Why does Sprint hate their current customers?!

[tno]

So I have been with Sprint for a decade now. I have always loved Sprints coverage in Virginia, (well except for that first three months when I had to stand on my bed and put my head against the wall to get signal) and while I hated their customer service I could usually grin and bear it to get a decent phone and plan out of them at a reasonable cost. So, during their dark period when they were losing a million customers a month, I was still holding on, confident that though my phone was already two years old when I got it used on [H] there would be a resurgence, I would have some seriously awesome phone at a great price. When the Pre hit, I thought, this is the day! And yet here I am, moments from hitting the Complete Order button on an order of two Droids for my wife and I and setting sail for the sunny shores of Verizon. My plan will be comparable to my current Sprint plan in service and cost and thanks to an awesome deal I will put down $50 and get it all back. For both phones!

What are my current options for an upgrade on Sprint? The Pre for $150 each. Really?! I've been a customer for ten years! Most people don't live in the same place for a decade and I've been with Sprint for ten years and they can't get me a few free phones! It's sad but true, I have officially come to the end of the line. So, if there are any Sprint reps out there, feel free to PM me, this is your last chance to fix the problem. ... But wait. The best phones you have are the Pre (non-plus) and the Hero? And the Droid trumps them both? Wow. Looks like you'll have to try pretty hard. Good luck.

Can't wait for my new phones!

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Kinda sad to read this but I knew there was a good reason I was not seriously looking at Sprint. If you want Sprint to come through you should call them and speak with a sales or customer service rep....probably customer service would be better.

 

[tno]

Spoke with their Exec Customer Service team in the past and they weren't any help. At the time I wanted them to match their Pre sales for new customers ($50 no activation fee, and no MIR) and they just refused. According to them pricing is set in stone, that's the only thing they can't change. So I offered her an alternative, I would buy it at the listed price, and she could deduct from my monthly plan till the phone effectively cost me $50. No go. At that point I told her that they would probably lose me within the year. I guess I stuck around a little longer than that.

 

[vshah]

have you called them up and informed them of your intentions to switch? they may be able to match a deal.

i'd still take the droid over any sprint phone though. although i think they have a snapdragon android phone coming this summer.

 

[BigSmooth]

I'm not sure what Verizon plan you're going to that is comparable in cost to Sprint's, because generally Sprint is quite a bit cheaper and offers more value. I've never had Sprint service but looking at some of their plans I certainly thought about it recently before deciding to stick with T-Mobile.

They definitely don't have a great phone lineup right now, though - I'd much rather have the Droid than anything currently on Sprint. If you've already talked to Retentions and they won't take care of you, I'd leave too.

 

[Slick5150]

The same is true of any company. The better deals are always for new customers vs. current ones. You'd be treated the same by any other company, the only difference is with Sprint at least your monthly bill is a lot less than Verizon or AT&T.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Sprint has cheaper plans, balanced out by the fact that they have worse phones and don't offer very good discounts.

I mean if you are on a 2-line plan with Sprint, it's $130/mo for unlimited text, unlimited data, and 1500 minutes that only get ticked down before 7pm when calling land lines. A comparable plan from Verizon costs $180/mo and you get slightly fewer minutes (1400, nights start at 9pm, and unlimited mobile calls only apply to other Verizon customers).

It is sucky that Sprint won't give you a deal when you've been such a long-time customer and it's no wonder they're losing so many customers. It is also too bad that they have such a poor phone selection compared with other carriers. They have no killer phone right now (Verizon has the Droid not to mention the Pre Plus, AT&T has the iPhone, and T-Mobile has the Nexus One). But at least their plans are cheap. It might be $150 to upgrade but you'll effectively pay much less than if you switch to Verizon.

 

[Phynaz]

If you have to have a Droid then switch.

Otherwise there are some excellent deals to be had from Sprint, you just have to research them and call.

As an existing customer you can do much better than what is on the retail website, depending upon your negotiating skills.

Yes, you have to negotiate. That's life.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Yes, you have to negotiate. That's life.

True, I recently did customer service for a company and you would have to be nice to me to get any discount....of course I could discount it as much as I wanted...lol

Great company though, really customer focused and has totally changed my view on what companies should act like with their customers.

