SprintPCS - Ongoing Frustration & Customer Service Dissatisfaction

SprintPCS - Ongoing Frustration & Customer Service Dissatisfaction

From: Tanya Rich [Email User]

[I also submitted a brief summary of this issue to SprintPCS via their website, but was limited by the number of characters so I feel comfortable to elaborate in this forum.] I have been a SprintPCS customer for at least 5 years. Over the past two years I have become more and more frustrated, aggravated, irritated with customer service from SprintPCS. After they closed all of the SprintPCS stores in my area, my only option for customer service is via phone. Unfortunately, I am told repeatedly by the phone representatives they are unable to help me with my requests and I need to visit a SprintPCS store (2.5 hours away). Even for simple requests like discussing service options and changes. Today is certainly the icing on the cake. I started a business and want to move my SprintPCS phone into my business name. Simple enough. I call SprintPCS customer service (*2 from my SprintPCS phone) and after talking to three different people, I am transferred to the ‘Corporate Activations’ department. I spoke to a nice person who said she could help me and I faxed some corporate paperwork to a fax number she provided. She asked me to call back in 30 minutes and gave me a phone number. She said I should ask for ‘Corporate Activations’ when calling back. I waited 30+ minutes and called the number provided. SprintPCS customer service at that number told me there is no department at SprintPCS titled ‘Corporate Activations.’ I explained my situation and was transferred. The person who I was transferred to confirmed there is no department by that name and I should visit my SprintPCS store because they cannot help me open a business account as they can only provide customer service for existing business accounts. They gave me a SprintPCS store phone number in Des Moines and assured me they would take care of me. Very frustrated at this moment because I KNOW there is someone at SprintPCS holding my faxed paper work in a department titled ‘Corporate Activations,’ I called the number in Des Moines and was told they could NOT help me, and there is not a department titled ‘Corporate Activations,’ but if I called back the SAME number that I was told previously from they couldn’t help me, they would help me because that was the only number to call to set up an account. So, reluctantly, and more frustrated, I called back the original customer service number. Sat on hold again. They said very nastily and condescending that there is no department ‘Corporate Activations’ and there is nothing further SprintPCS can do for me. There is no way to open a business account. I was not able to speak to someone else in that department or a supervisor because I was told by this person they would tell me the same thing she was telling me (I guess she didn’t want me to waste any more of their time?). She then told me to call the Des Moines SprintPCS store (the same store I called earlier that said they couldn’t help me and to call this number).

She very rudely stated that they are my only resource and there is nothing further she can do for me. I told her I didn’t want to hang up the phone until this issue was resolved because I had been on hold cumulatively for over an hour and haggling with customer service for just as long. She said there is nothing further she could/would do for me. If I want to create a business account I must drive 2.5 hours to Des Moines. I explained once again, to ensure I gave her all of the information, that I had spoken to someone at SprintPCS this same day and was provided a fax number to fax paperwork to get approval for an account in my company name. So, there must be someone there that has knowledge of this or who this person/department must be. She again said there is nobody at SprintPCS that can help me, and I am at the end of the call as there is nothing else she can do for me. I called the operator (0) from my land-line phone and got Sprint phone numbers that SprintPCS customer service was unable to provide. At one of these numbers, business tele-sales, I spoke to a friendly person who explained that I need to call the customer service number (the one originally provided!) because that is the number for the department ‘Corporate Activations.’ I said I have been calling them and they say they are not ‘Corporate Activations’ and do not know who that department is. He understood my frustration and connected me to them. Ready for this – that number, the original one I had been calling and actually arguing with the representatives with, IS Corporate Activations!! Yep. I finally, after the kind person at tele-sales managed the call, spoke to someone who said they had my paperwork right there. Then, an unfriendly person (but the right department) said there is more documentation required to fax (that’s another story). So, before I hung up, I asked for a more direct way to contact them so I didn’t have to go through 2+ hours of frustration again. He gave me an extension number. After faxing the additional information, I called the customer service number back and asked to be transferred to the extension provided. The person on the phone said she couldn’t do that. I had to explain my situation AGAIN. She said they don't use extension numbers but she would try it anyway as if this was a favor to me. All I want to do is explore my options for business service through SprintPCS. Or do I? It’s been over five hours and I feel I am no further along than when I started. I have only wasted my time, been insulted, been lied to, and basically this has ruined my day as I am generally a very happy person. Unfortunately, this is not the only awful experience I have had with SprintPCS customer service. The number of hours I have spent on hold and bickering (yes, bickering) with customer service is ridiculous. Along with the other problems with SprintPCS posted to this site and my personal experience, I caution, only the most patient dare do business with this company. They certainly know how to bring out the worst in people. If a Sprint representative happens to read this, I would appreciate the ability to speak to someone regarding my experiences. Tanya Rich

The above message is Complaints.com Consumer Message # 19 January 1, 2004