Psst - Have you Heard about Everything Plus?
By now, I’m sure everyone has heard about Sprint’s groundbreaking Simply Everything plans, but here’s an even better twist!
Everything Plus is Sprint’s new employee referal plan which takes the Simply Everything plans and makes them even better!
For example, the lowest priced Simply Everything plan is $69.99 for 450 Anytime minutes (and of course, unlimited text, web, TV, music, navigation, Direct Connect, etc.).
The equivalent Everything Plus plan is $59.99 for 500 Anytime minutes (and all that unlimited stuff).
There’s also a discounted 1000 minute plan at $79.99 and the unlimited plan at $99.99.
Interested? Check it out here. My e-mail address (you’ll need it) is russ.s.mcguire@sprint.com and the 3 digits you’ll need are 383.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Dude, the Everything plan sucks! I have the Sero and its way better than that. And Sprint would not give me the Instinct Phone to be placed on my Sero plan. My plan has all the same features as the Simple Everything plan. Why would I pay double just so i can use the Instinct phone? You are trying to compete with the iPhone brand with a Instinct?? Please. It does not even up to par with it. Stop spending so much money on advertisments for this phone and use the money to bring better phones to the market. Also by changing the price structuring, and not letting customers with SERO plans to go on the Instinct, you will see alot of departures from you loyal customer base. The reason why people came to sprint these past two year is becuase of you very reasonable plans.
But now that you have decided to take it away, I think people will think twice before renewing the contract. I know I am. My contract is almost up. And If Sprint forces me to switch plans to be able to get the Instinct, I rather pay a little more to get on the iPhone.
You guys really shot yourselves in the foot with this one. Great job! Look at your stock price!! woohooo!
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:55 am
I think promoting an expensive Employee referral plan over the existing one will not bring in additional customers.
I had recommended friends and family to switch over since Sprint’s offering was reasonable and affordable now no-more…Can you imagine the bad-mouthing I would get if I start telling the same people that I recommended not to go-to Sprint anymore? where is my credibility?
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:46 pm
CW and Praveen,
Thanks for the feedback. I hear what you’re saying.
At the same time, response seems to be very strong to the new Everything Plus plans (at least if the number of hits this post is receiving is any indication).
I believe that mobility is becoming much more than just talking on a cell phone. That’s what this blog and my book are all about. However, the industry has historically been structured to create challenges (e.g. surprise bills) for folks who do more than just talk. At Sprint, we hope to revolutionize mobility by making it simple, instant, and compelling. We have a bunch of initiatives underway to make this happen, but our “Everything” pricing is a big part of it, so it only makes sense to switch our employee referral plan to focus on “everything” plans.
Obviously, these plans won’t be the best choice for everyone, but if you see mobility as more than just talking, I’m pleased to let you know about these options.
Thanks again for the feedback!
July 24th, 2008 at 11:48 am
I hope Sprint is not going to shaft the people who already are on the SERO plan. I don’t want to try and renew and get told that I have to renew under the new, double the price plan. I find it outrageous that Sprint is limiting the phones that can be connected to the SERO plan; will this madness continue with upcoming phones such as the Touch Pro and Diamond? If so, it’s off to the GSM carriers with the cooler phones
July 24th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
[...] to the blog posting of Russ McGuire,Vice president of strategy for [...]
July 24th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Hello,
I recently found out about the switch from SERO to Everything Plus. As a Sprint customer over the past several months that has been generally dissatisfied over the customer service I have received (although not recently…it’s been getting much better) I would never have seen myself converting my friends and family to Sprint users via SERO. But I did, and I brought in about six new customers that were all previously loyal T-Mobile and ATT folk.
While 6 (+1, myself) customer won’t make or break a company, I do know that I will no longer be referring any more people to Sprint with the current price plan. When my contract expires and if I’m not offered my current SERO plan, I’ll also be going back to T-Mobile. Doubling the cost of my plan to get exactly what I’m getting now is ridiculous on a great deal of levels. It just doesn’t make any financial, or logical sense.
On a more unrelated note, I’m digging the new Sprint commercials!
July 24th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
The old Sero plan had unlimited data/text/picture 7pm nights 500 minutes.
So we DO see it as more than just talking.
Double the price 30 vs 60, IS asking too much Mr. McGuire
July 25th, 2008 at 5:51 am
Well, SERO was a great plan that was offered. Unfortunately, I missed it. However, considering what’s available out there that’s comparable now to the Everything Plus Plan, Sprint has a chance to compete. The question is whether Sprint can improve their customer service which is horrendous. I recently signed up and purchased the Instinct less than 30 days ago and would love to switch to this Everything Plus Plan. (Any suggestion?) In comparison to my friends iphone, the instinct had much faster internet. So, if Sprint can improve on making sure their customer service reps know what they are doing when they help their customer instead of making them wait so long and playing phone tag, I think Sprint has a chance to grow. My 2 cents.
July 25th, 2008 at 6:07 am
Just a quick note to acknowledge a few things…
I have my blog set up to moderate comments to filter out spam. As you’ll notice, I’m approving many comments that are negative towards Sprint and/or this offer. That’s the beauty of blogging - many voices are heard and valid. There are a couple that were just slamming the company and/or me without contributing to the discussion. Those haven’t been approved. Feel free to express your opinions but please do so in a respectful manner. Also please note that sometimes I get busy and it’s a few days before I get around to moderating comments. I apologize for those delays.
Finally, I’d like to acknowledge that Sprint has had it’s challenges on a number of fronts. Customer service and churn are big. So is financial performance (e.g. see http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSWNAS281920080228 ). I believe that our new leadership has the company heading in the right direction.
Our new CEO, Dan Hesse, has the entire company focused on three priorities:
- Improve the customer experience
- Establish a strong brand position
- Improve profitability
There’s tension between these three, but I believe we’re making good progress on all fronts. Many of the comments here reflect the challenges that we’re addressing, so I hear you…
Thanks to everyone for the feedback!
July 25th, 2008 at 9:29 am
I have been with sprint for a whopping 12 years. My hair has been pulled more times than I care to remember due to Sprint’s CSRs. The only…and I reiterate…ONLY reason I have stayed with Sprint is (was) the great pricing. Taking that away gives people like myself much much better alternatives than Sprint. Good luck with the FUTURE Sprint…fool with my current plan and I wont be part of it.
July 25th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I actually think the everything plans are great.
I am a graduate student at the university of florida right now and I find it incredibly convenient to be able to get on my motorola q9c and surf the internet as much as I want, text as much as I want, and get e-mail as much as I want.
I have been a sprint/nextel customer for almost 2 years now and I just have one question about this referral program…
I know this employee referral program only applies to New plans, but since my contract ends in 1 month, can I somehow scoot into the employee referral program by getting a new contract with sprint?
I could essentially save $10 a month and get 50 more minutes a month, this would be greatly helpful since I am a student.
Thanks Russ!
Regards,
Adam Wright
July 25th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Adam,
The referral plan is for new plans, no migrations. I’m guessing that means that you’d be challenged in porting your existing cellphone number to the new plan, but it’d be worth a try.
Russ
July 25th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Mr. Mcguire;
Great to hear that Sprint is trying to change things around, I have the old SERO plan and it’s great. The new SERO is also a great offer, especially if you own a blackberry.
My opinion to the negative comments is simple; you can’t satisfy everyone.
Even when doing a price comparison Sprint is the most for your money. The customer service is turning around (which is great), and the services offered by Sprint are great. The only downside is the limited devices, but I’m sure you all know that, and are working towards it (i.e Instinct, HTC devices).
For people who only talk and text every-so-often, then this plan might not be for them, but for those that use their phones for everything, this is a great offer. I’m happy that Sprint has come around. I’ve been with Sprint, AT&T/Cingular, VZW, and now back at Sprint. Every carrier has it’s issues, and I’ve had my fair share of disagreements with all. I’m happy to be a Sprint customer, and look forward to staying with Sprint (so long as the improvements keep coming).
July 25th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
I, too, have been a loyal customer and, considering that many companies have their faults, have been pleased with Sprint. I must agree, however, the primary reason for staying with Sprint is the fact that their prices are better than any other carrier, when comparing apples to apples. Regarding this new plan, it essentially forces one to pay for the BIS (which used to be a $30 option). For those with a BB, there is essentially no difference from SERO. For others, the plan is more expensive than the old SERO plans.
Russ, one question remains. I currently receive a 23% discount as a SERO plan subscriber. Does this continue with the Everything Plus Plan?
July 25th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Raj,
I’m guessing you’re referencing a discount on accessories. I haven’t heard any mention of that, so I wouldn’t count on it. Sorry!
Russ
July 26th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Those complaining about this price are insane. Show me ANY US operator with a cheaper Blackberry/voice/messaging plan. Even the cheapest (till now) operator in the market, T-mobile would be more expensive. Plus, their network is still running that damn slow EDGE.
I agree that it isn’t as hot as SERO, but I think we all need to be grateful that Sprint let SERO stay open as long as it did. Sure, it generated a lot of goodwill for them, and helped bring a lot of customers back to them, but they were under no obligation to let us get in on that deal for as long as they did.
I signed up with SERO fully expecting to cancel withing the first 30, because everyone I knew said how horrible they “heard” Sprint was. Turns out every one of them was wrong. I’m getting great speeds, great coverage, great voice quality and the few times I had to call them, it’s been a pleasant experience.
The only thing I don’t like, is that they keep sending my bill in duplicate every month.
July 26th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Wow thanks for posting this information. I am also a loyal customer who just signed a new contract. But Sir, Sprint really needs to pick up their game. I want to see some massive innovation that will drive verizon and at&t customers to sprint! Sprint already has good coverage, prices, and an unbeatable data network. But is seems like more and more of my friends have verizon because of their ever “sweet” phones and of course At&t has the iPhone. Sprint is going to have to do some risky revolutionary things to gain on verizon and at&t.
It seems to be that an everlasting battle between verizon and at&t is inevitable. So for Sprint to compete there must be new innovative ideas….
Why not start a Campus Rep program on college campuses? Both Dell and Apple sponsor programs like this through Repnation, LLC (I am a Dell Campus Rep). A huge amount of college students get off their family plans and get on individual plans in college….plus alot of them use their phones more in college and are looking for better plans. Imagine walking into the Student Union and seeing a Sprint table with knowledgeable students from your school able to provide you with lots of information about why you want Sprint. Then have a special discount or a better Simple Everything Plus plan just for college students with .edu emails.
Why not open up a couple of Sprint’s phones to open source software. Let the customers do the innovation and I guarantee you will see a huge “geek” crowd move to Sprint.
Also why not start a Sprint version of Dell’s Idea Storm?
(http://www.dellideastorm.com/)
It is the small things like these that will help Sprint gain an edge on verizon and at&t.
- Josh from the University of Toledo
July 26th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Thanks for this Russ. However when I go to the site and I enter in your information, it’s not working. Any suggestions?
July 26th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
i had a question about the sero plans..how would we go about using your employee ID and email if we go in stores? how do we explain to them how we got your information? i know you are giving it out yourself, but i didn’t want to get stuck in a rut or anything if i used your info. im planning on switching from att to sprint in sept. thanks
July 26th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
[...] need to enter Russ’s employee information. Find the referral info at Mr. McGuire’s website or just keep [...]
