by Comcast
New store in Eden Prairie, but open positions across the Twin Cities
As employees at the newest Xfinity store posed for a grand-opening photo, one after another started to yell across the crowded room--“Mike, Mike, get over here!” They felt the picture wouldn’t be complete without their manager in it.
That exchange, along with purple balloons, mochi donuts and a ribbon cutting, created a feeling of warmth and opportunity inside 8266 Commonwealth Drive, the first Xfinity store to open in Eden Prairie. It’s the 15th location in the Twin Cities.
“We’re going to be employing nine, what we call front-line, employees; a store manager and an assistant manager,” said Rachel Johnson, vice-president of Sales and Marketing for Comcast Midwest. “So we should have a total of eleven employees out here.”
Johnson compared the Eden Prairie team to a Swiss Army knife due to their versatility. “They can help brand-new customers, existing customers and just really lend a hand,” she said. All of the new hires trained in other Xfinity stores before the soft opening of the Eden Prairie location.
Asked about employee compensation, Johnson said, “The benefits are extremely competitive. As far as wages, absolutely competitive. They’re also commissions-based.” She added that Comcast has open positions all over the Twin Cities and encouraged anyone who’s looking for work to visit the Comcast website.
Located just north of Prairie Center Drive, Xfinity is only a minute by car from Eden Prairie Center. The store space had been sitting empty for more than a year, since Green Mill closed its doors.
Now it’s a bright, open space equipped to host live demos and provide hands-on account management services. The product lineup includes internet, video, connected home solutions, Xfinity Mobile and Comcast Business solutions. Customers can also book appointments ahead of time through Xfinity’s website.
As part of the Thursday’s grand opening, Comcast officials donated a check to the Eden Prairie Crime Prevention Fund. It will be used to pay for the city’s annual Safety Camp, where kids learn from police, fire and recreation department staff members.
Among those in attendance at the grand opening was Pat MulQueeny, president of the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than 300 businesses with 34,000 employees. “We’re very excited to have the Xfinity store here in Eden Prairie to help those businesses, those employees and our local residents,” said MulQueeny.
MulQueeny echoed the Eden Prairie’s mayor’s remarks about Comcast not being “new” to the city. “Xfinity and Comcast have been here for years and years and years,” said MulQueeny, “It’s great to finally have a store in Eden Prairie to make it convenient for everyone.”
“They have a lot of variety, not just the traditional cable TV that people think about when they think Comcast,” added MulQueeny. “Businesses are always looking for the latest and greatest ways to either communicate better, have better connectivity, help their workers be productive. And a lot of that now, or course, is remote work from home, and Xfinity has products and services that can match up to the businesses as well as the residents.”
One of the most welcome benefits will be a a chance to ask for customer service help without picking up the phone. “Noone likes to call 1-800 and sit on hold,” said MulQueeny. “A lot of times that works well, but if you are in dire need and really need someone to help you, there’s nothing better than popping into a real store and talking to experts here.”
Even VP Johnson admitted that stopping into the Xfinity Store beats calling customer service. “Definitely faster,” she said.
She also understands the value of touching and looking at products in person. “It’s hard to buy a mobile phone over the phone. You need to look at it,” said Johnson. “I want to know what rose gold means. I need to see it.”
The Xfinity Store by Comcast will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.