Now, this is stupid

[fbhjr]

I’ve wanted an iPhone since they came out.
But, I had Sprint. I like Sprint. I wanted to keep Sprint.

Today, for the first time in 4 1/2 years, I can order a iPhone from Sprint.

I went to their web site today and looked into it.
They tell me that since my contract won’t run out until March, I have to pay full price. Even if I upgrade my plan and extend it for 2 more years.
But, if I wait until March, I can get $150 off. New customers get $450 off right now.

So, I called their customer service to make sure I wasn’t reading it wrong.
He assured me that I had read it right and was not the first person to notice.

“You’re telling me that I can walk into an AT&T shop and get the phones I want for me and my wife for $800, but to get them where I’ve had phone service for nine years is will cost me $1700?”
“But, if you wait until March it will be cheaper,” he told me.
“You’ve told me that the cheapest I can ever get it from you is $1400, but I can still do it with AT&T for $800.”
“But, then you’d face our cancelation fees,” he said.
“How much are they?” I asked.
He hemmed and hawed and told me he had to check his computer.
“$70,” he finally said. “But, that’s each!”
“That still makes you 80% more expensive than they are and the best you’ll ever be is 75% more.
“But, new customers can get the same price as I would if I went to AT&T, you just won’t give those prices to existing customers.”
“We did have to make certain concessions to get the iPhone,” he said.
“Well, I think my course is clear,” I said.
“Wait! You could get the new price if you added a new phone to your account!”
“Could I keep my phone number?”
“No.”
“If I canceled my phone and got a new Sprint account would I get the good price?”
“Yes! You would!”
“Could I get my old number back?”
“No, that would count as your old number again and you wouldn’t get it.”
“Thank you for your time,” I said. “I think I’ve made up my mind.”

I’m still not sure I’m going to get one.
But, I’m pretty sure it won’t be with Sprint.

Comments

[ravena-kade.livejournal.com]

Gee, I guess they are not interested in customer retention. Sad.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

The Sprint customer forums make it pretty clear I am not the only person to feel this way.

[cissa.livejournal.com]

That seems really, REALLY stupid on their part.

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

their stupid makes my brain hurt

[mariness.livejournal.com]

:: blinks ::

I'm seriously failing to understand Sprint's marketing plan here, unless they really don't want customers switching to iPhones -- internet bandwidth reasons, maybe? (I know, I'm reaching here.)

For comparison it's easier/cheaper for me to switch phones/plans on my cheap little pay as you go Virgin Mobile USA plan :) (Which doesn't offer an iPhone yet, admittedly, but does offer phones with internet service.)

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that isn't it. After all Spring said the reason they went for the iPhone was not having it was the #1 reason people were leaving Sprint.

I'm just not sure how doing it this way makes me want to stay...

[mariness.livejournal.com]

Which is why I don't understand why they aren't attempting to match the AT&T and Verizon phone payment plans.

I know a lot of people who happily switched to AT&T or Verizon just for the joy of an iPhone. I don't know anybody willing to pay $1400-1700 for two iPhones - you can get a Macbook for that price.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

They told me that only offering discounts to new customers was part of the deal with getting Apple to give them the iPhone.

But, everything I've read says that Apple gets the same amount from the phone companies per phone they sell.
So, I suspect it is greed on Sprint's part.

I am told that if you are on AT&T or Verizon and want the new iPhone then you've got to pay the full price to upgrade until your contract is up. But, that assumes you've got an iPhone and want the new one.
Sprint has never offered this device before, so I don't think it is the same thing.

[mariness.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's if you already have an iPhone and want the upgrade.

I have to say this is all encouraging me to stay with Virgin Mobile, even though that plan doesn't offer any iPhones.

[pallid-regina.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear gawd, the STUPID.

[pallid-regina.livejournal.com]

Them, not you.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

I was willing to make the assumption that was what you meant....

[evrgreen.livejournal.com]

Vote with your money, I say!

Companies with that level of intelligence (I also include Bank of America in that group) deserve to lose customers and market share. IT is the only way that they will learn THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE OF BUSINESS:

A happy customer is your best advertisement. A pissed off customer is your worst. Always try to maximize the number of happy customers.