If he can get them to stop calling, is there anyway he can get Verizon to stop showing me commercials for FiOS on my FiOS cable?

He's not alone. Every single f'ing time I call their customer service, they call back for the next 4 days asking me if everything is ok.

I'm all for customer service, but this is insane.

@Oligarch_GitEmSteveDave: Amen! How about if they stop taunting me with FiOS commercials where they don't offer service!

There's an easy solution to this. Create a contact called Ignore, add this number and anyone else you don't want to hear from (ex-girlfriends, etc), and set the ringtone to silent.

I manage hundreds of Dell servers and ... EVERY SINGLE TIME .... I make a service call I get a follow up survey call a week or two later. No matter how many times I tell them they keep calling me. Problem number two is that I'll have a handful of repairs a week and I'm never sure which one they are calling about anyways.

call me whatever you want, but does anyone else genuinely get the feeling that sprint is regretting the errors of its' past and is actually trying to change? or am i dead wrong? from what i've seen/heard/read, it seems like their PR/Customer service/technology is making a huge turnaround...

They did the same thing to me - it's one of the reasons I left. It turned out to be a badly disguised upsell. 'Soooo, are you happy? Hmmmm? All good? Wellll, we could set you up with another line you know... Noooo? Wellll, you could upgrade to a new phone, we could give you some credit on that, hmmmm?' Like once a week.

So finally I TOOK the bait and tried to go into a Sprint store and upgrade to an HTC Touch Pro and it turned out the 'upgrade' price was several hundred dollars more than just switching my service to AT&T. I tried reasoning with several levels of management ('Why are you making it cost twice as much to stay with you instead of switch carriers when you're the ones who kept dangling this carrot in my face?'), but all they could do was parrot 'This is our policy', so I left.

Good job, guys!

Keep a log of those calls. The next time they call for that spiel, mention how many calls you've gotten already about this, that you are on a do-not-call list, and further calls will risk your continued service with them.

Log for a week or two. Then when they call one last time, mention you will be following up on your own. Then call Sprint's Consumerist Hotline (search here) and let those CSR's know about them. Mention each and every time they called and you logged it.

If they don't stop afterwards, drop Sprint and switch to Verizon.

This happened to me before too. You can call customer service (*2) because sometimes they call at obnoxious hours (6am!!!). Tell customer service that you want to be added to the "do not call list" for marketing/promotional stuff. I had to call and make this happen a few times, but I haven't received one of those calls in awhile. God forbid I ever do.

@scoobydoo: We're sorry that we bothered you. Please answer a short survey about us calling you, include a phone number, and we will call back to make sure that everything is still ok. But don't worry if you forget the number - We know it!! MuahAHAHAHAH!

@STrRedWolf: "drop Sprint and switch to Verizon."

Maybe you should advise him to cut off his nose to spite his face.

Tell them the next time they call you, you will cancel your plan and consult an attorney for harassment.

We're day sleepers and had the exact same problem with them. The cell phone # isn't given out and stays by the bed in case family needs to reach us in an emergancy. Sprint kept waking us up for this BS.

After telling them several times to stop, Sprint promising to stop and then being awakened again the next month, I finally told them if it happened one more time, I'd cancel the service. Of course they promised it would never happen again.

We're now with Verizon.

@STrRedWolf:

The do-not-call list isn't effective if the company calling has a business relationship with you. Since Sprint is calling a number you have with Sprint, the do-not-call-list is worthless.

Charity's and political orgainizations are also exempt.

I'm P.O.'d with Sprint because they keep sending me spam mail to try and convince me that things have changed since I left, and I really should consider going back to them.

Eff that crap, after being a customer with them for over 5 years and experiencing their, "renew your contract without permission and take away your discounts" plan, I went through the 3+ hour goat-rope to clarify that I never gave them permission to renew my contract. Then I got to play with the goat rope again when I changed to AT&T the next day, then Sprint tried stiffing me with a contract breach fee, even though we determined the day before that the contract was never made or legit.

Fark Sprint to hell. They will never see my business again no matter how much they try to improve their customer service.

Why not tell them you are not happy with their service since they are calling too often.

Odd. I've been getting the same thing. Some Sprint rep called me yesterday at work and he was the third one to call me in a month. I'm by far what you'd call a basic user, barely using 200 minutes a month and not much else.

Ironically enough (or just kinda funny) the second time I was called my phone cut out in the middle of the lady's pitch and I was using my phone in my own house, where I get at most two bars.

I work as a Spring CSR, and I can tell you the callbacks are supposed to be random, and are supposed to be done via a computerized system, not a live person. There should be five questions, all yes or no. The main one is the last one, but that's neither here nor there.

If you keep getting calls from Sprint you should dial *2, and get it in the notes to complain. If they do it again, ask to speak to a manager. There are even further escalations beyond that. Just continue to escalate until you get satisfaction. persistence is the key with Sprint.

@dougp26364:
He wasn't referring to the federal do not call, he was referring to Sprint's internal do not call, which was mentioned in the article. Like, in their ticketing system, there should be a red flag next to his name, saying "Don't call this guy to check, he'll call us if he has a problem". Of course, it still apparently is worthless.

@ds143: I think the question isn't are they trying, but are the succeeding. I wouldn't mind going to them when the pre comes out, but the possibility that they're still horrible and that I have to sign a contract makes it kind of hard to take that leap.

Not his fault that he's one of three customers left.... the CSRs have families to feed...

*dun kish*

@pjorg: I get those commercials too and we don't have Fios here... FIOS WHERE ARE YOU? :(

I have this same issue with Allstate, for my homeowner's insurance. Every month or so, they call just to make sure i'm happy and see if I have any questions.