July 27th, 2008 at 12:32 am
I’ve been a Sprint customer for almost a decade, and traded up devices many times before my contract expired. The most frustrating thing I find with Sprint or CDMA carriers is having your phone tied to your service account. Why should a carrier care what device I use on the network? I can only think its a market ploy and of course money. As the poster CW stated on switching to a new device (the Instinct), Sprint is looking to double dip. Charge him for the phone and new service contract. Gee Wiz, sell him the phone un-subsidized, and let him keep his plan.
I think Sprint would introduce something the other carriers have not, and segragate the device from the service plan. Hey, you may charge a re-activation fee for changes more than 1 a year or such. And sure sell sub-sidized phones with contracts.
Lastly, customer service for all carriers is losey. Customer service today in general is lost and is extremely expensive. I’ve had my own troubles with my family plan, and servicing my works accounts (on other carrier). Each are lengthy calls that channel the customer into a scripted troubleshooting guide, and eventual frustration.
So, my next phones or service plans will be based on? First is the device, followed by the service plan. Nice blog.
July 27th, 2008 at 5:24 am
Josh - thanks for the good ideas.
Shawn (and others who have emailed) - try again later. I’ve gotten the same message a couple of times, but then later it works just fine.
Lynn - I think this offer might only be available online. You might try using it in a store, but don’t be surprised when they point you back to online to complete the transaction.
Jeff - as I understand it, we do lots of testing and tweaking of phones that arrive from manufacturers to make sure they work well with all the configurations of equipment from different vendors that we have in our network to make sure the devices work the best possible on our network. Verizon and Alltel generally do the same thing, so it must have something to do with CDMA. I’m not technical enough to fully understand it. But thanks for the input.
As far as subsidization… From your comments, I think you know that, depending on the phone, our cost for the phone from the manufacturers is as much as a couple hundred bucks more than what we charge the customer. We’re okay with that because we know, when a customer signs a two year contract, that we’ll get that money back over the life of the contract. Our market research indicates that the vast majority of people aren’t willing to pay the unsubsidized price for a device, but market research sometimes is wrong, so at times we debate internally on this topic. The other issue on contracts is that there are other up-front costs in setting up a new account or a new device on an existing account that we also need to have confidence we’re going to get back over the life of the contract. These costs tend to be smaller than the device subsidy, things like the cost of the retail channel (store, online, dealer) that, in other industries are simply added to the raw cost of the product before the price is set. If we don’t think folks will pay an unsubsidized price (our raw cost from the manufacturers), we’re pretty confident folks won’t pay our raw cost plus our other selling/setup costs. Our real focus is on trying to create differentiation so that our service is so great that folks want to stay even when they aren’t locked into a contract. We aren’t there yet (yes, you can label that as an understatement). But that’s what we aspire to.
Thanks for the comments everyone. Thanks to all of you who are Sprint customers, especially those that have hung with us a long time. And thanks to all the new customers who are giving Sprint a try with the Everything Plus plan.
Russ
July 27th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
[...] need to enter Russ’s employee information. Find the referral info at Mr. McGuire’s website or just keep [...]
July 27th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
[...] need to enter Russ’s employee information. Find the referral info at Mr. McGuire’s website or just keep [...]
July 28th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Russ,
I can see the general idea behind the new Everything Plus plan. But for people that were /are on the older $30 SERO, I can see how they would fail to see the value. Everyone how did have or is on the older $30 plan generally knew it was being abused by a lot of people. There are websites/blogs DEDICATED for the sole purpose of showing you how to “get one over” on Sprint and get signed up on SERO without even knowing anyone who actually worked there. It was really just a matter of time before it had to get restructured. For the most part, a lot of data services (TV,GPS,Music) werent even around when the pricing was thought up, And the fact that it was just $.05/minute for overage really was helping Sprint either. People abused i think the overage more the anything. Either way though, for anyone just now hearing about this program, it still is a GREAT Deal. Considering that with every other carrier you are gonna be being at least $20 more for something similar.
Being a former long time sprint customer, but now turned employee, i can definitely say that there has been a huge shift in the way Customer Service issues are handled, i used to hate the day my bill would arrive, because i knew something was more then likely wrong somehow, and i knew that the rest of my day was gonna being either on the phone trying to get someone to help me and not just transfer me around. The move to the CSAT compensation structure i feel was a major part in the turn around.
As far as our network though, i am really glad we are making a push become a more DATA focused company. Seeing some of the demos with Xohm, and having attended several tech seminars with HTC and Windows Mobile have me really excited about some of the things that are coming out later this year. And being a MAJOR geek myself, I still cant get over the fact that we inked a deal with INTEL AND GOOGLE! As far as an open standard goes in the, i think WiMAX and Android will have that covered.
July 29th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
wow I am very suprised by all the repsonse from the people. Some time you have listen to the customer’s imputs instead of forcing upon customers what “Internally” is deemed good for the customers. Be different, be special, be revolutionary. I think we are on the tipping point of the wireless industry. It is time for something different.
To clarify my comparison between the iphone. The iphone is Brand. Its not just “cool” phone. It is a brand and image of the consumers that use it. To be hones, the phones’ feature are a bit more fancy than what they have on the instinct. Belive I played with both phones.
Sure, Instinct internet speed may be greater than that of the 3G ver. of the iphone. But application, the OS, the 3rd party application is better than that of the Instinct. It is not on par at all with the iPhone. Just my opinion.
Once again as said before above, Branding or Image is very important in this matter. The iPhone is an icon, a brand, a declaration of the uniqueness of each individual’s self. Shallow as it may sound, but is is our inherient psyche that we pay attention to these types of social nomrs.
I think for Sprint’s future, as mentioned above by another author, you need to really step up you game. I am not sure what the age demographics is at Sprint corporate. But you really need to get some young guns in to work for you to close that generation gap. The new generation is not good a being told what they should like and want. They are more inclined to do that themselves. And when you tell them what they want or should do they usually turn the other way.
I think you should take a look at the new data related to the new services that are being offered right now. Sinece the industry right are all offering similar plans. The reason people defect from carriers maybe new handsets that come out.
Maybe sprint should consider revamping handset upgrade plans. Just tweakign that may give people incentive to stay. If you were to give me options to change phone every 6 months at discount, I d enjoy that very much.
Just my 2 cents.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I have been a sprint customer since 1993 and converted my entire family to the sero plan a year ago. I read some of your blog comments that suggest the sero plan will expire when your 2 year contract expires. Is this true?
In the past your sprint plan always stayed the same even after your contract ended unless the customer requested a new plan. Does sprint plan to cancel all sero plans at the end of the 2 year contract and if so what plan will they force on us?
I also tried to login to review the new Everything referral plan by using your email and 3 digit # and this is the what comes up:
Sorry! Our records indicate that the Sprint employee who extended this offer to you has reached their referral activation limit for the program.
For inquiries related to the referral limit, please have the referring Sprint employee send an email to SERO_Program@sprint.com from their sprint.com email address.
Thank You.
July 29th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Hi Russ,
I tried using your email addr & employee ID but sprint says you have maxed out your referrals. I’d love to switch over to the ‘new’ SERO plan but I guess its getting frustrating trying to. I’ve been with Sprint for over 12 years now. It would be great to finally catch some sort of break. I heard about the original SERO plan about a month ago but getting a new phone and having 2 contracts with Sprint wasn’t in my budget. I talked to Sheila in customer service for the SERO plan and she was awesome. I only wish I had asked her for a referral! Oh well.
Best regards,
Barbara
July 30th, 2008 at 4:37 am
Barbara,
Thanks for being a longtime loyal customer.
I found out about the new message folks are receiving yesterday. I have a note into the e-mail address included in that message to find out what’s up. I’d originally heard there wasn’t any limit. I’ll let you know what they say when I hear back.
Russ
July 30th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
For those who have been waiting…
I received a note today from the Everything Plus folks saying that there is no limit on the number of referrals. Sure enough, when I then tried it again, the message about maxing out the referrals was gone.
Feel free to give it a shot.
Russ
July 30th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Sprint - Customer service keeps getting better
Ok - Now that you guys have received a tons of negative comments about customer service, I would like to say that so far, my experience has been great (I have been customer for last 1 year). The people are polite, clear the mess and ready to help. Keep it up.
July 30th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I’ve been Sprint customer for 9 years with 5 lines of service on Family Plan. Sprint has taken away my NVP discount and my monthly charges are now $80 more than what I used to pay. Sprint is no longer competitive with their new pricing. I understand that Dan Hesse is trying to - “Improve profitability”. But when you’re doing it at the expense of your long time customers, it’s a losing proposition. It costs less to retain your customers than to gain new ones. We’ll see how long Hesse will last when customers are jumping ship. I know I’ll be going over to AT&T.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:02 am
Yeah Nomad, I will jump ship also if Sprint would not let me use me current plan on the HTC Touch Pro when it comes out in fall. I have no incentive to stay if they keep forcing people to change plans
July 31st, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Well, I hope that when my old sero plan ends I’ll be allowed to stay on the same billing/contract price/plan. I use my phone for light browsing, I paid the 300 dollars for the mogul (even though there is no way you guys are paying 550 a handset, nobody buys that) and I am okay as long as I don’t need to call customer service, even today, I’m going to get somebody that has no clue what is going on. Take for example, I called a week back, I moved from FL to NC and was still being billed for FL taxes. Even though the NC tax is more, I wanted Sprint to update it to make sure that Sprint did not get in trouble. When I brought this up to the rep he assured me that everything was fine and that it was because I had used the phone in FL. When I told him that I hadn’t been in FL for 4 months, he changed his story to “it’s because you have a florida number” Then I asked for his supervisor… was put on hold for 15 min, and when he got back to me he said that his supervisor fixed it. So not only was I refused talking to the supervisor as I had asked (which I’m sure is a policy, as I work in a call center) but he also tried to give me two false reasons as to why it was wrong… Sprint Customer service is horrible, even in the recent changes, it’s still just as bad. Not only that, but to charge the current sero customers (those of us who actually got a legitimate post card from you) almost double what we already pay, for adding BB services, which I don’t have a BB. I for one will be going back to T-mo or maybe even ATT for the iphone. I paid 300 dollars for the best phone you have, and it still pales in comparison to the other providers. I would suggest that if you wish to keep the current sero customers.. you need better handsets. HTC makes a number of great devices, some of which Sprint won’t carry. Having spoken to HTC reps, and their supervisors, the price you pay for a handset might be about the same as what we pay, maybe a little more, but not the insane prices you claim on your site. Palm does not charge you 300 for the centro, and HTC does not charge 550 for the Titan (mogul), so please don’t try to pull the cover over our eyes and make pretend that you’re charging us WAY less then what they charge you for the handsets. Understand that the sero plan is the only reason I left t-mo, and for 60 bucks, I can get a better plan more suited to what I need. Once my contract for the 30 a month plan is over, if I am not offered the same plan, I will leave, and sell my handset to somebody on ebay. I use less then 200 min a month, and very very light data, I will probably have to move to a pre-paid plan if this is what I’m forced into paying.
July 31st, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Hi Russ, I just wanted to thank you for publishing your email address and employee info to allow for referrals. I think the new everything plus plans will be a bit better for profitability than the old SERO plans were.
