Letter to SprintPCS re: pricing

[TBolt]

I had 5 minutes to spare here; so, I rifled-off a quick letter to SprintPCS after I checked my SprintPCS account via the Web site.

Thought you might get a small kick out of it...:smile:

"As a long-time customer at SprintPCS, I must say that SprintPCS would do well to change the way it charges existing customers high prices for the same telephone that is offered to new customers at dramatically reduced prices. Consider where the loyalties to SprintPCS are--with the long-time, existing customers who would simply like to purchase better technology, like the Treo 700p, at the aggressively promoted low price that NEW customers receive. One would think that SprintPCS would award existing customers with the best possible discounts so that those customers would continue to subscribe to SprintPCS service.
Please forward this to a Marketing Manager. I work in Marketing myself, and I don't appreciate having to watch SprintPCS put more value in gaining market share rather than offering me, the existing customer, the best deal. Who made SprintPCS what it is today?? Long-term, existing customers!
Your current phone upgrade offer is terribly WEAK when compared to the discounts that new customers receive. The offer is actually VERY insulting to existing customers."

Yea, maybe I'm being cheap. But, it doesn't hurt to complain now and then. lol

[benjie]

I throughly agree. I purchased the 650 and two months later the 700p and the 700w and did not get any discounts at all. I just guess I will have to sell the 600 and 700w and get a 700wx. Darn.

Ben

[kdallen]

I have to concur, as well. Grabbing market share is understandable, but anyone experienced in a service industry will tell you goodwill goes a long way. They need to realize that, in alienating an existing customer in good standing, they stand to lose him/her and any additional lines they may have, and anyone with whome they do/will interact, etc... I'm surprised someone isn't arguing that point more strongly in meetings. From what I gathered during the 700p rollout, their strategy was aimed primarily at stealing Verizon's thunder.

I'm also thinking that their intent is to keep existing customers via the savings over the duration of a contract (which is a valid selling point), even if you purchased the 700p full price. The problem is, most people won't look at it that way. They want the low up-front price for their loyalty and history, and justifiably so, without having to jump through the Retention hoops. I can't imagine they didn't realize they could have cut into Verizon and done a better job satisfying their existing base simultaneously.

[cscott44]

Please add my agreement to each of the previous post. I cannot believe that so litttle is offered in the way of discounts to existing customers. It appears to me that the longer you're with Sprint the less you're appreciated. Very bad business Sprint.

[Stillrockin]

I have already said elsewhere in these forums how I feel . . Pretty much a quote from my rant a few days ago . . .

[TBolt]

Well, I've been itching to get a deal on the 700p, and I need another phone number anyway; so, I bought the 700p online from Verizon earlier today. Assuming the mail-in rebate will be honored, I will have paid $300 for the 700p.

I get a discount from work on the monthly charge; so, that helped with my decision. But, what also caught my eye is that Verizon let's you purchase a new phone every year at the discounted promotional price. Now, that's the kind of treatment that I was hoping to receive from Sprint. hehe

[jstiles7]

I had 5 minutes to spare here; so, I rifled-off a quick letter to SprintPCS after I checked my SprintPCS account via the Web site.

Thought you might get a small kick out of it...:smile:

"As a long-time customer at SprintPCS, I must say that SprintPCS would do well to change the way it charges existing customers high prices for the same telephone that is offered to new customers at dramatically reduced prices. Consider where the loyalties to SprintPCS are--with the long-time, existing customers who would simply like to purchase better technology, like the Treo 700p, at the aggressively promoted low price that NEW customers receive. One would think that SprintPCS would award existing customers with the best possible discounts so that those customers would continue to subscribe to SprintPCS service.
Please forward this to a Marketing Manager. I work in Marketing myself, and I don't appreciate having to watch SprintPCS put more value in gaining market share rather than offering me, the existing customer, the best deal. Who made SprintPCS what it is today?? Long-term, existing customers!
Your current phone upgrade offer is terribly WEAK when compared to the discounts that new customers receive. The offer is actually VERY insulting to existing customers."

Yea, maybe I'm being cheap. But, it doesn't hurt to complain now and then. lol

Yeah...i definitely agree with you...i felt the same way, being a high school teacher with not as much loot as the high-powered business folks...but, with similar responsibilities and deadlines...my sprint rep hooked me up though, maybe you can do the same...i was able to add another line to my account, and in doing so was able to purchase a new treo at the new customer rate...grant it, it meant changing my number, but it was a smooth transition as i merely left a message on my old number re-directing calls to my new one...add to that, i get a 23% discount on my service plan for as long as i'm a government employee...worked out, but still kinda sux that you have to go that route...thanks for the information, i've learned alot from your posts...

[TBolt]

Yeah...i definitely agree with you...i felt the same way, being a high school teacher with not as much loot as the high-powered business folks...but, with similar responsibilities and deadlines...my sprint rep hooked me up though, maybe you can do the same...i was able to add another line to my account, and in doing so was able to purchase a new treo at the new customer rate...grant it, it meant changing my number, but it was a smooth transition as i merely left a message on my old number re-directing calls to my new one...add to that, i get a 23% discount on my service plan for as long as i'm a government employee...worked out, but still kinda sux that you have to go that route...thanks for the information, i've learned alot from your posts...

I'm glad you found a good solution. I, actually, was going to do the same thing--add a phone line to my account and buy the 700p at the discount rate. Then, I noticed that Verizon has a much better option to customers who usually like to upgrade more often than not. So, I ended up buying the new phone line and 700p from Verizon.

All is well that ends well.