If you think you’re getting unbiased opinions when you ask a salesmen their opinion at your local tech store or cell phone shop, you’re going to want to think long and hard about doing your own research before heading down to make a purchase. AT&T has begun telling its retail staff that they need to start recommending Android and Windows phones to people over the iPhone.
Regional retail sales managers at AT&T have been instructing store managers to pump the brakes on Apple’s iPhone. Instructions handed down from corporate state that customers seeking smartphones at AT&T retail stores should be steered away from Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone and towards Android phones or Windows Phone handsets like the Nokia Lumia 900 instead.
AT&T has since denied any really organized corporate initiative to redirect customers to Windows and Android phones.
It comes down to this: the kids selling phones down at your local mall probably aren’t as informed about what they’re selling you as you may think they are. This goes for all technology and all tech box stores. Products are often pushed based on markup and profit margins instead of listening to what customers need. Do yourself a favor and look for reviews online, and ask people you trust for advice. You’ll be better off for it.