I have a mogul on a SERO 500 plan (old school SERO), I’ve had it about a year now, and I’ve been tethering for light mobile internet needs. Lately I have found myself using it more and more frequently, so when I saw you post your referral info, I decided to pick up a Compass 597 datacard on the $49 data plan this evening. Thanks again for making this possible, you more than doubled the income sprint is going to receive from me every month!
Thanks again!
-Matt
August 1st, 2008 at 8:15 am
For those on the previous SERO plan, I’ve been told that existing SERO customers on the legacy SERO rate plans are grandfathered and can remain on these plans indefinitely.
However, the Instinct is not available on the previous SERO plan, so upgrading to the Instinct will require changing to this new Everything Plus plan. Otherwise, there shouldn’t be any need for concern.
August 1st, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Russ,
Thanks for the update, where you mentioned that SERO plans are grandfathered. That is very good news. Now I am trying to get my sister change from tmob to sprint, and want a similar plan, but the CSR is clueless as to how to go about it.
I will call 1-800.sprint-1 and let you know how it goes
August 2nd, 2008 at 10:57 am
Russ, this isn’t bad but you guys have had better plans, hell you have had better promotions. I have been a subscriber for about 5 years. Currently you guys are killing me with my current plan and about 70% of the time not sending me my bill. I added a line w/ insurance and limited text messaging (about 15-18 a month) to a 70 dollar plan yet my bill is 120-130 every month without going over and that is with my Dell employee discount
as far as your cost for the phone I refuse to believe you pay more than 20 dollars for 90% of the phones you offer.
Your customer care and retentions has done a poor job of handling any of my complaints or issues and as a result unless it changes I will be changing providers when this contract expires.
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I wanted to add that I really like Josh’s ideas about pushing Sprint to college students.
I’m an undergrad student and I’m currently on SERO 500 and loving it.
There’s a lot of potential for growth if Sprint offers a cheap plan targeted and marketed towards students/younger people. I told all my friends about my plan and ended up getting 3 referrals in my first month with Sprint. The fact is there are millions of students who want things like unlimited SMS & data but don’t care for the extra things (BIS, Navigation, …) and if they can get that for less than 1/2 the price of a comparable AT&T/Verizon/T-Mobile plan they would do it in a heartbeat. I know I jumped on SERO as soon as I heard about it. I think the churn rate on such a service would be really low, too. Now that I have been using data services like Google Maps, mobile web, etc., I can’t imagine going to a plan with only voice/SMS.
The thing about the old SERO is nobody really knew about it and so it only spread via word of mouth and web forums, which is exactly what it was intended to do. I think a relaunch of a discount 500 minute plan with unlimited SMS & data that was marketed towards younger people and at an affordable price point ($35-40/month?) would be incredibly successful.
In addition to a new plan targeted towards younger people, there should be a new phone(s) that offer advanced features. Young people use technology more than most people, and a smart phone targeted towards us would be really successful. The Centro was a good start, but it has some flaws. A similar phone with improvements like a better web browser and EV-DO Rev. A would sell like hotcakes at a hotcake sale.
I know Hesse wants to improve profitability, and I don’t know how much Sprint would make off a $35-40 plan like that, but even if it were only $5 / month net per user if you had a few million subscribers that’s a decent chunk of change.
August 4th, 2008 at 4:39 am
In regards to the idea of plans targeted towards younger people, I would advise they keep in mind what happened to Amp’d Mobile, a verizon MVNO last year. They marketed to the young’uns, and since most people in their target demographic had little to no credit, they made it really easy to get into a contract, because the credit check was a joke. Then executives wrung their hands months down the road when 80% of their customers were not paying their bills on time.
August 5th, 2008 at 12:35 am
Hi there, I’ve been trying to use your information to get the Everything plus deal but when I enter it in it states that I’m not allowed to enter that portion of the website. Any additional tips for me? Thanks
August 5th, 2008 at 1:44 am
Heather,
Over the past several weeks I’ve gotten a bunch of e-mails from Sprint saying something like “we were unable to help you on your recent visit to our website…” I’m guessing that these messages get generated to me when folks were unable to get in to the referral site. Yesterday I got more of these than normal, so I’m guessing there was something causing more challenges than normal (more folks signing up maybe?). In general, I’ve found that if I wait a while and then try again, I can get in. I just tried and it worked for me, so maybe if you try again it will work.
Thanks,
Russ
August 6th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Matt: Amp’d Mobile was targeted at the VH1/MTV/Motocross demographic. I would never have signed up for them because I didn’t take them seriously as a company, and frankly I would have been embarrassed to be seen with any phone with an “Amp’d” logo.
The demographic I was thinking of was the “University Student” demographic; 18-30 year olds who are smart, tech savvy, and cheap/broke as hell. Every college student has a cell phone, and every one of them wishes they had a cheaper plan that has more features. If someone can throw a great plan in the mix then there wouldn’t be a competition. The only friends I talked to who didn’t switch to SERO were either in contract or on their parent’s line paying $10 a month.
August 6th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Matt and Daniel,
Does UNLTD by Boost do anything for you? I know it’s not available everywhere, but where it’s available, does it meet the need? (http://plans.boostmobile.com/planhub.aspx)
Russ
August 7th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Russ,
Boost also suffers from the same marketing flaws (or, at least things I perceive as flaws) as Amp’d. I do not want a provider whose slogan is “Where you At?”. I do not want to be on your “UNLTD plan”.
Past the marketing, their plans do not do too much for me either. They start out with unlimited calling and add in unlimited data and SMS as the cost goes higher, which is nice if you use a ton of talk time but not too good if you don’t. My personal usage history on SERO has been (avg. since beginning contract) ~250 minutes/~50MB data/~1000-1500 txt. I use the data access to look up movie tickets, watch YouTube on the go, get local business info/directions with Google Maps, check my Facebook, and check my Gmail. Facebook for Palm is a ‘killer app’, and I am kind of disappointed I only got to use it for a few days (see “P.S.”). All of my peers are members of the SMS generation, and 90% of my peer communication is through text or web. If I want to have a lengthy talk with someone, I’ll send them a txt asking if they can meet me somewhere. A plan that offers unlimited text and data, and then adds on more minutes as the price goes up would be much more attractive to me.
I think an Everything plan with the option of removing BIS and/or Navigation for a cheaper plan would be great. Call it “Simply Connected” or something and charge $54.99 for Everything 450 - BIS or Navigation, $39.99 for Everything 450 - BIS & Navigation. To prevent this plan from cannibalizing plans like the $49.99 Talk/Message plan you could only allow one line per contract, making the Talk/Message plan the choice for family plans and the “Simply Connected” plan the choice for independent consumers.
Daniel
P.S. I will probably be using more data in the future, since I recently (8/4/2008) upgraded to a Treo 800w. At first I didn’t believe what people said about the Centro being a “gateway drug”, but now I’m living proof.
August 7th, 2008 at 4:32 am
Thanks for the excellent input Daniel. I’m passing it along to the folks in our marketing group.
BTW - I must’ve missed something. Why were you only able to use Facebook for a few days?
Russ
August 7th, 2008 at 9:25 am
I didn’t hear about the Facebook for Palm app until last Saturday, and i switched to the Treo 800w on Tuesday. There is a Facebook app for Windows Mobile, but it isn’t nearly as polished/full featured as Facebook for Palm.
-posted from my new 800w
August 8th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Russ,
Like I mentioned before. You need to get in touch more with your Gen Y (millennials) demographics. We think differently, act differently, and understand our surroundings differently. You should hire Daniel to do marketing.
just my 2 cents.
August 8th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
So, I am looking heavily into getting this, and I fit into the demographic of university student who is poor as hell. Do you think this everything plus plan is a good value, or Russ, do you know if they might do something along the lines of what Daniel suggested? I currently have virgin mobile, I it, but I don’t want to be stuck into a two year contract only to have a better plan fit to my needs at a later date.
Also along those lines, can you switch mid plan or must you ride it out to the end… Because then I could get this now, and if a better/cheaper one came out, go with that.
August 9th, 2008 at 3:38 am
Russ,
I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been with Sprint for over 2+ years now and I joined when the old-Sero was introduced. If I was not on the SERO now, I would get the new Simply Everything for $59.99. Like some one mentioned above, Sprint by far is the cheapest out there for voice,text, and data. The only problem I have is I can’t really use the phone inside my home as I live in an enclosed complex. Thanks for publishing your info so others can enjoy the new Sero plan.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:52 am
I just added a second line to my account which already had the original SERO 500. I know technically you weren’t supposed to recieve any additional company discounts but I still was getting it, for almost a full year.
Does anyone know if you can still get a company discount on the new everything plus or is it a system limitation that will just simply disregard the discount. In that case I might as well just have them change the plan from everything plus to the regular everything plan of 450 minutes.
August 21st, 2008 at 5:29 am
Russ, A previous post says that an existing customer can only take advantage of the offer if a new line of service is opened, but I see a bunch of posts from SERO customers asking about upgrading their current service. So which is it? I’m a long time Sprint customer, but not a SERO customer. If I could upgrade my current service to this, I’d certainly look into it.
If it’s not available to current non-SERO customers, it certainly would be discouraging — making an otherwise happy Sprint customers quite unhappy.
August 21st, 2008 at 7:24 am
Jimmy,
You make a good point. At Sprint, we are increasingly sensitive to the need to treat existing customers better than, or at least as well as, we treat new customers. But sometimes we miss the mark, and you’ve pointed out an example of that. In general, the upgrade from SERO to Everything Plus is there to accomodate SERO customers who want to upgrade to the Instinct (which requires an Everything plan). I’ve dropped a note to my counterpart who is focused on treating existing customers well and am hopeful that we’ll continue to correct cases like this where we’re missing the mark.
Russ
August 21st, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Thanks Russ. I’m glad that the issue has made it to the eyes of someone who can do something about it. I’ve been looking at the Instinct, and the price of the Everything plan is what’s holding me back. (I’d get it tomorrow if it worked with my current visions plan) In fact, it’s made me start looking at other phone alternatives with other carriers, although not upgrading my current Sprint service seems to be the best option right now. I’d love to be able to take advantage of the new program at some point, so feel free to pass along my email address to your counterpart.
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Sero plan for 2 years now and went to upgrade to the instinct.. but was told i had to pay double!!!!!!!!
Bye Bye sprint .. I’m off to At&t
Also my whole family is out of contract in less then a month.. You pissed them down the toilet also
August 27th, 2008 at 12:03 am
ByeSprint: why would you want to go to ATT and pay double for something you can get with sprint..paying double for sprint to upgrade to the instinct would still be cheaper than ATT..i myself am switching from ATT to sprint because of their gawd-awful prices.
thanks russ again for your employee info..i’ll be switching to sprint within a week since my 2 year with ATT will be up :0)
August 27th, 2008 at 5:10 am
Thanks Lynn! And welcome to the family.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:49 am
ByeSprint: If you’re really going to jump ship, please contact me. I’ll take over your SERO plan via Transfer of Liability.
Russ: If i take over the plan, would I be able to get a mogul setup on the plan?
Thanks in advance.
spiffi1@gmail.com
August 27th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Good afternoon Russ & all,
A general comment for me as a non SERO user but someone that helped quite a few friends/family members get on the former SERO plan.
