Miller, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, doesn’t know what happened. He already has a cell phone that he doesn’t use, he doesn’t know what a tablet is, and he doesn’t understand the Internet.

He shrugged and shrugged to Go Public. “This is my only explanation. I’m still not sure how that happened.”

Miller’s son knew exactly what had happened-he said that the sales representative at the Toronto Dufferin Mall store was acting unethically.

James Ogden said: “He went in and got the TV… and then took out everything except the TV.” “What they did was not justified, it was just taking advantage of someone. It was exploitative. .”

An insider who works at another location at The Source told Go Public that even if people stay at home due to the pandemic, the continued pressure to achieve unrealistic sales goals is forcing employees to make unethical sales.

He said that he and his colleagues are encouraged not to ask too many questions when customers do not seem to have good cognitive function.

“The goal is… to get them to write and sign a contract. So if this person does not have their ability, then we are basically just told to go through [sales] Script,” he said.

“I was told to persevere.”

CBC News did not disclose his identity because he said he was worried that he would be unemployed.

He described the tremendous pressure from store managers and shared their text. They told the team that there was no excuse for not selling, and said that employees cannot blame customers for lack of sales.

“Every day there is an unchanging moment,’We need to achieve this goal [sales target], Why is there nothing on the board? ‘”He says.

Business ethics experts say that encouraging high-pressure sales is harmful to the company’s brand.

“During this challenging time, [companies] To go beyond this code of ethics and…force their employees to engage in sales misconduct,” said Rhodan Shao, an associate professor at York University’s Schulich School of Business who specializes in corporate responsibility and business ethics.

“The company should…provide protection and support for employees, instead of transferring all these financial difficulties and pressures to employees.”

Bell declined the interview request, but eventually returned Miller and abandoned the contract.in Public statement, Spokesman Nathan Gibson (Nathan Gibson) said that the company is “focused on maintaining the customer experience” and “very seriously” focusing on sales and service practices.

He also said that the company has conducted an internal investigation into Miller’s experience, and the personnel involved will face disciplinary action. What happened “is inconsistent with our policy, and we have apologized to him and his family.”

Gibson said: “We do not encourage or support high-pressure sales strategies.”

When Ogden visited his father in November last year and noticed the Bell Fibe TV receiver, the noise was exposed, which surprised him because his father’s apartment fee included Rogers Cable. He soon discovered other objects.

His father couldn’t remember, so Ogden said he called Bell over and over again. He said the customer service representatives simply refused to cancel the TV, Internet and cell phone plans, or retrieve any untouched equipment.

Several people said that his father was trapped by the phone and tablet because he had passed the two-week “buyer’s regret” window.

Out of frustration, Ogden began to record the phone call. An agent who shared with Go Public insisted that despite Alzheimer’s disease, Ogden’s father was still responsible for what happened because he signed the contract.

The representative said: “Your father is physically and mentally healthy so that he can process and provide the information needed to complete the signing of the contract.” “The story ends.”

People familiar with the matter said he was frustrated to hear what happened to Miller, but it was not surprising.

He said: “The more you bundle, the higher the sales assistant’s return. Therefore, we are encouraged to bundle.”

Go Public heard from several other current and former employees of The Source that they also said that the pressure to achieve sales targets was unreasonable. Some people say that if employees achieve their goals, there is a management culture that “looks a different way”.

The elderly are “specific targets”

CRTC Make a public inquiry In 2018, part of the reason was that, driven by the Go Public report, telecommunications companies adopted an aggressive sales strategy. The senior citizen advocacy organization CARP included in this strategy. Call on regulators Protect the elderly-warn them that “is a specific target for overselling.”

Ogden said that such protective measures have not been introduced, but they should have been implemented long ago.

He said: “There should be some measures to protect vulnerable groups from exploitation.”

The source insider said that Bell talks about a good game that does not encourage a stressful work environment and is known for its “Let’s Talk” campaign on mental health, but he said that if the company cares about the mentality of employees, it needs to be significantly reduced sales target.

He said: “Bell needs to be careful, serious, and long-term to understand their current sales.”

The spokesperson said that Bell is discussing its code of conduct and sales ethics with its leadership and sales team.

Gibson said in the statement: “We will not… condone any violation of strict policies and extensive training programs that we have noticed.”

Watch | An 85-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease sells Bell products that he cannot use:

An 85-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease bought a TV at The Source, and eventually won multiple Bell contracts and new mobile phones and tablets that he didn’t need. Sources insiders say that even during the pandemic, employees are under pressure to increase sales. 2:12

After Go Public contacted Bell, the company agreed to take back the phone and tablet, dropped the contract, and erased Miller’s unpaid expenses.

Gibbson admitted that the company’s “policies and training have not been followed many times.”

He said that Bell representatives are bound by the company’s “strict code of business conduct,” and their training includes mandatory courses on ethical sales behavior and accessibility.

Shao, a professor of ethics, said employees who are forced to engage in unethical behavior often start to find other places to work, causing harm to the company in the long run.

She said: “I think Bell should pay more attention to the mental health and mental health of employees.” “They need to speak.”

She said she was happy that Bell took steps to resolve Miller’s case, but she said this should have happened a few months ago.

She said: “This clearly shows that the company knows that they are engaged in wrong behavior.” “They should be more proactive.”

As for Miller, he swore not to take his son to the store for shopping and returned to Rogers for TV and home phone services. But his son is worried that Bell is trying to make his father a customer again.

“Literally, two days later, Bell called [him] Ogden said, “Look if he wants to reactivate his Bell account. There is nothing in his file to explain the ordeal we have gone through.”