Who is

[jodyguercio]

responsible for training Directv retailers? The brick and mortar store where they are employed ie Best Buy or Directv themselves? I went looking at "purchasing" a HR2x series to replace a HR10 and the three places I went gave me three different versions of how something as simple as receiving local programming (OTA built-in vice not built in).

[carl6]

I would expect it to be the local store. Sort of like Radio Shack: You have questions? We have batteries.

Carl

[Earl Bonovich]

From what I understand...

The B&M stores are responsible for training their employees...
DirecTV (and other retailers) do often come in to some stores to train people... then it is the trickle down training effect.

[skyviewmark1]

Training?? We get training? :)

[Stuart Sweet]

Luckily for me I don't have to rely on those stores for information on anything. (I just ask people here) It's so rare they are right.

[rkicklighter]

Luckily for me I don't have to rely on those stores for information on anything. (I just ask people here) It's so rare they are right.

Same here, I do my own homework and know what I want before walking into the store. Doesn't matter if it's new electronics, materials to build a deck or a new truck.

If the store / dealer doesn't have what I want, I walk out and go to another.

[jodyguercio]

From what I understand...

The B&M stores are responsible for training their employees...
DirecTV (and other retailers) do often come in to some stores to train people... then it is the trickle down training effect.

I wonder why that is? Dont you think Directv would want people "selling" their service to be as knowledgable as possible?

[Earl Bonovich]

I wonder why that is? Dont you think Directv would want people "selling" their service to be as knowledgable as possible?

Availability... of staff.. and time.

On average at a BestBuy... 10 employees assigned to the TV arena?
With their turn over rates...

There is no way DirecTV could keep sending someone out to each BestBuy store... to continuously train them.

Similar to what we do here at my company... we have 90 stores..
We train the store managers and the office managers... and they are responsible for training the rest of their staff... and keeping the rest of the staff up to date....

And given that BestBuy carry's how many different products in their different areas? It is pretty hard to keep the $8hr high school part timer, up to date on this stuff...

[JeffBowser]

That would be nearly impractical, with the turnover rate, and the sheer volume of retail establishments.... I find it hard enough myself to keep my retailers and distributors trained, and I only have double digits to worry about.

I wonder why that is? Dont you think Directv would want people "selling" their service to be as knowledgable as possible?

[JeffBowser]

Eh, what Earl said :lol:

[jodyguercio]

Availability... of staff.. and time.

On average at a BestBuy... 10 employees assigned to the TV arena?
With their turn over rates...

There is no way DirecTV could keep sending someone out to each BestBuy store... to continuously train them.

Similar to what we do here at my company... we have 90 stores..
We train the store managers and the office managers... and they are responsible for training the rest of their staff... and keeping the rest of the staff up to date....

And given that BestBuy carry's how many different products in their different areas? It is pretty hard to keep the $8hr high school part timer, up to date on this stuff...

That would be nearly impractical, with the turnover rate, and the sheer volume of retail establishments.... I find it hard enough myself to keep my retailers and distributors trained, and I only have double digits to worry about.

Both make good sense financially. So then given this, do you think it would make more sense for Directv to create some type of program where more expierenced CSRs, at non-management level of course, could be farmed out to stores in some type of lateral promotion to rememdy the situation?

[CJTE]

Both make good sense financially. So then given this, do you think it would make more sense for Directv to create some type of program where more expierenced CSRs, at non-management level of course, could be farmed out to stores in some type of lateral promotion to rememdy the situation?

That'd be sweet. However, DirecTV and the B&M stores are different entities. And, as its been stated here, Most DirecTV call centers are outsourced, so DirecTV would have to walk in to another company, tell another company they want a few members of its staff, then walk in to somewhere like best buy, and tell them that these call center reps are gonna work in their store??

AND, trust me, there are some reps you just dont want to see. (However, there are some people that just shouldnt be there too)

[The Merg]

Luckily for me I don't have to rely on those stores for information on anything. (I just ask people here) It's so rare they are right.

So why are you asking the people here if they're never right? Oh. Wait. You meant the B&M store people. :grin:

- Merg

[jodyguercio]

That'd be sweet. However, DirecTV and the B&M stores are different entities. And, as its been stated here, Most DirecTV call centers are outsourced, so DirecTV would have to walk in to another company, tell another company they want a few members of its staff, then walk in to somewhere like best buy, and tell them that these call center reps are gonna work in their store??

AND, trust me, there are some reps you just dont want to see. (However, there are some people that just shouldnt be there too)

Most but not all. Take employees from there. Create new job opportunities for people. All things that can be done.

[Ken S]

In general the way I've seen it work.

1. Retail store charges vendor (DirecTV) a fee to bring a trainer in and train the retail store's trainers/managers. The fee usually comes under something called Marketing Development Funds (MDF).
2. Retail store then has those "trained" people train the front-line employees. The training may be in conjunction with a "spiff" program where DirecTV sponsors sales rewards/contests for selling the product.

A vendor pays for just about everything that happens at retail...training, spiffs, advertising in catalogs, media, shelf space, etc.

A lot of companies (I'm not sure about DirecTV) don't have enough trainers so they'll contract with a "rep" company and then train them and have them go train the retail store personnel.

[Earl Bonovich]

Hmmm... maybe I should just hang out at my local Best Buy everyweekend... I am there enough already..

The could just pay me with some Wii and XBOX360 games.

[jodyguercio]

In general the way I've seen it work.

1. Retail store charges vendor (DirecTV) a fee to bring a trainer in and train the retail store's trainers/managers. The fee usually comes under something called Marketing Development Funds (MDF).
2. Retail store then has those "trained" people train the front-line employees. The training may be in conjunction with a "spiff" program where DirecTV sponsors sales rewards/contests for selling the product.

A vendor pays for just about everything that happens at retail...training, spiffs, advertising in catalogs, media, shelf space, etc.

A lot of companies (I'm not sure about DirecTV) don't have enough trainers so they'll contract with a "rep" company and then train them and have them go train the retail store personnel.

Well if thats the case, then wouldnt it make sense for Directv to just train their own people and then just have to pay the b&m the fees they want to have your product in their store. They( Directv) would still pay the wages the directv personnel are entitled to, not the b&m.