I think the idea behind the “Everything” plan is fantastic, however the rate plan doesn’t float my boat. My phone is my lifeline for business and personal use (Treo 755p). I am on my phone all the time for both data, phone, text etc.
A little background I suppose is in order. I’ve been a Sprint customer for… roughly 6 years and am on an old 2500 min shared business/family plan with 5 total lines. My total monthly bill is approximately $157 and this includes insurance on my primary phone, unlimited text on primary and all the phones have data and at least 500 texts etc.
If there were a more reasonable way to share the plan then I would be all over it but the simple fact for both my business and personal use (along with my family and work lines) are that there are only one or two phones that would benefit from the EVERYTHING/unlimited plan and mostly just the unlimited minutes/data/text portion and of which the unlimited minutes aspect are really the only part that I dont already have access to on my existing plan. Why on earth, if I only need unlimited minutes on one or two lines out of five would I be excited about paying an additional $400 on top of my current plan price.
I regret with a passion that I missed the roughly week long opportunity to jump on the unlimited/everything plan at the original plan price with the ability to share with multiple lines at a much more reasonable rate.
On a customer relations note (while i have a soapbox). I’m a little irritated with my most recent customer service experience. The reps that I spoke with were very nice/polite but my issue was absolutely not resolved. One of the changes to my plan a year or so ago was to be promo’d into the nights/weekends starting at 7pm (instead of 9pm). This resulted in a monthly credit to my account to offset the cost. Well, 3 months ago my Treo ran into connection problems and would state that the data network was unavailable, even when it was. This required several reconnection attempts every time you wanted to do something via data. Not life ending but annoying when you use data regularly. The fix for this (i was told) was because my plan was so old that I needed to be moved into a new data code. Great I thought and after it was done my connection issues went away.
A few weeks after this fix however I got notified that my sprint picture mail was being turned off if I didn’t sign up. Well, i’d had picture mail since day 1 and it was always a part of my data plan. Apparently my new data fix had blown up my picture mail. The solution was that I had to pay for picture mail but the nice rep offered to credit me for the charge. That was great, I would hope that keeping my service at the same level wouldn’t result in a billing increase, especially since it was through no fault of my own.
So, picture mail gets added and a $5 credit shows up, but now I’m no longer getting my credit for the nights and weekends. Several phone calls and reps later (including retention who originally put the promo on nights and weekends on my act) the end result is that I am told that I can only have one discount applied at a time. Well… huh? While i can understand that the system may only allow one line item for discounts, shouldn’t my lone line item now reflect the total of both discounts? The addition of the nights and weekends credit from last year + the picture mail discount which has ALWAYS been free as an included addon for my grandfathered plan.
I received an automated survey call 10 days ago and left feedback that I was not satisfied with the resolution and was told (by the recording) that someone from the “Advanced” support team would be contacting me in the next 5 business days. Its been 8 now and no call.
While I do enjoy my plan, phone and service; on principal I don’t enjoy getting nickeled and dimed for services that I was getting free the day before and am now being charged for because there was a Sprint service issue that I was not responsible for messed up my account.
I hope that a happy middle ground can be found that allows Sprint to grow and develop services that will not alienate we users, especially existing users. While there is no and likely never will be a one size fits all package deal, i would like to see this continue to evolve.
September 6th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
like others i have been a loyal customer with sprint for a long time ( i was originally with nextel because i loved the chirp) i was forecd to got to sprint and thats when i found the the sero plan and signed up for it to be kicked out because its not avail in the chicago land area. go figure . was about to cancel and to at&t to get the iphone but a retentions rep gave me an offer that i could not refuse.
Recently i just upgraded to a simply everything plan when i bought my palm centro at price of 30 dollars( matched a best buy offer at the second store i went too). the first store would not match even though notes were in the system from account managers that i spoke to saying to give me the phone at 30 dollar price. then i was informed that the simply everything plan would not support phone as a modem. lol i found my self being force to take other plans if i wanted to use that feature, that must be fixed and is unacceptable.
The biggest issue is that i had to call customer service for three straight days because my account was messed up from the first retention rep ( he promised me a one year contract but i was put in the system for a two year contract, lucky there were notes that he put in the system backing up my claim that i was supposed to be in a two year contract)
even with the notes i spent almost 10 hours total talk time with all hang ups, being disconnected, put on hold for long periods of time, (even being told that no one would talk to me until they called me back huh????) talking with an escalation manager who did not return any of my phone calls (as he had promised while i was in the sprint store) and given a number that was already in use on a t moble account (i would dial out fine but when some one called me they got the t mobile customer lol) in order to get this situation corrected that in my opinion is totally unacceptable.
the store manager of the first store would not even come out to talk to me even though she came out the she the new lotus phone that will be out offered be sprint in the future ( flip smart phone real nice looking) (said she was in a phone conference store is located on harlem and lake oak park ill.)the best part was that i was asked to take a survey of my experience lol all 1’s and i left a message……… Probably feel upon deaf ears
the only reason i stayed is because……….. i only have to call customer service about once every year or two other then that i love u guys
September 8th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
is there a reason why we can’t add a corporate discount onto a sero plan? thats kinda annoying..pluss..i dont seem to be able to get any invoice credits even tho they’re specifically for those who just activated a new line :0P
September 14th, 2008 at 10:02 am
g’day RM- any updates re your post below? i’m 10yr customer who’s very interested in switching to the 1000min Everything Plus plan.
Quote- Russ Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 7:24 am
Jimmy,
You make a good point. At Sprint, we are increasingly sensitive to the need to treat existing customers better than, or at least as well as, we treat new customers. But sometimes we miss the mark, and you’ve pointed out an example of that. In general, the upgrade from SERO to Everything Plus is there to accomodate SERO customers who want to upgrade to the Instinct (which requires an Everything plan). I’ve dropped a note to my counterpart who is focused on treating existing customers well and am hopeful that we’ll continue to correct cases like this where we’re missing the mark.
Russ
UNQUOTE
September 14th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Hello Russ,
a) This website is an amazing idea! I was just thinking how much I wished we had a line directly into the ear of someone important at Sprint. Lo and Behold, we do!
b) I too am a poor professional (vet) student, and I have a major need for data and text messaging on a mobile device. I waited patiently and missed the old SERO plan hoping for the HTC touch pro to land on Sprint; I am still waiting, but growing more optomistic monthly. Because I work with large animals all the time, it is essential I insure my phone, so I am automatically spending 7 dollars over the cost of the plan a month. That been said, I have accessed, on my student loan riddled budget, that I can spend exactly 45.37 a month without having a major financial crisis.
I realize, I have been a student not-so-slightly longer than alot of other university students, so I have less loan money and more debt, however, the economy is hurting lots of students, and I am assuming none of them are far behind us.
I don’t need GPS service, I own a portable GPS that works great for its job. I don’t need TV on my wireless device, I need access to our E-mail client, and my date book, and probably windows live; since it seems incredibly useful. Is there any realistic chance, in the coming few months, of sprint offering a ’student plan’ that requires an employee referral, a valid university e-mail address, and offers us the ability to pick and choose the parts of a service that we want/need. My needs are totally different from a student who wants GPS, Blackberry Service and Sprint TV, but at the same time, we share the same potential… if Sprint forms a relationship with us now, we are much more likely to remain with the same company. I have stayed with my current provider (not sprint, sorry), for 9 years, because I am with them, their plans are useable, and their service is incredible. So, if Sprint could make a plan that worked in my budget, I would be happy to sign on, and I don’t think I am the only student with needs like these, because I spend every day with 500 people in a similar situation; and with another 60,000 students in the same situation all around me. While this may not be the most financially beneficial now, if it brings in customers to the sprint family, and your customer service keeps us there, that would be an excellent long term financial strategy.
I look forward to hearing fom you, and appreciate your taking the time to consider this message. Keep evolving Sprint; she has improved, but just like everything, there is always room for improvement.
September 15th, 2008 at 4:52 am
dp - thanks for the note. I’m hopeful that comments like yours will continue to remind us to treat existing customers well as we make future policy decisions. I wouldn’t hold my breath on a change to the current Everything Plus policy, but hopefully as future decisions are made, we will value existing customers as highly as new customers. Thanks for your loyalty to Sprint both in your long-time business and in taking time to provide input.
nj - thanks for the note. I’m forwarding it to the team within Sprint focused on marketing to college students. Thanks for your interest in Sprint.
Russ
September 16th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Hello Russ,
Although the everything plus plan is great amongst your competitors, how about a plan that is great amongst your customers? In these trying economic times consumers are looking to save a buck or two which means cutting out all excess spending. When you do what’s right for the customer, in turn what you’re doing what’s what for your business. I applaud you giving your employee information so that others may enjoy a distant relative for the SERO plan. However with the everything plus plan ,your basically telling your customers of SERO that they have to pay double for the same features in order to get a new phone. You should consider a compromise; instead forcing the customer to change their plan you should try charging more for the phone for existing customers. Example: SERO customer wants to purchase a HTC touch diamond ready and willing to sign a new 2yr agreement; price of the phone after all discounts $349.99 as opposed to the $299.99 (it’s just a thought). There has to be some balance, or even options for the customer that already has a SERO plan. I would appreciate any feedback Russ Thanks.
September 27th, 2008 at 9:26 am
I’ve been on a Nextel family plan for the last several years, due to our family construction business.
All I’ve seen is the service steadily getting worse, from signal degradation and dropped calls, to the customer service reps. Its almost like Sprint is TRYING to push customers away. I don’t know if Sprint overall is trying to phase out PTT functionality and/or the Nextel brand, but from my experience it seems the case.
A friend of mine who has the $30 SERO plan convinced me to take a look at it. And what do I find? A plan that has doubled in price, with a limited selection of phones, the inability to port my iDEN number assignment to the network (which is rediculous), and the plan itself containing a bunch of frivolous extras to justify its stupid cost.
All 95% of customers out there want anymore is a certain amount of “anytime” minutes, say 500, and unlimited text. If I want GPS, I’ll get a TomTom, if I want web access, I’m not going to try to read e-mail on a postage stamp sized screen.
With the government bailing out every mismanaged corporate giant while leaving the poor and huddled masses to fend for themselves, its staggering in its audacity to see a company like Sprint/Nextel, with a long history of poor service and poor network performance, to take a plan who’s one saving grace was the cheap price, which made the aggravation easier to swallow, ramp up the price without increasing any of the service to “compete” with the pricing more reliable carriers offer.
WHY would I spend $60 on a plan for at most two bars and 1 in 3 calls dropped while in areas like Palm Beach and Miami, when I could go with another carrier which has substantially better service and features for $70? Ten bucks a month difference is not huge when the consumate benefits of not having to deal with Sprint are realized.
I hope I gave you something to think about, but I know my little post won’t change a thing unfortunately, corporations such as this no longer care about their customer base, since in essence, all consumers are slaves to the corporate giants.
September 29th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
[...] was intentionally made public: E-Mail: russ.s.mcguire@sprint.com Last 3 of CID: 383 (Reference: McGuire?s Law Blog Archive Psst - Have you Heard about Everything Plus?.) This information was made public by Russ Mcguire on 7/16/08, and is posted on this forum so [...]
