Customer Service - Sprintpcs versus T-Mobile

If you have experience with both, could you comment on their quality?

Thanks.

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› See More: Customer Service - Sprintpcs versus T-Mobile

John Smith wrote:
> If you have experience with both, could you comment on their quality?

In my experiences with t-mobile, I've found them to be quite helpful.
Though the same is true in my experiences with Sprint. Tjere was a
period a couple of years back where CS at Sprint was downright awful,
buthtye have improve markedly.

I do however, wish that Sprint didn't require their CS reps to try and
sell me long distance package all the time. I Use either my cell phone
or VOIP for all LD calls, so you'd think after the third or fourth time
of them offering it and my declining, they'd put a note in there not to
bother.


--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.

Isaiah Beard wrote:
> John Smith wrote:
>
>> If you have experience with both, could you comment on their quality?
>
>
> In my experiences with t-mobile, I've found them to be quite helpful.
> Though the same is true in my experiences with Sprint. Tjere was a
> period a couple of years back where CS at Sprint was downright awful,
> buthtye have improve markedly.

Unfortunately, they have started getting a lot worse again, at least for me.

I love Sprint's network, I love my phone, but I get stressed out when I call *2
and end up talking to someone who is obviously not listening to me. I start out
calm and end up with my blood pressure rising...

This has happened in maybe the past six months... I'd seen a huge improvement
in CS too.

> I do however, wish that Sprint didn't require their CS reps to try and
> sell me long distance package all the time. I Use either my cell phone
> or VOIP for all LD calls, so you'd think after the third or fourth time
> of them offering it and my declining, they'd put a note in there not to
> bother.

That doesn't bother me. The "not listening" and "not doing what they're asked
to do" bothers me.

It's the exact opposite of the situation that caused me to leave Verizon last
June. Verizon has great CS but had major network troubles in my area and didn't
fix them. Sprint has a network that works great in my area, but right now they
have horrible CS.

--
JustThe.net - Apple Valley, CA - http://JustThe.net/ - 888.480.4NET (4638)
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / [email protected] / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED

"The wisdom of a fool won't set you free"
--New Order, "Bizarre Love Triangle"

Yup. Seems to me that it should be much easier to fix the CS problems than
network problems. I am in the computer storage industry, and our CS
typically lives by "the customer is always right" motto. This seems to work
very well and has really grown our business. It is really not that difficult
for a cellular phone company to provide good customer service. They need to
adjust their attitude toward siding the customer. If the customer wants a
phone replacement, then give him one!!

-mij



"Steve Sobol" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Isaiah Beard wrote:
>> John Smith wrote:
>>
>>> If you have experience with both, could you comment on their quality?
>>
>>
>> In my experiences with t-mobile, I've found them to be quite helpful.
>> Though the same is true in my experiences with Sprint. Tjere was a
>> period a couple of years back where CS at Sprint was downright awful,
>> buthtye have improve markedly.
>
> Unfortunately, they have started getting a lot worse again, at least for
> me.
>
> I love Sprint's network, I love my phone, but I get stressed out when I
> call *2 and end up talking to someone who is obviously not listening to
> me. I start out calm and end up with my blood pressure rising...
>
> This has happened in maybe the past six months... I'd seen a huge
> improvement in CS too.
>
>> I do however, wish that Sprint didn't require their CS reps to try and
>> sell me long distance package all the time. I Use either my cell phone
>> or VOIP for all LD calls, so you'd think after the third or fourth time
>> of them offering it and my declining, they'd put a note in there not to
>> bother.
>
> That doesn't bother me. The "not listening" and "not doing what they're
> asked to do" bothers me.
>
> It's the exact opposite of the situation that caused me to leave Verizon
> last June. Verizon has great CS but had major network troubles in my area
> and didn't fix them. Sprint has a network that works great in my area, but
> right now they have horrible CS.
>
> --
> JustThe.net - Apple Valley, CA - http://JustThe.net/ - 888.480.4NET (4638)
> Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / [email protected] / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
>
> "The wisdom of a fool won't set you free"
> --New Order, "Bizarre Love Triangle"

Mij Adyaw wrote:
> Yup. Seems to me that it should be much easier to fix the CS problems than
> network problems. I am in the computer storage industry, and our CS
> typically lives by "the customer is always right" motto. This seems to work
> very well and has really grown our business. It is really not that difficult
> for a cellular phone company to provide good customer service. They need to
> adjust their attitude toward siding the customer. If the customer wants a
> phone replacement, then give him one!!

