Former T-Mobile CEO John Legere. | Image credit-T-Mobile
While no one expected any major changes under Sievert, T-Mobile employees I’ve spoken with have told me that there has been a change and it is affecting reps in the most sensitive place-their wallets. And it is also having an impact on the carrier’s former customer-first practice. It all starts with the metrics that corporate pushes on their reps and the ridiculous commission schedule that requires that a rep sell a new phone with a new line, insurance, a case, and accessories in order to get a wage that the rep can live on.
Overall, this move has led to a greater than $1,000 per month decline in monthly pay. And since there is a team concept to getting paid at these stores, if a customer upgrades multiple phones without the rep convincing him to add accessories, and insurance, and move to a higher-priced plan, the pay of all of the Mobile Experts working in the store suffers.
Everyone was mad at me because I made everyone “lose money” with that transaction and it’s crazy to think I’m losing money while doing the right thing. And then there’s people who I see literally not trying to help upgrades or convincing them not to.
Literally their numbers are higher than mine. But literally pushing people away. Rewarding bad behaviors.”-Reddit subscriber LoudIndustry6928
Pressured not only by corporate to maintain certain metrics, T-Mobile Mobile Experts can also feel the wrath of their colleagues when they write up multiple upgrades without accessories. The bottom line is that this is not putting the customer first since it increases the pressure on the Mobile Experts to sell pricey extras that the customer may not want, or cannot afford. And this can lead reps to add new lines and accessories to an account without the customer’s permission or knowledge.