September 29th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Thanks For Chatting With us. Its Nice To Have Someone Who Knows What Their Doing On The Inside. I have been a nextel customer for 2+ yrs now. I just have the 450min plan with the powersource data plan. I am looking at getting the touch pro when it is released but I didn’t know If I could switch to the everything plus plan, I am eligable for an upgrade I think I would have to hold off for a while If I couldn’t get this deal.
Thanks In Advance For Your Time
Matt
September 30th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Hi, Russ, from an old telco engineer who was designing digital interconnections for cellular providers as far back as 1984. :o)
Bundling of services so that customers are required to pay for services they don’t want or are not even available with their nice new Sprint handsets is an anathema to me.
In years past the wireline communications companies were soundly stomped for doing that, and by federal decree were no longer allowed to do it.
The same should happen to the wireless communication companies if they do not correct the problem themselves.
The new “everything” plans would gain me NOTHING, but cost twice as much.
Heck, my “mil-spec, ruggedized” Sanyo handset doesn’t even have a camera so why would Sprint charge me for picture mail and video mail?
I’m sorry, but I don’t WANT “everything,” and my handset of choice does not support “everything.”
Is there some way to have the features I do not need or want removed, and the cost of those features removed from my bills?
See:
http://forums.buzzaboutwireless.com/baw/board/message?board.id=Plans&thread.id=2031
BTW, the drastic change from SERO to the new plans has also, apparently, drastically changed what I am allowed to do under my SERO plan that I’m still under contract for…
See:
http://forums.buzzaboutwireless.com/baw/board/message?board.id=Plans&thread.id=1957&jump=true
Take care,
Tom
September 30th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Hey Tom,
I don’t get it. Sprint offers plans that don’t include “everything” (our “Basic” plan starts at $29.99 and our “Talk” plan starts at $39.99). You’re free to choose one of those. We aren’t forcing you to buy a bundle. We are generous enough to offer a great price on an everything plus plan as an employee referral offer. And for a period of time, we were insanely generous with a SERO offer that couldn’t be profitable.
Most folks are thankful that Sprint offers, and that I’ve shared my personal info so they can take advantage (if they choose) of a great offer on a bundle. Most folks, like you, who have benefited from the original unbeatable SERO offer are gracious about how generous it was/is. I don’t understand why a few folks need to beat me up over it.
Sprint hopes to be the wireless carrier of choice for those who want to do more than just talk. We also appreciate customers like you who only want to talk, but we’re focused on helping folks discover the full power of mobility.
September 30th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
I don’t mean to “beat you up” over the change of plans, Russ, and I’m not a “talk only” customer. With the two SERO lines I have (about $85/month) we use, total, about 200-300 talk minutes, about 30-50 text messages, and use the GPS (which requires data service…) several times a month.
That little volume of use is I’m certain covered by the $85 you get from me every month. The “insanely generous with a SERO offer that couldn’t be profitable” doesn’t wash for low usage folks. Sorry.
Let me ask you instead, Russ, what you would recommend that would be good for both myself and Sprint. :o)
You have two people on fixed incomes (one disabled, one definitely retired and 83 years old) who need reliable mobile voice, text and GPS, but not a whole lot of each.
For one of us, the Sprint PCS phone is the only phone service. Social Security does not double each year, so there is not much space for doubling the cost of our mobile service with the new plans.
I will grant you that were we customers who used each and every service in our plans to their limits, we would not be profitable, but ARPU is not the only way to look at the value of a customer, Russ.
Revenue minus costs equals profit, and that means that a customer paying you a hundred bucks while using thousands of hours of airtime and massive amounts of data is not more profitable than a customer paying you $85 for a minimal amount of use.
(Also, just because a person does not use as much or as many services does not mean that what they DO use is less important to either them or the provider.)
Please don’t think I’m attacking you or Sprint - I’m really not. Sprint has in my opinion technically the best service, it is just some of their business plans that I question.
Take care,
Tom
October 1st, 2008 at 4:58 am
Thanks Tom,
You’re right, profitability is revenue minus cost. The costs include the upfront cost of establishing the customer (including phone subsidy) and the ongoing monthly costs (including network costs based on usage and other costs of serving the customer, including the amount of time spent with customer service). Our upfront cost of establishing the customer is typically in the $300 - $500 range (depending on where the customer signed up and how much subsidy we had to pay to make the phone attractively/reasonably priced to the customer). If a customer paid us $30 a month and didn’t ever use their phone, it still would take us 10 months to get to break even. Since our SERO plan included unlimited data, it attracted a lot of heavy data users, so actual monthly costs were high. As a plan, the way it was structured, it couldn’t be profitable. It was generous of Sprint to keep that plan out there as long as we did.
For individual customers using that plan, the actual profitability will vary. Low usage customers could possibly be profitable.
To your point, how profitable a customer is and how valuable or important they are are not the same. With some exceptions (e.g. customers who abuse our services and never pay), all of our customers are important. Our #1 priority inside the company is to improve the customer experience, to reduce calls to care (e.g. because our systems and processes have made it hard for customers to do what they want and get the answers they need) and ultimately reduce churn. We still have a long way to go on that priority, but I believe we’re making progress - sometimes it’s two steps forward, one and a half steps back…
Thanks for being a customer.
Russ
October 1st, 2008 at 8:04 am
It amazes me some of the hostility of these posts about this subject. I just checked it out and I was able to get an Intinct on the plan. I went as far as I could without being charged and so far so good. I have the old SERO plan but do not have text included. (Yes, my plan is old). I think Russ put the post out there for people who do not have the plan as a way to help them over to Sprint. I have recently changed one of my phones on the account and they did not switch me over to the Everything Plus Plan. They let me keep my old SERO, I did try to get text but they said that would be $5 a month extra. This is a good plan for those who need all these features or just some of them. You have 30 days to try Sprint, I do suggest in those 30 days you go everywhere to make sure you have coverage. At times I get one bar and it works fantastic still, even internet is faster than dsl at times. Try to price this plan with the exact features on Verizon and ATT and see what you come up with for a total. Occassionally I have had bad customer service from them but overall I am happy. I took part in a JD Power survey about cell phones and I gave Spring high ratings. It is hit or miss with most companies for service. As for specific phones for certain plans, they can do that if they want. It is their company and their goals. LIke everything else it will probably switch. It is that first initial push for a new product that requirements can be goofy. THe Instinct is no Iphone killer, just a good phone. As for the Iphone being a status symbol I don’t quite get that. Anyone can get one, a lot of people have one. I could see it being a cool thing if say only the first 1 million new subscribers to ATT were able to get it and no one else. I see someone driving a Hummer, Porsche, etc as a status symbol because not everyone has one or can get one. So to get back to my main point if I even had one, don’t bash the plan if it doesn’t suit you. Shop around, find another carrier. Sprint needs to make money and making the old Sero into this plan was a smart choice for NEW customers and for Sprint. I haven’t seen anything where they said they would force SERO customers to switch.
October 1st, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Hi Russ,
I was a former IBM Contractor that worked for Sprint. My department was under ex-VP Cindy Rock in customer care. I’ve seen what the company was like three years ago and from the outside looking in I think Sprint is finally on the right track to success. The biggest problem I saw from several VPs was a lack of responsibility. I’m sure many are not happy working under Hesse where he demands results without excuses. I am hoping Sprint takes off and becomes a leader other mobile carriers look up to because the potential is there.
Now I do have a question for you. I would like to sign up for this offer but I am also eligible for a 25% corporate discount. Am I able to combine this offer with my corporate discount? I ask because $69.99-25% is cheaper than $59.99.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:18 am
Tomas - please e-mail me directly at russ.s.mcguire@sprint.com about your SERO Vision/PowerVison problem. I’ve sent you a couple of e-mails and haven’t heard back, so maybe you mistyped your e-mail in leaving the comment…
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:19 am
Brandon - I don’t believe that additional discounts can be applied. Sounds like using your corporate discount against the normal plan is your better bet.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Hello-
Can I still get the SERO plan..?
IM TRYING TO SWITCH TO SPRINT WITH THE EMPLOYEE REFERRAL BUT I STILL THINK THEY’RE A LITTLE PRICY… ANY SUGGESTIONS…?
CAN I STILL GET THE SERO..?
PLEASE HELP!
October 9th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
S,
The old SERO plan is no longer available. Everything Plus is the new referral plan.
October 10th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Hey Russ:
On a SERO to Everything Plus comparison, I think it’s safe to say that the SERO plans easily gave the customer far more bang for the buck. So, from the existing SERO plan user’s point-of-view, these Everything Plus plans do not resonate value (to them, that is).
I, however, am not a SERO plan user. Yet, even I question the real value of Everything Plus. Heck, I actually question the value of all of the current rate plans that SprintNextel offers. Most of the phones SprintNextel offers are completely unable to take full advantage of what any of the SEPs offer. For example, the much lauded Samsung Instinct requires an SEP (or similar data rate plan) in order to use it. Yet, part of the Simply Everything plan’s cost is for PTT. Yet, we all know that the Instinct CANNOT use PTT in any way, shape, or form. That tells me that Sprint is trying to force customers to pay for services that they cannot hope to use. I’m sorry, but as a 12 year Nextel subscriber, that’s simply un-American.
Don’t get me wrong, I like bundling since usually it allows a user to get more for less. However, when you offer such plans, you should also offer phones that are capable of taking full advantage of those plans. Given that only the ic902 can truly take advantage of the Simply Everything plan, it’s pretty disconcerting that Sprint feels the need to dictate to customers that one MUST upgrade to a newer rate plan (even if that newer plan COSTS MORE) in order to use a new handset. To me, that’s insane, and I find it hard to believe that Sprint is willing to lose customers…
Then again, given that this company has already lost 3M+ iDEN post-paid subscribers alone, it shouldn’t surprise me. Now, while I do believe that there is a place for these newer rate plans that SprintNextel is offering, I think that having to FORCE your customers into adopting newer rate plans in order to use these products is criminal.
Either you pay for 450, 900, or unlimited. Given that I currently use around 1500-2000 minutes in a month and pay $60/month for it, it makes absolutely no sense for me to adopt the 450 or 900 rate plans due to voice minute overages. However, adopting any of the unlimited voice plans automatically would cost me at least $20/month more than I’m currently paying.
So, while I despise the current practices, I will also offer a solution or two:
1. STOP requiring current customers into adopting contemporary rate plans when they wish to upgrade to a newer phone. If I wanted (or thought I would benefit from) a newer rate plan, I’d call or go online and have it changed already. Some of us just want to keep our rate plans and get newer phones! If we want the discount, have us commit to a 2-year contract extension. Why force us into adopting a more expensive (to us) rate plan?!? After all, if the rate plan was profitable then, it most assuredly is profitable now too since a customer is still willing to pay you for the services that they’re using anyway.
2. Create newer Free Incoming plans that are limited in data scope, but offer far more voice minutes for the price. After all, the current plans are severely lacking in anytime minutes. Additionally (or alternatively) add more anytime voice minute options to the Talk and Talk/Messaging plans. How about a $60 Talk/Messaging/Limited-Data plan where one has 1500 anytime minutes, unlimited text/picture/video messaging, and unlimited web access? That would at least be decent compared to my current plan. Or how about a Free Incoming Plus set of plans such as the following:
FIP 450 - 450 anytime minutes, unlimited incoming calls, PTT, N&W@7pm, messaging/web for $50/month.
