Article: Switching cell phone numbers still isn't easy

Switching cell phone numbers still isn't easy
Despite new law, process fraught with delays and kinks
Todd Wallack, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, December 8, 2003
©2003 San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...UGJ23HIL31.DTL

Article is mostly about AT&T Wireless problems.
Sprint is mentioned twice:

"We are working through the speed bumps," Sprint PCS spokesman Dan
Wilinsky said.

and

"Still, many other carriers are warning customers to brace for possible
long waits, no matter whom they are switching from. Sprint PCS is
telling customers to expect the switch to take five to six days.
T-Mobile says the switch could take three to seven days. But they also
say the switch could take only a few hours if customers are lucky."

--
Frank Harris in San Francisco with an A620

---

› See More: Article: Switching cell phone numbers still isn't easy

In article <[email protected]>,
Frank Harris <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Still, many other carriers are warning customers to brace for possible
> long waits, no matter whom they are switching from. Sprint PCS is
> telling customers to expect the switch to take five to six days.
> T-Mobile says the switch could take three to seven days. But they also
> say the switch could take only a few hours if customers are lucky."


If the FCC told carriers to shoot for 2 1/2 hours, they need to come
down like a ton of bricks on any carrier that is letting it take a week.

I think it sucks that there are delays this long but the law only took
effect two weeks ago so it's understandable. I am in no way saying that it
is acceptable though. If they need to "work through the bumps" then that
should mean that there will be expected improvement.

"Frank Harris" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Switching cell phone numbers still isn't easy
> Despite new law, process fraught with delays and kinks
> Todd Wallack, Chronicle Staff Writer
> Monday, December 8, 2003
> ©2003 San Francisco Chronicle
>
>
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...UGJ23HIL31.DTL
>
> Article is mostly about AT&T Wireless problems.
> Sprint is mentioned twice:
>
> "We are working through the speed bumps," Sprint PCS spokesman Dan
> Wilinsky said.
>
> and
>
> "Still, many other carriers are warning customers to brace for possible
> long waits, no matter whom they are switching from. Sprint PCS is
> telling customers to expect the switch to take five to six days.
> T-Mobile says the switch could take three to seven days. But they also
> say the switch could take only a few hours if customers are lucky."
>
> --
> Frank Harris in San Francisco with an A620
>

"Tim Harrick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Frank Harris <[email protected]> wrote:
>

>
> If the FCC told carriers to shoot for 2 1/2 hours, they need to come
> down like a ton of bricks on any carrier that is letting it take a week.

There was no regulation, only a statement that the FCC could not see why it
would take more than 2 1/2 hours.

Peterbilt <amazon-*****@removethiseudoramail.com> wrote:
> I think it sucks that there are delays this long but the law only took
> effect two weeks ago so it's understandable. I am in no way saying that it
> is acceptable though.

Hell no it's not, but people shouldn't have expected things to go anywhere
near smoothly in the first month or so. You're right on both counts.

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services
22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950
Steve Sobol, Proprietor
888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * [email protected]

In article <Tim233-AD755F.09204608122003
@news02.west.earthlink.net>, Tim [email protected]=20
says...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Frank Harris <[email protected]> wrote:
>=20
> > "Still, many other carriers are warning customers to brace for possible=
=20
> > long waits, no matter whom they are switching from. Sprint PCS is=20
> > telling customers to expect the switch to take five to six days.=20
> > T-Mobile says the switch could take three to seven days. But they also=
=20
> > say the switch could take only a few hours if customers are lucky."
>=20
>=20
> If the FCC told carriers to shoot for 2 1/2 hours, they need to come=20
> down like a ton of bricks on any carrier that is letting it take a week.
>=20

I'm not close enough to the actual porting transactions to=20
see what the hold-up is, but it *appears* to be universal,=20
and, therefore, doubtful to be the fault of the carriers=20
themselves.

I'm not saying you should let us "get away with it." Just=20
that it seems to be something more fundamental than just=20
greed.

--=20
-+-
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for SprintPCS
I *don't* speak for them.

In article <[email protected]>,
O/Siris <robjvargas@sprîntpcs.côm> wrote:

> In article <Tim233-AD755F.09204608122003
> @news02.west.earthlink.net>, Tim [email protected]
> says...
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > Frank Harris <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > > "Still, many other carriers are warning customers to brace for possible
> > > long waits, no matter whom they are switching from. Sprint PCS is
> > > telling customers to expect the switch to take five to six days.
> > > T-Mobile says the switch could take three to seven days. But they also
> > > say the switch could take only a few hours if customers are lucky."
> >
> >
> > If the FCC told carriers to shoot for 2 1/2 hours, they need to come
> > down like a ton of bricks on any carrier that is letting it take a week.
> >
>
> I'm not close enough to the actual porting transactions to
> see what the hold-up is, but it *appears* to be universal,
> and, therefore, doubtful to be the fault of the carriers
> themselves.

The Universal problem is they haven't automated the process and are
using typographically challenged clerks to transpose data from one
system to another, and errors are made.

Easy solution:
EMAIL a copy of the porting request to the customer, and typo errors,
name mi*****ings, number switches etc would be instantly found.

P.S. It takes about one man day of effort to write a translator to move
data from one database to another, but the carriers would rather see
portability fail.

