Sprint highlights it's latest improvements

[larry]

Sprint Highlights Its Latest Improvements to America’s Most Complete, All-Digital Wireless System

PCS President Len Lauer reaffirms commitment to Customer Satisfaction and Superior Network Performance

Media Contacts:
Dan Wilinsky, Sprint, 913-794-2967
dwilin01@sprintspectrum.com

Jennifer Walsh, Sprint, 913-794-2950
jwalsh02@sprintspectrum.com

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — August 21, 2003
Sprint (NYSE: FON, PCS) today announced it is on target with its comprehensive nationwide campaign to give PCS customers the best wireless experience possible. Highlights include Sprint’s announced $2.1 billion capital spending program which encompasses network expansion; improved network capacity and performance; increasing customer satisfaction; ongoing application enhancements and accelerating levels of customer usage.

After asking customers for feedback and suggestions, Sprint recently began a series of initiatives to help it become the company customers know they can count on to make wireless easy. The goal of this effort: to improve Sprint's customer experience at every touch point, from point of sale to service activation to rewarding loyal customers who stay with Sprint. Among the improvements, Sprint:

Improved network performance, significantly reducing the blocked and dropped calls experienced by customers.
Re-tooled its automated voice service, making it easier for customers to speak to a Customer Solutions specialist. Customer service representatives strive to "own" each customer call and to stay with each customer until the situation is resolved.
Reduced callers' wait times by 20 percent over the last year.
Simplified calling plans to make them easy and understandable for customers.
"We continue to make a number of significant improvements to our network and our approach to customer satisfaction, both key components to success in this industry," said Len Lauer, president, PCS Division of Sprint. "By building a nationwide network from the ground up, which offers more advanced services to more people, Sprint already has the most complete, all-digital wireless network in America. This is a clear difference that distinguishes Sprint from other wireless providers."
Building Better Network, Driving Customer Satisfaction
This year, Sprint announced a $2.1 billion capital spending program, which includes the addition of 1,700 cell sites to the PCS network as well as improved network capacity and performance. Sprint has also embarked upon a multi-year campaign to acquire and build cell sites that will continue to deliver improved performance capabilities for PCS customers.

"These build outs demonstrate that we have listened to our customers and are taking their feedback about network coverage and quality very seriously," said Kathy Walker, senior vice president, Sprint Network Services. She added that customer satisfaction with the Sprint Network is showing improvement. In second quarter 2003 compared to the same period last year, she said, Sprint estimates that the rates of dropped calls and blocked calls each improved at a double-digit percentage.

With many improvements under way for months, external data shows Sprint is also gaining ground in terms of customer satisfaction. In second-quarter results announced last month, PCS customer retention rates improved dramatically and voluntary churn was among the lowest in the industry.

"Customers find great value in PCS products and services," Lauer said. "We know that because Sprint customers use an industry record number of minutes per month, nearly 13 1/2 hours, on average. Over the next year, Sprint customers can expect to see continued, measurable improvement in the quality of Sprint's service and in customer satisfaction."

Superior Value in Calling Plans, Advanced Services
With its recently announced PCS Free & Clear America plans, Sprint provides more voice coverage than any other wireless carrier, reaching more than 96 percent of the U.S. population. The plans, which range from $55 to $125 per month, allow customers to use their calling minutes in an expanded voice coverage area. Sprint wireless customers can make and receive calls throughout the country with no additional roaming or long distance charges.

"These plans, with their expanded coverage, give Sprint wireless customers a superior value to use with the most complete wireless network in the nation," said John Garcia, senior vice president of marketing, sales and distribution for PCS. "You get the most voice coverage of any carrier, and on top of that, the most coverage for enhanced services such as PCS VisionSM. It's a terrific combination."

Sprint recently announced 2.1 million PCS Vision customers through the end of second quarter, leading the industry in the use of advanced data services. PCS Vision from Sprint includes services that allow customers to take and receive pictures from select PCS Phones; browse the Internet at speeds faster than most dial-up connections; check personal and corporate e-mail; watch clips and stream audio for news and music; download polyphonic, animated and voice ringers, and full-color, graphically-rich games and screen savers, all on the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network.


About Sprint
Sprint is a global integrated communications provider serving more than 26 million customers in over 100 countries. With approximately 70,000 employees worldwide and nearly $27 billion in annual revenues, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state-of-the-art network technologies, including the United States' first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network and an award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint provides local voice and data services in 18 states and operates the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless network in the United States. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.



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[Rebguy2]

This is good news! Sprint really is working hard to improve their customer service. The number one emphasis in their customer service specialist training now is providing "exceptional customer service". Sprint knows they have been at the bottom in that respect for a long time and they are working hard to change that. There have been a lot of network improvements also, and there are more improvements on the way. Their goal has shifted from just signing up new subscribers to keeping the ones they have. Sprint certainly has problems just like any other company, but they are making a concerted effort to address and eradicate them.

[larry]

Sprint is now doing follow up calls to find out our satisfaction when dealing with customer service. I called in last Saturday to have my phone reprogrammed and yesterday I get a call from Sprint asking me how I felt about the rep who helped me and so on. Knowing that they're being monitored should really give them incentive to be helpful and polite.

[Rebguy2]

Yes, they are. The responses from these callbacks affect some of the incentive pay specialists receive and also their performance ratings. If specialists do not give satisfactory customer service they can lose their jobs. Sprint has gotten serious about this, and it is a good thing.