Former used car salesman Alan Slone grows a conscience and reveals one of the major strategies dealership use to screw you when buying a new car.
insiders
18 Confessions Of 2 Former T-Mobile Reps
By 3.30.07
Eighteen insider consumer tips from ex-Tmobile customer service representatives Christof and Anon. Oh no, we’re not done with that series. Not by a long shot.
Avoid Outsourced CSRs By Asking For Someone Who Works At AT&T
By 3.21.07
The company is outsourcing customer service jobs on the sly, and have been for at least a few months. Not to India, because that would be obvious, but to Canada. Alberta- to be specific. The newbies are working with a company called Convergys. These people seem to be going through a real crash course, and seem to know only how to read the sample scripting our computer system spits out. We’ve been having problems with them screwing up orders left and right, misquoting (or not quoting) rates and fees, and generally mucking up everything they touch. The bad part for customers, aside from not knowing exactly what they’re going to be paying every time, is that it seems like they’re not as ready to credit accounts when it they need to. I’m not sure they have the authority to give more than a few bucks back, which doesn’t always cut it.
This Is Why Costco Revoked Their Super Nice Return Policy
By 3.19.07
This picture shows why Costco changed their really nice return policy recently: because of jerkwads abusing it. Here’s the IM conversation we had with a Costco employee who processed this return.
Microsoft Sending All XP and Vista Tech Support Calls To India?
By 3.19.07
Microsoft is sending ALL of its XP and Vista tech support calls to India starting March 29th, according to a call center insider. Previously, the call volume was split between a site in North America and locations in Deli and Bangalore.
Consumerist Invites You To Join Whistleblowers Anonymous
By 3.16.07
We know many of our readers work at the companies that we write about, and we’ve started a program specifically for you. It’s called Whistleblowers Anonymous and it can help you overcome your addiction to corporate douchebagism. Through Whistleblowers Anonymous you can help your customers, your fellow humans, and yourself.
9 Confessions From A Former Enterprise Rental Salesman
By 3.13.07
A former manager in the Enterprise fleet sales division has a guilty conscience to unload at your feet. 9 tips, 5 pages of insider info about how the car rental game really works. Car rental insurance is a scam, but you can flip the script and use if to your advantage. Prices are liquid, and depending on the day of the week and how you butter your agent in certain ways, you can get a good deal. Despite the commercial with the brown-paper-wrapped car, Enterprise employees hate picking you up and dropping you off.
10 Things We've Learned From 'Confessions of A Wireless Sales Rep'
By 3.12.07
Over the past week, it’s been quite a learning experience here at The Consumerist. Former and current reps from all of the major wireless companies have written in, sharing their tips and tricks and confessing their sins. It’s been a fascinating look inside the daily life of a sales rep, but what have we learned?
8 Confessions of An Alltel Sales Rep
By 3.12.07
Here in New York, we don’t really know much about Alltel. They seem like happy, fun people who live on that “farm” where all the city dogs go when they die. “Sorry, Becky. Spot went to live with a nice family at Alltel Wireless. He’ll be happy there.”
Geek Squad Insider Speaks Out
By 3.9.07
A common refrain we hear from the former and current Geek Squad employees we’ve been talking to is that Geek Squad used to be awesome. Robert Stephens built up an award-winning company with a reputation for being the best in the business. Then he sold it to Best Buy and they turned it to garbage.
11 Confessions of a T-Mobile Sales Rep
By 3.8.07
T-Mobile doesn’t want to be left out of the fun! One of their sales reps has generously and selflessly written down his innermost thoughts and sent them to the Consumerist for your personal edification. Bask in the glory of Confessions of a T-Mobile Sales Rep…
6 Confessions Of A Former Sprint Sales Rep
By 3.7.07
Sprint has joined the ranks of cell phone providers whose former (and current) sales reps are beating down the Consumerist’s door, eager to tell all. Let us move without delay to the confessions of a former Sprint sales rep:
7 Confessions of a Cingular Sales Rep
By 3.6.07
The need for cell phone sales reps to cleanse themselves in the healing waters of the Consumerist is nearing an all-time high. Reps from all over the cell phone universe are flooding the tip line, a tidal wave of lost souls begging for redemption… Ok, not really, but a guy who works at Cingular just wrote us with some tips for the readers. Why should Verizon have all the damn fun?
