It’s now officially holiday shopping season — a time for fun, frolicking and good cheer. But many consumers actually find holiday shopping to be stressful and confusing.
According to a survey T-Mobile commissioned from Kelton Research, nine in 10 consumers felt angst about holiday shopping, and nearly half of those said trying to pick a technology-related gift is more confusing than assembling a child’s toy with multiple parts.
Even so, shoppers aren’t giving up. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they are likely to give something wireless this season (tablets and accessories drew 47 percent of interest, with smartphones at 30 percent).
Technology choices can be difficult, but they don’t have to be. As anyone who’s tried to assemble a bike can attest, the task gets much easier with a good set of directions and the right tools.
Consider us your toolbox.
T-Mobile thought we might be able to help you break through some of your holiday confusion – and find some great values in the process – by putting together some simple anti-stress tips for shopping for wireless this holiday:
- First, be sure to match up a phone’s features with the recipient’s interests. Mobile gamers will prefer big screens and quad-core processors; digital photographers will probably relish a high-res camera and tons of storage capacity, and entertainment junkies could use fast 4G smartphones with high-definition screens optimized for streaming video. To simplify your choices, we’ve put together a fun quiz — start at the top, answer a few basic questions and instantly see which T-Mobile device meets the needs of your special someone. And if you’re considering gifting a service plan (63 percent in Kelton’s survey said they plan to do so), it’s best to first figure out how much data the phone recipient will be using every month. To get started, check out this data calculator to help you determine the best plan based on usage.
- It’s also important to know how devices work in everyday use, so definitely read a few reviews before setting foot in a store or clicking the “checkout” button in your online cart. Independent reviews are available at sites such as consumerreports.org and cnet.com, and user reviews are collected at consumersearch.com or epinions.com. For those looking to talk with an expert in person, our in-store sales associates have the knowledge, tools and resources to guide shoppers to the ideal selection. Also, before making your purchase, make sure you understand a store’s return policies.
- Finally, everybody knows the holiday season can provide some great deals. Almost three in four consumers (72 percent) said finding reasonable prices is most important to them when shopping during the winter holidays, according to Kelton’s survey. Beyond helping shoppers find the right device to meet their needs, we’re also committed to providing outstanding value for our customers. You can find the latest outstanding offers from T-Mobile here.
Yes, the holiday season can be hectic, but T-Mobile is here to help harried customers easily find the devices they need to give the perfect gift — so they can spend more time out building snowmen or perfecting that holiday fruitcake.
Ami Silverman is senior vice president, sales operations services at T-Mobile USA. She oversees store design and development, construction, operational support, training, loss prevention, and fraud. Her group supports all of T-Mobile’s sales functions as a centralized cross-functional team; it also establishes and maintains standard operating procedures and performance expectations.