On 09/03/20, I went into this T-Mobile store on Charleston and Decatur, near Walmart to upgrade my phone, and add a new line after seeing a BOGO sale on iPhone 11 among many other phones.
I was "helped" by Paola, who was very rude.
We had a scheduled APPT with her. As she pointed out, she noticed when I arrived; but instead waited about 15-20 minutes to assist me.
After the security verification, she proceeded with my transaction to purchase two iPhones. To be safe, I asked her about the sale that was advertised, to make sure I qualified; because she had made no mention of it.
She took a look into her PDF file, and advised me the BOGO sale had ended a few days prior. She told me I would have to trade in an older phone, to receive a credit for a new phone.
I was instantly confused because the advertisement was on the website (and still is), and I showed her. She read the banner on the T-Mobile website in its entirety (including small text) and confirmed that no trade in was required, nor was it expired. I also added that I spoke to a T-Mobile CS rep before coming into the store, and was advised that the deal is still active and was even offered assistance placing an order.
Paola's response was "I'm sorry, but our Customer Service reps don't always know what they're talking about. I can guarantee you that if you buy two phones right now, you won't get one for free."
I was flabbergasted. Paola never offered to check with a manager, or even consider that maybe she was wrong. Her body language made it obvious that she was hoping to get me out of the door ASAP.
Unfortunately, I required my upgrade for work, and could not wait. I was forced to purchase a single phone in store.
I immediately contacted T-Mobile customer service to verify the validity of the banner on their site. The rep saw my account and verified that it was real, and I was eligible. This rep helped me place an order for the new line.
In the end, I still got both phones; but due to the ignorance of the store rep, I had to pay for shipping and wait for the second phone.
Unfortunately, Paola provided a very low quality service to me, and ultimately made me lose valuable time and money. I would never have gone into the T-Mobile store without prior verification of the sale I was interested in. It was my mistake to not ask for a manager while I was there, but I hope this makes it to them and disciplinary action is taken. Employees that don't have the customers best interest at heart, do not have the corporations best interest at heart and cause damage to the brand image on the front lines.
I should not have to automatically assume I will be treated as "less than" when entering a T-Mobile store, or anywhere. read more