OFFICIAL: qChat (and new plans) Q&A Interview from Sprint Employee

Nextel32708 · Jun 15, 2008

Reputable Poster at SU - Employee-to-Employee Question & Answer Interview: said:

1. Q: How is qChat fairing? - Everyone is upset about these new plans...
A: Yeah, it's a bit of a shock with the new plans; especially PDAs

2. Q: What's up with the PDAs?
A: If you try to setup an account with sprint.com, you Need a bundle that has Data to active a PDA. They can not even be activated ala carte.

3. Q: This is going to upset alot of customers...
A: Well, current customers will get to keep their existing plans

4. Q: Does the customer save money going from a PowerPack ala carte type plan to one of the new plans?
A: If no discounts, or perks are on the PowerPack plan, then yes, most customers will save money with the plans that are now being offered.

5. Q: Does the average joe really want these new plans?
A: I would say so, I get alot of calls about Family Data options, so I guess so.

6. Q: Can corporate discounts be put on the new plans?
A: Yes, with the exception of Unlimtied minute plans, and the 200 minute plan.

7. Q: Will the business customers who want Free Incoming plans, be able to request those?
A: Nope, no more Free Incoming, at all. At least for new activations. If you have a Free Incoming plan, you can keep it.

8. Q: What does Sprint offer for business customers now then?
A: Our Business Essentials are good for business customers.

9. Q: So the Business Essentials plan will benefit the business-type customer?
A: Businesses that liked Free Incoming, in my opinion, were usually one-person businesses. Most large corporations prefer large shared minute plans. Also, if you combine a free incoming plan, with a data package, it was almost as expensive as the Everything Plan.

10. Q: What is up with the $10 DirectConnect add-on? Wouldn't they want that included; especially to let people take advantage of the new qChat phones?
A: That's easy. Because Sprint and Nextel can now share, it would waste money to include it in a plan if only one person has a Direct connect phone or use the feature. Now you can have four lines, the three Sprint dont need it, the one Nextel line can add it.

11. Q: What is all the lines on a plan were Nextel DirectConnect phones; wouldn't that be $40 worth of add-ons?
A: Yeah, it would be $40. Looking at big picture, most Buisness Essential plans are used by people with Direct Connect such as multi-line plans, which do include Direct Connect, and the talk/message/connect plans have it included as well.

12. Q: The 5GB data plans are showing that if you go over by one GB it will cost $30,720 in overage fees. (you do the math). Is that the true cost, or a misprint?
A: I believe that is a misprint, but I will check when I get back to work tommorow. Historically though ovearge fees are .001 cents per KB so that is what leads me to believe it is a misprint.

13. Q: Why is DirectConnect not included in Family Plans?
A: If all plan codes were the same, we would not be able to add a connect plan on a non connect phone, so its making it easier on Cusotmer service too.

14. Q: Why is the Samsung Instinct limited to Simply Everything plans?
A: The Samsung Instinct is not limited only to the SE plans. The Instinct can also be activated on the three individual everything plans, in addition to the 1500 and 3000 talk/message/data plans.

15. Q: Why the limitations for the new Instinct, doesn't Sprint want it to be a good selling point?
A: Yes, most definantly. But why sell a multimedia phone to people who dont use/want those features? We're actually beening trained to only suggest the phone to people that want all the features it can do, otherwise they would be better off with a rumor or LG muziq or something of that sort. Its like the people who buy a blackberry but dont want data, it makes no sense.

16. Q: When is the Airave coming out?
A: I wish I knew for sure. But rumor has it, the Airave is due to launch in October of this year. Its not official or anything, just rumors.

17. Q: Since the new plans can have both iDEN, CDMA, and PowerSource phones on them, will the grandfathered plans such as PowerPack or Free Incoming be able to have mulitple lines, or add qChat?
A: The old plans are not able to add qChat, unfortanuntly. And as it was with old plans iDEN and PowerSource can share; but CDMA can not.

18. Q: Are there any renewals for getting put on a new plan?
A: Nope, as always you can change your plan without a renew of contract.

19. Q: So Sprint is offering the 1500 and 3000 minute plans. Why is there not a median plan offering something of 2100 minutes?
A: Because theres not that much room between 1500-3000. If they added like, 2100 it would make the 3k more expensive. Right now the 3k is cheap enough to upgrade from 1500.

