PM need to ditch Walmart as a partner

[DL888]

With all the horror stories of Walmart not selling PM Sim, why is it that PM is still a partner with Walmart? 

[darlicious]

@Masman8675  Its certainly not your fault. Just like at my job when i think my boss is crazy and not offering normal customer service ( or an industry standard like giving customers a glass of water when they are seated) there is not a lot i can do. If it really irks me ill say "Youre the boss." Which irks her but thats the truth i have to live with her choices as i have to my own...or get a different employer.

[Masman8675]

Regarding the guy selling them, he was getting too many for our stock to keep up, as they don’t come all that often.  Which unfortunately is not up to individual stores to stock up on.  Even with the large carriers sometimes we’ll only get a couple.

As for the restrictions on sales, I believe that varies manager to manager.  I wouldn’t have a problem selling them personally, but it turns no profit for 2/3 of the companies doing it, or myself lol.

[darlicious]

@Masman8675  I also agree with @wetcoaster assessment and @mimmo follow up and just thought I would add my two cents worth.....

Wal-Mart does not offer a free month....public mobile offers a free month promotion. Wal-Mart just helps you activate to get the free month promotion. They do offer a free SIM card with in store activation to encourage customers to allow you to activate for them and get the commission this should not prevent Wal-Mart from selling a SIM card on its own and making the profit there in from the sale as every other authorised dealer/retailer does without hesitation. I do appreciate when walmart advertises a free sim with in store activation because i am able to direct new public mobile customers to other retailers who will price match the free sim and offer a condition-free customer sales experience. It is unfortunate that your employer puts such conditions on public mobile SIM cards as you can well see it has created a negative public image/opinion of the mobile phone department at walmart and as result impacts overall sales at those locations.

[mimmo]

@Masman8675  even if what you say is true, (I agree with all points made by @wetcoaster )

It is PM policy that sims CAN/Should be  sold without activation. You are going against your suppliers policy.  Granted PM has no teeth as you sell Koodo and Telus and that is where both companies make their money.

But that being said I no longer bring any of my cell business to my local Walmart's be it sim cards activation or vouchers

Olso somtimes there are deals that are online only, not in store.

[wetcoaster]

Someone has been coorporate brain washed...

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@Masman8675 wrote:

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I work at a WM kiosk selling plans, phones, etc.  The reason we don’t sell sims outright (at least at our store) is:

1. Stock.  We need sims available for when people want to activate in store.

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Which has nothing to do with the customer but is a problem of how stock is managed. SIM cards don't have an expiry date, so having some extras handy at all time can't be that difficult.

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@Masman8675 wrote:

2. Sales of course, there’s no profit for our company by simply selling a sim.

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WM is buying SIMs, which cost cents to produce, from Public Mobile at $10??? Sure...

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@Masman8675 wrote:

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3. We actually had people buying them from us only to turn around and charge people for activating at his house.

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And you know that how and it is WalMarts problem why?

Are you advocating that WalMart is not selling lettuce in their produce department because some random food truck owner buys a pack and sells it, at a margin, in their sandwiches?

IMO, if a future customer is willing to pay someone to come to their house and help them setting up an account, that is between the two of them.

* For simplicity's sake I'm using the name "WalMart", even if it might be a subcontractor.

[Masman8675]

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@geopublic wrote:

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@DL888 wrote:

With all the horror stories of Walmart not selling PM Sim, why is it that PM is still a partner with Walmart? 

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It's a numbers game. 

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I work at a WM kiosk selling plans, phones, etc.  The reason we don’t sell sims outright (at least at our store) is:

1. Stock.  We need sims available for when people want to activate in store.

2. Sales of course, there’s no profit for our company by simply selling a sim.

3. We actually had people buying them from us only to turn around and charge people for activating at his house.

If someone needs one and wants to activate themselves, there’s always Amazon.  Plus we have perks sometimes for in store activations, such as free sims or a free month of service.

[geopublic]

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@DL888 wrote:

With all the horror stories of Walmart not selling PM Sim, why is it that PM is still a partner with Walmart? 

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It's a numbers game. 

[3s_Plenty]

I was able to buy at SIM at my local walmart, i did my own setup. Mind you i do get the problem with certain locations. Generally speaking the one closet to me is decent. It shouldn't be so complicated, it's a straightforward thing especially with the prepaid companies.

[ddandersonn]

I bout a SIM there 3 days ago, and the guy tried to talk me out of going with PM...told me I had 'other options.'  Then he tried to make me activate on the spot, and I had to insist on him NOT activating.  Not doing PM any favours in the customer service department...

