SprintPCS plan change

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

> I really is too bad that they are on this trend taking the value out
> of their plans. I agree it with your comments .
>
>
> >Fact is, some of those changes are true. Some genius in marketing=20
> >seems to think PCS2PCS is best sold to corporations as a free add-on. =20
> >It's still available on all plans. Just not for free. That's only=20
> >for corporate-purchased accounts.
> >
> >To put it bluntly, it looks like quite a job of corporate sabotage.
> >
> >--=20
> >R=D8=DF
> >O/Siris
> >I work for Sprint PCS
> >I *don't* speak for them

Verizon is giving away mobile to mobile now as its IN promotion, and
simultaneously SprintPCS takes away its free mobile to mobile. Is Sprint
determined to remain a WLNP loser by this corporate sabotage?


and then no free Vision with the $100 plan any longer.

---

› See More: SprintPCS plan change

In article <rmarkoff-D0EE4B.06371418052004
@news06.east.earthlink.net>, [email protected] says...
>=20
> Verizon is giving away mobile to mobile now as its IN promotion, and=20
> simultaneously SprintPCS takes away its free mobile to mobile. Is Sprint=
=20
> determined to remain a WLNP loser by this corporate sabotage?
>=20

Just to be accurate, PCS2PCS isn't being taken away. It's just not=20
available for free any longer.

Doesn't change the conclusion, just what's actually happening. I=20
also think you're jumping the gun on declaring SPCS a "loser" under=20
WLNP. We certainly weren't a winner, though, and I don't think we=20
really expected to be so.

>=20
> and then no free Vision with the $100 plan any longer.
>=20

I hear we couldn't afford both free options any longer, free 1st=20
shared subscription and free Vision. Free subscription was deemed=20
more important to the customer.


--=20
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for Sprint PCS
I *don't* speak for them

[email protected] (R=F8bert=A0M) wrote:
<<Verizon is giving away mobile to mobile now as its IN promotion, and
simultaneously SprintPCS takes away its free mobile to mobile. Is Sprint
determined to remain a WLNP loser by this corporate sabotage?
and then no free Vision with the $100 plan any longer.>>

Add to that the fact that the pricing for the Fair and Flexible program
is very high in comparison to the regular plans. It may help someone
who deals with lots of overages, but the literature is very confusing,
and to the uninformed eye... looks like Sprint's pricing plans are
extremely expensive.

Eric

"Eric" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
[email protected] (Røbert M) wrote:
<<Verizon is giving away mobile to mobile now as its IN promotion, and
simultaneously SprintPCS takes away its free mobile to mobile. Is Sprint
determined to remain a WLNP loser by this corporate sabotage?
and then no free Vision with the $100 plan any longer.>>

Add to that the fact that the pricing for the Fair and Flexible program
is very high in comparison to the regular plans. It may help someone
who deals with lots of overages, but the literature is very confusing,
and to the uninformed eye... looks like Sprint's pricing plans are
extremely expensive.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

No, it's not there to help people who have a lot of overage, but those folks
who have the occasional overage. If someone is continually going over their
monthly plan AT minutes, then they need to bump up to the next level.

Bob

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

> [email protected] (Røbert*M) wrote:
> <<Verizon is giving away mobile to mobile now as its IN promotion, and
> simultaneously SprintPCS takes away its free mobile to mobile. Is Sprint
> determined to remain a WLNP loser by this corporate sabotage?
> and then no free Vision with the $100 plan any longer.>>
>
> Add to that the fact that the pricing for the Fair and Flexible program
> is very high in comparison to the regular plans. It may help someone
> who deals with lots of overages, but the literature is very confusing,
> and to the uninformed eye... looks like Sprint's pricing plans are
> extremely expensive.

I can only assume that they expect to be raking in dough from AT&T
and feel they can step their pricing up.

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Eric <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Add to that the fact that the pricing for the Fair and Flexible program
> is very high in comparison to the regular plans. It may help someone
> who deals with lots of overages, but the literature is very confusing,
> and to the uninformed eye... looks like Sprint's pricing plans are
> extremely expensive.
>
> Eric
>

Before anybody signs a contract with anybody, they should do due
diligence. As far as first impression, yes, for a regular user (meaning
somebody who uses airtime in a consistant manner) it is an expensive way
to go. However, for somebody who bounces around between 200 minutes and
500 minutes, it could be very useful. The regular plans are available,
so Sprint PCS is simply offering an additional choice. Choice is what
it is all about. I certainly hope that Sprint PCS would be offering a
service they can make money on ... which certainly explains its cost ...
flexiblity comes at a cost.

