Absolutely. Customer Service for any provider is free from that provider's phones as long as you are not roaming (truly roaming, not just "extended area" stuff).
*4 isn't CS on Sprint. *2 is. FYI you can always check your minutes online for free with Sprint. Wiseguy. j/k
You should never be charged for *611 regardless of where you are... if you are roaming chances are you will just get the company you are roaming on to answer. I know with VZW #646 is airtime free (which tells minutes used.)
So wise I left Sprint. But you'd better check again. While *2 is Sprint CS, they encourage you to use *4, which is a quick way to check your minutes, and it DOES use airtime.
What's your point mreg? Verizon doesn't give you minutes used through its CS line, and neither does Sprint. They ask you to use *4, and if you don't want to use airtime, you do it online. You're the only one who complains about this. You've got your info a little mixed up there.
My point is that you said that calls to Sprint CS are free. That's not necessarily true. And I was not the "only one who complains about this." *4 was always the preferred way to quickly find out about your minute usage on Sprint because it tells you the usage immediately without having to speak to go through a menu system and speak to a CS rep. When Sprint start charging airtime for the call many Sprint users were up in arms. Moreover, ALL calls to Verizon to CS, INCLUDING its equivalent of *4 (#646), are free. So let's recap your ststements: 1. "Customer Service for any provider is free from that provider's phones ..." (NOT TRUE) 2. "*4 isn't CS on Sprint." (NOT TRUE) 3. "Verizon doesn't give you minutes used through its CS line" (NOT TRUE) 4. "You're the only one who complains about this." [*4] (NOT TRUE) A more accurate statement than #1 above might have been "Sprint is the only wireless carrier I know of that charges customers airtime to check their airtime usage." So I guess my real point is that very little you've said so far in this thread has been accurate.
Looks like we have different definitions of CS. My definition of CS is when you speak to a Customer Service rep. Your definition is ANY service you get from the provider, even if it's strictly automated. If we go by my definition, my statements are true, but it's very mature of you to nitpick at them like a true Verizon troll. As I've said before, Verizon users feel the need to attack Sprint on these forums more than any other carrier attacks any other carrier. Why is that? Is it because you all lost some coverage areas when Sprint's SIDs got deleted from your America's Choice plans? I just don't get it. Anyway, this is a useless argument to continue as long as our views on CS differ. Sprint Customers: *2 is CS on Sprint. That's basically undebatable. *4 is automated minute tracking. Don't let anyone confuse you on the two.
Verizon troll? My information about Sprint is based on the three years I spent with the company, through their $3 charge to speak to a CS rep, through their "Unlimited" PCS Vision ad campain and then backtracking when it came to laptop usage, to their dropped calls, inept customer service, "retention" plans for only those customers "in-the-know," and then their imposing airtime charges to find out about airtime usage. My opinions about Sprint were created, entirely, by Sprint. I was not going to even get involved in this thread until I saw you lump Sprint together with all other wireless carriers and say that there is no charge for customer service. Well, your personal Sprint Dictionary notwithstanding, that just isn't true, and saying otherwise is deceptive to people reading these forums as would-be customers.
Alright, I'll reply anyway: 1. The charge was for Clear Pay (poor credit) customers only, and lasted a mere few months before it was eliminated by the new PCS president. 2. Unlimited Vision was never backtracked. From day 1 the terms warned that you could be caught for using it on a laptop through your phone. Nobody has gotten caught except for those who have used it excessively (i.e. d/ling off of Kazaa or playing video, audio, etc.). 3. Retention is available to anyone. All you have to do is say "I'm going to cancel my service." How do you think people found out about retention in the first place? 4. As I said before, 3 clicks through their website and you have your minute balance online. Simple enough to me. I can tell you're bitter at Sprint. I guess if you didn't liek it, you shouldn't have spent 3 years with them. Sprint is the best carrier for me and most of the other 15M that have Sprint. Hey Mods: This thread is getting off-topic. Can we shut it down soon?
Yeah, let's shut it down so you can have the last word. If mreg is a Verizon troll you, my friend, are a Sprint troll. When I bash Sprint it is based solely upon the terrible service they provided me. I dropped close to 25% of the calls I made when I was with Sprint in Gainesville, FL. Switching to Verizon completely eliminated that. I could care less if Sprint's SID's are in the AC plan or not, if they were that important to me, I would sign up with Sprint!! As far as bashing Sprint exclusively, a charge you levied against me in another thread, if you do a search you will find me complaining about Verizon too, right jayc? Now, getting back on topic: I WAS charged airtime for my calls to *611 last month. I did not go over my minutes so I really didn't care, but if it ever causes me to incur overage charges you can bet I will be calling CS to complain.
That's interesting. How did those calls appear on your bill? I haven't ever seen a *611 call appear at all.
They were in there right along with all the regular calls I made. I thought maybe they were listed but not included in the airtime used total calculations, but when I manually added up the minutes of each call, including those made to *611, they equaled the grand total.
