R.I.P. Sprint - You Used to Serve Me Well...
Written: Nov 26 '01 (Updated Nov 26 '01)
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Pros: coverage area is improving, interesting variety of coverage plans
Cons: poor poor poor customer service, Sprint cares more about the cash than the customer
The Bottom Line: While the service isn't bad, the customer service is making me wonder if I wouldn't mind a few dropped calls from another provider.
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| Cyanne's Full Review: Sprint Mobile Phone Service in Los Angeles |
The first impression..
When I first joined Sprint nearly two years ago, in all my naivete I was a satisfied customer to a point. Below is my first and rather inept review of Sprint's customer service and service plans.
March 2000
Service in certain areas is pretty bad, mostly near my house. The 500 minute plan is awesome, because I really don't think I'll ever go over it. I'd be hard-pressed to. I called Sprint regarding the cell service around my house being so hideous, and they said they had a cell tower down and were doing massive repairs but that it should improve within a week. I still haven't noticed any real changes, and every time I see 'signal lost' I still have the desire to kill.
As far as the minutes go, it seems to be a good deal. I don't really have any problems with my phone, the TouchPoint model, except I've had a 'call lost' when I had 4 bars, which didn't make much sense to me. I used to have an Airtouch being as my mom works for them, but while I almost got better service with my archaic analog phone, the charges were outrageous.
All in all, not a bad deal, hope to see them improving Southern California service soon.
A little bit older, a little bit more cynical...
A few years later I'm definitely more disillusioned and ready to throw my phone out the window. Sprint definitely seems more concerned with the almighty dollar than helping their customers or even keeping them. Next is the letter I wrote to Sprint's customer service less than a month ago. (Bear with me, it's long-winded but it gets the point across.)
To Whom It May Concern:
I have been a loyal SprintPCS customer for nearly two years and only in the last few months do I have severe complaints about the ethics of Sprint's business practices, their grossly misnamed Customer Care centers, and the treatment of my account and myself. When I changed service plans
with your company in April of this year, the gentleman I spoke with neglected to inform me that more than my minutes were changing, but also the time on my night and weekend minutes would change to 8 p.m. When I received a bill for $231.38 last month, I was naturally shocked. I knew that I had exceeded my minutes by about a hundred minutes, but only on my Anytime minutes. When I called CustomerCare they then told me my Night & Weekend minutes were not applicable until 8 p.m. Regardless of my having every bill SprintPCS has ever sent me and all the attachments that came with that bill, CustomerCare would not adjust my bill, despite my never having received the pamphlet telling me the times had changed.
Recently, this month I changed my plan again. I had first checked to make sure the above occurrence would not happen again and was reassured that my night and weekend minutes would still begin at 8p.m., and had high hopes that this transition would go smoothly. Unfortunately, I was mistaken. My account was deleted and started over instead of just changing me to a new plan. This means I lost my voicemail box - all the messages I had saved that contained important account information, phone numbers, and contacts,
my personalized greeting, which led my customers to believe that I had not paid my bill. The situation with Sprint is becoming intolerable. I have sat back and watched my friends and coworkers that have accounts through Verizon, Nextel, and Cingular receive impeccable service, new phones,
reduced bills, and other perks that long time and loyal customers deserve, while I have not received more than the usual headache after holding for 20 minutes for CustomerCare who 99% of the time is unwilling to work with
me, can't find my account, or who plies me with false promises to have a manager to return my call.
So now I'm writing you, whomever is reading this, in hopes that there is a still a glimmer of the old SprintPCS service that lead me to sign up with your company in the first place. I've explained my problems with your
service, my loyalty, the length of my account with your company, and what I believe I deserve. The ball is now in your court. I sincerely hope that our working relationship can be salvaged and that I can continue to be a loyal Sprint customer. However, if some kind of restitution or agreement cannot be reached I will be forced to seek service from another institution.
Sincerely,
(name omitted) :)
XXX-XXX-XXXX
The situation now..
I admit it. I'm fed up with Sprint. This month I received my bill with a mysterious $35 activation charge for an account that's been active for two years! I'm hunting around for better bargains, and am debating just eating the cancellation fee. It's cheaper than being milked for an extra $100 every month. Now I scan my bill call by call and tally it all up to make sure the amount I'm paying is correct.
Steps to make sure Sprint isn't turning you into an all-day sucker..
1. Make sure you know EXACTLY what time your Night & Weekend minutes begin. When I spoke to a Sprint representative the other day, she told me that in two months N&W minutes wouldn't start until 9pm! Check your plan.
2. Watch your bill. Especially under the section "Other charges" you'd be amazed to see what they add up.
3. Check and make sure when you switch plans that options you took for granted before aren't adding up to extra fees now.
All in all..
I wouldn't recommend Sprint. After two years of watching their Customer Service slide downhill along with their policies, I'm trying to find a way out.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 79.95/mo.
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Epinions.com ID:
Cyanne
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Member: Kel
Location: Irvine, California
Reviews written: 127
Trusted by: 76 members
About Me:
"Leave no question in anyone's mind as to where you stand."
-L. Aldin Porter
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