 DoRight
join:2007-07-20
Mechanicsburg, PA | Good old Sprint Bottom line.. We the x-employee are the ones who suffer and the consumer.. Think smart Sprint!!! | |
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Fox McCloud
Crazy like a fox.
join:2006-07-23
 ·Embarq
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Re: Good old Sprint said by DoRight  :Bottom line.. We the x-employee are the ones who suffer and the consumer.. Think smart Sprint!!! precisely; I think Forsee was heading in the right direction...sadly, the stupid investors/speculators are so stupid about new technology, they never trust it...I just hope Sprint doesn't go under (or the XOHM model is vastly changed) because of this. | |
| | 
Sr Tech
Premium
join:2003-01-19
New Fairfield, CT | You mean "suffered" as many of took a hit. I still think Tim Donahue sold us all out (on the Nextel end) and if Nextel was still it's own company it would not be that shape that it is in today.
Don't let the door hit you in the A$$ Gary!!! | |
| | | DoRight
join:2007-07-20
Mechanicsburg, PA | Re: Good old Sprint How true.. My Nextel rocks here in Central, PA but my Sprint sucks most every where I travel. Philly, Dallas, NC and so on.. | |
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tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI
| Re: Good old Sprint said by DoRight :How true.. My Nextel rocks here in Central, PA but my Sprint sucks most every where I travel. Philly, Dallas, NC and so on.. Think is all depends on how far outside your county you travel (if that's your footprint). Here in Mich, nextel bites, always did. If your inside the major city, say Detroit. You were ok. Head outside, say, Metamora, forget it. Sprint seems to do well here, an lots of other markets. You only hear about the few they don't reach out to. I think the investors are killing the company. They don't realize that the likes of Intel, HTC, and even Clearwire will get burned on the WiMax project, which will have long term effects on Sprint. No one will want to deal with them. Not only are they running off it's customers, but it's partners too. I heard someone say one time, that the day they started letting the wireless part of the company be the top of the tree, things would go to crap.. They have and are. They should have sold off the wireless portion, kept the wireline and local companies intact. | |
| 
DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
 ·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| No draw Sprint never made a niche, Verizon has "the network", Tmobil has "Got more", and ATT has "Rollover". Sprint has "????"
Sprint really doesnt get it, its not all about speed, and the newest tech, its about value, and customer service. Neither come to mine when i think of sprint. | |
| | DoRight
join:2007-07-20
Mechanicsburg, PA | Re: No draw So true... Try working for them... We had more problems as an employee then as a customer | |
| | Steve B
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA
| I made the same argument in another forum. The other carriers all have a claim to fame. Verizon has the network, T-Mobile gets you more bang for your buck, at&t has rollover....and Sprint doesn't have a claim to fame it has a claim to shame basically, it can only claim extremely poor customer service (if you can even call it that). Its just really sad. | |
| | | | | DoRight
join:2007-07-20
Mechanicsburg, PA | Re: No draw Actually I must be honest. I was in Philly this past week and was using my Aircard on the EVDO network and it was running as fast as DSL.. I was pretty inpressed. Thing that sucks is I live in a 1x market 75% of the time. Booo!!! | |
| | kelso
join:2007-04-06
Ashburn, VA
1 edit | said by DaveNJ :Sprint never made a niche, Verizon has "the network", Tmobil has "Got more", and ATT has "Rollover". Sprint has "????" Sprint has Sero aka www.sprint.com/sero
use savings@sprintemi.com as email password
This sprint plan has value. | |
| | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Sprint has the free incoming plans (which they stole from Nextel) and they do have a network that they don't TOS you to death when it comes to the broadband card. They offer SERO plans, earlier available nights and now they have Nextel's PTT.
You say that "Sprint really doesn't get it, its not all about speed, and the newest tech.." - I've never known them to have the latest tech... Their phones, IMO, have been some of the worst offered. I've never really seen them as a "tech advanced" provider other than their Mobile Cards and HSD.
To be honest - again, speaking as a Nextel subscriber, I've always found MY plan to be an EXCELLENT 'value'... for me, I rarely make calls in the day, but get a ton.. so, for $39.99, I get all my incoming free, mobile to mobile, unlimited nationwide PTT (which I use a lot) $5 more I get nights at 6pm, $5 I get 300 text... so, for $50, I'm using my phone well into the 3,000 minute range each month.. I'd say there's value there.
