Obamacare Now Provides Free Phones
(I work for a major cell phone provider in the US. My store is a “store-within-a-store” partnered with another electronics chain. Our partner chain previously serviced multiple contract and prepaid providers Tracfone, Net 10, etc. When we came in, which was about two years ago, the company stopped selling any services besides our brand. From time to time we get someone looking for brands we no longer offer and we are supposed to offer them service.)
Customer: “This phone is a f****** piece of s***. I need a new one. What do you guys have on sale? I have an ‘Obama phone’ but it doesn’t have Internet. That d**k gives illegal immigrants health care but he can’t give citizens a phone with f****** Internet.”
Me: “Okay, are you currently on a contract or prepaid service?”
Customer: “I don’t have no contract. I want a new phone; this thing is junk.”
Me: “Okay, do you have [prepaid option #1] or [prepaid option #2]?”
Customer: “No, I have [Competitor]. I need a new phone; can’t a just buy one of these so you can put it on my number?”
Me: “Unfortunately, these phones are for [prepaid options] and won’t work on [Competitor]’s network. But we have holiday promotions going on right now for both prepaid and contract service if you bring your number in from another company.”
Customer: “Well, right now when my time runs out I have to get another card or my phone shuts off. It’s bull-s***. Do you have anything that won’t do that?”
Me: “Well, we have unlimited service without contract plans. I can run your credit and see what your elig—”
Customer: “I don’t want a f****** contract. They are scams. What is the other option?”
Me: “Well, on [prepaid option #1] you can get unlimited talk, text, and data for [price] a month. You just have to buy airtime every thirty days to keep your service. If you bring in your phone number you get [Phone] for free. You just have to buy the airtime.”
Customer: “How do I do that?”
Me: “You can pay here in store, over the phone, through an app, or sign up for auto-pay.”
Customer: “No way. I’m not giving you a**holes my credit card number. I don’t want to have to get a card to turn my service on. I already told you that.”
Me: “So… You don’t want a contract and you don’t want to buy airtime cards each month?”
Customer: “Yeah. How do I do that?”
Me: “Well, I don’t know of any service that offers an option other than contract or prepaid.”
Customer: “I just want it not to shut me off without having to get a card.”
Me: “Do you mean the Internet? You don’t want to have to renew service when you use all of your Internet?”
Customer: “Exactly. I don’t know why you didn’t understand. I don’t know why [Store] hired such a dumb b****!”
Me: *at this point I’m ignoring his insults because I don’t have the energy to ask him to leave* “Sir, I thought you understood that unlimited means there is no limit.”
Customer: “You didn’t say unlimited Internet!”
Me: “I’m sorry. That’s what I meant by unlimited data.”
Customer: “Well, you shouldn’t say that. Data is what the s*** on my f****** phone is called? How did you get this f****** job?”
Me: *still ignoring his insults* “So, would you like to start service today?”
Customer: “How much will it cost?”
Me: “[Amount] plus tax, if you bring in your number.”
Customer: “I thought you said it was free! You’re trying to rip me off.”
Me: “Unfortunately, the only thing free on the promotion is the device. You would have to pay for airtime.”
Customer: “Why can’t you just bill me later?”
Me: “You said you didn’t want contract service.”
Customer: “I don’t!”
(At this point I had to excuse myself for a moment and get a manager. He had to have the same conversation, while I rage-smoked two cigarettes.)
Me: “So, what’d you tell him?”
Manager: “That if he wanted free service he’d have to stick with the ‘Obama phone,’ because I don’t know anyone else giving away free cell phones and service!”
