Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) is known for being an innovative wireless company that has had many firsts and close-firsts in the mobile phone carrier game. Mobile TV, 3G data networks, wireless online music stores and other features have -- in the past -- set Sprint Nextel apart from competitors like Verizon Wireless and Alltel -- both of which use the same wireless network standard as Sprint Nextel known as CDMA.But, as Verizon Wireless and larger competitor Cingular Wireless are adding over a million new subscribers per quarter, Sprint Nextel actually lost over 300,000 subscribers in its latest quarter. How could this be?
The carrier blamed the loss on its older iDEN network that still contains customers from the older Nextel network. Sprint and Nextel merged in mid-2005 in response to mergers from Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless. Nextel's radio spectrum holdings were very valuable as well, and were a key factor in the merger.
With former (and current) Nextel subscribers being some of the most loyal in the wireless industry -- from my experience -- I am perplexed over why so many Nextel subscribers have left the carrier in its latest quarter. Has Sprint given up on the Nextel network and has service gone to hell or something? Sprint's Gary Forsee will most likely be shown the door this year unless Sprint finds a way to stem customer defections and actually gain customers.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-15-2008 @ 8:34AM
randy said...
I posted a negative comment here over a year ago. I've since finished off my Sprint / Nextel contract and have been using Verizon just about a year now. Verizon has been great. A phone hardware problem was fixed with an overnight shipment of a replacement. There have been no billing errors, not a one! No mysterious changes in end dates. Any conversation I've had with customer service / technical support has been pleasant and helpful and I haven't even wanted to ask for a supervisor. Minor things have been cheerfully handled at the local store by the same salesperson that signed us up. I don't wish anyone to be out on the street, but Sprint / Nextel can go out of business for all I care. I really doubt I'll ever be a Sprint / Nextel customer again.
9-22-2009 @ 5:02PM
Claire said...
I know why Sprint is bleeding customers...and it couldn't happen to a nicer company, hopefully this is also in Comcast's future...and all companies who treat their customers horribly. Customer Service reps scream at you over the phone at Sprint. I had 30 days to try out my phone, this was about 5 years ago, I got no reception, and a flat rate deal became a whole lot of roaming charges that I refused...they charged me over $200 to get out of a contract they said I had 30 days to decide on..this is clearly fraud. When I called to cancel I got the CS Screamer for my trouble. Liars all. All these companies that do this are now seeing that we have choices, so...bye bye.
AT&T figured this out after some rough years...perhaps others will see the light. I despised AT&T they took my loyalty for granted so I dumped them and recently because of the iPhone got them again, and their CS is excellent! And I mean THE BEST! It's always all about good CS, PERIOD.
1-18-2007 @ 4:00PM
tim said...
It is because most people at Nextel came from the crappy service of Sprint. Seeing the writing on the wall. We have moved on to the now best company, Cingular, better service, better equipment, best of all NO SPRINT! ! !
1-18-2007 @ 4:28PM
World Traveler said...
I've been a Nextel customer for 7 years, and I'll tell you why I'm getting ready to split. First of all I bought their most expensive phone (i930) to travel to Europe. I had it set up by a Nextel representative. When I got to France, I tried to call, it didn't work. Cstmr service told me they needed to make a change, and as soon as I reconnected with a tower in the U.S. it would work. HA!. So 2 weeks in Europe without a phone. A few months later I went to Mexico. It didn't work. Cstmr service said they had mistakenly allowed me to receive international call in the U.S., vs enabling the phone to be used internationally. HA! Last month I got a $300 plus bill, for overusing my minutes. I called to complain. No late payments for 7 years, and extreme inconvenience while traveling yielded me nothing. Hello Verizon.
1-18-2007 @ 7:33PM
Joan Smith said...
Sprint services are terrible but the worst point is how they nickle and dime you to death. I started my service in one state and moved to another, keeping my telephone number. They charge me taxes and services fees (911) for both states! They know they are wrong but they continue to do it. I tried to switch to a local number to stop this but that requires a new two year committment!! When my committment is up in two months - good bye!
1-18-2007 @ 10:19PM
Laura said...
Absolutely, because the customer-no-service of Nextel has infiltrated Sprint. That is why my husband and I left. Rude phone folks and no viable help in the stores. Great phones, but not worth the hassle. Verizon for me - great customer service, the folks in the stores actually know more than the phone service people (wow) and the phones are cool. No complaints so far.
1-18-2007 @ 5:23PM
Terry said...
As soon as the contract is up in July I am leaving Sprint. Their customer service is rude and totally useless when the customer seeks information. I don't receive many of my calls and when I seek to resolve the problem I am told I need a new phone. New phone still doesn't receive all the calls. Trying to discuss the issue with customer service results in being disconnected when told to hold or transfer; being told they don't see any problems; being told to turn the phone off and back on then call back if it still doesn't work (of course it doesn't work and once again start a new conversation with another rude customer service person). Is rudeness part of the training? Service definitely needs to be removed from their title.
1-18-2007 @ 4:52PM
Vince B said...
i got rid of my sprint plan and phone because of 2 reasons. I wasn't a new customer to get a discount on a new phone, and my drop calls were the worst. I can never be on a professional call without it dropping at the worst times. So i switched to XiNgular (i don't want to freely advertise for anyone) but it was well worth the switch.
