Just wrote the following letter to The Consumerist regarding a really fucked up customer experience I had a Sprint store:
[details=Spoiler]I Asked a Sprint Store for a Replacement Phone, was Given a Cold Instead.
Hey everyone,
Long time reader and occasional photo contributor here! Just wanted to let you guys know about a problem I had this morning at a Sprint store.
First off, I’ve been a pretty happy customer for 14 years. Had a few bumps and bruises here and there, such as losing a great employee plan I was on when I sold phones for them, but mostly pretty happy. What I went through today though was just ridiculous.
I needing help with my phone, a Treo Centro. The backlight had stopped working and I was having problems with the speaker, making it it difficult for me to use the phone or hear people talking. Since I have the equipment repair/replacement feature on my plan, I expected no problems getting this taken care of.
On the day I visited the store, I had been caught in a torrential downpour that rendered an umbrella useless,arriving at the store completely soaked with rain. My intent was to visit the store, see about getting my phone serviced, and then run home to change clothes before heading to attend to my client’s work.
Instead, after checking in and explaining my issue, I was made to wait for two hours with no communication before finding out from the manager that they could not help me. My phone was “too old” and they would have to order a replacement phone that would take a week to arrive. When I asked what type I’d be getting, I was told “likely a Blackberry” of a model which would be a substantial downgrade from what I am using.
I mentioned that this was not acceptable, and asked why I could not get an in-store replacement today. They made the excuse that I was on a SERO plan and was given a number to call for assistance. This set off a chain of events where I eventually spoke to four store employees and three phone agents and was repeatedly informed by both agencies that neither of them could do anything, but that the other was responsible for helping me. I can’t lie and say that I kept my cool. I ended up yelling pretty loudly in the store about what happened, and a lot of the customers seemed to agree that I was getting screwed. I calmed down and tried another round of store/cust care misdirects, but In the end my only options presented were to wait a week for a potentially-downgraded phone or agree to conditions that make it to where I can no longer afford Sprint’s services. I eventually walked out unsatisfied and feeling literally ill.
Because of this ordeal, I am strongly considering canceling my services with Sprint. I have been a loyal customer since 1999. I am also a former saleman of Sprint phones and services for several years, and because of this have enjoyed a low-cost plan that I’ve come to rely on after a soldering accident that left me unable to work most jobs due to chronic pain and blindness in that eye. I still work on arcade sticks (and yes, I wear safety goggles now!), but most of my meager income comes from being a freelance tech servicing IT contracts for a private company, and a wireless phone is one of my most needed tools. I can’t work a “good job” and I can’t make enough from what I do get to afford a phone and regular plan, so I’m feeling kind of stuck here.
All I needed was just a quick replacement phone that would work with my plan and not be worse that what I’m using now. What I got was a four hours wait in a very cold store wearing wet clothes. I eventually had to leave because I started to feel physically ill and believed I needed to visit a hospital. Hours later, I still feel terrible. The symptoms I’m having show that I was likely already a little sick before I went in, but sitting around for FOUR HOURS in wet clothes certainly didn’t help. I also ended up missing two client calls, each of which subjects me to a $200 no-show penalty in addition to revenues lost.
I’m considering an Executive Email Carpet Bomb, which I already have typed up (this letter was based on it), but wanted to see if you or any readers had any input before I did so. I’m also having trouble finding useful email addresses. Sprint’s keeping them locked up tight these days.
Help?
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Fuck Sprint, and fuck them for making me so reliant on them. I’m on a $40/mo plan with 500 minutes (that I’m now exceeding every month since I’m getting so many service calls), and I’m only on it now because I can’t afford anything else. Doing what Sprint wanted would have jacked up my bill to $80+/mo and left me unable to afford it.