The problem is the cost-cutting. Sprint closed a few call centers and there are
many more front-line CSRs overseas than here. The culture there seems to be
"pretend to listen to the customers, and give them an answer that sounds good
but probably isn't the right one."

This is based on several calls to Customer Service over the past few months.

Hopefully Sprint will gain clue and do what Dell did before long. I have other
issues with Dell, but when I call about one of the family PCs (we have two
Dells and an HP) at least I know I'm talking to someone who can comprehend what
I'm saying and offer an intelligent response. Might not always be the response
I want, but it'll at least be relevant to my situation.

--
JustThe.net - Apple Valley, CA - http://JustThe.net/ - 888.480.4NET (4638)
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / [email protected] / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED

"The wisdom of a fool won't set you free"
--New Order, "Bizarre Love Triangle"

Steve Sobol wrote:
> Mij Adyaw wrote:
>> Yup. Seems to me that it should be much easier to fix the CS
>> problems than network problems. I am in the computer storage
>> industry, and our CS typically lives by "the customer is always
>> right" motto. This seems
>> to work very well and has really grown our business. It is really
>> not that difficult for a cellular phone company to provide good
>> customer service. They need to adjust their attitude toward siding
>> the customer. If the customer wants a phone replacement, then give
>> him one!!
>
> The problem is the cost-cutting. Sprint closed a few call centers and
> there are many more front-line CSRs overseas than here. The culture
> there seems to be "pretend to listen to the customers, and give them
> an answer that sounds good but probably isn't the right one."
>
> This is based on several calls to Customer Service over the past few
> months.

It just happened to me a few weeks ago with SPCS. I noticed my invoice
amount was a little higher than normal. But as usual the invoice itself
was not available online--only the amount due (I really hate that, but I
digress...).

I called and the CSR had no problem accessing my invoice. She explained
that there were 3 calls for directory assistance (teenage daughter's
phone) and that there was a $5 late fee. I explained that the late fee
was in error, since I pay online and I have the printout right in front
of me--way before the due date. Rakish agreed that it must have been a
glitch and agreed to credit the $5. When the invoice was (finally)
available online, sure enough there was a late fee, even though the
posted date for my payment was well before its due date. Naturally, I
had no reason not to expect to see the $5 credit the following month.

And now here I am with my next invoice and... of course there was no
credit. It was as if I never even called. Now that first call to SPCS
lasted only around 5 minutes or so, but I considered that unusually
quick (and I recorded it with my handy-dandy landline cordless phone
<g>). Is $5 worth my time to call back and go through this nonsense
again? I would do it just so there doesn't appear to be any
late-payments showing on my account. But I feel that (a) the chances of
a CSR getting that done are slim-to-none, (b) I may get blown off with
another "just get 'em off the phone" kind of answer, wasting even more
of my time (for $5 and a late-payment flag that may or may not exist).

Oh yea, my contract expired last year so I no longer get the LD sales
pitch. Now I get the "did you know you can add another line to your
service and get a completely free phone?" (surprisingly--or
mistakenly--this was offered with a one-year contract extension). If not
that pitch it's the "if you'll extend your contract I can offer you 5%
off of your bill" (I assume that one is for a two-year extension). If
they can't get a simple $5 credit right, there's no way I'm gonna take
any of those offers.

As usually, YMMV, IMHO, and all other terms apply.


