Comments on: How To Lose a Customer http://semitrue.com/blog/2007/04/15/how-to-lose-a-customer/ A semi-regular weblog dedicated to Truth, Justice, and American Cheese...! Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:06:30 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Store manager http://semitrue.com/blog/2007/04/15/how-to-lose-a-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-17802 Store manager Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:18:44 +0000 http://semitrue.com/blog/2007/04/15/how-to-lose-a-customer/#comment-17802 I actually work for Ntelos as a Store manager (different store). I can shed a little more light on the situation. There are two points in taking a copy of the photo ID. One, and most important is SOX compliance with the federal gov't. Two, we keep records of the contracts to prove that the customer that signed the contract was in fact the same person who owns the account, you're signature is also on most state issued ID. Also, if any custoemr disputes siging a contract we can simply produce the signed copy with ID to show that it was done properly. From an Ntelos standpoint, equifax, our perferred credit agency, requires your state ID number in order to run your credit. Its very ture the manager should have been able to tell you the finer points on why it was required, but his concern is not to lose his job over very high audit standards. I assure you this is a very real possibility. As for renewing from the website, retailer will mail a copy of the contract with the handset and expect it signed and returned with ID. Generally if this is not done they will bill the total cost of the handset...not the same as the contract cost. Same goes for over the phone, with the addition of recorded conversation. Basically, it boils down to the company protecting itself from fraud, which unfortunately we see frequently. Examples would be sons with similar names...i.e. jr, II, III, or husbands and wives getting call records to see who the other is cheating with. The fact is this is the world we live in, like it or not we helped create the atmosphere of distrust and information gathering. It is all in an effort to protect identity and prevent fraud, pity that we all can't understand that. I actually work for Ntelos as a Store manager (different store). I can shed a little more light on the situation. There are two points in taking a copy of the photo ID. One, and most important is SOX compliance with the federal gov’t. Two, we keep records of the contracts to prove that the customer that signed the contract was in fact the same person who owns the account, you’re signature is also on most state issued ID. Also, if any custoemr disputes siging a contract we can simply produce the signed copy with ID to show that it was done properly. From an Ntelos standpoint, equifax, our perferred credit agency, requires your state ID number in order to run your credit. Its very ture the manager should have been able to tell you the finer points on why it was required, but his concern is not to lose his job over very high audit standards. I assure you this is a very real possibility.

As for renewing from the website, retailer will mail a copy of the contract with the handset and expect it signed and returned with ID. Generally if this is not done they will bill the total cost of the handset…not the same as the contract cost. Same goes for over the phone, with the addition of recorded conversation. Basically, it boils down to the company protecting itself from fraud, which unfortunately we see frequently. Examples would be sons with similar names…i.e. jr, II, III, or husbands and wives getting call records to see who the other is cheating with. The fact is this is the world we live in, like it or not we helped create the atmosphere of distrust and information gathering. It is all in an effort to protect identity and prevent fraud, pity that we all can’t understand that.

]]> By: LSNT http://semitrue.com/blog/2007/04/15/how-to-lose-a-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-17606 LSNT Sat, 16 May 2009 11:49:58 +0000 http://semitrue.com/blog/2007/04/15/how-to-lose-a-customer/#comment-17606 I just upgraded a phone through the Sprint.com website. It did not require ID, but i did have to log in with a username and password. So, i entered into a contract (two-year), without showing ID. I just upgraded a phone through the Sprint.com website. It did not require ID, but i did have to log in with a username and password. So, i entered into a contract (two-year), without showing ID.

