Sprint loses 901,000 customers just last quarter
There are losses, and then there are losses. Sprint has seemed to experience the latter of the two varieties, losing an impressive 901,000 customers in the first quarter of 2008 alone. Ouch.
The Boy Genius Report has, uh, reported that Sprint has managed in some way shape or form to either alienate 901,000 customers in 3 months, or competing carriers have managed to snatch away said legions. Either way, those lost customers amount to approximately $344 million in losses. Stockholders probably won’t be thrilled to find out that will cost them about 12 cents to each share. Again…ouch.
My question is this: where exactly do 901,000 customers go? I think we can safely assume they aren’t abandoning mobile phones. That leaves us with three carriers, assuming they opted for national carriers as opposed to local providers.
Verizon would be an obvious choice for disgruntled Sprint customers. With the best network also being CDMA just like Sprint, I wouldn’t doubt that many customers opted for better network performance that is offered by Verizon. Granted, you will be paying the heftiest bills of the bunch, but when you’re tired of lackluster service, you’re willing to pay for what you want.
Probably the next logical choice would be AT&T. Though the iPhone 3G didn’t technically arrive until quarter two, I could see many Sprint customers not willing to wait for the 3G and switching to AT&T to pick up the first generation iPhone. Prices aren’t quite as exorbitant as Verizon, and non-AT&T customers seem to have illusions of AT&T having some sort of perfect magical network.
The last, of course, is T-Mobile. Sure, you don’t have many good phones and a poor network outside of cities, but low prices and the best customer support might be the fix for those Sprint customers tired of being mistreated (or not treated at all).
I wonder if customers would have jumped ship in quarter one had the Samsung Instinct been available. Also, I wonder if many of the customers were of the professional sort; I would love to learn that the blasted chirp now included in Sprint phones that was once renowned of Nextel phones was finally dying off. Customers have to wait anyway for the other person on the end of your knock-off walkie-talkie to reply…aside from pissing off innocent bystanders with your raucously loud handset, what’s so amazing?
Still, the fact of the matter is that upwards of a million customers walked off in three months, and that’s nothing to scoff at. Hopefully those numbers are being bolstered by new customers looking to use Instincts. If things don’t turn around for Sprint, those losses will amount to bankruptcy in a very short period of time.
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August 8th, 2008
Ummm…how about the fact the economy is killing people and paying their Sprint bill is no longer an option?
How about services like Metro PCS gobbling up people who do not want to pay $99 for what they can get at Metro for $40?
How about
Sprint’s service is good in fact its great. Its not cheap for most people and I bet cancellation are real high.
August 8th, 2008
If Sprint’s service was great, why isn’t it a leader in the U.S. cellular market? Of the big four, it doesn’t have the most sterling reputation, you must admit. If the economy’s slow down is causing customers to drop Sprint, they have to use something else. That just means Sprint is too expensive for what it is.
August 9th, 2008
I had over 5 lines with them and now I’m down to just two. I did not want to leave them but they keep doing it to themselves.
First it was the 5GB data limit. I was using it as a backup to the broadband connection. Theoretically. Never needed it though. And when they told me I would be limited to 5GBs I asked them to reconsider because I’d dump it if they didn’t. I dumped it.
Second was a port of a landline. They botched it horribly. After weeks of frustration finally things started to move and I was left without the main business line for two days. Finally one of the techs took it upon himself to do whatever to get me going. He whined in the hours I spent with him at the store about how management treats them like disposable widgets and I made a mental not of his name to recommend him. The next day however I discovered that new cell phone had no reception at the office. Took it back and had to talk with the assitant manager who was there and she had no people skills. Seemed like she wanted me to take my business elsewhere. So I did, walked across the block to Verizon, ported the line there, and have had excellent reception ever since. I then tried to complain about this manager but there was no place to complain about her…
Then there is another line I use for seasonal employees. They kept putting this line back from the dormant $10 a month plan to the unlimited $90 a month plan. And they don’t tell you why. Just happens and then you have to spend another 30 minutes on the phone with them. Finally after about 6 months of this I finally found somebody who was willing to leave a paper trail so I could prove things. She in turn says that now I don’t qualify for the $10 a month since we don’t have over 5 phones.
I’d have been loyal to them if they were responsive and above board. Apparently though they are run by neo cons who just want to rip off customers instead of growing them. They are another example of the American Business ethics that started with the conservatives…
August 10th, 2008
Sprint sucks. I bought a broadband card that broke in month number two. Then they said they can replace it and then the manufacturer said they would have to charge me. Sprint couldnt even log into my many accounts and was very dumbfounded to find out i do not have cellular phone service and just broadband. Now they see why. The manufacturer who was to fix my device delayed for 2 months and sprint kept billing me because of the contract I had. When trying to send it in the first place they shipped it back because the manufacturer didnt know whether to send it to canada or seattle. They finally gave me a canada address and I paid 20 dollars just for shipping because custom’s tariff tax. More BS, and then when i get it in the 3rd month without it…it doesnt even work. It take sprint 3 days of me screaming at them of how ignorant and unprepared they are to even try to fix it. It took a week just to activate a new piece when I was suppose to just get the last one fixed. They gave me 100 dollars and finally turned it on… it still wasnt worth the head ache and not being with my internet in rural america while trying to take online classes at my local community college. I had service 5 years ago with sprint and similar BS happened. I hate them and hope the contract issues from california floats over to North Carolina. This is crazy, how do u have great phones and terrible service. Get a better call center or return policy before u loose a great deal of business.
February 18th, 2010
SPRINT IS THE WORST COMPANY TO DEAL WITH THEY ARE DISHONEST POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE A SAMSUNG S30 NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS & SPRINT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT & IT IS ONLY 2 DAYS OLD THEY TELL IF I SEND IT BACK I HAVE TO PAY RE-STOCKING FEE THEY GOT TO BE KIDDING I HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR MANY YEARS .CAN NOT WAIT TILL I GET AWAY FROM YOU PEOPLE. PLEASE GET A CALL CENTER IN AMERICA OR CANADA & GET A BETTER RETURN POLICY. I SEE WHY PEOPLE LEAVE SPRINT.YOUR BAD!
February 18th, 2010
I HOPE SPRINT GETS THERE ACT TOGETHER, READ ABOVE
I HAVE A PHONE 2 DAYS OLD & IT IS GARBAGE IF IT IS NOT TAKEN CARE OF I WILL PUT A MAGNETIC SIGN ON MY CAR THAT SPRINT SELLS LEMONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6 YEARS AGO THERE WERE BUSINESS TRUCKS ON FRONT OF SPRINT STORE IN JENSEN BCH FL.WITH MAGNETIC SIGNS
ON THERE TRUCKS ON IT IT SAID SPRINT POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. GOOD LUCK SPRINT
February 18th, 2010
I SURE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM SPRINT . BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE CURTSEY TO GET BACK TO ME. SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU BAD BUSINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!