…because it might just be one call too many. Reports have been creeping up that Sprint subscribers who have been too much of a drain on customer service resources are getting The Boot™. Sprint’s willing to put offending customers’ balance to zero, and give them until the end of the month to find a new carrier and transfer their phone number, but after that the number’s gone. The carrier’s been throwing a euthanasiast “it’s for your own good” angle on the issue.
“We have to be able to quickly and efficiently serve customers,” said Roni Singleton, a Sprint spokeswoman. “And when we are unable to consistently solve our customers’ problems it results in a lot of frustration and longer waits for other customers. So after looking through our records, we were able to determine that there were customers who we could couldn’t meet their current needs.”
From a business perspective, I could see how culling the weak could could help them streamline their call centre resources more effectively, but this seriously estranges their existing client base. Come on, the call-in customer service experience is arduous enough without the threat of service termination, why would you want to make it any worse? Hey Sprint, why not work on providing better service to avoid those calls in the first place instead of punishing paying customers for your mistakes?
Hey, it’s a great way to get out of your contract – just call sprint 10 times a day, and you’re done – with no early termination fees!
Kudos to Sprint. If you have a customer that’s really that unhappy, letting them out of their contract is the thing to do. I wish I could have had that experience with Verizon. I had to pay the $175 penalty to switch to a more reliable service provider. If Sprint is willing to let you out without paying, that’s the ultimate customer service. If you are unhappy why should you have to pay to switch.
I’m glad I’m not with Sprint. Hey Sprint customers, do you have that warm fuzzy feeling now? Seriously, Sprint is big enough to afford to be “picky” about who they want to keep as a customer, but this doesn’t really say much about their customer service and need to help out their clients. Put fear into your customers with acts such as the one posted here. It’s ridiculous.
That’s one way to lower churn! The issue is this gives lowly CARE reps and supervisors super powers over small business who have legitimate complaints. For example, a confused customer makes several calls into Sprint trying to understand and take care of their issue. The get booted for trying to manage their account. Great…There’s always Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T.
Although this sounds like customers getting screwed over, what was happening is alot of these customers (not all, mind you) were calling repeatedly for credits and discounts that they were not due. How do I know this? Because I worked in the Accounts Services Dept. (Retention)
It’s a long story but what was happening is that over and over again, these people (the offenders were all from Brooklyn, NY) were calling to say that they didn’t like their phones, didn’t like their plans, etc. All legitimate complaints, right? Negative. What they were doing is, we’d send them a new phone at a reduced cost and they were supposed to send the old one back. Instead, they’d turn around and sell the old phone to someone else. They’d also call and demand credits for things they weren’t due and somehow manage to get all sorts of discounts they weren’t supposed to have. I saw one account where the guy hadn’t paid his bill in over a year. Now I like getting a deal as much as next person but this was down and out fraud.
I actually left the company because some employees and managers were allowing this to happen (because they make commission for “saving” customers) and when I spoke up about it, I got passed over for multiple promotions that I was well qualified for.
these customers were calling hundreds of times a month, over the course of 12 – 18 months. some were calling 30+ times a day. good luck to the wireless company they switch to.
I would bet the terminations are related to people who constantly call Sprint customer care asking for “perks” aka free stuff. We’re talking bill credits, free equipment, 6pm nights for free, free text packages, free internet, etc. They call many times back to back until they get a rep who gives them something. google “sprint perks” and you’ll find loads of forums that explain every single perk available along with user’s experiences. People spending hours on the phone for a $5 credit.
How can I get one of these letters???? I would love to get out of my rotten contact with Sprint. Their service is awful. After HOURS AND HOURS of time with customer service…they finally sent me a new phone with all the issues I had with my previous phone. Maybe I will start calling again, every day, a few times a day…maybe I will get one of these letters in my mailbox. One can always hope!!! Say a lil prayer for me that I can get booted!
So let’s do the math, so what percent is 1,200 out of approximately 55 million? Oh gee, wow, that’s a whopping less than one percent. The key point, is not those who call care or tech support once, twice, or several times, but those few who call over and over and over and over and over month after month after month after month after month. Get the picture? If you owned a business would you give the service away for free? That’s what was happening. Look at the data and facts people. Just look at the facts.
