Droid Bionic Review – CNET
Posted on 08. Sep, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Equipment
We’ve been waiting for the Motorola Droid Bionic for so long that it’s been hyped to near-mythical proportions. We first heard tell of the superphone at CES 2011, where Motorola came out with a cavalcade of powerful Android devices that included the Motorola Atrix 4G, the Motorola Xoom, and, of course, the Motorola Droid Bionic. With its dual-core processor, Verizon LTE speeds, HD video recording, HDMI port, and luscious 4.3-inch qHD display, the Droid Bionic was a pioneering handset in many ways.
Continue reading at CNET here.
Verizon Wireless most reliable carrier, says J.D. Power – CNET
Posted on 30. Aug, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Wireless Industry
Check out this article from CNET covering Verizon Wireless’ top ranking by J.D. Power.
Verizon Wireless is once again the most reliable carrier throughout the U.S., according to a study out yesterday from J.D. Power and Associates.
Based on a customer survey, J.D. Power’s “U.S. 2011 Wireless Network Quality Performance Study–Volume 2″ ranked Verizon as the top carrier in the Northeast for the 14th time in a row. Compared with other carriers, Verizon saw the least number of customers complaining of dropped calls, transmission failures, initial connection issues, and delayed text messages.
Read on at CNET here.
Cellular Sales Makes Inc. 5000 Again!
Posted on 24. Aug, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Company News
Continuing its amazing growth Cellular Sales makes the Inc. 5000 list for the fourth year in a row. Brian Snyder, a Regional Director for Cellular Sales, said, “It is great to see that Cellular Sales has made the Inc. 5000 list again. I have to say that it’s the representatives, the people on the frontline, which make this company so great. We pride ourselves on giving our customers the best wireless experience possible and our reps make that happen.” The Inc. 5000 list is produced by Inc. Magazine, a publication dedicated to growing businesses. “It is an honor to be on the Inc. 5000 list for the fourth year in a row. This type of growth proves that our customers are responding to and enjoy the personalized experience we give them.”, said Alec Rankine, a Regional Director for Cellular Sales. Cellular Sales ranked 1449th overall and 69th in the retail category. Cellular Sales boasted $488.5 million in revenue, to make the list for 2011, up from $316 million in revenue previously. Over the past three years Cellular Sales has grown by 193%.
Cellular Sales’ profile can be found at the Inc.’s website here.
App Aims to Make Navigating Disney Parks Easier
Posted on 22. Aug, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Apps
Cellular Sales gets a mention in this story from Today – MSNBC.
Finding your way around the Disney’s Magic Kingdom and locating a favorite character can be a daunting experience but a new app aims to make it easier.
In the advertisements, Mickey, Minnie and Goofy always seem to be nearby and eager to pose for a picture, but sometimes families have a different experience.
Hoping to bring reality closer to the fantasy, Disney Parks has launched Mobile Magic, an app to enhance visitors’ experience with a GPS-tracking system.
The app helps find the locations of Disney characters, checks wait times for popular rides, finds a restaurant or the best shop to buy a souvenir and can track down your car in the parking lot after a long day. Read on here.
Cool Phones from Film and Television – The Matrix
Posted on 09. Aug, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Cool Phones from Film and Television
Nokia 8110 from the Matrix
This sleek model (for its day) allowed Morpheus to give Neo turn by turn directions to evade Agents out to get him. It would have worked if (spoiler alert!!!) Neo didn’t chicken out on the ledge. Neo also managed to drop his Nokia 8110. Hope he had insurance! In real life this model didn’t have the spring-loaded action that the movie depicts. That was something prop designers worked up on set. It was the first, however, to introduce the slider form function all the way back in 1996.
Google’s new Android Market
Posted on 03. Aug, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Equipment
Check out this walk-through of Google’s new Android Market
Locations of Cellular Sales – Key West
Posted on 25. Jul, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Locations of Cellular Sales
Cellular Sales’ Key West location is in the spotlight in this edition of Locations of Cellular Sales.
Key West Location
With over 400 locations Cellular Sales has stores in some very cool places in which to make a living. One of the coolest is Key West in Cellular Sales’ South Florida market. John James, one of South Florida’s Regional Directors, said, “The store is definitely a landmark in Key West, and everyone must notice it on their way to and from the famous Duval Street.”
Diego Betancourt, a Cellular Sales Representative said, “Key West is truly special. The thing that really separates Key West is that we are a lone store hundreds of miles away from our sister stores. Our locals love us down here. It’s a great feeling to be able to go out into the local community and have ourselves known as the go-to store for their cellular needs. Honestly being able to have the opportunity to work down here is truly a privilege.”
Sloppy Joe's on Duval St.
