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story category Sprint Offering Employee Buyouts
Provided you don't deal directly with customers...
(old news - 08:04AM Monday Nov 17 2008)
tags: business · wireless · trouble
Sprint is offering buyouts to an unspecified number of employees to help offset continued losses, according to Reuters. The employees being offered buyout deals are primarily in departments that don't deal directly with customers, such as corporate communications, human resources and finance. Sprint is trying incredibly hard to salvage their reputation with customers, after a botched acquisition of Nextel resulted in sub-par customer support. The company recently reported that they lost 1.3 million customers and saw a 12% drop in revenue in the third quarter.

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Forums » Sprint Offering Employee Buyouts
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TonyKInTexas

join:2004-02-05
Knoxville, TN

We said goodbye

We signed up with Sprint September 1998. We ceased being Sprint customers November 2008.

In the end the quality of the service, the customer service both on the phone and in the stores and the lack of phones that met our needs drove us to AT&T and the iPhone.

We are paying more, because of the iPhone plan, but are also happier than we have been in a long time.

onebadmofo
Repost These Nuts In Your Mouth.
Premium
join:2002-03-30
Reading, PA
·Comcast

Re: We said goodbye

said by TonyKInTexas See Profile :

We signed up with Sprint September 1998. We ceased being Sprint customers November 2008.

In the end the quality of the service, the customer service both on the phone and in the stores and the lack of phones that met our needs drove us to AT&T and the iPhone.

We are paying more, because of the iPhone plan, but are also happier than we have been in a long time.
Holy crap...you would have thought I wrote that. Exactly the same end date and reasons except for the start date which was november 2004. I'm an iPhone user and it's the best phone I ever owned.
--
Photoshop these nuts in your mouth.

inteller
Sociopaths always win.

join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK

so who will fill those roles?

a store salesman will handle HR duties now?

this company is going down.

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

Re: so who will fill those roles?

Probably an outsourced HR company
--
Canada = Hollywood North

RainWind

join:2000-10-20
Van Wert, OH

They were terrible anyway.

Worst phone service provider I've ever dealt with. I'm with Centennial Wireless now. While they may have some billing problems, and their contracts are are probably the worst in the business, I'm happier overall.

Sprint is just terrible. Their customer service was horrible. Their billing was horrible. Their service was only half decent. For the longest time they kept trying to bill me $15 for some second account I never had. Every time I questioned them about it nobody could figure out where it came from, or why I owed them $15, so they credited it off. Every time they credit that $15 the account came right back the next month and I'd get another bill in the mail for it.

jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
·Verizon FIOS

Re: They were terrible anyway.

said by RainWind See Profile :

Worst phone service provider I've ever dealt with. I'm with Centennial Wireless now. While they may have some billing problems, and their contracts are are probably the worst in the business, I'm happier overall.

Sprint is just terrible. Their customer service was horrible. Their billing was horrible. Their service was only half decent. For the longest time they kept trying to bill me $15 for some second account I never had. Every time I questioned them about it nobody could figure out where it came from, or why I owed them $15, so they credited it off. Every time they credit that $15 the account came right back the next month and I'd get another bill in the mail for it.
I had the same problem with a mysterious $5 fee that kept getting charged to my account as a service. It finally got dropped for good about a year ago, and I was actually able to see it on their website after the big update they had some time ago.

I would say that Sprint was terrible, but they certainly aren't anymore from my experience. Customer support is great, at least it has been for me, and apparently they have become the leader in this department. The plans rock, but their phone selections are not as robust as AT&T or Verizon's, in my opinion. I'd rather have the BB Storm or the iPhone over the HTC models or Instinct.
CMoore2004
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Jonesville, MI

I left Centennial Wireless after they completely screwed me over. Then, when I left, they screwed me over again. I'm with Sprint and plenty happy with their service. With the new QChat phones, I have Direct Connect most places I go, and still have the coverage of a CDMA phone.

Just FYI, make sure if you ever plan to leave Centennial Wireless, you give them 30 days WRITTEN notice.

jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
·Verizon FIOS

Re: They were terrible anyway.

said by CMoore2004 See Profile :

Just FYI, make sure if you ever plan to leave Centennial Wireless, you give them 30 days WRITTEN notice.
Does spray-painting your intentions to leave across the front of their building count?
CMoore2004
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Jonesville, MI

Re: They were terrible anyway.

Just be sure to sign it.

BF69

join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN

And yet they paid the NFL $500 million

Can't afford to keep employees. Can afford to give the NFL half a billion $. Nice priorities.
Luminaris

join:2005-12-01
Winchester, VA

Re: And yet they paid the NFL $500 million

Well said

FicmanS
Premium
join:2005-01-11
Brownsburg, IN
clubs:

Got a bucket?

This ships taken on water...
fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20

Re: Got a bucket?

said by FicmanS See Profile :

This ships taken on water...
NONE of you all quit your day jobs, k?

A few things,.. for one, OUR ECONOMY IS SCREWED UP! Plain and simple! This isn't purely about bad service. Part of this is the iPhone too. I can tell you a large amount of people in MY circle that left Sprint for a specific phone exclusive to another provider, mostly, the freakin' iPhone.