--
Mike

Tinman wrote:
> Steve Sobol wrote:
> > Mij Adyaw wrote:
> >> Yup. Seems to me that it should be much easier to fix the CS
> >> problems than network problems. I am in the computer storage
> >> industry, and our CS typically lives by "the customer is always
> >> right" motto. This seems
> >> to work very well and has really grown our business. It is really
> >> not that difficult for a cellular phone company to provide good
> >> customer service. They need to adjust their attitude toward siding
> >> the customer. If the customer wants a phone replacement, then give
> >> him one!!
> >
> > The problem is the cost-cutting. Sprint closed a few call centers
and
> > there are many more front-line CSRs overseas than here. The culture
> > there seems to be "pretend to listen to the customers, and give
them
> > an answer that sounds good but probably isn't the right one."
> >
> > This is based on several calls to Customer Service over the past
few
> > months.
>
> It just happened to me a few weeks ago with SPCS. I noticed my
invoice
> amount was a little higher than normal. But as usual the invoice
itself
> was not available online--only the amount due (I really hate that,
but I
> digress...).
>
> I called and the CSR had no problem accessing my invoice. She
explained
> that there were 3 calls for directory assistance (teenage daughter's
> phone) and that there was a $5 late fee. I explained that the late
fee
> was in error, since I pay online and I have the printout right in
front
> of me--way before the due date. Rakish agreed that it must have been
a
> glitch and agreed to credit the $5. When the invoice was (finally)
> available online, sure enough there was a late fee, even though the
> posted date for my payment was well before its due date. Naturally, I

> had no reason not to expect to see the $5 credit the following month.
>
> And now here I am with my next invoice and... of course there was no
> credit. It was as if I never even called. Now that first call to SPCS

> lasted only around 5 minutes or so, but I considered that unusually
> quick (and I recorded it with my handy-dandy landline cordless phone
> <g>). Is $5 worth my time to call back and go through this nonsense
> again? I would do it just so there doesn't appear to be any
> late-payments showing on my account. But I feel that (a) the chances
of
> a CSR getting that done are slim-to-none, (b) I may get blown off
with
> another "just get 'em off the phone" kind of answer, wasting even
more
> of my time (for $5 and a late-payment flag that may or may not
exist).
>
> Oh yea, my contract expired last year so I no longer get the LD sales

> pitch. Now I get the "did you know you can add another line to your
> service and get a completely free phone?" (surprisingly--or
> mistakenly--this was offered with a one-year contract extension). If
not
> that pitch it's the "if you'll extend your contract I can offer you
5%
> off of your bill" (I assume that one is for a two-year extension). If

> they can't get a simple $5 credit right, there's no way I'm gonna
take
> any of those offers.
>
> As usually, YMMV, IMHO, and all other terms apply.
>
>
> --
> Mike

Well, every YEAR (not 24 months) my contract expires and every year,
I've renewed it through the retention program,.. and yes, the do offer
the $5 signing bonus each year.

[email protected] wrote:
> Tinman wrote:
<snip>
>> Oh yea, my contract expired last year so I no longer get the LD sales
>
>> pitch. Now I get the "did you know you can add another line to your
>> service and get a completely free phone?" (surprisingly--or
>> mistakenly--this was offered with a one-year contract extension). If
>> not that pitch it's the "if you'll extend your contract I can offer
>> you 5% off of your bill" (I assume that one is for a two-year
>> extension). If
>
>> they can't get a simple $5 credit right, there's no way I'm gonna
>> take any of those offers.
>>
>> As usually, YMMV, IMHO, and all other terms apply.
>>
>>
>
> Well, every YEAR (not 24 months) my contract expires and every year,
> I've renewed it through the retention program,.. and yes, the do offer
> the $5 signing bonus each year.

I could explain all about the retention deals I've gotten through the
years. However, this thread was about customer service. Besides, I've
stretched my plan to the limit and see no point in renewing a contract
for a mere $5 per month in savings. And for the record, the last
retention deal I received (7 PM N&Ws) did not require a contract renewal
(nor could I have gotten anything better *with* a contract extension).
My guess is that SPCS is gambling that a long-time subscriber, who
always pays on time, isn't likely to defect. They're prolly correct.