[computergeek541]

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@Kim1971kim wrote:

I have no idea it’s dumb 

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Not only should message post count matter, but the quality of posts also matters for earning Community rewards.

[Kim1971kim]

I have no idea it’s dumb 

[darlicious]

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@Fred54 wrote:

I bought a PM SIM in June at my local WM without problem, then another one in August, no problem, but last week they refused to sell it without doing an activation, they told me PM slapped their hand because they should not sell SIM without plan/activation.

So I bought the SIM online Friday evening, got it via Purolator Sunday afternoon.

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@Fred54  Wow the salespeople at walmart will say anything.....not to sell that SIM without an activation. Eventually those locations will lose all public mobile business thru word of mouth.

[Fred54]

I bought a PM SIM in June at my local WM without problem, then another one in August, no problem, but last week they refused to sell it without doing an activation, they told me PM slapped their hand because they should not sell SIM without plan/activation.

So I bought the SIM online Friday evening, got it via Purolator Sunday afternoon.

[cellphoneuser1]

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@DL888 wrote:

With all the horror stories of Walmart not selling PM Sim, why is it that PM is still a partner with Walmart? 

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It'll never be perfect. Some locations and some employees will be better than others. Salesperson could be having a bad day or been ordered not to sell.

[totalUser]

It also is very different from store to store, I've read here in the community about cases where Walmart clerks went above and beyond to help and make a great smooth transition into new service while in the others people were turned away with 'ah their system was down I don't even wanna try now come some other time' 

I'm trying to refer somebody in Milton right now and they tried 4 times, two of those there were no sims, they were told to come other days, once the system was down and the very first time they were told to (get this) shot down there old accounts before their numbers would be allowed to port. This is just crazy I told them to leave the store every time they see that person working there

These are 3 in store activation so it's not like they don't want to just sell the sims. I'm probably gonna have to meet with them at some point to help them do it

[darlicious]

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@DL888 wrote:

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@laceydawn81 wrote:

i never had no problem at walmart thats where i got my sim n got them to set everything up.. i actually thought it was great n the dude knew alot for just being a walmart worker

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Problem only arises if you just buy the SIM and setup yourself. If you have them set you up, they treat you like royalty. Again, I am not saying all Walmarts are like this, but my experience and experiences of others were very poor - refusal to sell a PM SIM if we did not want them to activate on the spot. 

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@DL888  Yes I agree their biggest issue is the sale of just the SIM. That is where the majority of most complaints come from. Now if promos etc were available both online and in store that would solve most of the complaints but would probably affect pm's bottom line with commissions as most of the more lucrative promos are online only.

[DL888]

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@laceydawn81 wrote:

i never had no problem at walmart thats where i got my sim n got them to set everything up.. i actually thought it was great n the dude knew alot for just being a walmart worker

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Problem only arises if you just buy the SIM and setup yourself. If you have them set you up, they treat you like royalty. Again, I am not saying all Walmarts are like this, but my experience and experiences of others were very poor - refusal to sell a PM SIM if we did not want them to activate on the spot. 

[will13am]

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@laceydawn81 wrote:

i never had no problem at walmart thats where i got my sim n got them to set everything up.. i actually thought it was great n the dude knew alot for just being a walmart worker

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It comes down to training.  There will be variability in agent performance. 

[will13am]

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@DL888 wrote:

@will13am All about the big mighty dollar$$$. Wish that companies does the right thing and not make decisions around $$$ but I guess at the end of the day, it's Business!

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You got it.  As consumers we need to be mindful of the prime directive which is staying loyal to our wallets.  As businesses their modus operandi is profit making.  Neither should hold grudges against the other for having potentially opposing objectives.  When parties do meet in the middle, there is a deal. 

[laceydawn81]

i never had no problem at walmart thats where i got my sim n got them to set everything up.. i actually thought it was great n the dude knew alot for just being a walmart worker

[Triguy]

I think they bring in alot of new customers and they are located in most towns/cities across Canada so PM would want to keep them as a retailer.

[DL888]

@will13am All about the big mighty dollar$$$. Wish that companies does the right thing and not make decisions around $$$ but I guess at the end of the day, it's Business!

[will13am]

@DL888, I would agree somewhat.  I suppose Public Mobile takes a different view in terms of where customers activate and if Walmart is bringing in the customers, then it is pretty hard to ditch them.