Sprint Dumps Complaining Customers
Wednesday July 11, 2007
More than 1,000 Sprint Nextel customers received a break up letter from the wireless provider. The company dumped the customers over repeated calls to customer service.
More on Sprint Dumping Its Customers:
Some say it's good business to weed out the customers that clog customer service phone lines. Others say it's bad PR in the eyes of current and future customers for Sprint to make such a drastic move.
Sprint is the number three wireless provider. The company has 53 million customers...minus 1,000.
- Read the Letter: Sprint Dumps 1,000+ Customers
- Your Thoughts: Did Sprint Make the Right Decision?
More on Sprint Dumping Its Customers:
Some say it's good business to weed out the customers that clog customer service phone lines. Others say it's bad PR in the eyes of current and future customers for Sprint to make such a drastic move.
Sprint is the number three wireless provider. The company has 53 million customers...minus 1,000.
Comments
This is crazy. From what I have seen on message boards, Sprint is being trashed over this. Rightly so, in my opinion. Sure sounds like Sprint can just hang up on people whenever they want and that does not provide the rest of us customers any kind of security to stay with them.
I’ve worked in the hospitality industry for 22 years. Customer service is key to my success as well as my firm’s enormous success. After hearing this news, I was astonished that a public relations department of a publicly traded company would even consider approving such tactics with their customers.
This morning, we had our daily office stand up meeting where we typically review our day to day interactions with our guests and develop our actions to be certain we remain focused on the customer. Our meeting ran longer than usual as we discussed the Sprint/Nextel situation. It was by unanimous vote that we all concluded these actions (whether it be justifiable or not by Sprint/Nextel) will clearly back fire on them as they attempt to grow their market share.
If I were selling for one of their competitors today, I would have been in the office an hour or two early.
They have 53 million customers and a measly 1,000 causes them this much trouble that they have to dump them? Sounds like they need a new customer service department. While they’re at it, they should get a new PR department too!
This is just another reflection of the attitude many companies have about their customers. The consumer is there to provide the company with income, but does not deserve any consideration. I have also seen this in the home computer industry where companies either take no responsibilty for their hardware and software, or provide tech support from people who can’t answer the questions or who do not speak teh same language as the customer that can be understood. If we continue to put up with this kind of service, it will become the norm. The company that provides good customer service is the one that has my business.
I for one think that they made a right decision. Calling customer service 300 times a month is absurd and obviously obsessive compulsive. They increase the wait time for everyone else that needs a legitimate question answered. In our company we have turned down business if our “lead” is rude or we believe to be problematic. I think it’s good that they set an example of these people and hopefully I’ll just have to wait a couple seconds less if I ever need to call Sprint which is my wireless provider. (Which may I add I have never called)
I think that all the customers of SPRINT should drop their services, and stock holders sell all of their stocks. Also, all of the unions and customers should boycott plus picket them. SPRINT’S Advertising Department is staffed by a bunch that does not realize, it is the customers that is making them rich. Absolute power and money definitely does corrupt a business or person.
When I first read the story, my knee-jerk reaction was similar to Joe and Suzanne’s. How dare they dump a customer because the customer complains too much!
However, Michael, our ‘hero’ of the story has had an extraordinary run of bad luck with his Sprint service. Up to now, he was stuck with them, and could not cancel the contract without incurring a prohibitively expensive fee. Sprint’s decision to not do business with him frees him to choose a carrier more to his liking. Yes, he stands to be out some money, yet it appears to me that this is already the case. So, he should be somewhat thankful that he can cut his losses. Plus, he always has the option of suing for compensation.
Remember, nothing operates in a vacuum. If Sprint’s policies are such that they drive enough customers away, then their profits will suffer. They will then either change to be more customer friendly, or they will wither away, and die. Such is the nature of business in a free enterprise system.
Banks routinely send out close letters to customers who keep less than $10 in their accounts. Restaurants routinely refuse business to disruptive customers. Airlines make unscheduled landings to offload disruptive passengers. I just don’t see any difference here. SPRINT obviously found these customers sapped resources, delayed service to legitimate customer service needs and would be best served elsewhere. In reality, the best they could do was release them from their contract without further financial penalty. Three hundred calls in one month? That’s an average of 10 calls per day. These people don’t just need new carriers, they need LIVES.
Let’s see. I believe SPRINT was rated as #4 in a survey listing the “worst customer service” just 9 months ago.
I would dump them too. No service should be treated badly by thier customers, so if they dont like the service, leave it. Obviously they were having a problem, so might as well dump them. In my opinion that is good customer service, they are doing them a favor in all reality. If someone is calling 300 times a month, they dont like the service. Therefor bye bye client, hellp open customer service lines with people that have real problems.