FIP 900 - 900 anytime minutes, unlimited incoming calls, PTT, N&W@7pm, messaging/web for $60/month.
FIP 2000 - 2000 anytime minutes, unlimited incoming calls, PTT, N&W@7pm, messaging/web for $75/month.
After all, if Nextel could afford those types of plans (and they did pre-merger), then with all of the efficiencies that Sprint’s CDMA network offers (not to mention all of the upgrades that is saving this company money every day), then why not pass some of that benefit to the customers that have grandfathered plans?
October 10th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Dragon,
Thanks for the note.
I don’t think you understand the real focus of the Everything plans. They are mostly about unlimited data. Admittedly, the old SERO was a sweet deal (overly sweet from a money losing perspective for the company). The fact that Sprint has thrown in unlimited PTT is a nod to the growing portfolio of CDMA phones with Nextel DirectConnect, and thus the ability to benefit from both unlimited data and unlimited PTT. It’s an attempt to get Sprint’s traditional CDMA customers to get a taste for the beauty of the button without fear of it adding to the bill.
Sprint isn’t forcing anyone to sign up for an Everything plan, although we’ve priced them to be an enticing option. There are Talk/Message/DirectConnect plans starting at $50, and just Basic talk only plans starting at $30.
The Instinct is a case where we do require an Everything plan, but again that goes back to the focus on data. Why would anyone buy an Instinct unless they planned on using it’s data features. We know that a huge driver of customer dissatisfaction is surprise bills, and we know that once folks get their hands on an Instinct they’ll be using data out the wazoo, so we want to eliminate the dissatisfaction up front.
As far as the profitability of plans, quite a bit has changed since the merger. ARPU on the iDEN network has fallen dramatically, so customers on average are paying significantly less than pre-merger. As you pointed out, customers have left, leaving fewer customers to share the fixed costs of the network, and although it improved in the second quarter, we posted operating losses the first two quarters this year (see http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/12/127149/sprint2Q08PR.pdf ), so we are making a number of adjustments to improve the profitability of the company - cutting internal costs, focusing on our areas of strength and differentiation, and eliminating some unprofitable plans while offering new plans like the Everything plans that are a sweeter way for customers to enjoy everything mobility has to offer than our competitors have in the market.
I don’t blame you for sticking with your current plan and I understand your frustration that you’re constrained in what you can do without changing to a new plan, but I hope you can understand what we’re trying to accomplish as well, both for our customers in easing the move to beyond just talk, but also for our shareholders.
Thanks for being a customer!
Russ
October 10th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
your email and employee ID no longer works….is there something else to use?
October 11th, 2008 at 5:43 am
BJ - It just worked for me. You might just need to try again.
I’ve heard/seen three different types of errors pop up:
- One where it just seems flaky
- One where it says something about cookies and security and has a link to how to change your security settings for it to work
- One where it says that I’ve exceeded my limit of referrals
The third one shouldn’t appear because there are no limits, but let me know if it does. For the second one, try the security changes they recommend, for the first one, just keep trying.
October 14th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
that worked!!! thank you very much. I had no idea that it had to do with my antivirus settings. Thanks again.
October 14th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Hi Russ,
We are on the old SERO plan (x3 - me, and each of my two daughters have a SERO plan). One of my daughters wants to use the Instinct and we are dumbfounded that we are required to double our monthly cost in order to activate the Instinct. We would get nothing new for the additional charge - just the ‘right’ to use the Instinct.
You mention in your post above that you don’t want your customers to have surprise charges due to data usage; and with the Instinct, we would be using data out the wazoo!
However - we have unlimited data with our current plan. So, please explain to me why it is in our best interest to pay an additional $30 per month for the privilege of having an Instinct? (As my daughter said, over the life of a two year contract, we would pay $720 for the thrill of having an Instinct.)
Truthfully, this doesn’t sound at all like you are interested in the best possible experience for the customer (my daughter). It sounds like you are interested in the best possible income for the company (Sprint).
Thanks. I am looking forward to your feedback.
Linda
October 15th, 2008 at 4:58 am
Linda,
Thanks for your note.
You are right. Thank for phrasing it relatively graciously. The only change I’d make to your wording would be from “best possible income” to “more income.” For existing SERO customers, the plans aren’t significantly different (there are a few differences, but if I tried to list them I’d probably get it wrong).
The reality is that the old SERO plan was a mistake that has cost Sprint a lot of money. That may be hard to believe given that we collect at least $30 a month for at least 2 years, so a total of $720 (not counting the various fees that generally get paid out to others).
But profitability of a plan for the mobile operator is based on a relatively simple formula that looks something like this:
Total fees collected from the customer - The cost of the phone to us and the network costs based on actual usage.
In general, the phones we sell cost us a lot more than we sell them to you for. In the case of the Instinct, this is several hundred dollars of cost we eat (expecting, of course, to make it up over time). For some simpler phones, it can be much less.
But the real issue is usage. The old SERO plan was a good opportunity for us to find out what happens when folks have unlimited data, and guess what, folks use it! (surprise, surprise) On one hand, that’s a wonderful thing because we want everyone to enjoy the full power of mobility, which is more than just talking. However, it really blows up the profitability of the SERO plan. (Obviously, actual usage varies from person to person, but in managing what plans we’re offering, we need to understand the total impact to the company.)
That experience helped us have a deep understanding of the potential (positive and negative), so as we developed our Everything plans earlier this year, we balanced the positive (the freedom for people to enjoy all of mobility) with the negative (the cost to us of carrying all of that traffic).
As we did testing with the Instinct, we also found that the intuitive user interface results in people integrating mobility into their life even more, resulting in even more data use. For those not on an unlimited data plan, that likely would mean the kind of billing surprise that no one enjoys. For us, that means that SERO users would become even more unprofitable if given (okay, I really mean sold) an Instinct.
Getting back to the SERO plan and important customers like you who have gotten used to enjoying everything good about it (great offer, great price). Although we’re losing money on the plan, we couldn’t yank it away from you - that certainly isn’t the way to get customers to love you. But we also can’t do things to allow it to become even worse for us.
If you weren’t already a SERO customer, you’d be looking at the Everything Plus price and saying “wow - I can’t find a deal like that with any other carrier” and probably be loving the combination of it with an Instinct.
I understand your frustration, and I appreciate your loyalty to us as a valuable customer. But I hope you can also understand why we need to manage the profitability of our business.
Thanks again,
Russ
October 17th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Russ,
Thanks for posting your information! I’ve been with Sprint for 6 years and just signed another 2 year contract. The Everything Plus Referral Program is great, I never was part of the old Sero plan so you won’t hear me complaing about anything. I would also like to say I can tell a difference in the customer service, my call has been picked up with almost zero waiting time and things are getting done real fast.
My only problem with Sprint is the release of their phones. For example I just got the Blackberry Curve 8330 and I’ve been seeing AT&T is coming out with the Bold and Verizon is coming out with the Storm, why can’t Sprint come out with the latest and greatest Blackberry’s first? Thanks again!
October 19th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Russ,
I somewhat understand sprint’s position. But I am not happy about having to switch from my sero plan to something else just because I want the touch diamond or the touch pro. I currently have a treo, and have had the 6700 in the past on this same plan. I could care less for bb service, but of course I want data and the plans that sprint offers now are not feasible.
Then on top of that, my company is offered a sprint discount, and I inquired about it, and the rep threw more limitations on it, then what was advertised on the flyer. I feel like taking my 5 lines (4 of them non sero- personal business lines) and going somewhere else because I am tired of being lied to, that and the issues with the release dates of sprints phones.
October 19th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Russ, thanks for the info you’ve posted here. I hope you don’t mind, I used it to order a new phone on my SERO account, as I’ve lost contact with the original employee who referred me to the program.
Even if I didn’t already have a SERO account, the SEP plans are still a great deal, and can’t be beat anywhere else!
October 26th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Considering the current market, economy and Sprint’s stock price, it would be a good idea to bring the old SERO plans during Thanksgiving and Christmas time. Now that HTC touch pro is out, it would surely boost Sprint sales as compared to competition.
As such, now everyone is offering a touch phone (big buzz) and the only now that differentiates the providers is price and plan. Considering the current economy and the state of economy is coming year, finally the price is what will matter, if not to all at least for the most.
I heard Sprint is coming up with a new SERO plan on Nov 4th. I will have to wait and see.
BTW, Thanks for this post.
October 27th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Unfortunately your email address and 383 code are not working any longer for the Sprint program.. Did you get a new code?
The e-mail address, employee ID (CID) or the combination of the two provided is not recognized.
Please check the spelling of the information entered.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
I’m getting the same error. I hope I’m still employed
I’ll see what I can find out tomorrow and provide an update.
Russ
October 28th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Hi Russ - looking forward to your update - I’m one of the many folks hoping to sign up for Everything Plus when the Touch Pro comes out this week!
October 28th, 2008 at 11:54 am
russ, are you able to tell us if there will be any new SERO plans appearing for the holidays?
October 28th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
My email and CID seem to be working now. My wife will be glad to know I still have a job.
Russ
October 28th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
BJ - not that I’m aware of.
October 29th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Russ,
I’ve been a Sprint customer since 1999 and had the PCS Vision service when it first came out on the market. It seems that the newer phones coming out from Sprint (Instinct, Touch Diamond, Touch Pro) all require a Simply Everything Plan: Everything Unlimited, Everything 450, Everything 900, Everything Plus. So I’ve been debating whether or not to change plans.
I’ve been searching the web for some clarification of these plans and was wondering if you can verify something for me? I’m aware that the Everything Unlimited does not qualify for any Corporate discounts but what about the other three Unlimited Plans (450, 900, and Plus)? I’ve been receiving conflicting information from Sales reps at the Sprint store and from Sprint phone reps. Can you provide us with an answer and put this question to rest?
Thanks!
October 30th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
George,
Sorry for the delayed response and the confusion. Additional discounts cannot be applied against any of the Everything plans.
Russ
October 31st, 2008 at 10:13 am
Russ,
A quick question, am I able to use your info for an in-store new account signup? I ask because I’d like to port my number over from Verizon and would rather not have to do that through the website.
Thanks!!
-C
October 31st, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Just wanted to say thanks a ton for this.
October 31st, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Chris,
Unfortunately, the Everything Plus discount is only available online. The lower cost of activation is one of the reasons we can afford to offer the discount.
Sorry,
Russ
October 31st, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Hey Russ,
If I had an already existing account with Sprint, the Simply Everything Plan, can I switch over the the Everything Plus plan by calling in?
November 1st, 2008 at 4:22 am
I see the Touch Pro is available at my local Best Buy. I am switching from Verizon. Can I get Everything Plus Referral plans at Best Buy or do I have to order via phone or online for that?
November 1st, 2008 at 7:28 am
No, it’s for new accounts only. Sorry.
Russ
November 1st, 2008 at 7:29 am
I’m pretty sure you have to order online to get it.
November 1st, 2008 at 7:56 pm
I have the old SERO plan and I wanted to upgrade my device but I dont want them to tell me I have to change my plan. If I purchase the phone full price and just change the esn will I still have to change my plan?
