Registered: Oct 2003
Location:
Posts: 4

Sprint Is The Worst Business In The World!

I just have to say I don't normally post on discussion boards but I just got off the phone with Sprint and I don't think I've ever come accross a more mismanaged company in my life.

I called to do the "Treo shuffle" as I'm now calling it. You know call up Sprint to "add" a phone, when in fact you just want the damn credit that they give to disloyal new customers. Then call back after 30 days to cancel the other phone you already had. Yeah it cost $20 a month to add a phone, and costs the time it takes to call back to cancel it, but so what, sprint gave you a $130 loyalty customer discount even though they didn't want to ($150 credit for adding a line minus $20 for cancelling a service you didn't want in the first place).

Well I was calling to buy 2 phones (to be added as part of the Treo shuffle). I was told that the credit score that Sprint "ran" on me 2 years ago only allowed me to have 3 lines on my account. I already have 2.

Then I started thinking about it; if I go to the pizza shop they'll sell me any number of slices I want, if I have the money to pay for them, no money- no slices. And here I was arguing with a business so I could do MORE business with them. What the #$@*? Is this some Enron derivative business plan? Get them to beg for your services and then charge them out the butt once they get it? Or in this case don't get it.

Oh, and the pisser of it all is after I finish complaining to the CSR she tells me she can't run my credit again 2 years after they last ran it to see if I qualify for additional lines. I'm then told by her supervisor that while I was on hold she ran my credit and I still don't qualify. Let me just tell you that, while I'm not bragging, I just bought a beautiful house (really sweet) and I did it while self-employed because- BECAUSE- I have excellent credit. So who the $#@% can qualify for 4 phone lines if I can't, Donald Trump? Nope sorry he went bankrupt. Bill Gates, wrong again, his worth is tied up in stock.

Oh and to the punch line: After I go through this rant with the CSR and then her Supervisor, the Super tells me that Sprint doesn't even offer anyone the ability to have 4 lines. Yes you heard right. Sprint only allows 1,2,3, or 5 phone lines to any and all customers. What a bunch of... really not nice business policies. They would tell the father of a family of 4 that they have to either have another child, adopt, or just buy an additional phone line that they don't need. What kind of customers are they attempting to attract? The really ticked off kind that post to discussion boards? As far as I'm concerned Sprint has unparalleled phone/data service in the U.S. but as far as having any kind of business sense, they're just lost.

I don't want to end without saying that the problem doesn't lie with the people that work at Sprint's customer service. I had one of, if not the best customer service experiences I've ever had. The rep actually called me back to setup service after I had to take care of some other business. She was always courteous, calm, friendly and did everything within her power to help me. I am certain that the problem at Sprint is one that occurs at many companies and that is a total disconnect at the upper executive levels that trickle down until the companies policies almost sound like they don't want or need your business. This probably also explains the lack or disinformation that appears so prevalent at customer service. So be nice, it's not there fault.

Registered: Oct 2003
Location:
Posts: 2

If your intention is to rip anybody off, which it seems your's is, then you are getting what you deserve.

Registered: Sep 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 13

Well if you are trying to steal money from a business, what do you think they are going to do?

__________________
-600 w/ sprint-

Registered: Oct 2003
Location:
Posts: 2

What the schmack bartie. He's just trying to get his discount like everyone else. If Sprint would give him the discount in the first place he wouldn't have to go through the process that they 1) allow him to and 2) force him to through the lack of other offerings.

I'm switching from T-mobile to get the discount. I'm sure that must be immoral too.

If you have the $150 dollars to wipe your nose with, go ahead and do it, but in the meantime the rest of us are going to do what we have to do to get our disounts.

Talk about a mixed up sense of morals.

Registered: Jun 2003
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 13

quote:

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Originally posted by bartie
If your intention is to rip anybody off, which it seems your's is, then you are getting what you deserve.

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?????????????????????????????

__________________
There is a great difference between knowing and understanding. You can know a lot about something without understanding it. �Charles Kettering
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Treo 600: Love at First Sight by Jake Ehrlich

Thoughts on the Future of Handheld Computing: A 5 Part Series by Jake Ehrlich

Registered: Oct 2003
Location:
Posts: 4

Who's ripping off who?

Do you really think that I'm ripping them off? After all there is no policy that states that I can't do it, I'm not breaking any laws, and as a matter of opinion it is completely ethical.

I think a company that rewards new customers while penalizing loyal customers is unethical. It becomes clearly unethical when that company knows that some of it's customers can't even take advantage of a discount because there already locked into a contract.

So who's ripping off who?

Registered: Aug 2002
Location:
Posts: 1

I could not disagree more! SPCS has by far the best customer relations I personally have experienced in the wireless industry. If anyone ever had the misfortune of being with MCI then you might know what I mean. Sprint has continually given me huge discounts and breaks. I will name a few, just because most of the time you only get the negative ones:
in order
1- on the road, i330 dies, store has no refurbs, they first wanted to mail me a refurb, I asked nicely, they gave me a brand new one. (this actually happened two different times, the i330 sucks)

2- the i500 came out, I called CS and complained about going through 4 i330's, they gave me $499 credit for it, shipped me a new i500 and let me pay $100 differance, since I only paid $449 for the i330 I got a good deal on the i500.

3- I was actually able to pre-order the Treo 600 on Friday Oct. 3rd. from Sprint Business. It actually shipped on Monday and arrived on Tuesday.
Not bad. Not always perfect, but overall I am happy!

__________________
Treo600
(formerly I500, I330, Treo 300, I300, 6035)

Registered: Apr 2002
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 734

Four words:

Calm down.

Leave sprint.

__________________
<a href="http://www.kurtramsauer.com">KurtRamsauer.com</a>

Registered: Dec 2002
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 2

amen

quote:

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Originally posted by KRamsauer
Four words:

Calm down.

Leave sprint.

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Registered: Oct 2003
Location:
Posts: 4

Re-read post

You both need to re-read my original post. I wasn't saying that Customer service sucked, on the contrary I was saying they were great. However, I was saying that the policies of Sprint suck.

For instance, the constantly changing plans. I been with Sprint for 3 or more years and the plans change more often then my underpants, and I change them once a week whether they need it or not. And the complexity of these plans is maddening. Yes, I do know how to read, and yes I do research the plans before I buy, but just think about it, I was able to exploit a loophole in the Sprint plans most likely because Sprint got confused by there own craziness.

Here's a revolutionary concept: unlimited calls, unlimited data, one price, all the time. If they did that I drop my landline phone and probably my ISP (at least when 3G service got a little better). I'm not saying it has to cost $30 but if it cost $150 or $200/month it may attract alot of people.

And gentleman telling me to leave Sprint: I am calm and I do understand that Sprint has the best all-digital, coast-to-coast, network I just think that their company policies took about as much time to think up as your post did.

Registered: Aug 2003
Location:
Posts: 10

Re: amen

quote:

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Originally posted by mikec


Nuff Said

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Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 4

quote:

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Originally posted by Wirelessness
2- the i500 came out, I called CS and complained about going through 4 i330's, they gave me $499 credit for it, shipped me a new i500 and let me pay $100 differance, since I only paid $449 for the i330 I got a good deal on the i500.

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I don't know who you spoke with, but I talked to a very nice CSR and her supervisor after I was handed my 5th Treo 300 and they refused to credit my account so I could buy the i500. They tried to push me over and over into a i330. (Refurb, with nothing but the phone) Phtttttt!

The local sprint store felt bad and gave me a new Treo 300 for my 5th phone. Do I blame sprint? Yes! Do I think it would be any different at AT&T, T-Mobile, Cingular, Verizon, or anywhere else? NO! All large companies have the same issues... Lack of communication from the Top down, or Down up.

At any case, I feel for JFREUD, Lets not forget that message boards are a place for us to blow off steam. Sprint has some asinine rules in place and if they intend on keeping customers come Number Portability they better rethink things fast.

So, I WANT A TREO 600!!!

Registered: Oct 2003
Location:
Posts: 4

In the mail

After all that my 2 Treo's are in the mail and I can't wait.

Just a side note: Handspring has repeatedly stated that IT WILL offer LOYAL customers a discount. Jeff Hawkins, et al, maybe brilliant designers of Smartphones but they also have a genius intellect when it comes to business sense.