Your Guide to Choosing a Cell Phone (Page 2 of 2)
“Test driving” cell phones
This section of the Guide to Choosing a Cell Phone is intended to be filled out at the store. Print out one of the following formats to take with you to the store:
- PDF version of the "Test Driving" cell phones section or
- Word DOC version of the "Test Driving" cell phones section
The section information contained in the printable documents above is repeated below in HTML.
Some stores have their newest phones activated for you to "test drive" there in the store. Be sure to bring a friend with a cell phone, or have someone standing by at home to receive your calls and to call you. If you would prefer to choose a phone and take your test drive at home, ask your sales person about the trial period for return or exchange of phones.
Using your completed checklist, ask your sales person to help you find the phone(s) with the features you need and guide you through the 11 tasks of the test drive that follows.
Be sure to consider whether glare, low lighting, or noise would make a difference in completing each task, and which tasks are most important to you.
For each task, grade the phone from easy (A) to difficult (D). If you test drive more than one phone, bring multiple copies of this form.
Phone tested:
- Turn phone power on, and note the date and time on the display.
- Place a call to your home or to a friend
- use the redial feature to call again
- ask your friend to call you back
- Answer the incoming call from your home or your friend;
- identify the number before answering
- change the volume during the call
- End the call and lock the phone.
- Unlock the phone.
- Have someone leave a voice mail message for you; retrieve the message.
- Ask the sales person for the company's customer service number, and enter it into the directory.
- Call the customer service number in the directory:
- Identify yourself as a customer with a disability
- ask about accessibility features that can make the phone easier to use
- Turn the phone off.
- Charge the phone.
- Determine level of battery charge
- Insert plug into phone and remove
- Insert plug into wall and remove
- FINALLY - Be sure to test drive the accessories you need.
Comments / Contact Information
We hope this Guide is helpful in choosing a cell phone. We'd be happy to have your comments.
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