I asked one guy who called "are you that bored over there?" and he said "pretty much, yeah ..."

o_O

i've been with sprint since 1998 and currently have two lines. when i call, they resolve the problems quickly for me.

i honestly have no complaints about spring. the last time i called the rep told me i was going to get a survey and actually didn't get one.

AT&T used to call me several times a week to try to convince me to switch to their service. They repeatedly ignored my requests to be put on their DNC list. I started documenting every call and told them I was doing so. With the third call I told the CSR that this was the third documented call after asking to be placed on their DNC list, and that if they called me again I intended to sue them. The CSR told me in a very snotty tone that it could take up to a month for my number to come off their list and the calls to stop. I said 'That's your problem' and hung up. Never heard from them again, and I will never choose AT&T. Boycott companies that suck!

I too work as a Sprint CSR. Definitely call the customer care line and keep escalating the call if this happens to you, and make sure the agent makes a note of the problem. However, if you're on the phone with a rep and the call is disconnected they are required to call you back, as a basic customer service policy. Just let it go to voice mail or tell the rep you need to go and let them finish their call flow.

make a short MP3 of silence. Set it as your default ringtone. Then assign your favorite ringtone to people in your address book that you want calls from. Now they can call all they want and you won't hear the phone ring. You will see a record of missed calls and you can call them back if you like.

Get your revenge, 1. when they call from a toll free number just call back 5 or 10 times a day it will cost them money. 2. list their number on the telephone spammers list and let them know you did it for the whole word to see.

@Oligarch_GitEmSteveDave: Not likely. I have to put up with Dish Network ads on Dish Network. I'm sure that DirecTV and TWC customers have to put up with ads for their respective providers, also.

@Radi0logy: Maybe so, but why should he stay with Sprint if they aren't respecting his requests? I have had Verizon for over 3 years, upgraded many times, and never have I had a call to talk about how happy I am with my service. I usually just get asked at the end of a customer service call that I placed to them.

Staying with a company that repeatedly ignores your wishes and just dumps on you is like a woman staying with her wife beating husband. There's GOT to be another company (or man) out there that will treat you better.

Just remember, all this Sprint bashing we see on the Consumerist- that doesn't speak for the whole population. They have plenty of completely satisfied customers. (The same way Verizon has a bunch of pissed off people that switched TO Sprint or whatever carrier was available in their area for bad service.)

That, and waitresses who interrupt my meal four or five times to see "if I'm doin' OK." If my beer glass looks empty, you can ask me if I want another one, but other than that, just let me eat in peace until it's time to get the check.

@Oligarch_GitEmSteveDave: Not only do I get commercials, I also get letters advertising for FIOS, and the other day, some guy actually knocked on the door, asking if I wanted FIOS.

@verucalise: You're actually comparing Sprint calling a customer to see if they are satisfied, with wifebeating? wow. classy.

I would give them 2-3 more weeks until your number get's into the Do Not Call system. They are supposed to tell you that but often don't. It's the same for every call center. If the calls keep on coming speak to someone higher up.

I've gotten 2 of these calls from Sprint in the last 6 months. Both times they asked me how my service was and I told them the problems that I was having. Their solution was for me to upgrade my phone, which would also require me to sign a new contract. I told them they are crazy if they think that I'm going to spend more money and sign a new contract in order to get the service that I should have been getting all along.

If he had just picked up the phone the second time, and explained he was already called - no drama.

Because the number is already loaded into the sequence to dial, sometimes calling back instead of picking up the phone won't resolve the issue until his number has completely run through the cycle.

@Radi0logy:
Honestly, I have had the same experience...
It is rather annoying, but I would rather have the new "cares too much" Sprint over the old "Cares too little" Sprint.

Honestly, Sprint has gone from the worst cell carrier I ever dealt with to the best in a little over a year. Dont know how they are doing it, but good for them! They have been extremely good at reacting to my needs and the follow up is much nicer than me waiting on hold when things dont get done.

@Radi0logy: I am just using the comparison that if you aren't happy, why continue a BUSINESS relationship with the company?

As for a classy comment, I can say that as well about yours. I love self mutilating my face.

There is an easy way to stop this.

All you have to do is call their customer service line and 'opt out' of being contacted by phone.

For a couple of months I would get calls from the automated 877 numnber. When I would pick up, no one would be there. So I called Sprint, opt'd out, and I haven't received another call since.

True Story!

I've NEVER had ATT&T call me and I've had ATT&T for YEARS.

For this I am glad.

@Joe Stelmach: Erm, it says he already requested to be opt out, but they keep calling.

True Story!

@Avrus: Stupid. What if he was taking a dump or something?

@ThinkerTDM: But do you already HAVE FiOS? I do, and I can't stand seeing commercials advertising FiOS on the cable I get through FiOS. If a company provides the cable, why would they stick their own commercials into a service only they provide to their subscribers?

@BrianaHuang: Cool, now what can I do about the annoying text messages from Sprint?

I don't get the calls, but I keep getting stupid text messages from them. I'd like to know if there's a way to stop those.

@dougp26364: Spring: Epic fail.

Or maybe they are trying to pare down customers by being too nice versus canceling them???

@lotussix: I think they sent your survey to those other folks...

@HurtsSoGood: Bitterwaitress had a thread recently about how being an aloof and cool to the customer type of server actually increases tips versus being a nice chatty slave to the table...

Funny. This is the exact method I used in high school to try to get a date:

"Are you free this weekend? No? How about the weekend after that? No? How about the weekend after that? No? How about the weekend after that..."

And I also happen to be a Sprint customer. Hmmm...