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New Sprint Nextel Program Helps Customers With Phones

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 September 2008, 14:25 CDT

Sprint Nextel Corp. will announce Tuesday a new campaign to assist customers in better understanding their cell phones. 

The initiative, called “Ready Now”, is the first official program for in-person assistance by a mobile network operator.  It follows similar efforts among consumer electronics makers to simplify the use of these devices through personalized one-on-one contact.

Sprint closed all of its 1,219 retail stores on August 17 to train its employees for implementing the new program.

Kim Dixon, Sprint's senior vice president of stores, said the company’s goal was to have customers leaving their store with their phones "completely set up and personalized.”

Customers "have got these really great devices ... but they just don't know how to set it all up," she told Reuters.

Sprint Nextel employees will now set up e-mail access, transfer contacts from an old mobile phone, connect Bluetooth headsets and explain other capabilities of a customer’s new phone.

Customers without time for the 10 to 30 minute tutorial sessions can make follow up appointments to visit at a later time.   These sessions, provided at no cost to customers, will be offered to existing subscribers as well, even those not purchasing a new phone or accessory, Dixon said.

The company trialed the campaign in July in stores in Pittsburgh and St. Louis, and customer satisfaction improved so much they decided to accelerate a nationwide launch of the program.

"Not only will the customer be more satisfied, but as a business, we expect to reduce the number of returns," said Dixon.

As many as one-in-five "smart" phones the company sold over the holidays were returned because the customer didn't fully understand how to use them.

In addition to lowering these return rates, Sprint also observed an increased uptake of data services such as e-mail and mobile Web access during the trial.  Cell carriers are increasingly turning to these data services to improve profit margins amid a competitive environment that has lowered margins for voice services.

The program is reminiscent of Apple Inc.’s "Genius Bars" program, in which customers received assistance with their iPods and Macs.

Microsoft Corp. announced on Friday plans to implement its own customer-service representatives, which the company calls "Gurus," at major retail chains like Circuit City Stores Inc.  and Best Buy Co. to help customers with their PC purchases.  However, Microsoft’s program won't offer additional technical support to those who have already made their purchase.

Best Buy Mobile has a similar initiative that applies to smart phones, called "Walk Out Working”, in which store employees set up the devices for customers.   
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On the Net:

• Sprint Nextel Corp.

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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