AT&T gives retail stores a makeover
Riding the success of the iPhone, AT&T, apart from trying to keep the phone exclusive, seems to be learning from Apple in another way--its retail stores.
The company announced Monday that it has done a major makeover to more than 2,200 retail locations across the country. The aim is to provide consumers and small-business customers with a better hands-on experience when shopping for devices and service plans.
According to the telecom giant, the overhaul brings a refreshed, more intuitive organization of products and services. For example, all wireless devices now show up on new power-enabled displays, making it easier for customers to experience and compare features such as touch screens versus full QWERTY keyboards.
These store enhancements are also part of the company's effort to prepare for the nationwide introduction of Netbook data plans and the availability of AT&T ConnecTech services. These services include a nationwide next-day in-home service and 24-7 remote support for Netbook computers.
Personally, I think the makeover is good news. The last time I was at an AT&T store, there was not much else to do about a phone besides look at it.
However, I'd rather see AT&T overhaul its sketchy 3G connection for the iPhone, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area. Now that would make great news.
Dong Ngo is a CNET editor who covers networking and network storage, and writes about anything else he finds interesting. You can also listen to his podcast at insidecnetlabs.cnet.com. E-mail Dong. 
Apple made a huge mistake here - I love my iPhone and hate AT&T. I liked TMobile a lot better when I was with them. Apple should have just made a regular MVNO deal with AT&T, TMobile and whoever else. Then just license them the software that makes the cell tower switches do visual voicemail and have done with it.
Can't wait until 4G / LTE, when everyone converges and then there won't be all of these different standards and more choice without Apple having to make different phones for ATT/TMobile (GSM) and Verizon/Sprint (CDMA).
Cheers,
- Bill
This just illustrates why monopolies are bad. You give someone power and watch them run amok with it. For all the talk of being consumer friendly, these exclusive deals are just another big middle finger to the customer. I can have an iphone any color I want, as long as its black...
1. VZW
2. Sprint
3. ATT
4. T-Mobile
Their network is completely broken!! I got stuck on I10 in Mississippi just outside of Louisiana late one night and tried to call roadside asssistance and got the old familiar dropped call tone.....time after time after time.
They put me and my family in a dangerous situation and when I called to complain, the customer no service rep. was insensitive, rude and one of them actually hung up on me.......or did the call just drop??
- by taylor1277 July 21, 2009 3:58 AM PDT
- One other thing i don't know if many people were around,but if you remember the days of the phone cards,this hit ATT like an asteroid, see ATT was never for performance,they have one of the largest faculties of greed there is,im really surprised and im not kidding that ATT didn't have its hand out for charity from the goverment,i am truly surprised,there were long distance carriers who vanished in the 90's ATT almost went with them,i can't remember the one it began with an M anyway,trust me people and i should learn myself that ATT is never going to be there for there customer base,never, another slogan for them should be,everyday we loose a fool we will gain another one.
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