Ok, I've had my phone for 4 days now and already have had to call up for customer support 7 times to make sure my plan is set up correctly. Without much experience actually talking on the phone in many areas during many different times of the day, this review will mainly focus on my experience with their customer service department. Since it's only been 4 days, I'll give you a play by play description of my interactions with Sprint.

02.12.2001 - THE SIGN UP
Being a web developer/designer, I'm an advocate of making transactions through a companies web site, for this reason and this reason alone: IT IS LESS LIKELY TO RETURN AN ERROR. And what you're usually doing is exactly what the customer service representative is doing while you're talking to him/her over the phone. Except you don't have the security privaledges of making changes, like switching services, etc.... They allow you to sign-up, add options and usually close the account.
So you can imagine my surprise after going through the whole sign-up, option choice, and credit check process to ultimately receive a very confusing confirmation screen that seemed to recognize my choices on the online invoice, but did not give me an order number. Of course I plan to call Sprint the following day.

02.13.2001 - FIRST CONTACT
Finding some time during lunch, I decide to make my call to Sprint to figure out if my purchase had gone through. Without an invoice (I'm already a customer of Sprint. My fiance has used their service for 2 years now, and that's a whole other customer service nightmare) I thought I would just hop on their website for the number. Low and behold, NO CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER on their site! Just a rebate status number that I called and asked for customer service number, which she gladly gave.

Now 10 minutes later, I call. I explain my problem with the website's vague confirmation to a pleasant female rep. She explains she sees nothing in terms of a new service plan on my account and advised me to call back in 24hrs to see if it may just be hanging out in pre-processing limbo.

02.14.2001 - THE CONFUSING CALL
Doing as I was advised I called back the next day. The representative heard my story and then started into closing the deal on me. She said that Sprint could send the phone I had wanted, and then when I received it I could call back to activate the phone.

However all this seemed to be rushed and felt I was thought of as ignorant for not knowing the process of buying the phone and activating it later. So somehow at the end of the phone call, I was now awaiting a phone to be sent to me. One which would necessitate my calling customer service yet again to setup a plan and activate the service.


02.15.2001 - THE HUMOROUS CALL
Pleasently surprised to receive the phone in one day instead of the 3-5 business days they quoted, I quickly called up Sprint to setup my service plan. This time I am serviced by what sounds like an older woman, and again pleasant (I have to comment, noone was ever rude to me).

We began going through the setup process. Which should have been quick and painless. I was familiar with the plan, pricing, and options I wanted because of going through the whole process online already. The 180 minute plan for $29.99, Wireless Web as my first free option, and then 180 minutes PCS to PCS calling as my second "free" option after entering a one year "Advantage Agreement". The advantage is forSprint however, they get $150 if you cancel your service and you get a "free" $10 option. Hey that's fair!

After being put on hold MANY times (6 or 7), I realized we weren't getting anywhere. She kept telling me I couldn't have both these options and that she needed me to pick either Long Distance or Night/Weekends option before we could proceed. Eventually, I just asked if I could continue with the process online. And her reply - "You might." You might?!?!?!? "Some people are successfull and some aren't" she tells me. Huh?!?!?!? Can I or can't I? It was absolutely ludicrious!

Laughing as I hung up, I went online to once again pick my plan and options. However, in order for the online process to continue you MUST purchase a phone at the same time. I alredy had a phone. So once again - To Customer Service!

SAME DAY - THE VOICE OF REASON
Calling back, a man answers and explaining my ridiculous phone conversation I had only moments before I practically pleaded with him to straighten this out. "All I want is 180 plan for $29.99, Wireless Web, and PCS to PCS, with a one year contract" I tell him. Does this seem like I'm asking to much? Imagine that, a customer that actually knows what they want and a saleperson that can't supply that to them. Hello?

Well, this man seemed very accomodating and helpful. Setting up my 180 min plan and all my options. So he tells me to wait 2 hours before all the services are up. Fine I tell him, and THANK YOU!!!!!!

Later on I call my fiance. The voice service works fine. Then I try out this wireless web feature. "Charges may apply." the display reads. OK. "error 1005: service not hooked up yet or not available. web service may take longer to activate than voice." Ok.. let's give it some time.

02.16.2001 - FIX IT AGAIN
I decided to go online and view my account details. There I noticed that I didn't even have Wireles Web added. Wireless Web Messaging was added in it's place. So once AGAIN I call Sprint Customer Service, so that they can service their customer.

The customer service rep saw exactly what I did. And he once again "fixed" it. He read back to me all the changes and I was assured that everything was now fine with my account. Although alittle skeptical, I was somewhat relieved. Especially when later that day I hopped on the Wireless Web and checked my Yahoo mail and a time for a movie playing at a local theatre. VERY COOL option!

02.17.2001 - SYSTEM UPDATING
Revisitng my account details online. I see that the Wireless Web minutes, which are supposed to be deducted from my 180 minutes in my plan are NOT. So the 23 minutes of wireless web I used checking out the features is going to cost me an extra $8.97 above my plan price. Hmmmm........

Let's call Sprint. They can probably help me. Well, not when the representative tells you that all her info is all "screwed up" because of the system being updated due to the end of the billing cycle. She instructs me to dial *4 from my Sprint phone and that will have the correct information I want. So I do, and listen to the voice speak my minutes used and total in my plan. Which so happens to directly correlate to the information I just viewed on the web. SO... once again, a USELESS call. Now I'm getting angry.

I wait the 24 hours like the rep said and call the next day.

02.18.2001 - SUCCESS AT LAST (I THINK)
First call on SprintPCS phone to customer support - lost signal after making contact

Second call on SprintPCS phone to customer support - lost signal after making contact

Third call in 20 minutes, this time on my home phone. Practically wanting to both cry in frustration and kill whoever was going to give me yet another run around, I explained my whole situation to the rep and pleaded with her to help me resolve this problem. Assuring me that I'm not being charged for the 23 Wireless Web minutes I used and that now they "should" be deducted from my AnyTime Minutes I hung up feeling very shaky about the reliablity of her words.

So now I'm awaiting some crazy mixed up bill for $500 next month. Shaking my head now, I have no idea why I chose Sprint without first reading the postings in this section. My fiance's service seems to be fine, and we haven't had to call Sprint for almost 2 years up to this point. The actual phone/web/messaging services seem to be good and somewhat reliable (my 2 lost signals) but their customer support is nothing more than a waste of the customers' time and money. IF YOU NEED HUMAN INTERACTION TO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH A SERVICE - DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO SPRINT.

Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 29.99