 

[tno]

So, the concensus definitely is that the plans are cheaper with Sprint, but the phone suck. So that's one against Sprint and one for. Kind of. As a state employee I get ~15% discount from Verizon. There base plan for these two phones will be 160 - 15% which puts me at 136. Certainly there will be more fees added to this and the comparable Sprint plan comes with fewer features, but I have never gone over my minutes and don't expect too.

@Phynaz, I have tried to negotiate with them several times, and I'm not tooting my own horn when I say that I am pretty good in negotiations. I once got Comcast to cry uncle and comp me two months of service and give us premiums for free for six months for bonking on a service call and leaving with crappy internet service for two months. The problem is that they can't really offer me anything. If they do get me two new nice phones and then give me a sweet pricing plan then what happens in two years? They'll offer me a crappy plan and probably still not have a great phone selection. So, now's a good time to jump. And a few years from now, then I'll jump again if Verizon won't offer me anything good. What I've gleaned is that there's no point in sticking with a phone company for any amount of time. They don't offer anything to current subscribers that's worth it.

 

[boomhower]

How are you getting both phones for $50 which you are going to get back?

How are you getting a plan for $160? Two Droids with 1400 minutes family plan with text and data looks like $180 to me. After your discount it's pretty decent though, especially since you don't need nav.

Have you checked to see if you qualify for a discount with Sprint? Just being a member of a credit union(any credit union) will get you 10%.

I am with Sprint as well have have lusted for a Droid for a while but I just can't justify the cost difference. After credits and discounts I am paying $93 for the $130 family plan. Sprint is a game you have to learn to play. In January Sprint changed a fee allowing you to get out of your contract ETF free. To keep people they were offering $20 off a month for 24 months. All you have to do was call. Granted the side affect is your locked into another two years.

Personally I am hoping for the Supersonic to be the savior, until then I trudge along with my Hero. Just as an FYI, I would go with the Hero over the Pre. I have owned both, still do actually, and the hardware on the Pre is a total joke.

 

[tno]

@boomhower - Check the Hot Deals section. It's a one day deal so bite today if you want it! I know the Pre's a nice idea but not the best execution and I heard about the $20 a month deal but that still doesn't put me in a phone that I want. I'm paying the same as you after a state employee discount and am just ready to go. Thanks for the info though, and the wife is getting the Eris which is just a revised Hero so glad to hear you like it. Well, like it enough. It'll be more than enough for her.

 

[MJinZ]

I have Sprint for one reason only - cheap plans.

No problems with coverage, but phone options SUCK ASS.

 

[AstroManLuca]

IMHO the Pre's hardware is its limiting factor while the Hero's software is its limiting factor. While that does seem to swing in favor of the Hero (you can always change software; hardware is another matter), I just do not like the Android OS.

 

[MJinZ]

IMHO the Pre's hardware is its limiting factor while the Hero's software is its limiting factor. While that does seem to swing in favor of the Hero (you can always change software; hardware is another matter), I just do not like the Android OS.

I currently use a Blackberry Curve on Sprint. It does everything I want it to do - Email, internet, voice, texting, GPS, maps, music, TV (which I almost never use) etc.

However, it does it a snail's pace. Internet - snail. Video - lag. GPS - slow. Music - lag. Screen - sucks.

Only the Email is nearly instantaneous and works great. Well, if it didn't, RIM wouldn't be in business now the shit that is otherwise their OS, software, and hardware they use.

I really don't care for the bullshit that is the iPhone's "apps" and "shiny crap".

I want a Blackberry that is as fast as an i7. Click and it works, instantaneously.

None of the touch screen crap, none of that shiny icons shit - I want instant productivity and results with ALL of bull crap cut out.

RIM - why the F are you guys so incompetent?

 

[Reckoner]

If you've been with Sprint for 10 years, then you should be a premier member. Premier members get an annual phone upgrade at new customer pricing.

 

[AstroManLuca]

I currently use a Blackberry Curve on Sprint. It does everything I want it to do - Email, internet, voice, texting, GPS, maps, music, TV (which I almost never use) etc.

