Sprint Nextel (S) has done many things in the last few years: improved its customer service, procured some of the better and leading-edge smartphones (at least in 2009) and it has gained gobs of prepaid wireless subscribers while narrowing losses of contract wireless customers. Still, it is losing customers to the competition, and that hasn't stopped. What can be done?

Sprint CFO Bob Brust indicated this week that revenue declines will show up this year and will turn into revenue growth at least a few quarters out. That statement alone sent Sprint shares up 5% yesterday. But it's the same old stuff: Brust referenced narrowing losses in the contract customer base and rising revenue growth from its prepaid customer base. This isn't anything new, so why the spike in share price? Good question.

Continue reading Sprint Shares Rise on CFO Comments About Rising Revenue Levels in 2010

Sprint Shares Rise on CFO Comments About Rising Revenue Levels in 2010 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel (S) will again be using its CEO to try and explain to potential customers why they should choose the beleaguered telecom provider for their wireless calling and data needs. Using the marketing catchphrase "Our $69.99 is worth more than their $69.99," Sprint CEO Dan Hesse will be featured in a new advertising campaign to explain why Sprint offers so much more value for each customer's money than its two larger competitors, AT&T (T) and Verizon Wireless.

Continue reading Sprint's Hesse to Be Back on TV Screens Touting Value

Sprint's Hesse to Be Back on TV Screens Touting Value originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) has been on a roll lately. The third-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. has been releasing a whole crop of new cutting-edge phones, has improved its customer service and seems to be on the way to a recovery. Well, everything but that last part.

Sprint Nextel, yet again, lost hundreds of thousands of customers in its most recent quarter in spite or marked improvements throughout its business.

Continue reading Sprint Nextel continues losing customers, money in Q3

Sprint Nextel continues losing customers, money in Q3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Clearwire eases pressure on Sprint Nextel, says CEO Hesse

Clearwire eases pressure on Sprint Nextel, says CEO Hesse originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Sprint Nextel Q4 earnings preview

Sprint Nextel Q4 earnings preview originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) continues to be bashed in the business media every other week it seems. The third-largest wireless company in the U.S. has shed hundreds of thousands of customers in the last 18 months as the larger competition has snagged customers with stellar sellers like Apple, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone 3G and other high-end handsets.

Sprint announced 8,000 layoffs this week, adding to the massive employee headcount lost by major corporations in the last three months. With losses in four of the past five quarters, massive layoffs and a shrinking customer base, is Sprint in real trouble? Not really -- it still has over 50 million wireless subscribers. Should it have lobbied to win the contract with Apple for the iPhone? While we'll never know if that was even possible, that one partnership alone could have completely reversed Sprint's fortunes in the last 24 months. The carrier is hoping the Palm Pre can make up for last ground, though. It may, but that one hand of cards can't win the poker tournament.

Continue reading Sprint is not beyond fixing -- but time is running out fast

Sprint is not beyond fixing -- but time is running out fast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Sprint to finally show growth by carrying the Palm Pre?

Sprint to finally show growth by carrying the Palm Pre? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel's Hesse sees more headcount reduction in 2009 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) has taken a huge amount of heat in recent years for having some of the most inefficient customer service in any industry. In fact, there are many who have concluded that Sprint Nextel has had trouble retaining customers because of its customer service levels -- not so much about its prices and product selections.

When CEO Dan Hesse took the reigns over a year ago, he quickly initiated a series of marketing campaigns and redid pricing on much of Sprint Nextel's calling plan lineup. Ever seen those black and white television commercials? Oddly, they seem to be effective. Almost anything in black and white garners attention from the television viewer. Back to customer service -- Hesse also made a few statements stating that customer service would be back on track. It seems to be just that.

Pali Capital, a customer service measurement firm, ranked the third-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. at the top of its list for customer care. Sprint Nextel was able to answer 89% of calls to its customer service line in an average of 30 seconds, according to the measurement survey. By comparison, the largest wireless carrier in the U.S. -- AT&T, Inc. (NYSE: T) -- answered its customer service lines within 30 seconds only 43% of the time.

Though this is not exactly a measurement of customer service quality, it seems the long waits to speak to a Sprint Nextel customer service rep are gone. Perhaps there are not too many customers needing help these days? From looking at all the customers Sprint Nextel has lost recently, there may be an inkling of truth there. Still, it's the third-largest wireless company in the U.S. with more than 50 million customers.

Sprint Nextel's customer service improves, according to survey originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel looks to close at least 20 call centers in 2009 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) seems to be clinging to life as it leeches wireless customers to the competition and desperately tries to get employees to take buyout clauses. Since the company can't find a soul to buy its Nextel national U.S. wireless network, it must nevertheless stop owning and operating that network where affiliate iPCS has its wireless territory.

Perhaps Sprint can just turn off the Nextel wireless network in those areas and have a wireless parts garage sale? It won't be able to get rid of that network infrastructure to make at least a little money. Who would want it? Answer: nobody. A court found this week that Sprint is already in violation of its agreement with iPCS and must shut down its Nextel network in iPCS's territories, so there is nothing Sprint Nextel can do, except get the blowtorches and dumptrucks ready.

The problem for Sprint, however, is not equipment mothballing. It has 500,000 Nextel subscribers in iPCS territory. What does it do with them? If the company has to shave half a million subscribers, that would be disastrous to a wireless company already losing hundreds of thousands of customers per year. Look for Sprint to settle with iPCS before the end of 2008 by whatever means possible. It can't afford to lose any more customers.

Is Sprint Nextel about to lose another 500,000 customers? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel execs rank at the top of most overpaid in 2007 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Despite a host of near-term issues, Sprint (NYSE: S) has many of the attributes we look for in a turnaround stock: a solid core business, well-known brands, new management, manageable cash flow and even an activist shareholder to stir things up," notes George Putnam, III.

In his industry-leading The Turnaround Letter, the advisor looks expert at the firm, which he notes traces it roots back to the Brown Telephone Company in Kansas in 1899.

"When the long-distance market was opened to competition in the early 1980's, Sprint moved in aggressively. In early 2005, Sprint acquired Nextel, which had become a major wireless competitor with its innovative 'push to talk' technology that combines elements of the walkie talkie and the cell phone.

"The $35 billion transaction was supposed to vault Sprint into the leadership of the wireless market. Unfortunately, the combined company stumbled. Difficulty in integrating the two companies led to poor customer service which drove some consumers away.

"Investors, who had initially applauded the Nextel acquisition, pushing the stock above $27 in mid-2005, became concerned, and the stock has been in a steady decline for the past two-and-a-half years. And the company's poor earnings report on February 28 further discouraged Wall Street.

Continue reading Turnaround expert rings up Sprint (S)

Turnaround expert rings up Sprint (S) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Sprint's staggering loss is not the only ugly number in Q4 report

Sprint's staggering loss is not the only ugly number in Q4 report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint's Hesse looks to restructure WiMAX arrangement originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel dismisses three top executives originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has the right tools to fix the company originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse resigns from Nokia's board originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.