First, I call Sprint to cancel my contract which is up in a month. The first woman takes all the info, asks if I'm cancelling BOTH lines, takes all my info then tells me she has to transfer me.
After a brief hold (I'll give them credit for that, both holds were short) I have to RE-GIVE all my information again, only to have the guy tell me I would be charged $400 if I cancelled the lines today. I have to call back a few days before the end of the contract to cancel.
We've got computers that can guide missiles across continents, but Sprint can't enter a cancellation more than a few days in advance without their system getting confused and billing me for early termination.
I CALL BULL****! They're hoping to either bill me an extra month if I wait too long or hoping I'll change my mind in 30 days and stay with them. I don't care what their "policy" is, everyone knows this COULD be done, they're just not motivated to do it.
At least I had the opportunity to tell them why I was leaving, which was mostly because they're the only carrier that stubbornly refuses to offer any kind of an added-value plan like a circle, friends and family, or roll-over minutes.
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Insurance
I go to a walk in clinic to get my blood pressure tested every six months. Last time I had health insurance they charged $125 for a $75 office visit.
This time I get a letter from the health insurance company that they were billed $200 for an office visit that costs $75!!!! I paid $50 of it, the insurer-er "negotiated" their portion of the bill from $150 down to $109.
I called to alert them of the fraud and they told me it's all ok. $200 is within the range of what the provider can bill and they negotiated it down from the $150 to $109.
I said "NEGOTIATED IT DOWN!?!?!? You paid $34 more than the actual office visit costs and that's to say NOTHING of the fact I actually already paid 2/3rds of the charge"
They DON'T CARE!!!!
Health care costs keep going up by double digit percentage points, Obama wants us all to pay so that everyone can be covered, and no one cares that it's STANDARD PRACTICE to double or triple charge insurance companies for services provided!
TWO HUNDRED FRIGGIN DOLLARS TO GET MY BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKED!!!! A FIVE MINUTE VISIT!
What am I gonna say? I've already accepted a job offer with another company.
that's right, I forgot you don't work for Sprint no mo'. You need not look away.
I'm really more PO'd about the health insurance. Why does no one care about this? (I'm speaking on a government level)
All the uproar over health care right now, it could probably cost half as much if the fraud were removed. Instead it's just accepted as part of the business.
I'm sick of it. I'm seriously considering just paying the extra $25 from now on so that the crooked doctors don't get the extra cash windfall from the Insurance provider.
The insurance thing is a game they all agree to play. Ultimately, that charge is passed on to you and everyone else through higher premiums, fewer services, and higher co-pays.
Technically speaking, I still work for Sprint until 9/20. On 9/21, as a non-Sprint employee, I'm free to buy a Pre, or possibly change carriers. I'm presently waiting to see how the phone plan shakes out to see if 2 of my lines are up for grabs or if it is all 3.
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MM
That which does not kill me postpones the inevitable.
I wonder how much of the Sprint thing is company policy, and how much is just that guy didn't know how or didn't want to.
I totally agree with you on the healthcare thing. You could always tell them not to bill your insurance, pay for it up front, then send it to your insurance company to reimburse you.
But still, hell $75 for a blood pressure check is still a bit much, especially since you can get it checked at those little kiosks in drug stores for free. (I'm assuming you have to actually go in so you can get your prescription refilled or something similar, but still.)
I'm really more PO'd about the health insurance. Why does no one care about this? (I'm speaking on a government level)
Have you forgotten that government employees have some of the best healthcare and pay next to nothing for everything? That is one major reason why they have no clue.
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Stop trying to be what you see. Be what you ought to be.
I totally agree with you on the healthcare thing. You could always tell them not to bill your insurance, pay for it up front, then send it to your insurance company to reimburse you.
That's an excellent point MZ. I think from now on I'll do that.
My guess, and keep in mind that I can't say for sure because I don't know the customer care system, is that the early termination fee is auto applied and would require some sort of override code to remove. It is highly likely the Joe Average care rep doesn't have that particular override code. Its a large credit, so it is probably very difficult to get approved.
Now you have me curious as to how much my Dr. visit yesterday is actually being billed to my insurance company. I'll have to check the statement when I get it in a week or so.
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MM
That which does not kill me postpones the inevitable.
I NEVER blame the rep, or rarely. The only thing I'll blame a rep for is a bad attitude, and this guy did not have a bad attitude. In fact he seemed really concerned I was upset, and even mentioned that Sprint may be calling back (with that annoying auto-call) to ask me to do a survey and he hoped I would say he at least explained the situation well.
My gripe is with the company, and ALL (or most) of the other companies that set things up in ways that are least helpful to their customers.
Call in for help. Go through the automated voice tree levels. Wait on hold. Get a human who asks for all the information you already typed into your phone. Explain the entire situation only to have the human say they need to transfer you to another human. Wait on hold. Get another human who asks for all the information you already typed into your phone and gave to the first human. Then be told company policy is that you have to call a few days before the end of the contract.
I'm sure this guy has no choice but to do what he was told to do in training. Sprint on the other hand could keep in mind that maybe, just maybe, one day I'd return as a customer so maybe they shouldn't make leaving such an annoying process.
Many other carriers pro-rate the cancellation fee, not Sprint. "Company Policy" is that even if I leave two days early with my two lines I'll have to pay the $400 termination fee.
SURELY if they wanted to they could add a section on the entry screen that says "DATE OF TERMINATION" and let a rep enter said date.
The only reason not to do that is because it's not in their best interest correct?
What they, and other companies fail to realize is that when it comes to cell phones people do switch a lot. Due to dissatisfaction with their service or probably even more likely because of the phone offerings at the time.
With that in mind I would make canceling a little less painful so that maybe two years down the road a customer will come back instead of swearing you off for good.
Ok. Done venting.
I know it's not the reps fault, I know it's not your fault, and I even know Sprint isn't alone in this type of stuff.
I just wish SOMEONE, ONE COMPANY, would stand up and say "we're going to do things differently" and actually put customer service first.
Believe me, I feel your pain. They know that they are staring down the barrel of losing at least 12,000 lines in the next month or so. Granted, that is a drop in the bucket when your customers number in the millions, but still. Reducing customer churn is supposed to be one of the main goals of that company, yet I see them do any number of dumb things that cost them a few customers here and there which DO add up to some huge numbers. We, the employees, tell them about this kind of stuff when we hear about it and they say that they listen to us, but seldom does it change.
There are so many companies that could benefit from making the lives of their customers easier. It just seems like all the corporate penny pinching ever results in is worse service and unhappier customers. Pretty soon, it is hard to know where to go because its the same thing everywhere. Its shameful.
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MM
That which does not kill me postpones the inevitable.
