The prepaid wireless industry is booming in 2022. Consumers are looking for savings wherever they can find them. The most obvious place, for many, is their wireless bill. The Tracfone brands do offer convenient locations in Walmart, Best Buy, and other big box retailers. But while conveniently located, there is a lack of personal service that is found inside a Boost, Metro, or Cricket location. The third party companies that staff the wireless departments of the big box stores often overlook pre-paid customers in favor of the higher commissions associated with post-paid contract services like AT&T or Verizon. With Total By Verizon set to launch and replace Total Wireless, it would be a bold move to include brick and mortar locations for the new brand.
Tracfone brand plans like Total Wireless have always been competitive. But with little to no personal support offered at the time of the sale and no service after the sale, customers later having trouble with their devices would have to contact online support, call a number, or figure it out on their own. And Tracfone brands haven't had the best reputation for customer support.
And then Verizon happened…
When Verizon acquired Tracfone in 2021, there were high hopes for improvements at every level. Sales reps from competitors hoped for a smoother, more organized porting process and customers hoped for improved customer support and better prices. There were growing pains along the way and much has changed in the last several months but Verizon is finally stepping up and taking some real action in favor of the customer. As recently reported by Best MVNO, Verizon is preparing to transform Total Wireless as a brand, online and in brick and mortar locations.
Switching a number is easy though…
Total by Verizon is a step in the right direction for customers. By bringing Total into the brick and mortar market they can offer personal service to handle complicated transactions. Porting a number from one service to another is intimidating to potential new customers and a support staff that can easily perform a porting transaction from one wireless provider to another is priceless to many of the non-tech savvy.
In 2022, there are more security protocols in place meant to prevent sim-swapping, which stops customers' numbers from being ported out without their knowledge and consent.
Generating number transfer pins, account number retrieval, and even acquiring the zip code associated with an account require different methods based on the carrier. During a number transfer, if any of this information is incorrect it will halt the porting process and the resolution procedures can be complicated. A trained in-store sales associate will know exactly what to do to resolve the issue and successfully complete the port.
Everybody knows how to set up a phone...
Selecting the right phone can be daunting for those who know little about technology. Oftentimes customers looking to save money will ask for “the cheapest phone in the store” not understanding the differences associated between price points and performance. This is where personalized in store support can help out. It is the ethical responsibility of the sales rep to match the device with the customer. And the reps can help set up new phones for those that don't know how. Customers will hold the phone company responsible if they do not like a phone, and will not hesitate to take their business elsewhere.
By opening Total by Verizon stores, training sales reps to handle device sales, porting procedures, and offering service after the sale Total by Verizon may soon be a real competitor in the prepaid industry.
Total by Verizon stores could be an avenue to sell home internet