Sprint's CSR response time skyrockets to first in recent survey
by Darren Murph 
posted Oct 20th 2008 at 5:36PM
Last summer, Sprint was the laughing stock of the major US carriers in terms of customer service. Fast forward 15 months, and the very same carrier is now sitting atop the pile. A recent report compiled by Pali Research has found that Sprint's wireless customer care response times were best in class, and just 2.5 years ago in its first survey, Sprint was dead last. The carrier answered a whopping 91% of calls that researchers placed to the care center in under 30 seconds, while 99% of calls were answered within 2 minutes. If you're curious how the other guys did, try this: Verizon grabbed the silver with 85%, T-Mobile followed with 43% and AT&T took home the award of shame with just 33% of test calls answered within half a minute. So, the real question is: have you Sprint customers noticed an uptick in service levels? And are you AT&T subscribers growing increasingly impatient?[Via phoneArena]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Valicore @ Oct 20th 2008 5:41PM
I don't often have to call Sprint, but when I do I always get good people and a quick answer, at least since this spring/early summer.
Grimm @ Oct 20th 2008 5:52PM
I have still had a lot of issues with their CS. I got my wife a Touch Diamond a month ago, and asked for vision data, and they didn't put it on. I had to call back again to have data turned on. I am glad I told her not to use the internet until we were sure they got it right.
babakhaan @ Oct 20th 2008 5:52PM
Yup sprint CS times have inmproved alot and so has customer service not that they were bad earlier it just that the reponse times had gone slow
service has always been curtious except for that one bad egg in the basket
happy sprint camper for 8 years
Bill @ Oct 20th 2008 6:12PM
Heh... the only reason this improvement happened is because they haven't laid off CS reps as fast as they've lost subscribers!
Valicore @ Oct 20th 2008 6:43PM
Damn it, that's not even a joke, that's probably the truth. Get rid of 1 million customers and you'll get less stressed out (read: nicer) CSRs and of course a lower wait time. Here I thought Sprint might have done something pro-active :(
PSM @ Oct 20th 2008 7:18PM
Yeah that was my reaction as well. It's easy to get your call answered when you're the only subscriber left!
James @ Oct 21st 2008 7:52PM
Give it a rest, that's the problem with some people, they can never give credit where credit is due, they have spent millions on improving customer care and it has improved significantly!!!!
Periks19 @ Oct 20th 2008 6:17PM
It really has improved alot over time, i never had problems before but now they are faster and they are nicer then they were before.
Allen, Jr. @ Oct 20th 2008 6:20PM
where's my htc touch pro?
Brad @ Oct 21st 2008 3:41AM
Good Freaking Question.
I thought it was odd to release a phone on Sunday. Maybe they meant Oct 29th. The whole thing was just a press-release typo.
The D Train @ Oct 20th 2008 7:14PM
How fast a representative answers the phone isnt the be all end all of customer service, are you kidding me people?
If I answer the call in 90seconds, and 25 seconds later I tell you no, and hang up, according to this report I'm gold because I answered the call fast as a whsitle.
Now on the other hand if the person actually takes the time to help someone, less people will call in, less people will have to wait, the true customer service satisfaction survey is JD power and associates. And btw if you look at the link posted at the Phone arena site where the original article came from before engadget posted it, the Original story is from a sprint biast website.
The D Train @ Oct 20th 2008 7:36PM
Just to show what I was talking about, here is where the article is sourced from. http://sprintconnection.kansascity.com/?q=node/830
I mean I could care less if VZW or whoever was at the top, I just feel I have to call shenanigans on this one.
Bradley @ Oct 20th 2008 8:02PM
You're right, it is a Sprint biased website. It is a site run by the Kansas City Star who is notorious for being biased against Sprint. Just look through the archives and most of what they publish is negative reports. Also here is the real source: http://paliresearch.com/sprints-customer-care-jumps-to-first-from-last/#more-3564
maikel @ Oct 20th 2008 7:19PM
I haven't called CS not even once in the past year, I did everything over the internet. So I can't really tell how AT&T fell in the bottom like that but than again it always comes down to individual cases.