20. Q: So, SERO plans are staying; and can the PDA's still be put on SERO plans?
A: As far as I know, yes. They are still offered on the SERO website and SERO comes with data bundled. So, as long as data is bundled a PDA will work.

21. Q: What about the requirement for data to submit a mail-in-rebate on a PDA. So now all PDAs will qualify since data is bundled?
A: I haven't actually seen in the system if its possible to active a PDA on a non bundled plan. So at least for activations on Sprint.com yeah, the bundles count towards the requirement for mail-in-rebate. If it does become possible to remove the data option, the $25 dollar plan is still required for the rebate on a PDA.

22. Q: Do you know if Pick3 is coming back?
A: Pick3 was never officially released to the public. It was always an Account Services offer. And I have not heard of it being launched.

23. Q: Can bonus minutes be added to the new plans? What about monthly discount credits?
A: I know with the unlimited minutes, no other discounts can be applied, and bonus minutes would be useless. I know with the other plans the employee discount is available so that means monthy credits are, but not both, one or other as it has been in the past. And other perks are available with all plans, except the SE.

24. Q: Will qChat work on the Sprint Rev0 or 1xRTT network?
A: qChat uses the RevA network, so I don't think any other network would work.

25. Q: Will qChat phones work while roaming on, say ALLTEL?
A: Not sure about that one, but per the coverage map I would have to say probably not. But I will check when I get back to work.

26. Q: When is the national launch of qChat going to be?
A: Hopefully by years end!

27. Q: Add-a-lines are now $20...
A: Only on shared plans that include data. All other add-ons are still $9.99 per line, unless the Direct Connect option is selected for an additional $10 per line.

28. Q: With the 900 minute ($59) plan, and the Unlimited plan ($99), that is a $40 gap. Is there a reason for that?
A: Not that I can see, but I would love to see a $79 plan with 1350 minutes; like Verizon offers. E-Mail dan@sprint.com and let him know!

29. Q: And the 6PM N/Ws are still available with compatible plans. Right. But 7PM is standard...
A: Yes, that all remained the same.

30. Q: So most plans include M2M but charge for DC, while some include DC but charge for m2m, and yet no plan icnludes both except the unlimited plans?
A: Well the individual talk/message/connect and individual everything include both. For families, all include only m2m and Direct connect can be added per phone.

31. Q: Can Phone-As-Modem (PAM) plans be added to these new rate plans?
A: At this time, PAM can not be added to the Everything Plans, or plans that included Data.

32. Q: Currently qChat phones are only available in Sprint stores, and through telesales. When will qChat phones be available for online purchase?
A: Oh, that will be with that nationwide roll out. Right now we only sell qChat phones in store and through telesales to ensure the people who order them, have coverage in the area they live.

33. Q: Are the old PowerPack, and Free Incoming being added to the Retentions arsenal?
A: Seeing as no historical plan has ever been, I doubt it. They have their own plan codes to pick from.

34. Q: Will the PowerPack and Free Incoming codes still be in the system, just in case a customer with that plan got something messed up and needed it to be fixed?
A: The Free and clear and F&F are, I dont see why these would be any different.

35. Q: Why the increase in ala carte text messaging packages?
A: Text Messaging packages are now at $5.00 for 300 messages, $10 for 1,000 messages, and $20 for unlimited messages. The reason for this price increase is that these packages now include PictureMail, and no data plan is required.
Click to expand...

Copied and pasted this, thought it might help clear up some stuff and answer a few questions you guys might have - I know it helped me!

Kalimotxo · Jun 15, 2008

Hmmm... Very interesting

RJB · Jun 16, 2008

EHHH only is they had it here.

SmArTeStChIlD421 · Jun 23, 2008

it doesnt shed light on much except that Airave is coming in October and they hope to have QChat fully operational by years end....

but other than that it is very informative.......like how M2M and Direct Connect are slowly not becoming standards

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OFFICIAL: qChat (and new plans) Q&A Interview from Sprint Employee

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OFFICIAL: qChat (and new plans) Q&A Interview from Sprint Employee

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