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:21 am
Leanne,
I believe that, if your new phone uses the same data technology (1xRTT aka Vision, or EV-DO aka PowerVision) and your new phone isn’t one of the new phones that requires a specific plan type (Instinct, Diamond Pro, etc.) then you should be able to just do an ESN swap online.
Russ
November 2nd, 2008 at 9:55 am
Hi Russ, I almost switched to ATT from my Nextel service because of signal degradation, dropped, calls and poor cs in the past. My service had degraded to the point that I was hardly using my wireless at all. However I switched to ic902 and it seems to working quite well for me, albeit with some quirks.
I was pleasantly surprised with customer care, and, it would appear that they have really turned around. Its not so much that a customer has a problem, it’s how customer care responds and addresses that problem. My most recent experience with customer care has been extremely positive.
I was happy to hear that Sprint intends to upgrade iDen, hopefully, this will improve Nextel service. I really liked the option I had of switching sims to different phones for different needs. Although if Sprint shifts from CDMA to LTE that issue will be mute.
Some on your blog are disenchanted with this new SERO plan. Firstly, I would like to thank you for graciously offering your personal information so that we can take advantage of it. To those that think this plan is bloated or overpriced, I would say that this plan is definitely not for everyone, however, if it fills your specific needs, then it is a great plan.
I think Sprint is very competitive with their plans and if you don’t think so then perhaps you should go elsewhere. I have looked at other carriers and while some offer decent plans and others are downright greedy, I think that on plan offerings alone that no one is more reasonable than Sprint.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:43 am
I was a customer of Sprint’s original SERO offer but then gave the line away to a family member.
I’m now with a BlackBerry and am on the new Simply Everything Plus. I’m wondering that if a new BlackBerry is released in the near future will I be able to keep the same rate plan and discount?
November 4th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Russ, I signed into the everything plus referral program using your info. However, it asks me for my zip code and when I put that in, it says:
Sprint wireless service is available in the 49503 area. However, this private online program is not available in this market for Sprint products. We’re sorry for any inconvenience and we invite you to take advantage of our latest promotional offers:
Can you advise me on what to do? Do I need to put in a different zip? Will I be able to use my existing phone number from verizon? And if not, will I be able to have a phone number with at least my area code?
November 5th, 2008 at 5:50 am
Glenn,
I’m not the expert in how plan changes are made, but as far as I understand it, as long as the plan continues to be offered, you should be able to upgrade your phone without any issues. Even if the plan stops being offered, as long as you don’t make a change that requires a plan change (e.g. as long as you stay with the same network technologies) you should be able to do an online ESN swap to activate the new device without making any changes to your plan.
Russ
November 5th, 2008 at 5:53 am
Allison,
That’s the first time I’ve heard that one. I’ll check into it.
Russ
November 5th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Allison,
It appears that you are in an Affiliate territory (Swiftel). Sprint established affiliate relationships when we first launched Sprint PCS. This had benefits both for Sprint and for the companies we affiliated with.
As I understand it, in these territories, our customers are actually customers of the affiliate, however, the experience is managed to be just like being a Sprint customer elsewhere. The handsets, products, features, network capabilities, etc. are maintained to be as seamless as possible.
However, since these are separate companies, not everything is exactly the same. Especially something like an employee referral plan as a benefit for Sprint employees wouldn’t make sense for an affiliate to honor.
All that to say, unfortunately, the Everything Plus plan is not available to you.
Sorry,
Russ
November 5th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Thanks for the info Russ, all I had to do was call Sprint and they had no problem signing me up for the employee referral plan no matter what my address was. So it’s all set!
November 12th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I’m currently on the old SERO (oldschool SERO) plan and my contract expires in about 6 months. Does anyone know which is better: 1. going inside the Sprint store, 2. ordering over the phone or 3. ordering through the website to make sure I keep my current plan without changing anything but the phone?
Just curious.
November 13th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Russ, I get the following error when I try to sign up using your credentials:
“Sorry! Our records indicate that the Sprint Nextel employee who extended this offer to you has reached their referral activation limit for the program.”
That’s a bummer. I just cancelled my ATT Data Connect account, and I definitely need to get a new one. soon.
I wanted to sign up for Sprint, and a friend told me about your blog. What can I do? Do you know of any other Sprint employees that would be willing to help me out?
Thanks,
Daniel
November 13th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Hi Russ,
I was just about to finally make the switch to Sprint, but I discovered your info isn’t working on the SERO/Everything Plus website. I get an error that you have reached your referral activation limit. Is there another means by which I can sign up for this plan?
Thanks,
Aaron
November 14th, 2008 at 5:41 am
Daniel and Aaron,
It seems to be working again. There isn’t supposed to be a limit per employee. Thanks for pointing it out.
Russ
November 16th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
is there anyway to still get in on this ? i tried the information you posted months ago but its showing that its at its limit!
November 16th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Russ,
Just thought I’d let you know that the message saying your activation limit has been reached is showing again. Just in case you need to know, I’ve been trying it for the past half hour, Sunday night, 10-10:30 eastern.
November 16th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I was trying to login to the SERO to check it out and compair to what we would pay against his work discount….to see if it would be cheaper. After I hit login it goes to internet explorer cannot display this page…What could that mean???? I would really like to see about this. Any help would be useful. We are needing our phones pretty quick as ur son is going into the hopsital for a while so we will be able to have constant contact with each other.
Thanks
Shae
November 17th, 2008 at 5:00 am
Eugene and Robert - I just tried and got right in. I’m guessing that someone has to manually reset the limit exceeded flag and when you tried must’ve been between the “limit” being reached and the flag being reset. Try again and let me know if it still doesn’t work.
Shae - I’m not sure what the problem is exactly, but I can guess at one of two things. Either it was an intermittent problem and trying again will work, or some other folks have mentioned getting an error page that references security settings blocking access. If that’s what you’re getting, then there should also be a link on the error page to instructions for getting past it.
Thanks everyone.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
i logged on a few days ago to check prices and i just tried logging onto the site again today to get the blackberry pearl. i got this message:
“Access Denied
You may be trying to access a private offer or shopping area on sprint.com. Please confirm that the link you entered is correct.
We apologize for the inconvenience. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact us at 1-877-618-5606.
NOTE: If your computer is running an Antivirus software package, such as Norton Internet Security Pro® or Zone Alarm Pro®, you may choose to follow these steps to adjust your privacy settings to gain access to this website.”
i don’t have any of those antivirus programs running.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
worked great was able to order thanks !
November 24th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Russ,
Not a good move on Sprint’s part to not allow current SERO customers to have the Instinct on their current plan. What does this mean for us in the future? That’s great that SERO plans are grandfathered in since it was discontinued, but this will limit our phone choices in the future if the reasoning behind the type of phone limitations is data. Soon the majority of phones will be touch screen and data oriented, and where does that leave us SERO customers for phone choices? SOL? I understand the profitability of a company, but maybe Sprint should have thought of this issue seeing as they will be losing more customers as their SERO plans become “obsolete” due to limited phone choices in the future. More customer dollars will be lost than the dollars you would lose on giving them the data with these new phones.
I will most likely be one of those customers who is required to leave because I will not have any quality phone choices.
Like I said, I see your point on profitability, but you need to see the point of the SERO customers who will be left behind in the future. I am very dissapointed I cannot use the Instinct. My PDA phone recently broke due to a manufacturer defect (which Samsung refuses to replace), and I am looking to purchase a new touch screen phone. If this policy doesnt change, I will be leaving SERO.
November 24th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Let me clarify my last sentence. I will have to leave Sprint entirely.
November 25th, 2008 at 4:21 am
Mike,
i have been a sprint SERO customer and my 2 yr agreement is up in two weeks. I’ve contacted ecare via chat and i am eligible for the touch pro AND keep my current SERO plan. If the Instinct is the ONLY touch screen phone then by all means shop around but you are not limited in choices. There are ways to get what you want where both parties are content. Try all the resources before you jump ship.
November 25th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Al,
That is interesting, I tried to activate my Touch Pro on the old SERO and was told they would not be able to do so. Keep us updated on how it goes.
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Tommyzors,
Touch Pro can be activated on the old SERO plan. About every other CS rep will tell you so……
Russ,
I appreciate your post and your response to customers who have posted comments here, although part of me wonders whether you have more valuable things to do with your time
There are some fairly detailed suggestions in this post, and I honestly do not expect you to read it all as much as just passing it along to the appropriate people.
I’ve been with Sprint for almost 3 years now, and SERO was the reason I switched. As you have mentioned, having access to data led to my using it a lot, and I was happy to have SERO years before iPhone users who probably believe that Steve Jobs personally invented mobile data access.
From my experience, I can definitively say that customer service has improved since I first joined. The CS reps now take better ownership of cases and follow up effectively when there are issues. I think you’re making great strides on customer service; that being said, there are still several issues that should be addressed:
1. When a customer is first transferred to a rep or retransferred to a different rep, the customer is asked for his/her mobile # and PIN each time despite having entered the number into the voice prompt at the beginning of the call. You would not believe how much extra frustration this small issue causes — it doesn’t help that it’s also the customer’s first impression.
2. The website has a lot of usability issues. Examples:
2.1. The flash-heavy marketing sites sometimes have links to PDFs or other files for users to download. A current example is the “save $480 compared to Verizon” campaign — if you want to see the side-by-side cost comparison, you have to… download a PDF. I mean, seriously?
2.2. A lot of the font is too small for eyes to read. And I am 23 years old! This problem is sometimes exacerbated by blue links on black background.
2.3. There are interactive portions of the website that are just not intuitive enough. I am in a web software field, and even I can’t figure out where to click sometimes. One glaring example is the new 3rd party appointment scheduler being used for ReadyNow appointments — not only does it look nasty, but the prompts and interface are just a pain to use (sub-example: In order to change the time of the ReadyNow appointment I made for my mom, I could not just stay logged in and “Make Appointment” because it defaults to “Account Maintenance” instead of “ReadyNow”. In order to change the time for a ReadyNow appointment, I have to cancel the existing appointment and then go through the ReadyNow homepage to enter my personal information all over again to schedule the new one.) I don’t remember other specifics right now, but I think the quality assurance for online features needs to include usability, click counts, etc.
3. Technical support specialists are not as specialized as they should be. I can understand the benefits of generalization and flexibility, but a tech support rep who is a “jack of all trades” can’t help me with my problem as quickly and effectively. For example, when I recently experienced issues with my HTC Touch Pro, it seemed like the tech support reps were trying to follow troubleshooting scripts written for other phones. If there were groups of “Touch Pro Specialists” and “Instinct Gurus”, customers could be helped with their technical issues faster.
4. As a price-conscious consumer, I appreciate the available handsets being sorted by cost; however, it must help profitability if you can start “featuring” some slightly pricier phones like the Instinct to the top of the page. By the time I scroll 30 (might only be a slight exaggeration) phones down, I’m no longer in the mood to buy a nice touchscreen!
5. As part of Sprint’s roaming agreement with Verizon, are you not allowed to advertise that, when necessary, Sprint phones can roam (for free, usually) off Verizon voice and data networks? Whenever I tell people that they should switch to Sprint, they are completely unconvinced until I tell them that Sprint coverage is at the very least no worse than Verizon.