The Key West location fills a void considering Cuba is closer than the nearest corporate owned Verizon Wireless location. It serves all 30,000 residence of Key West, an island that is 4 miles long by 2 miles wide. It is also Cellular Sales’ most southern location.
“The Key West store is definitely the place to be. Most of our customers are tourists, boat captains or military. We have a lot of fun in this store, it’s easy going and most of the people are laid back. The location is the best on the island because it’s easily spotted. When the locals ask where I work and I tell them Cellular Sales, the first thing they ask is, “Is it the big one right on the corner of the street?” Feels great to be recognized right away!”, said Robert King, a rep in Key West.
Cellular Sales Opens Six Stores in Two Weeks
Posted on 21. Jul, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Company News
Cellular Sales is growing at an amazing pace!
In the past two weeks alone Cellular Sales has opened six locations! “With rapid growth a company can easily get distracted from what made it great in the first place. I’m proud to say that we have never lost our way.”, said Brian Snyder, of Cellular Sales’ South Georgia market. Jose Ordonez, a Regional Director for Cellular Sales, commented on the growth, “Cellular Sales has always maintained it’s culture and core competency of outstanding customer service with every new store opening.”
Follow the links below to find our more on our new locations!
Getting to Know Cellular Sales – Alec Rankine – Gulf Coast Market
Posted on 19. Jul, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Getting to Know Cellular Sales
Alec Rankine of Cellular Sales talks with the Cellular Sales Blog.
What is your title? I am a Regional Director for Cellular Sales, I operate the Gulf Coast Market.
What do you like best about working with Cellular Sales? Well, the nature of the question says it all. Working “WITH” Cellular Sales. I remember my interview in ‘96 vividly. Dane Scism, our CEO, was interviewing me, and simply said, “If you want a boss, or a job, you are in the wrong place. If you want to be my business partner and share profits, then this may be a good fit for you.” I guess 15 years later it must have been a pretty good fit.
That business model is still what I strive to get across to every candidate that goes through our interview process. It truly is unique and many people don’t grasp it until they join our company and experience that culture. But that’s what makes us different and I love it.
What makes Cellular Sales such a special company to work with? Again, the fact that we treat our sales reps as business partners and not expendable parts is truly unique in this industry. I have been in the Gulf Coast region for eleven months and we have not terminated a contract with a single rep for productivity issues. Nor has anyone quit. I think that says a lot. (I was also a Regional Director in Central Florida for 5+ years and we had less than 5% turnover annually.)
When you find the right individuals for our company (and that’s not easy) and you treat them as business partners, the culture becomes very positive and empowering. We don’t threaten our sales people. We don’t manage by fear. We hopefully inspire them to be their best and provide an environment which fosters their growth. It is a process. It can take months before a sales rep truly has a grasp of our business, and that is perfectly fine. Some of my best hires in the past took a year or two before they really caught on and became great reps. It is extremely rewarding when that happens.
What’s different about it from other companies? Well, I have already sort of differentiated us with my example of low turnover, but I think maybe the biggest difference is how we compensate our people. There truly is NO cap on how much income someone can make. In other wireless companies the top producers reach a ceiling. They are actually penalized once they go above their quota. I love it when I interview someone who has wireless industry experience. Once they see our commission numbers their eyes typically get huge and I can see the excitement. Basically, our compensation really rewards excellence. If a sales rep is mediocre, our compensation for mid level productivity is only moderatley higher than some of the higher paying competitors. But the big producers really can see a huge difference in their income. This allows us to keep our superstars happy. And any good leader knows that keeping your talent happy is vital to your long term success. So, if I have to compare us to our peers in this industry, I would say that is the biggest difference, (other than the aforementioned cultural dynamics which also make us so unique.)
Before working here, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had? Hmmm… Tough question. I have had all kinds of jobs. While in college, I was not the best student in the world… to put it mildly. But I always had a great work ethic. So I often had two or three jobs. I remember one summer I was bartending at nights,(morning bartending is just not very profitable…) and I went to a temp agency to find some work during the day. The first job they sent me to was in a warehouse. I had done tons of manual labor jobs before, so I just figured it would be a basic warehouse job. Once I walked in I saw that it was a machinist warehouse and they actually wanted me to operate a blowtorch. Not gonna happen. I had to leave and go back to the agency and ask for a different assignment. Who knows what might have happened if I had stayed. “Blowtorching” may have been my calling, but I guess we’ll never know.
What are your hobbies? I love to run. It is the ultimate exercise for me. I have completed 13 half marathons and half dozen shorter races. I also enjoy working out and playing tennis. I also passionately despise golf. Is that a hobby?
