I want the cookie, Josh! Cell phone companies are notorious for this, and just flat out being rude. I could write a novel on one company's poor customer service at multiple locations. Note: Businesses should never be rude to college women, we own word of mouth.

This all goes back to trust and putting the customer first. Too often, companies underestimate their customers. Did that cell phone company think that your in-laws wouldn't shop around?

Salespeople treat customers as a means to an end- a positive bottom line and a healthy commission, not for the people that they actually are. Your story is sadly just one of many like it.

I think that for years there has been a retreat from actual customer service. I've seen a gradual trend in companies that are realizing that putting the customer first actually yields higher profits. Relaying the "company message" to salespeople who are simply looking to make a living through commission might be more difficult.

How annoying! I cannot tell you how many times I have encountered the same type of experience with cell phone companies! Do they not realize that we have a choice of carriers, and by pissing customers off they are sending them to competitors!? I guess they are hoping for the poor confused customer that is easily influenced and will trust their 'expert' suggestion...stereotypically the easily influenced customers would be older people and younger females (which would explain your in-laws experience along with mine and Courtney's as well).
Regardless, this is a poor practice for businesses mainly because of word of mouth. As Courtney said in her comment, "college women own word of mouth", and I would have to agree! I always tell friends and family about my experiences, both good and bad, with companies I deal with. They trust my opinion and likewise I trust theirs.
Businesses would be doing themselves a favor if they would just listen to their customers from time to time!

Hey Josh, I am currently in a Personal Selling class and find it to be very interesting. In this class we are learning how to be good salespeople. The number one thing we have learned so far is that you must know your customer's needs in order to make a sell. This concept has been pushed in our brains from day one. You would think this would be obvious to salespeople or for that matter people in general. You can't give someone something unless you know what it is they need. That is what makes a good salesperson, and people always feel better about buying something if they feel it is more for need. Of course, everyone will have problems with cell phone companies, considering they never really seem to know what they are doing. Just thought I'd share some of my selling experience with you. I am actually learning something here at school!

Ugh, I despise cell-phone-plan-wrangling! I 100% relate to your in-laws. And I also think that simply that there was an option for them as good as #1 means progress.

A good salesperson should understand that making a smaller sale is better than making no sale at all. If you are positive and responsive to a customer's needs (they are always right, after all) they will be that much more likely to return to your store for a big purchase.

I worked at a privately-owned and operated party store for a couple of summers, and even though we didn't have the expansive stock of every hip and current kid's cartoon character we offered other personalized services. By helping a frazzled mom find Dragonball-Z plates at Party City, I often saw her again when she was planning a baby shower for a friend and wanted quality custom-printed invitations.

Sometimes by being helpful for a customer right now, you will be rewarded by a positive long-term relationship... and isn't that what PR is all about?

(I think your blego is in check, by the way; a good balance of PR and other interesting things to break it up a little.)

I really enjoyed this post. I get to see both sides of this because I am a salesperson and a consumer. I think that it helps every salesperson to think like a consumer when you are treating a customer. I try to put myself in the shoes of those whom I am trying to help. I have had many salespeople try to sale me something simply because there was something in it for them. To me that is very selfish and eventually customers will figure out what businesses truly value their opinions and which do not.

I have also learned that if you do what is best for your customer, they will become loyal customers. I refered one of my customers last week to a competing design center because I knew that it had exactly what she needed. She came back the next day with a friend and both set up appointments with my company to redecorate their homes.

People appreciate when a business is being honest with them. Loyalty cannot be bought, it is earned. If only salespeople did not forget that they are also consumers when they enter their workplaces. The commercial world would be a much better place!

Your example is a reason why I don't ever want to work in sales. I feel like sales people don't put the needs of the customers first. Rather, they go to any extreme to make a sale.

I'm always annoyed by sales reps when I go to cell phone stores. They try to get me to buy a plan that doesn't fit my lifestyle. For that reason, I always call 611, which is the T-Mobile customer service number. They try to give you the best deal and negotiate with you rather than coerce you into buying the most expensive plan.

I think that as consumers, we also have the responsibility of researching a product, evaluating alternatives and talking to friends and other people that use the product before making a purchase. We need to avoid impulse buying and realize that sales reps are working on commission. They are doing their job, so we as consumers should do our job as well.

Ok, so I missed the cookie, but I guess I will comment anyway!

Being a salesperson is hard. I sell ad space for our college newspaper and honestly it is hard to fight the urge to encourage people to run a bigger ad even if they don't need it. I mean, I am paid on commission! But some people just don't need a full page with full color, sometimes a good coupon will do. But as a salesperson you have to know your customer and their limitations. Many of my clients look to me to make valuable suggestions and I would feel unethical lying to them and making them spend more money.

Cell phone companies are awful about trying to convince people that they need more...of everything. I do believe that it is safe for everyone to have a cell phone, but not everyone needs one everyday.

In agreement with Courtney's comment, unfortunately your story is only one of thousands like it. Shopping for items like cellphones is not something that people do everyday, nor is it something that most people like to do. In current times, cellphones are a necessity to anyone working or attending school. However, I can't imagine what people like your in-laws, and/or those that may not require a cellphone as their sole means of communication (i.e. college students), must have to go through to purchase a cellphone plan that is truly the most beneficial to them.

In the dog-eat-dog working world that we are in, I think it is too easy for many sales people to put themselves before the needs or wants of the consumer. There have been far too many times that I have left somewhere feeling like I have just been taken advantage of or have just been run through the mill for the sake of my money. What's most disheartening, is that many times the people that fall victim to a dishonest salesperson are those that work the hardest for their money, and don't have the leisure of being able to spend large amounts of it. I can't help but think of some of the awful scams targeting the elderly population.

Anyways, in situations like the one you have stated above, I am reminded of the classic saying, "what goes around comes around." I believe that people that live an honest life, will come out better and more fulfilled than those that choose not to. Regardless of how much more commission salespeople will make, those that choose to make the honest sale to their customers will be rewarded for their actions!