I have been a loyal and paying customer to sprint for 6+ years…All I wanted was to order a new phone and service.
A total of 6 hours on the phone to get a phone ordered and shipped. Everyperson keeps saying I’m sorry and giving me credits…Sprint now is paying me!
SOMEONE PLEASE BUY OUT SPRINT!
I have been a sprint customer for 7 + years..I call to order a new phone and renew my contract for two more years..Never called, Never had a problem..Until they sent me the wrong phone..I called to get a label to send it back so they could send me the right one..It took me from 9:00am to almost 3:00 pm to get that label to fix their mistake..all they keept saying I can not help you I will tranfer you to someone that will..and kept me on hold for 40 minutes to later repeat the process over and over…two weeks after my phone got cancel and I was charged $200.oo termination fee..when call customer service to find out why? they did not know..at this point I am looking foward for my contract to be over and change to another wireless company..one that could offer a good customer service
Sprint is the absolute worst cell phone provider on the planet. I switched to Verizon about 90 days ago and have not had a single dropped call since. I had 3 lines with Sprint and experienced 5 or more dropped calls per line every single day. DO NOT go with Sprint for your cell service, you will be extremely sorry that you did. Period
This is so great! I fully support Sprint’s descision.
Sprint is the worst any one who supports the descion has not called sprint tech support and compared it to verizon
I’ve only been with Sprint for 3 months and every month, there has been a problem starting with the first month in which I was charged for the “free activation.” The reps will tell you anything to get you to sign up and will only fix stuff for the first 30 days. After that, you’re locked into a contract and have to pay $200 or $250 to get out of it. You have to wait at least 20 to 30 minutes to get to a customer service rep and then they’re rude and say you don’t deserve the adjustments when you’ve been wrongly charged. They just charge you whatever they want and abuse you. Don’t get service through them ever!
Buyer Beware!!
I brought a new computer in march 2007, I was advised to apply for internet service with Sprint. I was not approved. A month later, I was sent a bill for $498.00. I have been calling sprint repaetedly to dispute the charges because I never got their services. Collection has been harassing me with daily calls. Sprint says they are looking into it. Its been 5 months and the matter has not been dissolved. I am filing a formal complaint with consumers affairs and better business bureau. You dont have to have service with sprint to get billed, all they need is your social security number and you will be in for a nightmare.
I WOULD THINK TWICE AT CALLING SPRINT THE RUDEST CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE AND YES THEY PUNISH YOU AS A GOOD PAYING CUSTOMER BECAUSE YOU LOOSE YOUR PHONE THEN YOU HAVE TO SIGN ANOTHER 2 YEAR CONTRACT TO GET ANOTHER ONE NEVER…………
I would be happy if Sprint let me out of my three contracts. The problem started when I moved. Sprint took down my new address incorrectly. I did not get a bill for a couple of months. The first I heard about a problem were threats to cut off my account. All attempts to get copies of the bills failed. But I paid some $350 to keep the phone on, and corrected the address. The problem was that some one at Sprint put “a hold” on sending me any bills. So I still have not gotten any bills. In attempting to straighten out the problem, I have waited on endless cueues, been put on hold, only to have the calls dropped and have to wait again. Have been transferred to numbers only to get a recording that the department was closed. Be told by one department that only department two could help. When I call, wait for them, they say only department one could help.
So since I decided that I was not going to continue to pay amounts without checking a bill, my phone were shut off (after being promised they would not be). I lost lots of important calls. I have been promised credit, only to have them taken away. I have finally figured out that I could look at old bills on line, after being told that I would not be able to do so. I looked on line, and found $270 of bill for one of my three numbers. The only problem was that phone that I had purchased about a year ago from Sprint for that line had stopped working. Sprint had refused to stand behind the phone and I had to buy a new phone and a new line. I paid some $400 and am still waiting for the rebate that has never arrived.
Communications have been extremely difficult, especially by telephone. I have been communicating by e-mail to keep a record and actually to get a response, but the responses have been still been one sided and heavy handed. I have wasted a huge amount of time trying to get service, and have gotten very little. The phone selection at the store for the new phone I had to buy was very poor. I am extremely disappointed with the poor service. Is there anything that can be done, or do I just need to find a new provider? I think not. I would be very happy to get out of my contracts!