Chris McFarland <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> O/Siris <robjvargas@sprîntpcs.côm> wrote:
>
> > In article <Tim233-AD755F.09204608122003
> > @news02.west.earthlink.net>, Tim [email protected]
> > says...
> > > In article <[email protected]>,
> > > Frank Harris <[email protected]> wrote:
> > >
> > > > "Still, many other carriers are warning customers to brace for possible
> > > > long waits, no matter whom they are switching from. Sprint PCS is
> > > > telling customers to expect the switch to take five to six days.
> > > > T-Mobile says the switch could take three to seven days. But they also
> > > > say the switch could take only a few hours if customers are lucky."
> > >
> > >
> > > If the FCC told carriers to shoot for 2 1/2 hours, they need to come
> > > down like a ton of bricks on any carrier that is letting it take a week.
> > >
> >
> > I'm not close enough to the actual porting transactions to
> > see what the hold-up is, but it *appears* to be universal,
> > and, therefore, doubtful to be the fault of the carriers
> > themselves.
>
> The Universal problem is they haven't automated the process and are
> using typographically challenged clerks
What about uninformed and challenged customers who think they
shouldn't have to know anything???
to transpose data from one
> system to another, and errors are made.
>
> Easy solution:
> EMAIL a copy of the porting request to the customer, and typo errors,
> name mi*****ings, number switches etc would be instantly found.
This assumes the customer didn't make the mistake, which is extremely
common. In reality most customers would just say all the data is
correct, even if it wasn't.
>
> P.S. It takes about one man day of effort to write a translator to move
> data from one database to another,

>but the carriers would rather see
> portability fail.
Again, assumptions. In my experience most "translators" written to
move data from one database to another, even if both are basiscally
the same, have serious flaws if written in "one man day". This causes
corrupt data and increased problems, but we don't want to talk about
that, just blame the carriers.

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Ric) wrote:

> >
> > The Universal problem is they haven't automated the process and are
> > using typographically challenged clerks
> What about uninformed and challenged customers who think they
> shouldn't have to know anything???
> to transpose data from one
> > system to another, and errors are made.
> >
> > Easy solution:
> > EMAIL a copy of the porting request to the customer, and typo errors,
> > name mi*****ings, number switches etc would be instantly found.
> This assumes the customer didn't make the mistake, which is extremely
> common. In reality most customers would just say all the data is
> correct, even if it wasn't.
> >
> > P.S. It takes about one man day of effort to write a translator to move
> > data from one database to another,
>
> >but the carriers would rather see
> > portability fail.
> Again, assumptions.


you're the one trying to transfer blame from the carriers to the
customers.

You can switch only when your # is active, but then you have to pay
termination fee etc.




Frank Harris <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Switching cell phone numbers still isn't easy
> Despite new law, process fraught with delays and kinks
> Todd Wallack, Chronicle Staff Writer
> Monday, December 8, 2003
> ©2003 San Francisco Chronicle
>
> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...UGJ23HIL31.DTL
>
> Article is mostly about AT&T Wireless problems.
> Sprint is mentioned twice:
>
> "We are working through the speed bumps," Sprint PCS spokesman Dan
> Wilinsky said.
>
> and
>
> "Still, many other carriers are warning customers to brace for possible
> long waits, no matter whom they are switching from. Sprint PCS is
> telling customers to expect the switch to take five to six days.
> T-Mobile says the switch could take three to seven days. But they also
> say the switch could take only a few hours if customers are lucky."

In article <c3237f1b.0312090917.5bdeffe5
@posting.google.com>, [email protected] says...
> This assumes the customer didn't make the mistake, which is extremely
> common. In reality most customers would just say all the data is
> correct, even if it wasn't.
>=20

Absolutely.

In fact, I just got done staying in regular contact with a=20
customer whose multi-line port-in from Cingular and from=20
ATTWS took 12 days. He was most understandably aggravated=20
by the process, but even he admitted to doing exactly this=20
when, in retrospect, he admitted he should have followed=20
his advice and had a copy of each carriers' bills in hand=20
when he discussed his account information with us.

Damn, I *love* helping customers like that; customers that=20
understand they have to partner WITH us to get things done. =20
I wish more of my fellow reps felt the same way.

--=20
-+-
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for SprintPCS
I *don't* speak for them.

Well my parents have been waiting 15 days so far from a port for 2 numbers
from Cingular to Sprint. They initiated the port on 11/24. They were
initially told anywhere from 5 hours to 5 days. On day 6, they called only
to find out there was a problem. No one ever notified them that there was a
problem until they called on day 6. The problem was corrected, then were
told the port would occur 3 days later on 12/4 at 11:09am. It is now 12/10,
6:10pm and the ports still have not occurred.

They, and I on their behalf, and spent HOURS on hold and with CSRs from both
Sprint and Cingular. No one has any clear answer why the port has not
occured. The reps just say the system was overwhelmed, etc..etc...It now
has been 15 days thus far. I don't know where the blame lies - but my
parents have done EVERYTHING on their part to get this port through. The
reps state that there are no errors in the data - and yet still no port.
The service from Sprint and/or Cingular in this matter is appauling.

Stephen

"O/Siris" <robjvargas@sprîntpcs.côm> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
In article <c3237f1b.0312090917.5bdeffe5
@posting.google.com>, [email protected] says...
> This assumes the customer didn't make the mistake, which is extremely
> common. In reality most customers would just say all the data is
> correct, even if it wasn't.
>

Absolutely.

In fact, I just got done staying in regular contact with a
customer whose multi-line port-in from Cingular and from
ATTWS took 12 days. He was most understandably aggravated
by the process, but even he admitted to doing exactly this
when, in retrospect, he admitted he should have followed
his advice and had a copy of each carriers' bills in hand
when he discussed his account information with us.

Damn, I *love* helping customers like that; customers that
understand they have to partner WITH us to get things done.
I wish more of my fellow reps felt the same way.

--
-+-
RØß
O/Siris
I work for SprintPCS
I *don't* speak for them.