Sprint tells 1000 customers to hit the road

[JMEaT]

Part of good customer service is allowing the customer to voice concerns, especially if the complaint is valid... Unless it's Sprint.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/In ... omers.aspx

[Sedwick]

The cancellations involved 1,000 to 1,200 customers who had called the company about 40,000 times a month in total.

...the cancellations involved customers who repeatedly asked for information about other people's accounts...Sprint waived final balances on canceled accounts and gave customers 30 days to transfer their phone numbers to other wireless providers..."In some cases they were calling customer care hundreds of times a month for a period of six to 12 months on the same issues even after we felt those issues had been resolved."

At that point I too would be like, "Enough. We obviously couldn't serve your needs, so now someone else can try."

[Isaac]

I've called sprint many times this month, only to find out that it takes more than 30mintues to wait, i have to set up a new addmin property, and they don't accept my method of payment any more. (checks and atm). And i keep calling and nothing gets done because you get passed back and forth. Shoot i hope they kick me out because i need that contract broken.

[JMEaT]

I called Sprint once to have my cell number changed due to telemarketers (Damn you Monster.com for selling my info) and had no problems, they were polite and quick. Girlfriend called em once as well and had no issues.

Verizon's tech support however... SOB what a crock.

My take on it is this. Sprint shouldn't strong arm these people out the door. If Sprint is willing to cancel an account for too many complaints, the action should be the customer's preference. Sometimes wording it just a bit differently makes a whole world of difference in customer support.

Instead of: \"I'm sorry we can't meet you expectations you have 1 month to get a new provider because your service will be cut off.\"

Try: \"I'm sorry we can't meet you expectations would you like us to cancel your account and null your contract with us?\"

My 2 cents.

[Isaac]

I called Sprint once to have my cell number changed due to telemarketers (Damn you Monster.com for selling my info) and had no problems, they were polite and quick.

Girlfriend called em once as well and had no isses.

Verizon's tech support however... SOB what a PITA.

This was either before 4pm or before the nextel sprint merge. I can never get threw after work.

[JMEaT]

I called Sprint once to have my cell number changed due to telemarketers (Damn you Monster.com for selling my info) and had no problems, they were polite and quick.

Girlfriend called em once as well and had no isses.

Verizon's tech support however... SOB what a PITA.

This was either before 4pm or before the nextel sprint merge. I can never get threw after work.

Yeah it was before 4 EST

[Testiculese]

I never get thrown after work either, but I occasionally get tossed...

[Kilarin]

Consumerists reports that customers dropped weren't making ordinary complaints, but were actively scamming the company.

Could be, but still a VERY bad PR move.

[Isaac]

Consumerists reports that customers dropped weren't making ordinary complaints, but were actively scamming the company.

Could be, but still a VERY bad PR move.

That's why i read here on the dbb. Hearing you guys talk about things puts issues in a brighter light.

From doing that sprint should be easier to talk to now.

Update:
So i went to the sprint store and THEY STILL WONT TAKE MY ATM CARD!! Weee!!! But they strongly advised that i call their finance dept 879.697.1183 to try and win me over again with some special offers. Honestly... that 200 fee for breaking my contract sounds better and better the more i think about it.

[[]v[]ob_destroyer]

I used to work in a sprint customer service call center, and from an insiders view, sprint is sacrificing customer service to save money, each minute a customer service rep spend on the phone cost money. In the time I worked there, the AHT(Average Handing Time) witch is the average of the time the agent spends on the phone with customers, the figure is found like this: # of calls/Total time on phone. Anyway the AHT was lowered 10 seconds, doesn't sound like much but it is. If a agent doesn't meet this time while also making sure they take care of the issues, and also following a strict call flow, the agent has disciplinary action taken against him/her. If their is to many actions taken during a certain period the agent is terminated. Also the reason wait time has gone up is because 3 months ago a call center was closed taking like 5000 agent with it. Also sprint is going though a upgrade for the \"billing system\", call centers taking turns to train the employees on how to use the system. Which is causing center to have less agents on the phone. The only good thing is is that the new system can bring up sprint and nextel accounts.


