To Whom It May Concern:

As an extremely unhappy Sprint customer, I am writing this letter in regards to my recent experiences with Sprint PCS and more importantly, Sprint Customer Service. The reason I am providing this information is not only in the hopes that Sprint will change, but is to make aware the powers that be what is really happening with regards to Sprint customers on a daily basis.

My name is Candice Axxxx, my cellular number is (xxxxxxxxxx). I highly encourage you-the reader-to fully examine the notes on my account beginning in the November 2006 time frame, and specifically, the conversation on May 18, 2007 with D. Rxxxxx, EID# DHR3455. While that will not completely cover the full extent of my highly troublesome conversations I have had with Sprint representatives, it is at least a starting point. There is not enough time or enough resources for me to ever truly convey the level of disappointment I feel for Sprint.

The problem began when I was disconnected a total of 4 times in the same day regarding a text messaging issue with my phone, an issue that should have already been resolved three months prior. After the second time I was disconnected, and after waiting another lengthy period on hold, I had the foresight to ask the representative to call my home number in the event of another disconnection. The rep agreed, repeated my phone number and we continued to discuss the matter at hand. The call was later disconnected just as I had anticipated and of course my call was never returned. Upon finally reaching a representative and successfully conveying my problem, the Sprint representative happily agreed to send me a replacement phone free of all additional charges. At this time I was using an LG 225 and having made it clear I liked this particular model, I made the mistake of assuming it was the one that was to be mailed to me.

I received a Sanyo 3100 twice, a defective LG LX150 and finally, on the fourth try, the correct phone. This is only after countless phone calls, numerous disconnections and hours waiting on hold. (This goes without saying that this phone was supposedly out of stock and discontinued, and somehow impossible to get.) After receiving the first wrong phone I was given a $50.00 customer service credit on February 8, 2007. I was informed that return kits would be sent to me within the next couple days and that in the meantime I would be issued temporary credit to my account for the outstanding phones. Not only did it take over 2 weeks for the return kits to arrive, but the account had not been credited. I called numerous times and finally received the return kits two weeks after they were expected. I mailed the phones immediately and retained all tracking information. I called daily to check the status of my account, only to find that a temporary credit still had not been placed on my account. I was finally informed that although the phones had successfully been received, the supervisor was only willing to temporarily credit a partial amount. However, I reached a representative via online that was willing to credit me the full amount. I checked the account various times in recent weeks, only to discover that it had not been corrected. I was being charged for a phone still, and that issue was resolved only after an extensive conversation with a supervisor on May 17, 2007.

To date, while things may seemingly have straightened themselves out, I am still appalled at the lack of competency and consistency on the part of the Sprint representative. After taking a moment to reflect on the issues of the past months I thought it not bold to request an additional customer service credit of $100.00, seemingly a small price to pay to keep someone in my predicament as a customer. Upon suggesting this to a rep after yet another day of lengthy holds and disconnects, I was treated as a delinquent customer with an outstanding balance who had already been 'awarded' enough credits. They treated me as though these credits were favors although in reality they had been guaranteed to me from the beginning. After hours of much discussion, two unsuccessful transfers, and five representatives later, Sprint agreed to a mere $50.00 credit on May 18,2006. In my mind this issue is far from resolved.

There is an overall lack of humanity on the part of the Sprint PCS customer service department. To call Sprint and be faced with an automated voice response directory is frustrating and the systems response is often inaccurate. The hold music is in dire need of a change. The website is confusing and difficult to navigate. The issue with disconnects and problems transferring is completely unacceptable. The inability for representatives to resolve problems is horrifying. I find that supervisors and people with higher capabilities are as bad as those who are not supervisors. However, the biggest problem is the fact that there are no extension numbers or direct lines given to representatives. No matter how unsatisfying or wonderful a conversation I have with any rep, I know that even if I request their employee ID number, I will never be able to speak to them again. There is NO way for me to contact anyone directly regarding any issue. Regardless of the amount of notes that are made, I find myself continually repeating my story each time, leading me to conclude the notes are all but useless. Each department, each phone number, each email, each service Sprint PSC provides, is a complete failure.

Below I have provided a few of the many examples of other customers past and present which are unhappy with Sprint and its service. I don't imagine any of the information will come as a surprise to you. I plan to take my experience and share it with as many who are willing to listen. At this point the only way Sprint could really make me happy is if they covered my cancellation fees and paid for a service transfer to another cellular company with a guarantee that we could keep our phone numbers the same. I know that will most likely not happen, but I had to state my terms.

Most sincerely,

Candice Axxxx

http://consumerist.com/consumer/sprint/cancel-sprint-accou...

http://consumerist.com/consumer/customer-service/sprint-re...

http://consumerist.com/consumer/telephony/texas-sues-sprin...

candice01

I wish that were true, but Working Assets did it a while ago -- their customer service was absolutely four-star (though, caveat, I haven't had a cell phone for years; but before I broke my habit I'd had Cingular, Sprint, & WA). They would stay on the line with you whenever they transferred you, and the person you were talking with would explain your issue to the new person so you didn't have to go through it again. They promised to call me back on a few occasions and ALWAYS did. I never waited on hold more than 10 minutes, EVER. They were unfailingly polite, and when I got the runaround trying to transfer a number from Cingular to them, the people at Working Assets spent more time on the phone with Cingular than I did, trying to help me iron out the problem.