Second, Sprint has always been one to take on the drudges of the financial world as customers. In a down turn, those customers end up bailing for non-payment or because they need something even cheaper like a pre-paid phone OR no expensive cellular service at all.

Third, if people haven't noticed, the economy simply sucks! MANY businesses are hurting.. albeit not as bad as Sprint, but still... there are going to be losses. I can point you all to a number of businesses where customer volume is down 30% across the board.

Fourth, yes, Sprint DOES have some customer service issues - but, um.. so do the others. I AGREE that their service has not been good, HOWEVER, how can anyone sit here, calling a sinking ship, as Sprint has a new CEO and has been taking huge steps to improve its services? Dan Hesse was the one that pioneered the way cellular service is structured today. He took AT&T Wireless and pulled them way in front back when he ran that company.. with that, I think he's certainly qualified to do the same with Sprint.

And, on another note.. take the losses that Sprint has and compare it to a company like Qwest who took a MAJOR dive back in 2002 and STILL manages to operate, and companies like Vonage who people continue to pronounce them dead, I think Sprint is doing just fine. I mean, they may be losing customers, BUT, they are still investing in their network and still moving forward. They will get their customers back and they will do just fine! Above all the BS that people post about sprint (just as with any other provider) Sprint still remains the easiest of providers to deal with. Also, its been proven many times that its not always about customer service.. it's about the product and service you offer, not both at the same time. You can have shitty customer service and, say, the iPhone, and you'll still have customers - its a fact.

Sprint isn't "taking on water".. they are "not finally done" (again for the millionth time someone has claimed it...) they are simply trying to rebuild their brand and we're in the middle of the construction process looking at the mess. I also find it ironic that people, here, complain all the time about investors looking for that "instant gratification" in the stock market and how any instant gratification or over night success isn't achievable, yet, on the other side of the table, people want - .. "instant gratification".. interesting. Changes take time.

Sprint will be around for quite some time.

tc1uscg

join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI

1 edit

Re: Got a bucket?

Fiberguy.. Good post. too bad the Sprint bashers just don't get it.

So... nuff said.

FicmanS
Premium
join:2005-01-11
Brownsburg, IN
clubs:
·Comcast Digital Vo..
·Comcast

VERY funny response...

You are joking right...? LOL

My only point is there are CLEARLY several issues at Sprint that are causing them some issues, like it or not they are seeping some water and cracks are showing. They have made some bad decisions in the last few years that are hurting them, but O it's the economies fault...? WOW

I'm not saying Sprint will go anywhere at this point, they are taking measures to make ends meet... Bailing water

fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20

Re: Got a bucket?

Joking? No.. I have better things to do than to come to a discussion board and crack jokes. My post was with substance and thought. So, no.. not a joke and NOT funny.

You've had some problems with Sprint.. That's clear, and others have too, sure! The same can be said in the ATT forums, Verizon forums, T-mobile, Cricket, Metro PCS.. etc etc etc. I've learned to look beyond those as a whole anyway. Someone that is analyzing a service will look beyond their own personal experience and take MANY things into account, like I did.

And yea.. I can certainly tell by re-reading my own post that Yea.. my ENTIIIIIIIRE post blamed it on the economy..

as your picture shows.. pull your head out of your ass and read next time please.

What you're really saying is you have no clue what you're talking about and blowing hot air. Please learn to communicate.

chlen
Ethically Challenged
Premium
join:2001-01-16
Albany, NY

Sprint has by far the best service. Their EVDO is cheap and very fast. I actually rely on it for work.

Sprint's problem is the erratic billing, and the lack of phones attributed to the CDMA network. I actually think the phones are better then VZ.

BTW Customer service is no longer the nightmare it was, it is pretty much on par with everyone else.
--
"He who is not afraid today to say 'no' to the repressive machinery of a criminal bureaucracy earns the right to be called a Human Being."
»lp.org/
Zion is our milk

imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
·WOW Internet and C..

Re: Got a bucket?

said by chlen See Profile :

Sprint has by far the best service.
Maybe for your area, but Sprint sucks over here.

I had Nextel before the Sprint hostile takeover, and I was fairly happy with the service and they had great customer support. But once Sprint took over all of that changed. Sprint is a horrible company and even the new CEO can't figure out what to do. Sprint may keep going, but they will be a shadow of their former selves.

chlen
Ethically Challenged
Premium
join:2001-01-16
Albany, NY

Re: Got a bucket?

said by imrf See Profile :

said by chlen See Profile :

Sprint has by far the best service.
Maybe for your area, but Sprint sucks over here.

I had Nextel before the Sprint hostile takeover, and I was fairly happy with the service and they had great customer support. But once Sprint took over all of that changed. Sprint is a horrible company and even the new CEO can't figure out what to do. Sprint may keep going, but they will be a shadow of their former selves.
It is by area...for example you cant even consider TMobile a real service operator here, just something casual users get for emergencies. However on the west coast it is quite reliable from what I hear.

Around New England Sprint is excellent...I went over from Nextel as well. Nextel had good service but only in populated areas or the highways. Nextel was useless in the country.