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." | |
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tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI
| Re: No draw said by fiberguy :Sprint has the free incoming plans (which they stole from Nextel) and they do have a network that they don't TOS you to death when it comes to the broadband card. They offer SERO plans, earlier available nights and now they have Nextel's PTT. You say that "Sprint really doesn't get it, its not all about speed, and the newest tech.." - I've never known them to have the latest tech... Their phones, IMO, have been some of the worst offered. I've never really seen them as a "tech advanced" provider other than their Mobile Cards and HSD. To be honest - again, speaking as a Nextel subscriber, I've always found MY plan to be an EXCELLENT 'value'... for me, I rarely make calls in the day, but get a ton.. so, for $39.99, I get all my incoming free, mobile to mobile, unlimited nationwide PTT (which I use a lot) $5 more I get nights at 6pm, $5 I get 300 text... so, for $50, I'm using my phone well into the 3,000 minute range each month.. I'd say there's value there. So, are you saying that you could get calls from non-nextel subscribers and it was free? No wonder the company was going to crap and another company had to step in and buy them up. I tend to think Nextels problems were more fcc/spectrum related then anything else. People seem to think Nextels current problems was caused by Sprint. Maybe if they go back and dig up the public safety initiative the FCC was adopting they would see Nextels network issues started way before Sprint showed up with a checkbook. Donahue knew this and bailed. Leaving Nextel to dry up and blow away. Sprint should have let things along and let Nextel die a slow and painful death it was destined to suffer as they had no where to run or hide. Sprint has/had it's own problems. They didn't need another.  | |
| | | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Re: No draw You got all that from a free incoming call plan?
Other carriers have similar plans as well and they aren't hurting. US Cellular has a free incoming plan. All Tell has a 5-free plan with calls to any five numbers free. Many of the carriers have a call home free plan.. and on and on and on.
A free incoming call plan, which has been around with Nextel for years, to which Sprint adopted into their own plans, isn't killing the company. Like ANY plan, you may get some good but give up on others... like you only get 300 anytime minutes with overage starting at 40 cents per minute. For the longest time, they didn't even offer a mobile to mobile plan - largely because of the 2-way radio.
You also forget that Nextel was largely built on the 2-way to begin with as their claim to fame. I'd say that about 90% of their customers were pure business, not personal users, until a few years ago. I've had Nextel for years and always been happy with them.
Yes - Nextel's spectrum is on the block and that is causing them issues... but Nextel wasn't "having problems"... They had low levels of deadbeat accounts receivable.. largely, their customers were business AND you had to have a good credit score to get an account with out a large deposit and if your score was too low, forget it all together. There were many things that Nextel DID do right. If you were a personal user coming to Nextel for service, it was likely that person would be turned off as they never really catered to the end user..
And, ask most Nextel customers... most were happy with the service UNTIL Sprint took over..
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." | |
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tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI
| Re: No draw I agree, for the most part. Just by hanging the name Sprint above the door, customers starting "noticing" problems. The ink wasn't even dry and customers were already bitching about issues that Sprint had nothing to do with. Billing issues, yes. That's a big fat sprint failure. Even with the new all in one billing system, there are still issues. I know.. I just went through it. People thought that when Chrysler and Mercedes merged, we were all going to be tooling around in the "M" class or our old cars were going to become bright shiny silver merc's overnight. Pipe dream.. Sprint should have left Nextel alone. It's hurt the company more then it helped. I think we both can agree on that.  | |
| | | | | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Re: No draw Oh - don't even get me started on Sprint's problems. I have two Nextel's, 1 Sprint Phone (which WAS once a Nextel, now a PDA) and a Sprint Mobile Broadband card, all on one bill.
And the next part is neither a joke or an exaggeration.
27 Phone calls, 52 transfers, 13 hang-ups/drops, and 3 trips to the store.. and attitude up the a*s.
And here's what I wanted to do.
First, I'm on a corporate and government account. I HAD three Nextels. I ordered a new PDA to replace a Nextel. They had to send that out blank at full price only to credit back the difference. (Right..) Then, they said they could port the number immediate that way.. so when I called in, NO ONE knew how to handle that... it took 18 hours of working time to complete that process. Then, I was adding the broadband card. They sent a USB card when I asked for PCMCIA card.. (I received it 2 day, not over night on the day I needed to fly out. So, the stores can't do anything that the tele-sales did.. but they eventually did. It took a lot of work to get the exchange done but eventually they did. However, in order to do the exchange, they needed a purchase order receipt to complete the exchange only tele-sales doesn't send one. To go further, the store called the HQ and even though they verified the purchase and I had the whole package with me, no-go.
It finally took a call to corporate resolutions to get it resolved and a loss of my voice.
In the end, what I wound up with, rightfully in this case, was the card swapped, the phone ported, and, "for my blatant troubles" (because she could see the notes and calls) they wiped my account clean of my current bill, my pro-rate, 1 month of service and all equipment fees.
All in all, a $1,450 credit. (abouts)
The process was EXTREMELY painful. But at least someone at the top recognized the problem and handled it.
The people I spoke to at Sprint ranged from regular reps on up to supervisors AND managers.
Sad, really..