]]> By: blahblah http://semitrue.com/blog/2007/04/15/how-to-lose-a-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-17390 blahblah Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:44:59 +0000 http://semitrue.com/blog/2007/04/15/how-to-lose-a-customer/#comment-17390 I have been in cell phone industry for 8 yrs now from about high school up until college. It has always always been a requirement to show ID period, we have to make sure you are who you say you are and must make a copy of your photo ID point blank period, that copy goes over to corporate along with all your paperwork and sometimes if the information doesnt match we will get audited or the customer will have to go through an identity review in order to prove the identity or the contract is also considered as being null and void if it ever becomes a legal issue. Every single time you sign up with a brand new provider where a 2 year contract is required YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO PROVIDE YOU SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER TO CHECK CREDIT. yes you are really checking your credit to get service, and based on your credit history you will either have a low or high deposit. Excellent credit means absolutely no deposit. sorry its been that way for years. Its nothing new, its to protect the customer and the actual provider if the customer did in fact want to make a legal issue about signing their contract and or paperwork, the ID is an agreement that you accept the terms and conditions AND you were the person there on that day to sign the paperwork. sorry I have been in cell phone industry for 8 yrs now from about high school up until college. It has always always been a requirement to show ID period, we have to make sure you are who you say you are and must make a copy of your photo ID point blank period, that copy goes over to corporate along with all your paperwork and sometimes if the information doesnt match we will get audited or the customer will have to go through an identity review in order to prove the identity or the contract is also considered as being null and void if it ever becomes a legal issue. Every single time you sign up with a brand new provider where a 2 year contract is required YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO PROVIDE YOU SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER TO CHECK CREDIT. yes you are really checking your credit to get service, and based on your credit history you will either have a low or high deposit. Excellent credit means absolutely no deposit. sorry its been that way for years. Its nothing new, its to protect the customer and the actual provider if the customer did in fact want to make a legal issue about signing their contract and or paperwork, the ID is an agreement that you accept the terms and conditions AND you were the person there on that day to sign the paperwork. sorry

]]> By: Ntelos Manager http://semitrue.com/blog/2007/04/15/how-to-lose-a-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-7246 Ntelos Manager Fri, 24 Aug 2007 04:39:43 +0000 http://semitrue.com/blog/2007/04/15/how-to-lose-a-customer/#comment-7246 I am a NTELOS retail manager, somewhere down the line from Don Gibson actually. The way I have understood it is, the legal aspect of a 'contract' is a new relationship from date x to date x. If a court were to get involved, any previous contract is null and void and only the existing contract is what they look at. So if the ID were attached to a previous contract and not the current one, the idea that I'm already an existing customer is out the window. In other words, the legal aspect doesn't have a designation between "new service" and "upgrading service". BTW, this is proved as none of our contracts say new line of service. When we have promos (rebates and such) that require a contract, all of them specifically say, "requires a new 2-year contract", however this is not excluding upgrades as they are seen in the aspect of new as well. Thanks, Manager I am a NTELOS retail manager, somewhere down the line from Don Gibson actually. The way I have understood it is, the legal aspect of a ‘contract’ is a new relationship from date x to date x. If a court were to get involved, any previous contract is null and void and only the existing contract is what they look at. So if the ID were attached to a previous contract and not the current one, the idea that I’m already an existing customer is out the window.

In other words, the legal aspect doesn’t have a designation between “new service” and “upgrading service”. BTW, this is proved as none of our contracts say new line of service.

When we have promos (rebates and such) that require a contract, all of them specifically say, “requires a new 2-year contract”, however this is not excluding upgrades as they are seen in the aspect of new as well.

Thanks,

Manager

]]> By: uberxy http://semitrue.com/blog/2007/04/15/how-to-lose-a-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-5801 uberxy Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:08:57 +0000 http://semitrue.com/blog/2007/04/15/how-to-lose-a-customer/#comment-5801 When you ask for new service or a new phone at a cell store, you are really asking for credit. That one cent phone costs money, and needs to come out of your next 12 payments. And yes, you may have signed up for the $12.99 42 free minute plan, but for all the cell company knows, you may run up a bill of thousands of dollars in the next 30 days. So all the clerk wanted to do, as the clerk was instructed to do, was to run a credit check on you. You need a social security number to do that, not business photo id (as useless as your high school yearbook picture). And you might say, well, I pay my $12.99 to the cell company every month and have been a great customer. Could be true, and could be true concurrently that you haven't paid your mortgage in the last six months. It's the kind of thing retail credit extenders like to know, and it makes perfect sense to me. Cell companies have huge fraudulent losses every month, and a quick credit check is about all they can do to help prevent it without upsetting customers; or at least, most customers. When you ask for new service or a new phone at a cell store, you are really asking for credit. That one cent phone costs money, and needs to come out of your next 12 payments. And yes, you may have signed up for the $12.99 42 free minute plan, but for all the cell company knows, you may run up a bill of thousands of dollars in the next 30 days. So all the clerk wanted to do, as the clerk was instructed to do, was to run a credit check on you. You need a social security number to do that, not business photo id (as useless as your high school yearbook picture). And you might say, well, I pay my $12.99 to the cell company every month and have been a great customer. Could be true, and could be true concurrently that you haven’t paid your mortgage in the last six months. It’s the kind of thing retail credit extenders like to know, and it makes perfect sense to me. Cell companies have huge fraudulent losses every month, and a quick credit check is about all they can do to help prevent it without upsetting customers; or at least, most customers.

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