--
Mike

[email protected] wrote:
> Well, every YEAR (not 24 months) my contract expires and every year,
> I've renewed it through the retention program,.. and yes, the do offer
> the $5 signing bonus each year.

That's not the point. Perhaps you should go back and actually read what you're
replying to. The issue was the screwup of a $5 late fee and the failure to
follow through on promised action.



--
JustThe.net - Apple Valley, CA - http://JustThe.net/ - 888.480.4NET (4638)
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / [email protected] / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED

"The wisdom of a fool won't set you free"
--New Order, "Bizarre Love Triangle"

Thanks for all the inputs. I've been with Sprint for about 5 years, always
pay on time, and am thinking of defecting to T-Mobile....

"Steve Sobol" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] wrote:
>> Well, every YEAR (not 24 months) my contract expires and every year,
>> I've renewed it through the retention program,.. and yes, the do offer
>> the $5 signing bonus each year.
>
> That's not the point. Perhaps you should go back and actually read what
> you're replying to. The issue was the screwup of a $5 late fee and the
> failure to follow through on promised action.
>
>
>
> --
> JustThe.net - Apple Valley, CA - http://JustThe.net/ - 888.480.4NET (4638)
> Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / [email protected] / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
>
> "The wisdom of a fool won't set you free"
> --New Order, "Bizarre Love Triangle"

In article <dhehe.2200$Y12.898@trnddc09>, [email protected] says...
> If you have experience with both, could you comment on their quality?
>
> Thanks.

I'm truly saddened to hear this trend showing up. My own thought on the
matter is that Sprint has put someone in charge of Customer Service
who's primary background is *not* customer service, but Sales. Like Tim
Kelly, from his bio:

"Previously, Kelly was senior vice president-SCS since October 2003 with
responsibility for management of marketing, advertising, product
realization, strategic planning and business development for the
company's consumer segment. "

http://www2.sprint.com/mr/ex_dtl.do?id=140

And John Garcia:

John Garcia is senior vice president of Sales & Distribution for
Sprint's PCS Division, a position he has held since January 1998.

http://www2.sprint.com/mr/ex_dtl.do?id=126

These are considered "key" executives at Sprint. And if you look at the
entire list of executives, http://www2.sprint.com/mr/exList.do, you'll
find *none* of them with Customer Service as a large measure of their
bio. None of them have opted to associate themselves with the IBM
relationship, or to provide any idea of how they've played a role in
Customer Service. In fact, if you look at their "Consumer Information"
page:

http://www2.sprint.com/mr/consumerhome.do

You'll find no commitment to satisfaction listed there. You'll find
what I think are relatively small points of excellence, like their relay
services for the deaf and hearing impaired. But no commitment statement
about getting the support call right the first time, or about hold
times, or any such matter. What you *will* find is a link in their
"Browse all consumer tips by topic" drop-down box to let you sign up for
Sprint Long Distance service.

What they do instead is provide a "quality" page:

http://www.sprint.com/sprint/values/quality/

where they claim:

"Exceptional Customer Satisfaction: We distinguish ourselves in the
marketplace by focusing first on our customers and their changing world
and by maintaining the flexibility necessary to meet our customers’
evolving needs. We deliver exceptional levels of customer satisfaction
by listening to our customers and providing solutions that meet their
needs."

I love that last. "...Providing solutions that meet their needs."

That's a sales pitch. Not a satisfaction commitment.

So yeah, I can see this happening: customer service deteriorating all
over again. And it pisses me off especially much because I've seen how
excellent this network can be.


--
RØß
O/Siris
-+-
A thing moderately good
is not so good as it ought to be.
Moderation in temper is always a virtue,
but moderation in principle is always a vice.
+Thomas Paine, "The Rights of Man", 1792+