I’m very upset with Sprint Customer Service. I feel like I just got violated by Sprint Management. I had some Networking Issues today, lost sales because my phone never rang or showed me a missed call. I called in to cancel my service. I spoke to a Angela she than transferred me to Stephan her Manager he was not very Customer Service oriented , I was telling him my issues it seem like he did not want to hear me. I asked to talk to his Manager he told me there is no body above him he said that he would be it, there is the Owner than him I told him I don’t want to talk to you Steven I want to talk to your Manager he kept on telling me he is it no body else is above him I told him I would like to speak to the OWNER he kept on telling me he is it, I told him again I don’t want to talk to you I want to speak to some body that can help me…he than hung up the phone on me. That’s real bad customer service. I called back to talk to somebody about what just happened. Abdul employee #AXQ3184 answered my call very customer service oriented and after talking to him. I learned that Steven is just a Team leader (not a General Manager) and that there are Managers above him,(I’m so stressed out right now over this it’s making me sick I just got a big had ache and my blood pressure it climbing) I wasted 2 hours +, of my precious time over this issue, when all I wanted was to cancel my account with Sprint with out any penalty charges. I feel Violated by Sprint, after feeling so violated by Sprint Management how can I ever trust Sprint?
All I want at this time is to cancel my account with no penalty charges.
I would like a call back or email from Sprint Top Management on how you will handle this matter.
I have been a Sprint customer for about 7 years. I even worked for them! I have kept with them, because I never had a problem with phones or service. Until recently. Mind you, this story has omitted the countless hours that I spent on the phone with customer service, or wait time to speak to a supervisor, or trips to the Sprint store to return phones or transfer phone numbers.
I keep getting dropped calls at home and at work. In September, I had a promotional flyer sent to me for a free (after rebates) Samsung M300 phone. I ordered the phone the first week of September. Although I was charged for the phone, I never received it. I called a week later and a new order was placed. After a few days, I noticed that the battery life was low and when it powered off, the text messages would delete. I called and asked for a new phone. After not receiving it, I called again. I was told that a phone was on its way. I asked for a credit for the problems I’ve been having and was told that I would receive one. The phone still never came. Called Sprint again, spoke with a supervisor who ordered a new phone and a return kit. I received the new phone. And a phone bill for $410.60 (when my bills are normally less than $40 a month). I’ve called several times since then to figure out why. Apparently one charge is for the broken phone. Another for a phone that doesn’t exist. And to top it all off, my current phone is doing the same exact thing with deleting texts and powering off quickly (it shut off while I was on the line with customer service).
So all in all, Sprint’s customer service representatives are not being properly trained. They don’t know what to do when a problem is encountered. Or they give you the wrong information. And the representatives are unreliable. They say they will do something and it doesn’t get done. Several of the representatives are rude (including a particularly obnoxious supervisor I dealt with). There are so many divisions in Sprint that no one can figure out a simple billing issue (like a random charge of $199 for a phone that was never ordered), claiming it’s another department’s responsibility. And the phone’s themselves suck.
I’ve called them so many times in the past 2 months. I hope they do give me the boot.
I’ve been with sprint since’99 and I’ve decided it’s time to leave. I just upgraded to the blackberry 8830 and had difficulties using the phone as modem function. After being lied to (sometimes ridiculously–”bb is not compatible with mac”) repeatedly by customer service, and tec supp I am taking my number and leaving! Makes me giddy with happiness. Goodbye stress! Thank god I have 30 days after a new phone
After some thought what right do we as customers have with Sprint? Why can’t we also cut or ties with service that is substandard. Their own industry gives them a low rating. Now the long standing customers seem to be the ones who are rising from the deeps of the ignore/hold scheme (in hopes that we will hang-up and be happy with the slum lord conditions). If they have the opportunity to cancel customers with a simple letter why can’t we do the same? It would seem that with our complaints in the hundreds of thousands would be justification to be able to seek another provider with out the fear of early termination fee. Where are the rights of the customer did we sign them away; what happened to the philosophy that the customer is right and with out them our doors will close. Why not start a class action suit against Sprint or even a grass root protest; picket in front of the stores, don’t pay your bill effect the cash flow. By their own words they omit to having problems and to better serve those who also call to complain we must purge those who have complained too much about their service. Sounds like a play on words a couple of rounds of that it’s going to destroy it’s self. I think it’s time to take this issue up with the Better Business Association and the attorneys general office. Maybe that’s how the little guy gets heard. Best of luck to Sprint in its self-destruction!
I WORKED FOR SPRINT 15 YEARS AND ALL I CAN SAY IS I WAS ALWAYS TREATED LIKE A SLAVE. SPRINT SUCKS. GREAT. TODAY I WAS TREATED LIKE DIRT BY SEVERAL SPRINT STORES IN OP KS AND AT YOUR CAMPUS STORE. I AM DISABLED AND HAVE NEUROLOGIC PROBLEMS. I WORKED THERE 15 YEARS.
I WORKED UNDER BILLY BOY AND FORSEE BOTH OF WHOM WERE GIVEN THE BOOT BY THEIR STOCK HOLDERS OF WHOM THEY BOTH SCREWED.
I REMEBER THE FIASCO WITH THE SO CALLED MERGE YEARS BACK.
I WATCHED THE EXECS TAKE THEIR STOCKS AND RU N ABD I WATCH BILLY BOY HIS HAVE SHORTS EATEN BY THE IRS AND OTHER AGENGIES AND RUN WITH HIS TAILS BETWEEN HIS LEGS.
NOW OLD FORSKEE JUST GOT THE BOOT.
I HOPE THE VIP OF OPERATIONS IS NEXT. WE AS EMPLOYEES USED TO BE ABLE TO GO TO ANY RADIO SHACK STORE OR SPRINT STORE AND BUY WHAT WE WANTED AND RECEIVE OUR DISCOUNT.
WHAT IS THE CRAP THAT AN EMPLOYEE CAN ONLY GO TO THE CAMPUS OR RESTON TO GET THEIR DISCOUNT. I KNOW THIS IS THE VIP OF OPS DOING.
I DROPPED MY SPRINT WIRELES SERVICE BECAUSE OF THEIR PISS
POOR SERVICE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE.
EMBARQ HAS YOUR ASS HEAD OVER HEALS.
SO IT WILL BE MY PLEASURE TO WATCH SPRINT NEXTEL OR WHOEVER THEY WILL BE NEXT DEMISE
IT IS THE GREED OF THOSE AT THE TOP THAT HAVE RUINED WHAT USED TO BE THE BEST COMMUNCATIONS COMPANY IN THE WORLD.
I USED TO PRINT THE EXEC PAYROLL I KNOW.
TO TREAT ANYHONE IN THIS MANY IS DISGUSTING.
I AM SORRY THAT I USED WORK FOR THAT COMPANY.
TO TREAT OUR TROOPS LIKE YOU ARE DOING IS AN ABSOLUTE SHAME.
DO YOU KNOW THA 20- 30,000 OF OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN ARE
HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE AFTER RETURINIGFROM IRAQ AND AFGANISTAN. LOOK ON THE INTERNET THESE ARE VA STATITICS. DID YOU PEOPLE FORGET 9/11. SHAME ON YOU.
YOU ASK FOR YOUR BLESSING U HAVE ALREADY RECIVED IT SAYS JESUS. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK IS IN STORE FOR YOU NEXT. ONLY JESUS KNOWS. REMEMBER THE PHARASIES AND THE SCRIBES.
REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TO RHOME.
THE LOVE OF MAMON IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.
SHME ON YOU MY DAD LOST HIS ARM LEG IN WWII FOR U MY FREIND DIED IN VIETNAM FOR U AND NOW MY COMRADS ARE COMMING HOME FROM IRAQ AND AFGANISTAN MESSED UP. MISSING LIMBS, WITH PTSD, AND KILLING THEMSELVES FROM THE STRESS OF WAR. FOR U
80 PERCENT OF THE HOMELESS YOU SEE ON THE STREETS ARE VETS.
THEY ARE MESSED UP. FOR U. CHECK THE STATS ON THE INTERNET.
I’M SICK OF OF PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE A HEART. I WILL PRAY FOR YOUR SOULS; BUT I’M NOT THE ONE WHO MAKES THE DECISION
WHERE U GO.
U SAY OUR TROOPS ARE KILLING INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN IRAQ.
READ WHAT THE VA SAY ABOUT IT IT BECAUSE OF STRESS.
DIOD YOU EVER HEAR OF RED MIST, DID YOU EVER HEAR OF
POLICING UP YOUR FRIEND OFF THE STREET AFTER HE/SHE HAS BEEN BLOWN TO PIECES BY A SUICIDE BOMBER. THINK ABOUT
BEING AFRAID EVERY MOMENT TO EVEN STEP OUT YOUR OWN HOME
OR YOUR OFFICE. THAT IS HOW IT IS IN IRAQ. YOU NEED TO BE ON YOUR KNEES THANKING YOUR GOD THAT WE TO THE WAR TO THEIR
BACKYARD. 9/11 WOULD BE HAPPENING OVER AND OVER AGAIN IF WE DIDNT. U CAN LAY UR HEAD ON UR PILLOW WHEN YOU DSLEEP BECAUSE OF THEM. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE MILITARY.
SHAME ON U
SHAME ON U
So let me get this straight, I’ve been BATTLING
So all I have to do is start calling & complaining 24/7 & I have the chance to get CREDITED the 200.00 Termination fee & can finally jump to another service provider?? Had I known this sooner!!!! BTW, I’m quite bitter due to just having spent 3 hours (no exxageration) trying to merely activate my phone. Whatever happened to customer service?? Us customers are a dime a dozen to Nextel/Sprint. We do not take priority. Not when “new customers” get to speak to a service representative faster than “existing”.
I just had a wonderful experience with Sprint. Even after being late on my bill a few times. They were articulate, kind and very accomodating as to my needs! I’ve been with Sprint for OVER 4 YEARS. I’ll continue to sign new contracts with this kind of customer service.
I disagree with some of the things Sprint CSR’s tell me. When I have a dispute over an obviously ridiculous charge, I am placated & lied to explaining that I will be contacted expediently to resolve my issue. Then nothing happens but a text or voice message directing me to pay all charges or lose service. I then contact Sprint again and explain what has happened and give my dispute number. I am put on hold for a VERY long time so that the rep can confer with a supervisor who never gets on the phone. Again I am told that they will handle this issue and that they are sorry for the mis-handling of this issue. Keep in mind, I have not insisted that they dismiss all charges instantly, but only investigate this dispute and contact me in an appropriate amount of time. This never happens. Again I either get a text or voice message about loss or interruption of service unless I pay up. Then I call again, Again I am assured that the problem will be resolved without interruption until dispute resolution is reached. Then I cannot make outgoing calls, all my calls are re-directed to bill payment at Sprint. Be warned that if someone at Sprint makes a mistake, they still need you to pay for it because an employee who makes a mistake will never admit it and you will then run into an endless chain of employees who get away with passing the buck until so many mistakes are made that the company itself will protect their employees by stonewalling you and cutting service completely until you pay for what you shouldn’t owe. This is a ridiculous business practice as they will fight to get an erroneous $100-200 dollars from a long term customer who is worth thousands per year and risk alienating that customer just for a small amount of money just because they cannot justify eating the cost of their own mistakes. DUH!!!!!!!
Sprint customer service is a nightmare. I purchased two phones in november. In January I got ONE rebate. Went to the store, they called customer service said another one was on the way. Couple months later, no rebate so I called again. It got processed but never printed and mailed. “Another one will be sent” well it arrived, and when I took it to the bank they charged me $20 and the amount of the rebate because sprint put a stop payment on the rebate. All sprint would say is you got two checks there’s nothing I can do. I kept calling and finally after months of fighting with them got someone to credit my account. We’ll see when the next bill comes.
I have been a Sprint customer since ~2000 and was quite happy till the last few years when the signal quality became worse and I started having dropped calls. But the quality was ok for the price I paid.
I was looking into changing plans/providers and when calling Sprint was told I could get a $10 monthly discount for being a long time customer but the discount wouldn’t show up for two months on my bill. I thought that the fact that it won’t show up on your first bill was a little fishy, but they wouldn’t screw over a long time customer would they? Wrong!!!
