Online cell phone activation

After purchasing the iPhone and activating it online through iTunes, I began to think about this activation experience and how it compared to the other methods we are used to. I remember the days when I used to handwrite all new contract forms by hand working for Radio Shack many years ago. It was very tedious and timely. I also remember working for AT&T, and often something would go wrong with the activation process leading to many dissatisfied customers.

Why aren’t all wireless carriers offering a similar online activation option for newly purchased cell phones?

Sure, no other company has iTunes to incorporate into this process, but it should not be very hard to build a website specifically for this purpose and have it mimic what Apple and AT&T have done with the iPhone. This will drastically cut the time needed for a customer to be in a physical store or on the phone once their new cell phone is in their possession. Also, another advantage of giving the customer the power to choose their own calling plan and features is the elimination of common employee errors.

I could understand how this might not be convenient for everyone. Only because some people like to leave a store with a working cell phone. In most cases now, everyone should have a working old phone until the new one is activated. Also, if you are porting a number over from another wireless carrier, it usually takes some time for the number to transfer over. Most people would not want to wait in a store for that period of time to make sure it has transferred successfully. Porting my number from Verizon to AT&T took less than an hour and I was sent email updates of the process which was added security.

I think this new activation process that Apple and AT&T introduced for the iPhone is being overlooked because of all the hype about the phone itself. I hope wireless carriers are quietly taking notice. Customers are more informed now about their cell phone options and do not need the help of sales associates to make decisions on purchasing and activating.

As companies make this type of service available, it is up to them to make sure people are aware of it. Apple did this by releasing one of their video tutorials, which is how I first found out about activating the iPhone at home. If this is adopted by companies and consumers, I can imagine this option could save wireless carriers millions of dollars by decreasing employee labor and possibly decreasing retail space.