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Newly Merged Cellular Service Company Revamps Stores Overnight

Posted on: Thursday, 1 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

Sep. 1--By the time you read this, your local Sprint or Nextel store will look completely different.

Today is Day One of Sprint Together With Nextel, the new name of the two cellular-service companies that merged three weeks ago. (That's Sprint in large letters and then in a much smaller font, Together with NEXTEL.) With extreme-makeover fervor, the company began rebranding most of its 1,600 stores Wednesday night after closing time. Only a few in Kansas had received makeovers in practice runs.

Gone is Sprint red, replaced by Nextel's yellow. There is new signage and phones and services from both companies are now available in every store.

And there's a new motto: Yes you can (get what you want).

"Because it's a merger of equals, you have the new name (Sprint) and the yellow and black from Nextel," said STWN spokeswoman Kathleen Dunleavy.

"You're going to have the combination of things Sprint did really well and Nextel did really well." Quality is expected to improve and the company is committed to expanding coverage with more cell towers, Dunleavy said Wednesday.

WHAT'S IN AN EXTREME STORE MAKEOVER?

--1,600 stores, including 23 in Orange County

--10,000 banners

--34,000 uniforms

--16,000 name tags

--Over 100 million pieces of collateral and point-of-purchase items printed and shipped

Source: Sprint Together with Nextel

QUESTIONS?

For other customer questions, both customer service numbers are working.

Call (800) 639-6111 for Nextel phones and (888) 211-4727 for Sprint.

Information is also at sprintnextel.com

CURRENT CUSTOMERS

Nothing will change, if you're content with your current service. But Nextel customers who want to order Sprint's live TV service need new phones. Ditto Sprint customers eyeing Nextel's GPS and map offerings.

"It's just that you will have more choices if you want to take advantage of them," spokeswoman Kathleen Dunleavy said.

CHANGES

Sprint uses CDMA, and Nextel uses iDEN technology. The networks are incompatible. The company will continue to invest in both and plans to offer iDEN at least through 2010. Sprint also is sticking to its plans to launch its EVDO high-speed Internet service by early 2006.

Nextel's Direct Connect walkie-talkie service won't work with Sprint's ReadyLink since they are different networks.

Switching between Sprint and Nextel won't incur fees. But a new contract is required.

Call quality will continue to improve. Two years ago, in Register tests of cell-phone services, Sprint had the best voice clarity when compared to land-line telephone calls. It got a B-plus, while Nextel earned a B-minus.

The other companies received B's and C's. Results were based on calls from 25 locations in Orange County.

NEW FEATURES

--Free incoming calls from all Sprint and Nextel customers.

--Unlimited outgoing calls to all Sprint and Nextel customers for $5 a month.

--Extend unlimited night calls starting at 7 p.m. for $5 or 6 p.m. for $10.

--In-store repair so you don't have to mail your phone to a service center.

--Reservations accepted, so you can plan when to meet with a store sales associate.

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To see more of The Orange County Register, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ocregister.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, The Orange County Register, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

S,

Source: The Orange County Register

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