) afford the EVDO card I wanted to strike while the iron was hot and get it.

Stop one, mall.  Lesson: If you don’t have it, see if you can find it

Contrary to my what my gut told me, I went to my closest Telus reseller instead of the one I was at on Sunday.  This one is a basic mall store.  Nothing fancy.  I walked in, there were several people in the store and when I was looking at the card a person came right up to ask me if I needed help (ping! good!).  Unfortunately, the sales person wasn’t the most outgoing person and didn’t instill confidence in his sales ability (bzzt, bad).  I told him that I wanted the PCMCIA version of the EVDO card, he offered the USB version (in hindsight with the SD card reader conflict maybe should have gone for that).  I said, no, I want the PC Card one.  He check the stock and they didn’t have any.  That’s fine.  He said he could order one (good).  I said that I really wanted to get it now and today to use that night.  This was his chance to say: “Let me see if there is one another store…”, but he didn’t.  Bzzt. No sale, next store.

Stop two, another outlet on the way.  Lesson: When people come into your store, greet them

Okay, strike one.  I knew where I thought could get the card, the store where I saw it Sunday, but on the way there I saw another Telus outlet.  Okay let’s try this one.  I walk in, two people working in the store, both busy with customers.  That’s okay.  I look around a bit and then walk up to the counter.  I wait.  And wait.  No reaction from either human.  Okay, wander around some more.  Pause by other section of counter.  Nothing.  Wander.  Wait back at counter again.  It’s been well over five minutes now and nothing.  I start heading for the door and the customer says: “You should ask him a question, that’s what he’s there for.”  This is when one person lifted his head up and said “Can I help you?”  I said that I wanted to get something.  He replied that they were busy, could I come back.  I replied, “No, I have deadline I’m on”.  Bzzzt. No sale, next store.

Stop three, success. Lesson: greet, help, recommend. Sale.

Yes, I should have gone here first.  Of course if I did, then you wouldn’t get this post now would you?  I walked into the store, this is also a mall one and operated by Tom Harris Cellular (as I’ve said before), and the woman who wasn’t with a customer asked if she could help me within a minute of me walking up to the counter.  Same spiel, this is what I want.  We have USB.  I want PCMCIA. We could order it.  I wanted to use it tonight.  This is where the first place fell down, so … what happens next?  She says: “Let me check our other stores…” Wow.  Turns out there was one, just one, PCMCIA card in all of Victoria (the store in Sidney).  She asks if I’d like to set it all up there or drive to Sidney and do it.  I ask, if I do it here if she gets a commission, no. Oh … but we do get bonuses… Then I’ll do it here I say and tell her about the two previous experiences and how she did what, I think, is the right way to get business.  That alone would make a good story, but it gets better.

I know that I need to change the plan on my Blackberry so I can afford this deal.  I called Telus the day before to check out plans and such so I thought I knew what I wanted.  Turns out, I was wrong.  The woman, who was personable and outgoing, took the time to double check both my voice and data plans and found a data plan for the Berry with unlimited data but without modem tethering.  This, of course, is find since I’d have the EVDO card.  The voice plan was just what I thought, but she did give me good alternatives.  Perfect, all set.  Now, when it came time to switch things around one of my bundles wasn’t available.  Oh, buy when I called Telus they didn’t tell me that.  This could have been a stopper, but undaunted she called Telus directly and made sure that we could still do it.  And when I offered not to bother, she said, that it would be better too if I wanted voicemail.  Plan switched.  Done.

The EVDO card and plan was simple.  Just $100/mo for the unlimited North America plan (US and Canada only) and $49 for the card with a three contract.  By the time she was done, everything was ready and I just had to pick the card up in Sidney.

This is customer service.  She was pleasant and outgoing.  She checked to see if I could get the card today and made recommendations that got me more bang for my buck.

We have a winner.

Because I had this good experience I have no issue recommending them to you.  In fact, as I said in the other post, they have a “tell a friend” program.  You get $10 off, I get a $10 gift card, and they donate $10 to charity.  All you have to do is mention my name and cell number (I’d say from this card).  I was told that this unlimited data plan deal is only going to be around for another two weeks … so if you want one of these rockin’ cards and get this sweet data deal, I’d go now.

Yeah and getting the USB dongle will get you the device faster I guess too.