When customers come first.

So, now my older kid is about ready to get a phone of his own. But the research is exhausting and confusing. And FYI…he’s comparison shopping with me. I want him to be involved in the process and it’s a great learning experience about competitive business and customer service. 

So far, we’ve been into TELUS, Fido, Rogers, and Wind. We’re still interested in Koodo and Virgin Mobile as options but there aren’t as many locations to seek out. 

Why am I writing this? Well, I suspect that I’m not the only mom in the world that’s in the same boat and confused about what plans are best suited for our family needs. What also triggered this write up was a recent invitation to the TELUS corporate head office to learn about how they are “putting customers first” and their new trade-in program. This really got me thinking and we are “in the market” to make a purchase at this moment in time.

I’ll lead in here by mentioning that I’m a loyal FIDO customer. Have been for 12 years. They’ve been incredible with their service. In fact, when I switched my flip phone to an iPhone, I did it at a FIDO store in First Canadian Place in Toronto. They spent 1-1/2 hours with me and did everything. Seriously. They set up my new phone and transferred all my contacts and set up my emails, which probably would have taken me a week to figure out. They made sure I walked out of there comfortable and confident. This was the consistency in the service I received from FIDO everytime. Until now. 

My favourite FIDO store is gone or moved. So, I took my kid to a kiosk (probably franchised) at the local mall. We saw a Blackberry ($0 everywhere as it’s last year’s model and is now our comparison shopping item) but they were out of stock. The person was disinterested in selling us on anything.  But I asked about the plan anyway (figure I could go elsewhere or online, but at least get the info). She confused me even more. “You could get this plan but you’ll need to add on data and then pay this, oh and there’s an activation fee but if he uses the phone before 5pm then you’ll get charged that”…blah blah blah. I am confused. Maybe I’ll call instead but at the moment I am feeling like I’m taking up her time.

I took my kid and we went to Wind. The sales person was unsure about what plan would best suit our needs and thought she’d check her own plan on the computer instore…only to find out the Wind site wasn’t working. So, we’re giving her the benefit of the doubt of being too new.

I was passing by a Rogers and thought I’d check…the line up was long. I waited and waited but someone was having a long discussion so I walked out. I may go back if I see no line up.

Then we walked into TELUS – one that is located within a Black’s Photography store. I had very high expectations after hearing how they are “putting customers first”. The sales guy was just finishing up with a customer and spotted us as soon as we walked in the door. He greats us with a  “Hey! I’ll just be with you as soon as I finish up here so take a look around”. Customer service rule #1: acknowledge your customer in a friendly, non-aggressive way. 

TELUS: “So, what are your needs?” 

Me: “We are doing some research into a phone, for my big guy here”.

TELUS guy shifts his focus on my kid and asks him what he wants to do on the phone, and if there’s any specific device he’s interested in “of course, mom has to approve” he says. Finally, someone who’s talking to us and not just me! After all, the kid is the end user and heavy influencer here!

The TELUS dude shows my kid the same Blackberry  (yes, BBM has a hold on kids) that we’ve been researching. Tells him (and me) that at this stage, it will meet all his needs and maybe in a year or two he may want to “trade-up” because his needs will change and who knows where technology is going! He proceeds with explaining the current promotion and walks through every step – what’s included, the bonuses now, and even throws in some bells & whistles like a free case. He also said “TELUS is interested in keeping customers for the long haul, we’re not in it for the moment, so you know we work hard to earn and keep your business. We want you to be happy”.  

I said that we need to think about it and he gave us his business card. He wasn’t aggressive to close the sale but did mention that the offer is over at the end of the month. He maintained his enthusiasm and commitment to service – just the right amount of attention and knowledge. We were VERY IMPRESSED! 

After visiting a few different companies and sorting out the plans, my kid and I had a discussion about what we had experienced. We both agreed that the TELUS had the best service – had great attention to what our needs were and there were extra perks that made the deal even sweeter! The plans for our needs appear to be similar between the big players, but the quality of service definitely stood out in our minds and will definitely play out in this decision making process.

So, about the new TELUS initiative that got this all started…

TELUS just rolled out a new trade-in program  this week. Credit towards a new device in exchange for your old handset. The need for trade-in has never been greater. According to a recent survey, conducted by TELUS…

61% of Canadians would trade in their old devices to their carriers but expect something in return for doing so.

82% of Canadians are concerned about the environment and would hand them in if they knew they would be disposed of safely.

54% of Canadians would like to recycle their cellphones but don’t know how to. 

Working in collaboration with eRecyclingCorps, TELUS is making it’s hassle-free, trade-in program available to all TELUS customers, both new and existing. Now, customers can simply present their device at a TELUS store and will be offered a credit if the phone is recent enough that it can be refurbished or, if not, a donation of $3 to Tree Canada will be made in their name toward the planting of a tree for each unit recycled. Credits will be applied to device or accessory costs for a new activation or renewal at time of trade. 

What are they doing with the old tr
ade-in phones? TELUS and eRecyclingCorps will have them refurbished to “just like new” and they will re-sell them to carriers in other countries who want them – after all, the devices are still useful and in high demand.

Smart thinking…me thinks! Especially when I look to the future of my kid’s ever changing needs. Very appealing to know that old phone devices won’t collect dust in a drawer anymore!  Good for the environment. Good for us. Good for you TELUS!

For more information on this new initiative and how TELUS puts YOU first, visit their website at www.telus.com/you