- --

Thomas T. Veldhouse
Key Fingerprint: 2DB9 813F F510 82C2 E1AE 34D0 D69D 1EDC D5EC AED1

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R?bert M <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I can only assume that they expect to be raking in dough from AT&T
> and feel they can step their pricing up.

You know what they say about "assume"ing anything. Your comment, in
context of this thread, would make sense if and only if Sprint PCS had
removed the other plan options, but they did not.

- --

Thomas T. Veldhouse
Key Fingerprint: 2DB9 813F F510 82C2 E1AE 34D0 D69D 1EDC D5EC AED1

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(Thomas=A0T.=A0Veldhouse) wrote:
<<Before anybody signs a contract with anybody, they should do due
diligence. As far as first impression, yes, for a regular user (meaning
somebody who uses airtime in a consistant manner) it is an expensive way
to go. However, for somebody who bounces around between 200 minutes and
500 minutes, it could be very useful. The regular plans are available,
so Sprint PCS is simply offering an additional choice. Choice is what it
is all about.>>

I absolutely agree. My only concern is that stores (both Sprint and
third party vendors) will push F&F far more than the regular plans, thus
turning off potential high-end customers with seemingly expensive rates.
The Radio Shack I was in today didn't have the regular pricing brochures
in plain sight, but had the new F&F ones everywhere one would look. I
hope in future F&F brochures there is a line added in that states that
Sprint still has regular fixed minute plans for users to decide from as
well if F&F is not what they are looking for.

Eric

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Eric <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I absolutely agree. My only concern is that stores (both Sprint and
> third party vendors) will push F&F far more than the regular plans, thus
> turning off potential high-end customers with seemingly expensive rates.
> The Radio Shack I was in today didn't have the regular pricing brochures
> in plain sight, but had the new F&F ones everywhere one would look. I
> hope in future F&F brochures there is a line added in that states that
> Sprint still has regular fixed minute plans for users to decide from as
> well if F&F is not what they are looking for.
>
> Eric
>

OK, now you are laying blame for what Sprint PCS has not even done. And
that is to make the assumption that they will *push* F&F far more than
other plans. Again, it is unfair to judge a company by what you think
they will do, especially, since there is no precedence for this. But,
put that aside for a moment. There is NOTHING wrong about them pushing
a new plan. Nothing. Sales is sales, that is what saleman do. Buyers
are buyers and it is up to them to know what they are buying. Being
misled is one thing, but to buy something because one didn't take the
time to be informed, and to sign a contract, is plain and pure
stupidity. Have you ever walked into a car dealer (excluding Saturn)
and been pushed by the saleman to buy the favorite clearance model?
What is the difference?

- --

Thomas T. Veldhouse
Key Fingerprint: 2DB9 813F F510 82C2 E1AE 34D0 D69D 1EDC D5EC AED1

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In article <[email protected]>,=20
[email protected] says...
>=20
> I absolutely agree. My only concern is that stores (both Sprint and
> third party vendors) will push F&F far more than the regular plans, thus
> turning off potential high-end customers with seemingly expensive rates.
> The Radio Shack I was in today didn't have the regular pricing brochures
> in plain sight, but had the new F&F ones everywhere one would look. I
> hope in future F&F brochures there is a line added in that states that
> Sprint still has regular fixed minute plans for users to decide from as
> well if F&F is not what they are looking for.
>=20

Unfortunately, that's exactly the strategy. Free&Clear will now be=20
emphasized as a business/corporate plan, and Fair&Flexible will be=20
the primary consumer/individual offering.

And I don't like it.

--=20
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for Sprint PCS
I *don't* speak for them

In article <[email protected]>,=20
[email protected] says...
> OK, now you are laying blame for what Sprint PCS has not even done. And
> that is to make the assumption that they will *push* F&F far more than
> other plans. Again, it is unfair to judge a company by what you think
> they will do, especially, since there is no precedence for this.
>=20

From your side, you're right. Unfortunately, his prediction (so to=20
speak) is already coming true. Free&Clear isn't going away, but=20
Fair&Flexible will be the primary consumer/individual offering=20
henceforth.

Dammit.

