Sprint Nextel has come up with an innovative approach to customer service: fire the “bad” customers. While many people advocate that complaints are actually valuable, honest feedback that should be embraced, Sprint’s decided they would rather not deal with those problem customers. They sent out letters to 1,000 subscribers who complained just a little too much.
Gizmodo has a copy of the letter, in which Sprint explains that it’s apparent they “…are unable to meet your current wireless needs,” cancelling their outstanding balance and waiving any early termination fee. Customers will have until the end of July to find a new wireless carrier.
That’s one way to improve customer service — with a stick! I can just see the next review meeting. “Complaints have gone down 60%!” Duh.
There’s not much to say about it — telecom companies suck. I’ve had nothing but problems with AT&T lately. Not so much with the portion that used to be Cingular, but with the portion that does phone and internet services. I’ll probably write up a rant about it sometime soon, but suffice it to say they tried charging me a $100 termination fee because I ended my contract two days before the full nine-month “college plan” contract had elapsed. Two days.
Yeah.
There’s not much to say about it — telecom companies suck. I’ve had nothing but problems with AT&T lately. Not so much with the portion that used to be Cingular, but with the portion that does phone and internet services. I’ll probably write up a rant about it sometime soon, but suffice it to say they tried charging me a $100 termination fee because I ended my contract two days before the full nine-month “college plan” contract had elapsed. Two days.
Yeah.
Tigerblade, maybe the lesson here is to choose wisely who you complain to. I think this is one reason so many user-to-user support forums thrive; you get real help, without the corporate-approved and sanitized answers.
Tigerblade, maybe the lesson here is to choose wisely who you complain to. I think this is one reason so many user-to-user support forums thrive; you get real help, without the corporate-approved and sanitized answers.
good to hear im not the only one who thinks that this and cell phone carriers are acting crazy
good to hear im not the only one who thinks that this and cell phone carriers are acting crazy
I have a feeling they only do this with customers that affect their profitability – i.e.their complaints and demands are such that they can never make any money from them.
I have a feeling they only do this with customers that affect their profitability – i.e.their complaints and demands are such that they can never make any money from them.
@suZen: It depends on whether you consider customer service a COST, to be minimized and/or avoided whenever possible, or an OPPORTUNITY to build loyalty, upsell, convert an advocate for your service, and learn how you can better serve current and future customers.
It’s ironic that many of the same companies that will scrimp on customer service will pay big money in consumer research. Ironic because customer service will often give you the same result at a fraction of the cost.
@suZen: It depends on whether you consider customer service a COST, to be minimized and/or avoided whenever possible, or an OPPORTUNITY to build loyalty, upsell, convert an advocate for your service, and learn how you can better serve current and future customers.
It’s ironic that many of the same companies that will scrimp on customer service will pay big money in consumer research. Ironic because customer service will often give you the same result at a fraction of the cost.
My bet is that “Customer retention” is not one of the bullets on Sprint’s Mission Statement.
Think of Sprint as a professional fishing operation. Their job is to catch fish. If their hook happens to snag a branch in the stream, their approach is to not waste any time trying to free the hook; rather to simply cut the line, put on a new hook and continue to fish. Perhaps its pragmatic, and saves them having to oursource “customer service” to India.
Lets watch for the unintended consequences of their actions.
My bet is that “Customer retention” is not one of the bullets on Sprint’s Mission Statement.
Think of Sprint as a professional fishing operation. Their job is to catch fish. If their hook happens to snag a branch in the stream, their approach is to not waste any time trying to free the hook; rather to simply cut the line, put on a new hook and continue to fish. Perhaps its pragmatic, and saves them having to oursource “customer service” to India.
Lets watch for the unintended consequences of their actions.
I don’t want to be “caught” like a fish. I’d rather have a more mutually beneficial relationship. In your analogy, the fish gets squat.
I realize that from a purely mathematical, business perspective, what Sprint is doing may make sense in the short term. But eventually the fish begin to disappear.
I don’t want to be “caught” like a fish. I’d rather have a more mutually beneficial relationship. In your analogy, the fish gets squat.
I realize that from a purely mathematical, business perspective, what Sprint is doing may make sense in the short term. But eventually the fish begin to disappear.
Ah, grasshopper. Now if they could teach the fish to refer their family and friends to the hook, Sprint’s harvest would be more than imaginable… Different strokes for different folks.
Ah, grasshopper. Now if they could teach the fish to refer their family and friends to the hook, Sprint’s harvest would be more than imaginable… Different strokes for different folks.