Esquire0399 @ Oct 20th 2008 7:43PM
Like D Train said, the speed at which reps answer the phone have absolutely nothing to do with the quality of service customers are receiving. I wouldn't worry too much that ATT is on the bottom because ultimately this means absolutely nothing.
Brad @ Oct 21st 2008 3:45AM
It means something. It is extremely frustrating to sit "waiting" for someone to pick up. Two minutes, five, ten, twenty, it doesn't matter. Personally, I like to know that when something comes up, I'll at least have someone to talk to in under a minute. Even if I won't get a solution that fast, I'll not feel ignored.
Basilray @ Oct 20th 2008 8:23PM
I've had Sprint since 2001 and never had CS problems. Even when I was at fault (late payments, text message overage, billing mix-ups) they have always treated me well both in the store and over the phone. Maybe I am the exception to the rule, but I have always been very happy with Sprint. The 25% corporate discount makes it impossible for me to go to another carrier for the SEP w/ 3 lines for a similar price.
Keep rocking Sprint!
mykie @ Oct 20th 2008 8:23PM
The only times I've had to call into Sprint is to facilitate an ESN swap, but usually that only takes a few minutes and the rep is always quick and courteous.
I've never had a problem with their service or billing.
rboyett @ Oct 20th 2008 10:13PM
I've noticed that I haven't had anything to bitch about over the last year.
parkjam @ Oct 20th 2008 10:37PM
I have been with Sprint for the better part of 5 years, and have nevr had a problem with their customer service. I think Sprint's CS reputation of "giving away the farm", gives them a bad rap. People call in to get the deal their friend got and get told no. All of the sudden, it was a shi**y CS experience because they couldn't get unlimited messaging from Sprint for free. I have seen it time and again on internet boards that someone couldn't get something they weren't entitled to or did not deserve, and Sprint sucks because of it.
parkjam @ Oct 20th 2008 10:39PM
Except for the fact that you probably deserved to be told no. What were you trying to weasel for free?
yonkersjoe @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:53PM
Could it be that they are losing more and more customers that there are less people calling in which means less wait times?
Peter @ Oct 21st 2008 9:53AM
A few months ago, I was on the phone with Sprint CSR resolving a txt messaging issue. I got disconnected and thought 'Oh god, they're just gonna say it was a random disconnect when I call back and that they're sorry" Just as I finished that thought, I got a call back from that very same rep. Felt pretty good to be helped by someone that cares.
xplrider @ Oct 21st 2008 11:22AM
Sprint is answering the phone quicker when I call, and not that I have to call frequently, but I still have to play the round robin game of calling the next day to verify what CSR 1 said would be done is not done, and now CSR 2 will have a shot, and then call back the next day and speak with CSR 3 to verify if the request is fulfilled.
In summary, answering the phone faster is something Sprint's doing. Fixing the problem faster is not something Sprint is doing.
johdaxx @ Oct 21st 2008 6:43PM
Kinda of a BS statistic really. They could pay a legion of chimpanzees a few bananas to pick up the phone and screech into the other end for a few moments...it'd win this survey and still not help anyone.
youngcalihottie @ Oct 22nd 2008 5:07PM
at&t is definitely falling behind. i used to wait 1 - 2 mins for a rep, now the average time when i call in is "about 10 mins" as their own recording states when i call in. i doubt theyre hiring as much as theyre adding subs. also the reps are becoming decreasingly knowledgeable. i shouldnt have to be explaining to them what the feature i want is and where they should be clicking to add it. (video share is not freakin mms with video in it. data connect unlimited CAN be a feature and not a price plan. etc. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)
GBallew @ Oct 22nd 2008 4:06PM
I'd rather wait 5 minutes and have the problem fixed, than have it answered in under 30 seconds and have them tell me theres not a damn thing they can do for me
. Congradulations Spr-extel for answering your phones in under 30 seconds.
...as soon as CS gets rid of their automated system that takes 3 minutes to get through, thats when I'll be excited about them answering the phone in under 30 seconds.