If you want to end your contract without being fined, then consider a few things, you have been with the company a long amount of time (three to four years is prime), you have paid all your bills on time. If this applies to you, then call up sprint customer service, say you hate the service and that you want to cancel, tell the rep to transfer you to retention. You may have to give the rep your number and password, as this is part of that strict call flow. Then really complain to that department, if your value to the company is high enough then you can cancel your service without paying the ETF(Early Termination Fee.

Remember: I didn't tell you any of this on how to undermine sprint.


As for account being cancel for to many complaints, if you are a real b****, swearing, yelling, and using racial remarks, sprint has the right to cancel you account, all cell phone companies do.

[Isaac]

Nice post mob. yeah, it's a good thing you don't use your real name :p on this forum.

I've been with them since 2001 and have always paid the bills and i WAS going to upgrade my phone service and add a laptop broadband card (34kb per sec down stream). But obviously I might not do that now.
No i don't think i could be rude to them over the phone. Even after all that they put me threw i've been nothing but easy to work with.

To be honest, i just want my service on auto pay and just have it work.

[[]v[]ob_destroyer]

You can set up auto pay on the internet, if I remember right.

[Admiral Thrawn]

I'll say it like this. I don't have experience with Sprint, but I've worked for various other companies here in the Kansas City area, including Gateway, HR Block, etc... doing Tech support/customer service and not a DAY has gone by that I didn't wish that the current company that I worked for would drop certain a$$holes that CONSTANTLY call in with threats, harsh language, or just a constant barrage of stupidity.

No Sir, you don't have a reason for being mad at us because we're charging you for repairs on your laptop. Getting your genitalia stuck in the cd drive was NOT covered by the warranty

No B$tch, we will not pay you suffering and damage because your little yapping dog bit down on the computer's power cord and shocked itself to death.

No we will not replace your cd for free because you stuck it in the dishwasher and cleaned it to the point where you can see right through it.

And the list goes on...

I have to agree with Sprint's move. Even though it doesn't look good in the eyes of some customers, their customer service is going to be a bit more cheerful when actually dealing with you, and they'll be able to get to your needs a lot quicker than before because the a55hole who calls in 50 times a day and harrases for 30 minutes at a time is no longer there.

[Isaac]

I'll say it like this. I don't have experience with Sprint, but I've worked for various other companies here in the Kansas City area, including Gateway, HR Block, etc... doing Tech support/customer service and not a DAY has gone by that I didn't wish that the current company that I worked for would drop certain a$$holes that CONSTANTLY call in with threats, harsh language, or just a constant barrage of stupidity.

No Sir, you don't have a reason for being mad at us because we're charging you for repairs on your laptop. Getting your genitalia stuck in the cd drive was NOT covered by the warranty

No B$tch, we will not pay you suffering and damage because your little yapping dog bit down on the computer's power cord and shocked itself to death.

No we will not replace your cd for free because you stuck it in the dishwasher and cleaned it to the point where you can see right through it.

And the list goes on...

I have to agree with Sprint's move. Even though it doesn't look good in the eyes of some customers, their customer service is going to be a bit more cheerful when actually dealing with you, and they'll be able to get to your needs a lot quicker than before because the a55hole who calls in 50 times a day and harrases for 30 minutes at a time is no longer there.

yeah i do tech support at my current job so i see where you're coming from. If anything i find that the service reps agree with me that sprint is in the wrong here and that i shouldn't just pay the bill, till i get some sort of comp for my troubles. The only trouble is, that's more trouble than just paying off the bill.

[DCrazy]

How is Sprint in the wrong for people racking up $5000 credits by calling customer service 40 times a month?

[Top Wop]

Im all for it. If you got customers who cause nothing but trouble, its time to let the deadbeats go.

[Isaac]

I was just told that those who get dropped are considered to be breaking their contract. So sprint is making a ton of money by doing this.

1000*200=worth it

[Kilarin]

I was just told that those who get dropped are considered to be breaking their contract. So sprint is making a ton of money by doing this.

check out the scan of the letter sent: <link>.
Note that it specifically states that "we will not require you to pay an early termination fee"

[Isaac]

I was just told that those who get dropped are considered to be breaking their contract. So sprint is making a ton of money by doing this.

check out the scan of the letter sent: <link>.
Note that it specifically states that "we will not require you to pay an early termination fee"

Wow. Is it too late to get kicked out?