Do you have a funny story about working at Cellular Sales? Hmmm… funny stories about Cellular Sales… Where do I begin? Of course when you deal with the general public face to face every day for 10 years, you are going to meet some interesting people. I think my favorite story is the time a customer brought his pet monkey into our store in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. I was working with two other reps and a customer brought in his pet monkey which was wearing overalls. He was very friendly and cool, but he was also pretty large. I have always heard monkeys and chimps have super strength… so I tried not to make him angry. He actually sat on Laura Lynn’s shoulder most of the time(one of my co-workers)but when I went to take a picture of him he jumped from her shoulder to mine and the picture is pretty funny with the monkey in mid air jumping towards me. Fortunately I did not enrage the monkey and lived to talk about it.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what three things would you have to have with you? Assuming I can’t take my girlfriend, (gotta stay out of trouble here…) it would have to be a water purifier, a satellite telephone with a solar-powered rechargeable battery, so I could call somebody to get me off that island, and a king size bed, not a fan of sleeping on the ground.
Cellular Sales’ New Trade-Up! Program Creates Value for Customers
Posted on 08. Jul, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Company News
Cellular Sales’ new “Trade-Up!” program is now in full swing with over 3,500 trade-ins so far. Launching company-wide on June 20th, the program provides customers the ability to trade in their mobile devices that include cell phones, MP3 players, tablets, and GPS navigation devices. Unlike several big box retailers, who limit items to ones that have been recently purchased from their stores, the Cellular Sales “Trade-Up!” program has no limits on what you can trade in.
“The Cellular Sales Trade-up! program is a great way to turn in the old, simple cell phones and ‘trade up’ to get a brand new smart phone,” said Dane Scism, Founder and CEO of Cellular Sales. “Our Trade-up! program has very few restrictions and you can trade in for ANY new device or accessory.”
When a customer trades in a device its value will be determined by the make, model and condition of the device. The value can then be used as an instant credit towards the purchase of a new phone, accessory or tablet. To take advantage of the “Trade-Up!” program customers just need to visit any Cellular Sales location. Store representatives will then perform the trade-in request in real-time and provide the customer with a real-value estimate for their device based on the make, model and condition of the device they are trading in. Chargers, boxes and paperwork are NOT required and do not impact the value of the device being traded. Customers can then apply that trade-in value towards the purchase of any new handset or accessory. The phones will then be wiped of all personal data, then refurbished or recycled in an environmentally responsible manner.
“This is a new option for our customers and we’re excited to make it easier for them to get a brand new mobile phone,” said JT Thome, Director of Operations for Cellular Sales.
Verizon Tiered Plan FAQ
Posted on 07. Jul, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Company News
So Big Red has confirmed that it is indeed going to tiered data plans. Some FAQ below for those with questions.
I’m a new customer. Is the $29.99/mo unlimited? - $30 gives you a monthly allowance of 2GB/mo. For 90% of customers, it is more than sufficient for uploading pictures, browsing the web, checking in on Facebook, downloading and using apps, and everything in between.
Google Maps now goes transit mode for all our big city people!
Posted on 06. Jul, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Equipment
Check out this article from Engadget.
Google Maps Transit Navigation beta for Android hands-on (Engadget)
“Earlier this afternoon, Google pushed Maps v5.7 to the Android Market. The app’s Transit Navigation (beta) feature brings GPS stop-by-stop nav to public transit systems in over 400 cities around the world, helping you find the subway or bus stop, then letting you know exactly when to get off as you ride. There are obvious benefits to using this in a foreign city, where alert-enabled (English!) directions could potentially save you hours of frustration. We left our office to brave the daylight in NYC, walking a block to the nearest subway station en-route to Times Square. The app worked well up until we reached the bottom of the first staircase, where it lost cell reception and its GPS fix. Jump past the break to see how it fared above ground, and check out our hands-on video for a Google Maps-led adventure through New York City’s public transit system.”
Google Gives Social Another Crack with Google+
Posted on 01. Jul, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Wireless Industry
Google’s new social media community is already available on Android, kind of.
Google is dabbling in social media again with Google+. Their first attempts, Orkut and Google Buzz, were mostly failures. Earlier this week Google began leading the users of various Google products to Google+’s website. The landing page for Google+ offers tours of the services which include:
More Proof Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Network Reigns Supreme
Posted on 29. Jun, 2011 by Scott Sutton in 4G LTE, Wireless Industry
PC Magazine conducted 140,000 tests in 21 cities all across the United States with a total of 16 handsets. And their conclusion was…
Verizon’s 4G LTE network dominates other mobile web options, and also beats out many home Internet connections. PC Magazine conducted the investigation by sending six people across the country, driving over 6,000 miles, in a Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta loaned to PC Magazine by Ford. PC Magazine did some modifications that included a Duracell Digital Inverter 400 to power the eight phones that each vehicle carried as well as custom software designed by Sensorly, a network testing firm. The phones used in these test were:
Read On: More Proof Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Network Reigns Supreme
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