Hold the phone! It’s good
reception for T-Mobile

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

T-Mobile USA has about 1,700 stores in all 50 states in the country, including a popular outlet at the Roosevelt Mall.
Daryl Okken, market manager for the company’s Philadelphia North operation, said the store has been an overwhelming success for the last three years.
"It’s the highest-producing store for T-Mobile in the country," he said.
T-Mobile is among the "big four" in the retail cell phone industry. The others are AT&T Wireless, Verizon and Sprint Nextel.
On Dec. 15, T-Mobile held grand-opening events at 150-plus stores across the country, just in time for last-minute Christmas shopping.
"We wanted to do everything we could to open before or right after Black Friday," Okken said, referring to the day after Thanksgiving, always a shopping frenzy.
Eight of those stores are in the Philadelphia area. There are stores in South Philadelphia, Port Richmond, University City, Southwest Philadelphia, Manayunk, Bensalem and two in the Northeast.
The two Northeast locations are at 6501 Roosevelt Blvd. in Roosevelt Plaza and 2118 Cottman Ave.
The Boulevard location opened officially on Nov. 19, and T-Mobile is excited to be part of an overhaul of the plaza. Q102 held a live radio remote broadcast for the store’s grand opening.
The spacious store is like all other T-Mobile outlets. It carries a wide variety of phones and accessories. There are pre-paid cards and a bill payment machine.
All of the phones are small and stylish. They range from simple ones for people who just want to make phone calls to more complex ones that offer e-mail, Internet, pictures, text messaging, music, driving directions, movie listings and more.
Assistant store manager Erica Rodriguez said the staff wants customers to leave with the phone that fits their lifestyle.
"When you come in to T-Mobile, we’ll ask a lot of questions," she said. "But, when you walk out, you’ll have the right phone that fits your needs."
The other local store, on Cottman Avenue, opened on Sept. 29. It is just two blocks from the Roosevelt Mall location.
In addition, T-Mobile plans more expansion in the Northeast. By the spring or summer, new stores will open near Red Lion Road and Roosevelt Boulevard and at Frankford and Morrell avenues.
Okken sees Philadelphia as a big part of T-Mobile’s growth. There are 22 stores in the area, with 12 more projected to open in 2008.
"It’s an up-and-coming market," he said. "It’s fertile ground for us to take a big piece of the market share."
Okken oversees a market with a dozen stores in Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks counties.
Sales in those stores have increased 10 percent to 15 percent from a year ago, the manager said.
In all years, and especially this year, phones are proving to be popular holiday gift items.
"Electronics are cool toys," Okken said.
Another reason for the frenzy of sales late in the year, he explained, is that many wireless phone contracts have to be renewed. Contracts are often signed right around Christmas upon purchase.
"They start and pretty much end in December," Okken said.
Throughout the year, Okken said T-Mobile thrives because of its service, from the time the customer walks into the store until a sale is made and whenever a follow-up is needed.
What is the future of the industry?
Okken notes that most adults and teenagers own cell phones. In fact, many people are dropping their land-line service because of the convenience of cell phones.
While making and receiving phone calls is easy, Okken thinks the future will include an increase in non-voice use.
For instance, he said, younger people use text messages "like crazy." But, older people have not kept pace.
Okken said American telecommunication companies will be looking to encourage texting the way people write e-mails from work and home.
"We’re behind in using some of the technology that is used constantly overseas," he said. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com