ATT BTW was the only service to work reliably in the northern Adirondacks and much of northern NY. Sprint a distant second.
--
"He who is not afraid today to say 'no' to the repressive machinery of a criminal bureaucracy earns the right to be called a Human Being."
»lp.org/
Zion is our milk
CMoore2004
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Jonesville, MI
Sprint service doesn't suck over there. Perhaps the phone you had sucks. Perhaps the Nextel network sucks in that area. I can tell you without a doubt that the Sprint CDMA network is fine in that area, though.

imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI

Re: Got a bucket?

I can tell you for a fact when I had Sprint CDMA the service sucked here.
CMoore2004
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Jonesville, MI

Re: Got a bucket?

I used to think service sucked in a lot of spots, then I realized it was simply the RF chip in the phone that sucked. I've since learned and gotten a better phone.

imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI

Re: Got a bucket?

I'm well aware of that. If I took the phone that I had to a different spot, it worked flawlessly. Again, my area flat out sucked with Sprint service.
J
California Dreamin'

join:2002-02-08
California
Excellent post fiberguy!
jay_rm

join:2002-04-12
Netville
·Fox Valley Internet
·ViaTalk


1 edit
said by FicmanS See Profile :

This ships taken on water...
oooh - look out.

They only have, what ? THIRTY FIVE MILLION SUBSCRIBERS left ?
edit - (Sorry - I just did my DD - FIFTY POINT FIVE MILLION...)

No doubt about it - they'll be out of biz by New Years...

joe01880

join:2007-10-26
Wakefield, MA
·Verizon FIOS

Not all bad

Sprint is not all bad, im not feeling the hate many are projecting.
I have three phones on a famliy plan that are hybrids, using Nextel Direct Connect and Sprint PCS phone service. Using D/C i never go over minutes per month and phone to phone is free as well. I have only had very few problems with my phone service and all was taken care of in the store i purchased them at. As for coverage i live north of Boston they work great. We have used them far up in Miane and Vermont with no problems.
My contract is about to expire and i have been thinking about switching cell providers but after reading the comments here and writing this one im wondering why!

FicmanS
Premium
join:2005-01-11
Brownsburg, IN
clubs:
·Comcast Digital Vo..
·Comcast

Re: Not all bad

Agreed... LONG time Sprint customer here, coverage leaves a little to be desired. Customer service has had issues (who doesn't), but all in all I'm a Sprint guy. Bothers me to see them struggle, hate the thought of them not being as big a player as I think they should be...

TMMerlin
The Devil made me do it

join:2003-06-19
Oxford, MI
·EarthLink


1 edit

My best deal was with Sprint !!

My V3M was FREE..FREE shipping..$50 invoice credit..phone activated on 1st try ...and only $29.90/mo and it fits my calling patterns "perfectly" for the 400 to 600 minutes I use it per month.

I make a call and it works every time I call ..crystal clear calls, too ! I leave my Sprint area and roaming is FREE.

Mind you .. my cellphone is for telephone calls ! I also turn it off when I am not calling someone, so other people don't suck up "my dime & minutes" ..
--
Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy but they become legend.

netwire
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Mooresboro, NC
·RoadRunner Cable
·Millenicom
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Vonage

My thoughts

I'll be honest, while I was a Sprint customer their Customer Support was about like AT&T, and Verizon. I did not really have any major problems, did not have to wait longer than average on hold, and most of my problems where either handled quickly or took only a few more minutes. The customer service in-stores was lacking a bit, but that's because it was a reseller and not a corp store.

But I have to admit, while having issues with spotty service Sprint was more than happy to send me new phones, and even a free Airave to try and help my signal issue. And when all of that failed, they canceled my contract without any fee's and wished me the best of luck. They even allowed me to ship back my phones and get a full refund for the phones, even though it was well past 30 days.

Yes, while I may have had issues with signal, I thought the customer service was on par with other companies.
--
Visit my homepage »thinkequality.net
RL1138

join:2008-11-14
Wallingford, CT
·Comcast


1 edit

Re: My thoughts

My experience with customer service has been very hit and miss. But there are many people in your boat who have had very smooth sailing so Sprint can't be that bad despite it's issues.

I'm on a SERO 1250 plan (unlimited date, text, email for 50 bucks a month) and there is nothing under the sun for that cheap anymore so I'm with sprint till they kick me out.

They are their own worst enemy due to billing issues and horrible overseas customer service. You can place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the last regime in charge who let things get way out of hand. Factor in a customer culture where they exploited Sprint's retentions department for free Blackberries and the result is a disaster.

To be fair, here in the northeast, the high speed internet is fast on my palm centro and coverage is great. As long as I avoid the customer service reps and don't make changes to my service, I will be fine. But my heart goes out o those who just want to add text messaging or a few more minutes to their plan. they are in for a 6 month battle with billing.

But my experience so far has been very positive and I hear that the problems are not as bad as they once were and things are on the upswing. I really hope so.
CMoore2004
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Jonesville, MI

Re: My thoughts

If you just go to your online account and do it, you don't give some idiot on the other end of a phone the opportunity to screw it up.
Forums » Sprint Offering Employee Buyouts


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