--=20
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for Sprint PCS
I *don't* speak for them

(O/Siris) wrote:
<<From your side, you're right. Unfortunately, his prediction (so to
speak) is already coming true. Free&Clear isn't going away, but
Fair&Flexible will be the primary consumer/individual offering
henceforth.
Dammit. >>

Why? Do they not know that having brochures that say to the regular
customer that a 700 minute plan now costs $75 will be a major turnoff
when T-Mobile's price for 600 minutes is only $39... or Verizon's 800
minutes is $59.99?
I was at three different places yesterday and all three had the F&F in
plain sight, but no F&C fixed rate plans. I think that the F&F offering
does help out lower end users, but it shouldn't be Sprint's main focus
for the single consumer. I stand by my statement that by not having
*both* brochures readily available, Sprint will look expensive,
overpriced, and will lose out on many potential customers.

Eric

In article <[email protected]>,=20
[email protected] says...
> Why? Do they not know that having brochures that say to the regular
> customer that a 700 minute plan now costs $75 will be a major turnoff
> when T-Mobile's price for 600 minutes is only $39... or Verizon's 800
> minutes is $59.99?
>=20

Did you see that last word in my post? Frankly, I'm baffled. I=20
think F&F makes a terrific answer to all the customers feeling lured=20
by Cingular's rollover minutes. You don't have to roll them over if=20
you never have to pay for them in the first place.

However, you're absolutely right. For a steady usage customer, and I=20
think we're *badly* underestimating how many there are, this plan=20
carries a painful price premium. I don't have a problem with putting=20
F&F "out front", so to speak, but I agree with you that all but=20
hiding F&C is a big mistake. This was an opportunity to offer=20
consumers a choice. And we seem to be surrendering that.

I'm told there are more changes coming. Maybe that means F&C is=20
about to have more (hopefully better) options. I can, at least,=20
hope.

--=20
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for Sprint PCS
I *don't* speak for them

[email protected] (Eric) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> Why? Do they not know that having brochures that say to the regular
> customer that a 700 minute plan now costs $75 will be a major turnoff
> when T-Mobile's price for 600 minutes is only $39... or Verizon's 800
> minutes is $59.99?

Maybe, but this is where the salespeople earn their commissions! ;-)
Cingular went through this when "rollover" first started- their plans
looked overpriced, and they had to train customers that they could now
buy the plan representing the number of minutes they usually use,
rather than "bump up" a tier or two to cover any possible overage!

I have a 1000 minute plan (not with SPCS) because my business phone
use spikes from 300-1000 minutes a month. If I was only charged a few
pennies for overages instead of 40-cents, I'd be happy with a lower
tiered plan.


> I was at three different places yesterday and all three had the F&F in
> plain sight, but no F&C fixed rate plans. I think that the F&F offering
> does help out lower end users, but it shouldn't be Sprint's main focus
> for the single consumer.

Too many plans makes customers walk out the door scratching their
heads and promising to "think about it". What I'd do, if I were a
Sprint salesma, would be to create a chart or spreadsheet showing what
300, 400, 500, etc. minutes a month actually costs on various plans of
Sprint's and a competitor or two, so the prospect can see how much
money he's wasting buying a, say, 800 minute plan to cover his average
500 minute use.

"Flexible" is an interesting idea, but requires too much employee and
customer training vs. a much simpler concept like rollover.

> I stand by my statement that by not having
> *both* brochures readily available, Sprint will look expensive,
> overpriced, and will lose out on many potential customers.

Yeah, a simple blurb in the brochure to the effect of "Your wireless
use doesn't vary much from month to month? Then check out our 'Free
and Clear' rates including x/minutes for $Y/month..." would at least
help prevent sticker shock to unsuspecting customers.

I applaud Sprint for trying something new, but IMHO, for success it
needs to be simple. I propose the next cell company that wants to try
something new does something like "auto-plan change". If you go over
your minutes you move into the next plan for that cycle. Obviously
these plans, like F&F's, would be priced higher than regular plans,
since overage revenue is at risk, but customers already understand
pricing tiers, and many, IMHO, would jump at the chance to sign up
with a "pay no overage minutes ever!" plan.

KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) is a cliche for a reason! ;-)

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

> [email protected] (Eric) wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>
> > Why? Do they not know that having brochures that say to the regular
> > customer that a 700 minute plan now costs $75 will be a major turnoff
> > when T-Mobile's price for 600 minutes is only $39... or Verizon's 800
> > minutes is $59.99?
>
> Maybe, but this is where the salespeople earn their commissions! ;-)
> Cingular went through this when "rollover" first started- their plans
> looked overpriced, and they had to train customers that they could now
> buy the plan representing the number of minutes they usually use,
> rather than "bump up" a tier or two to cover any possible overage!

But at the moment the SprintPCS F&F plan is $35/300 minutes base rate;
and no other base rates are available.