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." | |
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tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI
| Re: No draw Dang dude.. sounds like you overloaded the system with that one. Had Sprint, out of the blue, started charging me LD charges on my cell phone. Just because my phone was handing off between switches, I would drop the call (back then, handoffs were not happening), redial and continue talking. Then one day, get the bill. I'm being charged LD. 45 minutes of going back and forth with the CSR, they "accused" me of making calls outside my region. I asked for them to define what my region was. Was told all the detroit market and surrounding areas. My calls would be LD if I was making them from Ohio (toledo). Well, having a little insider info, I asked them to check the cell towers my phone was using. He wouldn't do it (or couldn't). Well, the next day I did. I did a CDR on my number for the week. Same tower everytime. Called them back up. They tried to still say I was making my calls outside the area. Though I more then proved it was physically impossible for me to do that, 4 hours later, both my 2 phones were dead. Calls to them got 1 turned back on, but he other? No way. It was on a "old plan" so they couldn't turn it back on. 2 hours on the phone and with 1 CSR and 2 supervisors didn't get me anywhere. Filled a complaint with the FCC. I got credit, I also got a monthly credit for a year on the "new" plan I had to sign up for because they couldn't put me on the old plan. However, your problem is much more complex then mine was.
I will say this much. I had Sprint for going on 9 years. That one time was the only problems I've had with service. My phone works everywhere I go. I spend a lot of time camping with my sons (x2) boy scout troop. I see all brands in the field. As I sound pro sprint, Sprint's phones/service (I have the Sanyo 7500) has always worked when others have not. Even my daughter friends sometimes use her Katana to make calls because they can't get service inside the school. I have 4 sprint phones, only the Moto Red razor is a POS.
Bottom line, unless you know how to talk the talk to telesales, or any other support/service group, it's very frustrating. I've heard horror stories even from their own employees. Try going over to www.buzzaboutwireless.com and read some of the stuff. It's almost entertaining.  | |
| 
AtomicZero
join:2004-11-24
West Palm Beach, FL
| Sprint...so what? I doubt there is that much of an issue with phone carriers as the article makes it seem. It's just maybe from some sort of money/corporate point of view where they try to out do the number from the previous year, and when they don't...they panic. People will always use cell phones, whether they're trendy or not.
As for Sprint, well IMHO, they sucked since they merged with Nextel for the simple mistake of not allowing me [a former Sprint customer] to update to a Nextel phone. That was a stupid policy, if it's the "same" company then I should be able to upgrade to whatever type of phone from either camp. | |
| | Steve B
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | Re: Sprint...so what? The problem was that it was all being hyped up but, not enough was being said to customers that it is basically still operating as two separate companies behind the scenes. They are just taking too long to move things along. | |
| | 
rec9140
Provoice just DO it
join:2003-07-29
Mulberry, FL
| said by AtomicZero :
As for Sprint, well IMHO, they sucked since they merged with Nextel for the simple mistake of not allowing me [a former Sprint customer] to update to a Nextel phone. That was a stupid policy, if it's the "same" company then I should be able to upgrade to whatever type of phone from either camp.
I can't say 100% for sure why they did what they did, but I would bet it on this.....
FL is a "Red Market" or iDEN capactiy market and they don't really have space for new subs using an iDEN only radio. This is why they are developing and putting hybrid radio/phone units out, mainly in Red Markets like FL.
They use iDEN for the radio (chirp/DC/WT) and Sprints CDMA 1900 for phone v. using iDEN for radio and interconnect.
Poor move on existing customers.
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Lorem ipsum ei pro stet equidem labores, at enim animal expetenda nec. Ea vix argumentum dissentiunt, usu esse ridens ex. | |
| | 
Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA | eh.. Those ridiculous 2 year contracts sure don't help. If I want to use Sprints network I'll go Virgin Mobile...month to month | |
| | 
dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ | Times are a changing How about doing away with the ETFs!
if your service doesn't suck and is fairly priced, people won't want to leave.
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You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth | |
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tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI
| Re: Times are a changing said by dvd536 :How about doing away with the ETFs! if your service doesn't suck and is fairly priced, people won't want to leave. Once question. Are you willing to pay full price for a phone? Will you fork over 300 or 400 bucks for a phone you can get almost for free if you "sign" a contract. I don't know of any carriers that won't sell you a phone up front at full price if you don't want a contract so there is a way to get out of the ETF. You just are not going to get that new phone so cheap.. | |
| | 
GlobalMind
Domino Dude, POWER Systems Guy
Premium
join:2001-10-29
Hollywood, FL
| said by dvd536 :How about doing away with the ETFs! Funny I have CNBC on at the moment and when I read this the first thing I thought of was Exchange Traded Funds...not Early Termination Fees... LOL.... *sigh*
Anyway....
I have been with Sprint for quite some time. The single thing that would help the wireless industry is to change their attitude towards customers, that's really it as far as I see it. Wireless providers are in the service business.
They have to be more flexible, mainly in terms of how they allow changes to plans and the like. More features etc. Take a clue from Virgin. Everything they get into is customer centered.
If you treat the customer right, and give them good/reliable service at a fair price, they'll gravitate towards you. Screw them over, and be difficult with your terms and they'll bounce from carrier to carrier.
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TheGlobalMind.com | Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go? | Angus the IT Chap | |
| Gilitar
join:2000-11-20
Mobile, AL | Abandon ship! The writing is on the wall. Failed merger. Failed company. | |
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Wireless Carriers Struggle to Adapt to Changing Times
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