However, it does it a snail's pace. Internet - snail. Video - lag. GPS - slow. Music - lag. Screen - sucks.

Only the Email is nearly instantaneous and works great. Well, if it didn't, RIM wouldn't be in business now the shit that is otherwise their OS, software, and hardware they use.

I really don't care for the bullshit that is the iPhone's "apps" and "shiny crap".

I want a Blackberry that is as fast as an i7. Click and it works, instantaneously.

None of the touch screen crap, none of that shiny icons shit - I want instant productivity and results with ALL of bull crap cut out.

RIM - why the F are you guys so incompetent?

Unfortunately, RIM are not alone with that problem. Every smartphone I've tried has some lag associated with it. The iPhone seems a little faster than most, but it lags too. The Pre certainly does.

And meanwhile, the majority of smartphone enthusiasts seem to be more interested in adding more and more features to their phones rather than hoping for better hardware to run what is currently available. Everyone is clamoring for Flash support on phones that can't even handle normal websites that well or load an address book in less than a couple seconds.

When faster hardware DOES become available, it's never used to run existing apps faster. It encourages more bloat.

 

[Icepick]

But wait. The best phones you have are the Pre (non-plus) and the Hero? And the Droid trumps them both? Wow. Looks like you'll have to try pretty hard. Good luck.

Can't wait for my new phones!

Wrong. The best phone in their lineup is the Touch Pro 2. It is far superior to both in many ways and is equal to the Droid in many specs and features.

If you want a deal what you need to do is call Sprint's customer service, tell them that you're considering switching to another carrier and ask to be transferred to retentions. With your established history with the company you'll probably be granted a very good deal. It sucks that you have to expend this effort wring the best deals out of them, but that's the way their business model is set up at this time.

 

[secretanchitman]

Wrong. The best phone in their lineup is the Touch Pro 2. It is far superior to both in many ways and is equal to the Droid in many specs and features.

If you want a deal what you need to do is call Sprint's customer service, tell them that you're considering switching to another carrier and ask to be transferred to retentions. With your established history with the company you'll probably be granted a very good deal. It sucks that you have to expend this effort wring the best deals out of them, but that's the way their business model is set up at this time.

i have to disagree. i would say the pre, hero, and tour are their best devices. the tp2 comes right below them and thats only because its held back by winmo 6.5.

MJinZ - totally agree with you about blackberry. this is the reason i dont like them much either. they are only saved because of their instant email service.

i also recommend to do what icepick says. my family was with sprint for 12+ years, and we didnt even get anything until we called and asked them about it. we managed to get the $30 and $50 sero plans, but we left it due to their crappy phones and screwed us over in billing (our contract specifically stated unlimited roaming, but charged us up the butt for it and wouldnt remove it). im not sure what premier customers get now, though if they dont work, check out the new sero plans - they are pretty competitive with all the other carriers.

 

[legocitytruck]

I had Sprint for 4 years, I switched to AT&T for two years and the service was awful and a year ago I switched back to Sprint. I could not be happier, their network in Chicago is nothing short of phenomenal, never a dropped call and the voice quality is crystal clear. I am able to maintain a call from my office, down the through the concrete elevator shaft, and out through the lobby without the call dropping. Maybe Sprint's network isn't as good in your area.

I have some sort of everything plan, unlimited data, texts,... and the best part: free calls at any time to cell phones on any network. It would be quite a challenge to go over my minutes. My plan is about $42 a month including phone insurance. This may not apply because I have a military discount, and Sprint was willing to beat any other carrier's military discount.

Why so much hate for the Pre? It is very fast and very intuitive. Later this month version 1.4 of WebOS will be released which will include video taking capability and Flash support. I got the phone when it came out for $200. A little while later the price dropped to $150 and they sent a $50 check.

Maybe you just had bad luck with your call, try giving Sprint a call again and tell them you are considering switching after 10 years.

 

[Xenon]

Yeah, I don't get the hate for the Pre either. WebOS is still the best OS available. The multitasking is so freaking smooth with the card system.

 

[gorcorps]

I like how you compare living in one place for 10 yrs vs. staying w/ the same phone company for 10 years. There's hundreds of millions of places to live but there are only like 6-7 phone companies... 4 major ones.