Yet everybody I told about Working Assets and their fantastic customer service had one thing to say: "Yes, but [insert horrible company here] is, like, three bucks a month cheaper!"

Corporations are 90% liable for shitty service, but the "wal-mart mentality" is what keeps the corporate culture from improving. Sad but true.

Mary Marsala with Fries

You can't immediately come out and demand that somebody fix a problem - somebody in that position most certainly doesn't have to. You don't abuse them, and you absolutely must treat them like somebody who deserves respect (whether they actually do or not isn't important). You'll note that in my email to Gary Forsee, I calmly explained the situation in great detail, and I offered suggestions as to how they could improve (something which would improve shareholder value). You'll also note that I never once asked for anything; I made it appear as though it wouldn't affect me much if I got nothing in return. When Claudia called me, that was when I started making my demands. You have to actually get that call first though, and that's the key.

North Antara

"I do not have time to deal with this right now, Billing already denied it and even if there is an error in fact, I can't refund your money for you."

So I could really use that so I can write to someone that gives a shit about that company.

I can't wait to see their stocks plunge, and Gary Forsee loose his position, that would be great. He does not seem to give a shit about his company, but then again who gives a crap. He makes over $5 million a year. Like he's got anything to worry about for the rest of his life.

Coder4Life

Agree. What's crazy is that Jason's description applies to almost every service provider I have to call - internet, credit card, cell phone, power company, land-line. It's appalling that this level of customer service is standard across the universe of customer service-based industries.

Eyebrows McGee

The reader battlerobos said:
"Way to go for Jason. I've never done business with Sprint before, so I wouldn't know how their customer service is. Jason writes his e-mail very well and if I were a CEO, I would appreciate this valuable customer input. I wish Sprint did make more of an effort to retain his business with them. Instead, they just gave him the cold shoulder and effectively said, "Get lost." At least they had the manners to credit him the remaining balance."

To that, I just wanted to reiterate that I had asked them to cancel my account. They tried repeatedly to get me to stay, and I made it very clear that I no longer wished to have an account. Claudia did ask me (we actually spoke on the phone a few times) once if I would like to stay if they could "make things right", and I clearly explained my position, and she understood and never brought it up again. Also, it wasn't in her final email, but she had also zero'd the final months bill, for a grand total of nearly $150, plus the early term fee.

North Antara

My carrier? Cingular. Yeah, I know. But honestly, I don't need to call CS much, and they've got a good network in Chicago.

humphrmi

I have always been very happy with T-Mobile's customer service, and I've previously been a customer of most of the major cell phone companies (Sprint, Cingular, AT&T). Their coverage? Not as much, but their customer service has always been very good.

I *want* to switch to another company to get a new phone, etc, etc, but I usually reconsider, just because T-Mobile hasn't done anything to piss me off (a somewhat sad state of affairs, really, when all a company has to do to keep me as a customer is to NOT TOTALLY SUCK). Of course, compared to, for example, the trial of getting my DSL installed via SBC/Yahoo (2 weeks, 3 tech visits, 4 trouble tickets, 12 hours on the phone), T-Mobile is the best.

As a side note, Sprint actually used to be VERY good, but they started going in the shitter when they started to try and compete with bargain-basement cell phone companies (all of the sudden nights and weekends started at 9 instead of 6, customer service begun being lame, two year contracts became the norm, etc etc).

fishfucerk

That's a mistake, because as waslym pointed out, none of the other companies are any better. I'm with Harlan -- I've been fairly lucky with Sprint and haven't needed many CS calls. But when my contract was up I went looking at all the providers, and cell phone CS is a wasteland across the baord.

If one of them could give me decent coverage and decent CS, I'd be there in a minute (or the end of my current contract anyway). As it was I sighed and reupped with Sprint.

Jon Parker

For the same reason that Jason mentioned in his first e-mail. He claims that it is financially unsound to have to go through so many reps to get an issue resolved because it wastes their time. Well, I would imagine that the CEO's time is most likely a little more valuable than a CSR's time.

I guess his time is worth more than $77 and an early termination fee, making it more cost effective just to cancel the account than trying to keep him on as a customer.

rbf2000

battlerobo

Echodork

Harlan

wasylm

Eventually, I figured out if I logged into Sprint's web site using the phone number of the affected line, I could remove the service from the account myself. This revelation arrived only after I had been completely exhausted by Sprint's horrible, incompetent customer service. I have no idea how "Mapquest Mobile" ended up on our account. Sprint had no idea how to remove it.

Whatever they're paying those people, it's too much. They need to stop hiring so many idiots and assholes.

Mike_

josh1701