They now deny I was promised any discount and then said it is 10% not $10 which I see has happened to other Sprint customers in other blogs. I refused the 10% discount. I made the mistake of having Sprint do direct billing from my checking and am being given a complete runaround from Customer Service when trying to change my automatic billing back to a paper statement billing. I try to get the billing changed and customer service transfers me to the Finance Dept., Finance transfers me to Customer Service, then I am told I need to go to the web site, I ask how and the line goes dead. I call back and am told I would be emailed a form to fill out in 48 hours. Of course it never arrives. I will probably have to close my checking account before they can figure out how to change my billing back to a paper statement. Of course I will be cancelling when my contract is up.
I think it goes back and forth. Some issues are legitimate some are just ppl looking to take advantage of a free credit and get pissed when they can’t have it. thats the way of the world. Take whateva’s free and run with it until you can milk it for all its worth. I used to work for sprint and saw issues i could resolve easily and would credit so much and my team led in issue resolved but in the end thats only 7 good reps and the rest of the teams would be teaching the wrong information. Arrogant mentors on the team would be trying to tell me something i knew was wrong and would argue with me. Its the way the training is taught im not saying its not the customers because sometimes i got calls where they would live in bfe and would complain about signal. Thats your fault for moving where only mountain men live with nothing but trees and roadkill. But if your over charged for something like a phone or activation fees or a download that can easily be credited and have you on your way. But in the end its 50/50 with customers. Some have issues that can be taken care of. Others are arrogant and impossible to talk to. I would take the verbal abuse call after call then finally sign off and crack. I would stay professional but only when i get called a name then i’ll be real and say i did hang up. They don’t pay me enough to be called an asshole or “you bitches”. Its depends on the issue. Legitimate credits or device issues i could give options for to find a solution and i would go out of my way and call stores to use their inventory to see if there something we can do to get them a phone right away. But some problems i could not do anything about. Like their kid keeps taking off with the phone and downloading stuff and they call in all mad at us wanting credit all the time. Watch your kid. Is it that hard. Each carrier i think has these problems but its hitting sprint because of one main problem they had. Billing system. When they switch accounts over to a supposeably new and better one its messed everything up. The tyrant executives don’t care. Sprint needs a wakeup call and realize they are not on top anymore and needs to fire most of the trainers now who i will say are really lazy and get some ppl in there with some education and business minded personalities and teach the next wave of reps the right way to handle customers and to take pride in a business. I did help improve my teams customer service one by one. But i was only one person catering to millions. The training in my opinion is where it starts because they get to the floor with no knowledge. Just a crash course of whats to come. Then everything will fall into place.
I agree. I just got totally screwed by Sprint & lied to.
i agree with the previous statement. im a customer service rep for sprint and to be honest i went through my whole training and didnt learn a damn thing. i only started learning once i actually got on the floor and started taking calls. you are right some demands for credit are legitimate but some as well are people trying to get a free credit. if i can help a customer i will , i am even willing to make exceptions in most cases if i feel it is wrranted. but every once in a while the expectations are too unrealistic. as far as the escalation process goes , on the floor we have a team coach and a team manager. if you want to go the next step up , our suporvisor has to put in a ticket for you to be contacted.
- anthony
to be blunt as a customer service rep for sprint , unless your a huge corporation with thousands of lines , most reps dont give a shit about individual accounts or small business accounts
- tony
I work for Sprint currently and I want to say that YES we have a bad reputation but to confuse the lack of interest of certain CARE rep to anything other than what we are supposed to do you are wrong. We have been scripted to say exactly what you hear and if we do not we get coached. I was just coached today for discussing a customers wash machine which dries the clothes too COOL.
I am a human and my life is controlled by a phone, we are timed on everything we get paid by the minute!! we are not to talk with customers for longer than 500 seconds or we get COACHED we need to resolve the issue NOW or else we get coached. every call we answer is recorded and we are graded on them. if we fail we are coached anyone get the idea don’t get angry with the reps please.
Sometimes at night we get calls from perverts who think its funny to ask for multiple store locations and their hours while masterbating to your voice.
We are people people be nice we truly want to help you