News

AT&T opens interactive store in Illinois

December 14, 2011

AT&T has opened a high-tech retail store in Champaign, Ill. The store offers a unique way for customers to interact with and shop, including a hands-on demonstration area to engage customers and provide a "try before you buy" service experience, AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza, said in a press release.

"This store opening is more great news. It's yet another example of AT&T investment in Illinois, since state lawmakers passed and Gov. Quinn signed a new, modern telecommunications law for our state," he said.

State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, who voted in favor of the law, hopes it will attract more private sector investment to Illinois' wireless networks.

"Wireless broadband brings economic growth," she said in the release. "This new retail store location will allow more consumers and businesses in the Champaign-Urbana area to see the latest wireless devices and technologies that are changing how the world communicates."

The Champaign location showcases a wide range of home and wireless solutions, including new tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab(TM) 8.9 and the HTC Jetstream, as well as the latest in mobile device smartphones - the HTC Vivid, HTC Titan, Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, the Motorola Atrix 2, and the Blackberry Bold 9900. Shoppers can also explore AT&T U-verse services, including AT&T U-verse TV, AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet and AT&T U-verse Voice.

Customers visiting the store can test drive various wireless data applications, including AT&T Navigator, which provides GPS navigation with turn-by-turn directions, or the AT&T Family Map, a family locator service designed to help give parents peace of mind.

"Wireless technology and broadband is good for our economy and jobs - whether they're in agri-business, professional services, manufacturing or retail businesses," State Sen. Michael Frerichs, said in the release. "This investment is great for our area because it brings the latest technology. In a global economy, our employers can't afford to fall behind."

AT&T recently implemented its Retail Promise program to ensure that customers have good in-store shopping experience, according to the release. The company uses its own wireless technology to capture customers' comments, and posts this information to an internal website for store managers to review.

Read more about customer experience.