T-Mobile Inventory Concerns
Anticipation is mounting for the upcoming release of the very first Google Android-powered phone, the T-Mobile G1. In a future post I will cover some of Android’s features that stand out against the other big mobile OS competitors out there.
Today I spoke with a T-Mobile employee and asked how many they would be getting in stock. To my surprise, the answer was 0. Zilch. Upon further inquiry, I found out that this was because we do not live in a market that has 3G yet; and since it is a 3G phone, not as much emphasis would be placed on it in this area yet.
The employee did go on to tell me that the G1 would still be available to anyone who orders online. My first thought was of concern for the employee who gets paid on commission, yet cannot take advantage of the launch of one of the biggest devices ever to hit T-Mo. Coming from a salesperson’s point of view, that would be reason enough to be plenty frustrated.
My second, more lingering thought is: if a customer from a non-3G market can order a G1 online, how is it any different from purchasing it in the store? I don’t see any difference at all. They’re still enjoying the same exact phone in the same exact non-3G area. Is it that there’s less of a risk if it’s sold online?
The thing is, 3G phones are backwards compatible. If you are not in 3G coverage, you can still get GPRS/EDGE. While it may not be as fast, it still works quite well. It still makes calls, still accesses internet (especially with WiFi). Um, am I missing something here?
I don’t pretend to know anything about inventory control. Perhaps there’s some underlying truth I just haven’t been told about. But this seems to be a no-brainer. If it’s going to be a national launch, make it available in every store, not just online. Those customers in non-3G markets shouldn’t be punished for something that’s not their fault.
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