Sprint troll, hmmm. Tell me one place here where I have bashed Verizon in this thread. I'm allowed to be pro-Sprint without being a troll. I didn't levy any unjustified negative comments against Verizon anywhere here. In fact, the one thing I said about Verizon anywhere here, which was deleting Sprint SIDs from A/C plans, is an accepted truth and has been met with some complaints (search the forums). I did point out that some people, as customers of Verizon, bash Sprint frequently. I found it ridiculous that someone was trying to skew the truth by stating that the number you check minutes from was synonymous with customer service. Most people would not equate *2 and *4 on Sprint. Since the forums are about discussion, I answered his point with a counterpoint. On-topic: It's unusual you were charged for CS calls. at the very least I would have them look into this as it is probably a billing mistake. They should at least get a heads-up of what is going on, just in case.
my girlfriend used to have sprint, and they did charge her to call c.s. While she could check them online, this defeated the purpose because that used up her minutes and she was trying to keep from going over her tiny 300 limit. The only other option for her was to drive to the nearest sprint store to use that tiny red phone they had in the corner. hehe, I personally thought it was kinda funny, almost like going to the "batphone" in the batcave.
Well, I'd straighten them right out on that, rather than waiting until it results in an overage. It's better off complaining when there's no money at stake.
We will see, my billing cycle ended on the 28th, so I should have my bill any day now...I will post an update when it arrives.
While I agree that this discussion is getting ridiculous, I think your own comments reveal your true perspective, so of course I'll comment on them. You admit to being "pro-Sprint." I think it's idiotic to be "pro" or "con" any company, and the fact that you are self-proclaimed "pro-Sprint" does indeed make you an official "troll" and explains your propensity to place a positive spin on every Sprint customer relations disaster. Only someone who's perspective is somewhat twisted would argue that a phone number that a wireless carrier provides to check minute usage is not a customer service function.
I am going to have to disagree with you mreg. Simply being "pro-Sprint" does not make jmccrane a troll. The provider that gave me the least amount of trouble was USCC, only they don't offer service here. If they did I would sign with them in a heartbeat. I guess you could consider me pro-USCC or pro-Verizon, in that those are two companies I have experience with and would recommend to a friend. I would not blindly and universally defend either of those two companies actions/policies though. I would NOT recommend Sprint to anyone, but many people are happy with the service and I am glad they don't have the plethora of problems I did. If that makes me con-Sprint so be it, but it doesn't necessarily make me, nor anyone else, a troll. There is a difference between favoring one company over another (being pro or con) and simply believeing that everything Sprint/Verizon/whatever does is great, and anything else is bad. If jmccrane starts saying "Sprint is perfect for everyone including me and I know what other people need better than they themselves know" he would be a troll. Until then, he is no troll.
He never said it wasn't a customer service function, he said it was not customer service. There is a difference, albeit a very slight one.
The misinformation or miscommunication is what got me, had I not have known someone that had been charged for using CS I would have believed that there were no providers that charged for calling CS. Someone else might not know and may not check into it.
I basically don't disagree with you, AnthroMatt (doesn't using these names sound silly?), but someone can also enter the "troll" area when he or she twists or skews the facts to make a company look better than it is and therefore ultimately deceives people who are looking for objective information, or opinions. If jmcrane's original comments were the only ones that an uninitiated customer-to-be read, that customer-to-be would have turned away thinking that Sprint customer service is totally free. And of course that's not the case. This purported difference beween "customer service" and "customer service function" is a distinction without a difference, and one that I've never seen put forward before. Jmcrane takes that position SOLELY to make Sprint's CS look better than it is. Hence, my conclusion that he's entered the Realm of the Troll.
AnthroMatt, I appreciate your comments and do agree that *4 is a service to customers. All I was arguing was that, as to the topic of this thread, it's not the same kind of CS that *611 is for Verizon or anyone else. I would be the first to tell you that Sprint is definitely not good for everyone. You should not have Sprint if you live in rural areas, will be traveling to such areas, or want the best customer service (although it is improving). Sprint is a city/suburban carrier, which is why it works for me. It offered features like N/W minutes, Mobile-Mobile, and happened to be the strongest provider on my college campus. PCS Vision still needs a lot of work but it came free with my (family) plan. The most reliable nationwide plan that also includes N/W minutes is America's Choice. I don't think anyone can really argue that. When I had Cingular Nation (before Nation Preferred came out), I traveled a 100 mile stretch north of Albany, NY where the Verizon SID was banned from my phone. I could make credit card calls only. So much for a "true" nationwide plan there. My point in this is that Verizon is, by general rule, the strongest carrier for nationwide service that covers the most area.
To be fair, let me add that not all of my experience with Sprint was bad. I was happy with Sprint here in NYC for most of my three years with them. Customer service and billing issues are what ultimately drove me away, and I did not find the improvements under the new president to be significant. Sprint also always has an excellent selection of phones, you get more minutes for your money, and there's more flexibility in equipment upgrades. I just gotten tired of being treated as an idiot by customer service reps who were often themselves idiots, so I split. That's why I'm particularly sensitive when I see someone extolling the virtues of Sprint CS.