1-18-2007 @ 5:37PM
michael said...
the company has a limited selection of new phones and when one breaks they replace it with a refurbed unit that has been previously stressed even if repaired. i'm on my 4th PPC-6700! worse still is their unresponsive customer service which almost requires you to threaten them in order to get your problems handled. i won't be renewing when my contract is up...
1-18-2007 @ 4:58PM
Paul said...
Since the merger of the two companies, I've had nothing from Customer-no-Service. You call and whoever answers will tell you it's the other guys fault. Can't get anything done. No one knows whats going on there. I hope Cingular, or someone else get into the buisness of being able to click my employees. If they did I'd be out like a shot, I'd even pay the penalty for early cancellation.
1-18-2007 @ 5:01PM
ChuckG said...
While Sprint has offered a very generous discount to employees of the company I work for, I have never taken them up on the offer.
The reason is that while me and my colleagues are on the phone, or while travelling, my phone calls continue, while they're getting dropped calls/signal. They're alwasy asking me how come I still have a signal, and it's because I'm not on Sprint. They also get their voicemails late, or even days after delivery, while mine are delivered promptly.
What's the use of having a phone and a generous amount of minutes if you are continually gettind a dropped signal?
1-18-2007 @ 5:02PM
rickster said...
could it be the abysmal coverage and call quality?
the abysmal customer service?
their insistence on pimping other sprint services to my cell even after being told not to?
put it this way - i'm about to pay $150 to leave Sprint - and i consider it monies well spent. they are truly that bad.
1-18-2007 @ 5:17PM
Dan M. said...
I have been with Nextel for over three years. Left Sprints problems for Nextel. Looks like I can't shake Sprint(unfortunately) and I wish I could. Nextel was great and I loved the DC. However, since the Sprint fiasco things have gone down hill. Sprint has ruined a great company. Late msg notification, missed calls with no ring and msg notification one minute later(problems I was experiencing with Sprint). Disconnects. No help from Nextel or agent. I will be leavimg for Verizon in next month.
1-24-2007 @ 3:45PM
Steve Cherifi said...
I was a Nextel customer for 2 years (the length of my contract). I left them at the end of August 2006. I can cite several reasons: Their customer service was downright horrendous every time I'd call. The quality of the actual phone service was really bad too. My calls would drop all the time, especially if talking while driving. At least my bill was kept to a minimum since I would seldom use up minutes since the calls would always drop. Also, I can't tell you how many times I would be at a bar with friends and they would all have a signal but my lovely *very high end phone--the i830* would have no service. Most of my friends use Verizon so I switched and have been with Vzn for 4 months and I love it - it's cheaper and better and I'll never go back to Nextel. I thought when they merged with Sprint last year that things would get better, but they didn't - and bingo my contract ended so I was outta there.
1-18-2007 @ 8:20PM
Steve said...
I am a sprint customer since 1998 and have put up with poor service, droped calls, poor coverage, defective phones. I am at THE END.
I will pay the cancelation fgee and go to an other provider!
1-18-2007 @ 7:36PM
john crace said...
Unlike all the other people who claim to have bad service, Sprint has always delivered great service to me and my family. Several times I have really needed emergency help and I have been in a car with other cell phones that does not get service. The Sprint phone always works even in the most desolate area. I think all the complaining people will switch and continue complaining because that is what they like to do. So try all the rest . Sprint is the Best
1-19-2007 @ 12:02AM
Robin Gilchrist said...
I'm glad to see I'm not alone. Although I had a feeling I wasn't it is now confirmed. My experience with sprint's customer service has been deplorable. It took me 1 1/2 yrs to recieve my rebate after many calls and got every excuse in the book. They know that there service is lousy. If they didnt they would charge you to cancel your contract. There ought to be a class action lawsuit to stop this behavior. I dint get results until I contacted the corporate office and started a web blog. Its really a shame that the nickle and diming that they do is going to cost them much more in the end.
1-30-2008 @ 8:36PM
Kimberly said...
Please give me info on how to reach Sprint's corporate office. Every customer service rep has refused!!
1-19-2007 @ 12:45AM
Bob A said...
You know whats funny about all these blogs? No one talks about the realities of cell ph use. Cell phs don't work everywhere. They don't work inside certain structures. They don't work in certain mountain chains. There is no reception in certain deserts. Cells ph's can't go everywhere. I have been a Sprint customer for 5 years and perfectly happy and I have lived on both coast. As for the customer service issues, gosh, it wouldn't happen to have anything to do with how rude some people act when they call companies and bitch and cry and moan and groan and act like children would it. A lot of people work really hard every day in customer service trying to please a bunch of spoiled, ungreatful, snobby, arrogant and rude customers that think they can say and do whatever they please. To funny. I thank god every day I no longer work in cusotmer service. Remember this, it works both ways, how you treat people is how they treat you back. As for your perfect lives at Verizon and Cingular, Ha, yeah, we;ll see, you'll be bitching there as well!
1-19-2007 @ 3:22AM
Dave said...
I have had nextel for a couple of years. I have free incoming calls. This is the only thing that keeps me there. But lately my phone just doesn't ring. But then it will tell me that I have voicemail. You would think that there was something wrong with my phone. Unfortunatly I have 6 nextels in my household and they all do this. I am starting to wonder if they are doing this on purpose. As for customer service, I let my daughter handle them. She can be just as rude as them. If I find another company with free incoming I'm gone. As far as paying an early termanation fee. They can talk to MY CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT.