What it’s like to buy a new phone inside a T-Mobile store these days

Buying a new phone from a T-Mobile store these days is a different experience than what you might be used to. The company’s executives have had a grand scheme to convert T-Mobile into a digital Mobile Network Operator (MNO) with subscribers turning to the T-Life app to manage all aspects of their dealings with T-Mobile. Whether you’re adding new lines, upgrading to a new phone, making your monthly payment or buying an accessory, soon everything will probably have to go through the T-Life app. Part of the problem is that the app itself has been known to have problems.

There is speculation that T-Mobile will soon shut its third-party retail (TPR) locations

The T-Life app is buggy and laggy

As he explains, “When we were checked in the floor coach asked if I had the T-life app and I told him I did… he went on to tell me that we have to use the app to purchase anything. When we were being helped, the Mobile Expert, he basically told me to check my T-life app to see if they have any of the phones in stock and to purchase everything. I looked up the device that he [my brother] wanted and proceeded to check out on the app. The App was slow in store and kept crashing.”

The problems with the T-Life app that he mentioned, the slow speed and the app crashing, are problems that T-Mobile customers have specifically mentioned are issues with the app. And here’s the kicker folks. The customer/former ME who wrote the post said that he asked the rep helping him what happens if someone coming into the store to make a purchase doesn’t have the T-Life app. The rep told him that under that scenario, the customer would not be able to purchase anything.  

The metrics don’t seem to be much of a problem anymore because of the requirement that the T-Life app be used on all transactions. But the app, as noted, presents its own set of problems. A current T-Mobile ME wrote to the guy who posted about his in-store shopping experience giving him his feelings on the matter. “Your experience is unfortunately a byproduct of the pressure upper management is placing on store managers to keep [T-Life] usage above a certain percentage. T-Life is supposed to be the new tool we use to transact with customers not interact [with them].”

The Un-carrier’s transition is not customer-friendly

The wheels are in motion and the carrier that was once so pro-customer it was known as the Un-carrier, is now about to make it harder for older and less tech savvy customers to accomplish their goals and complete their tasks when shopping for a new phone and accompanying service. It’s sad and is being done for the sake of the almighty dollar.

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