6. On a related note, marketing really needs to focus on advertising the quality of the Sprint network. For whatever reason, most people seem to have negative impressions of the Sprint network, and, unfortunately, Dan Hesse walking along in black & white telling them to “revolutionize” wireless isn’t going to turn around the negative impressions. Just look at the AT&T/Cingular and Verizon campaigns compared to Sprint. While they had “fewest dropped calls*” and “can you hear me now?”, as marketing slogans, Sprint had…. Wait for it… Wait for it……. “Together with Nextel.” And does anyone even remember “Power Up”? I may have already forgotten about the “Now Network”. For better or for worse, marketing needs to cater to the lowest common denominator of consumers — everyone needs to understand what is being advertised. Everyone knows what it’s like to have a dropped/missed call, and that’s what AT&T focused on. While I understand the intent of the Sprint marketing strategies, they might just be a little too complex for the average cell phone consumer.
I shudder when I see a Sprint website glitch or another blown marketing campaign (sometimes literally — those commercials with the flashing lights almost gave me seizures…) because I really do want to see Sprint succeed. After all, I need the company to stick around so that I can stay on SERO!
Best,
Steve
December 4th, 2008 at 6:14 am
Steve,
Thanks for the comments. As far as “more valuable things to do with my time” - I think most good strategy folks are information addicts, and what better source of information than a dialog with customers. What I’ve learned here from folks commenting on this post has been incredibly valuable in understanding where we are, the progress we’ve made, and the challenges we still face. (As it is I do almost all of my blog work outside of work hours.)
Russ
December 21st, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Russ,
I am little frustrated about trying to get Blackberry services on my SERO account. In order to get the BIS, I have to change my already unlimited plan to a voice only plan, then change it to the Blackberry Pack. It seems kind of dumb to make people with the SERO plan who already have unlimited data and text to make them pay $30 extra for what they already have with the only addition of the BIS portion. Now I love the SERO plan and I’m going on my 2nd year of it, and I wish they would address this. This is going to be my 6th year with Sprint and this is the best carrier in terms of pricing.
January 11th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Russ
Why isn’t there a family plan for the referral program. That would probably be a big hit with alot of people. I recently changed to a family plan w/3 lines.Got offered a great plan from agent on the phone for the Family Power Pack 1000 for $50 +$9.99 for the third line.Then just recently got 500 text /per phone for a dollar /per phone That beats all the referral plans hands down.
January 12th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Hi Russ,
I wrote out a long comment yesterday only to lose it to a glitch in my data connectivity. How about a family plan — I would love to have unlimited data (or say, a limit of 250-500MB) and say about 500-700 minutes and an option to select say three numbers for free calls, and I would personally gladly give up messaging and BIS services. If this was offered as a promotional offer closer to 49.99, we would have a win win proposition given your current pricing. Having worked on WinMo device application development, I believe HTC has taken up the slack from HP and is headed towards a comfortable zone in usable and “shiny” devices that offer a more consumer-centric package rivalling the iPhone. I would happily switch to Sprint if such a promotion came up. Of course, the 59.99 plan is great for cash-challenged (and greedy) consumers, but an intermediate plan would be really good. I sincerely hope Sprint comes up with more options since that seems like the only way that Dan’s plans will come to fruitition.
January 12th, 2009 at 12:10 am
Gee, just took a look at the pricing and realized I was being very greedy (more or less hoping for the old financially unviable SERO plans). Well! One still hopes.
January 13th, 2009 at 1:24 am
so can i go to a sprint store and still do this?
January 13th, 2009 at 4:41 am
Blake - the program is intended for online sign-ups. Thanks.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Russ,
I think you mentioned in the past that Corporate Discounts cannot be applied to the Everything Plus plans. A friend of mine was able to sign up on this plan and apply her corporate discount over the phone with the customer service rep and received an email confirmation stating the fact. Since this is the case, will there be any reason to retract that discount since it was given to her?
P.S. I’m a former 3rd party employee and has been with Sprint prior to the StarTac days…
DV
January 19th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
DV,
Discounts are a mystery to me. I’ve learned it’s dangerous to guess what works and what doesn’t, what’s allowed and what might be disallowed - I’m usually proved wrong whatever I say.
Russ
January 19th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Russ,
Would you have any more information on the release date of the Palm Pre other than just “first half” of the year?
Thanks,
DV
January 19th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Umm… probably not in January?
Sorry.
Russ
January 20th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Russ,
I just wanted to say thanks. I signed up with the info you generously provided, and received my phone in the mail. The number transfer from VZW went off without a hitch. I’m loving my new touch pro.
-Chris
January 26th, 2009 at 3:46 am
[...] Plus(SM) Referral Program E-Mail: russ.s.mcguire@sprint.com Last 3 of CID: 383 (Reference: McGuire?s Law Blog Archive Psst - Have you Heard about Everything Plus?.) This information was made public by Russ Mcguire on 7/16/08, and is posted on this forum so [...]
January 31st, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Russ,
I have been reading all these post. I am now getting a headache. I tried to use your email and cid and it did not work. Do I keep trying until I get lucky?
I want to say I have been a customer of Sprint since I had to seek out a place to find you, before every corner, every radio shack, best buy etc. before moto star tac (I got made fun of for having that phone so long, but I loved it! UNTIL I was ready to get on the web via cell phone YEA!) So now I am ready to go further and get a touch pro or similiar. I must say I can remember when customer service was GREAT-many, many years ago. I have to fight, be put on hold for 30 minutes plus, be switched to many operators, it seems easiest to just say the word CANCEL at any voice prompts. It makes the wait slightly less.
I, as others have stated, am not sure why once we become a customer and stay loyal for years, we are treated so poorly. Existing customers should be offered better deals just for being loyal! Sprint should say Thank you for being loyal and we know you are keeping money in our pockets and food on our tables so we will reward you with some freebies! Like upgrade your phone without signing a contract and we will still give you $150 every 2 yrs (now you have 2 sign another 2 yr contract why? Don’t you trust me yet? after 15+ years of being with you? I also do not like it when I have been transferred to Mexico, India, etc. When I hear any accent I ask what country are you located in. The fact is your training is not acceptable for this, maybe because of basic lifestyle and living differences,the questions I ask are not actually understood and the manual does not equip the csr’s to actually solve my problem. Then ask to be transferred to the united states and they say ok and you are transferred to another country, this happend to me after receiving a very disturbing crank call at 3am that I wanted traced and prosecuted. They had no idea of what to do, which at one time was to get a specific form form sprint 1st and take to local police to fill out to get call traced. Now you actually go to police 1st according to sprint, once I was talking to someone in the US and many transfers to the “RIGHT” security department and calling after 7 am. I do not find that acceptable. Atleast when I call AT&T about home phone and tv and explain how many calls and how long I spent on phone they offer me a $25 goodwill credit for my time and trouble. As customers our time is valuable. It seams for us to get a good deal or to get what is promised, we have to make lots of calls, talk to lots of people and spend lots of time on the phone and don’t forget to write down as much info as possible about the call such as; date, time csr name (all though sometimes in the past they did not want to give names!) any id numbers or emails or phone #’s or extension “’s.
So Russ if Sprint wants to extend a job consulting on customer service to me just send me a message (LOL) BUT regardless it is not hard to treat people good. To offer customer loyalty discounts and upgrades w/o having to put out extra time on contract. I think this contract thing is way past its prime. Make us sign a contract to keep us?????? If you treat me well I will stay forever! Also though it seems like a situation that if you treat me bad I will stay also! It is a pain in the “…” to change phone companys and everything I read tells me customer service it bad at AT&T CELL, VERIZON etc. although if AT&T keeps being nice to me for internet and tv and home phone, I think it will be logical for me to go ahead and add mobile service and get the whole BUNDLE.
Oh yeah back to the original issue I couldnt use your email and cid, can you help?
February 1st, 2009 at 12:55 am
Russ,
Update, I was able to get into the site. For me I do not know that it is the right fit. I have 4 lines and don’t have everything packs yet, but previous offered data, text, pic packs that may be cheaper for me except I would like to get a touch pro for me and purple rant for another line on my accoutn and when I do that I will have to go thru the hassle of dealing with customer service to get a data pack on the rant atleast. Or they may say I have to change to everything, which is not right if they do, because I don’t need to unless it is cheaper.
Also if you would give in as a company and offer everything pack family that gave you 1st line for $99.99 and additional lines for $9.99 to share everthing, you might lose money at first but you would steel away alot of customers until they gave in! Be the first, Be ahead of the game, grab the market, do a commercial with a mom taking her children to the numerous games, practices, dances, parties, playdates, shopping and always on the phone to schedule the next playdate, or the next sleepover and the change of plans, oh yea need to schedule the dentist and while I am waiting for my children to finish at what they are doing I have to check email and catch up on some web applications and sending pictures. My children have to to texting (lots and lots of that!!!) and checking email and ofcourse they need to get onto facebook or myspace and catch up and add a video that I got of the goal they made at soccer and maybe some of those college recruiters that have the info will see it when they are emailed to catch your next college pro! These could be made into those wonderful little mini commercial movies we love to watch, that leaves us hanging to see the next commercial, because we want to know did the girl get into that college with the scholarship? Did the son get the yes I will go to senior prom with you from the wonderful girl via email text or maybe a pic with a sign in her hand that says YES! I will go to Prom
Well by now you get it and I am beginning to think teaching and owning my own spa was the wrong calling. I am going to look into opening a marketing firm. When I do I hope your company will take my pitch!!!!!!!!
February 1st, 2009 at 8:18 am
Michelle,
Thanks for all the free advice! When you start your customer service and marketing consultancy, I’m sure it would cost us a pretty penny.
Russ
February 12th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Russ,
First, thanks for throwing this out there. I was already a subscriber but I got my girlfriend to take advantage of this. I am puzzled by many things Sprint does and I disagree with marketing strategies, but I do have a question about plans. Has Sprint ever considered a lower priced/level plan that includes unlimited data? I’m thinking 250 minutes, 250 texts, unlimited data for $50 (or $60, but brought down to $50 with your discount). I think that is fair and reasonable. Dan might not, because it doesn’t milk the ARPU dollars out of me. What are your thoughts?
February 16th, 2009 at 5:37 am
Thanks Pete,
If you’re looking for a great $50 plan, you might take a look at the Boost Unlimited plan. http://plans.boostmobile.com/monthlyunlimited.aspx
Russ
February 16th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Russ,
I tried to access the Everything Plus Referral Program with the information that you provided on here, but I was given “access denied”. Is there something that I am doing wrong or is there a way that I can get this program too? Thank you for your help.
Steve
February 16th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Is the everything plus EPRP family plan just a promotional offer or will it last for a while? I’m considering switching over (been wanting a data plan for a phone, but verizon is a ripoff), but would rather not cough up the ETF to verizon for 2 lines.. Considering I’ll likely be purchasing a touch pro and touch diamond, it’s a decent amount of $ for me to burn in one day. Thanks.
February 16th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Steve - I had no problem getting in earlier. Some folks have had problems because of security settings on their computer. You might try from a different computer.
Mike - there’s no indication that it’s promotional. All plans come to an end someday, but I don’t think that day’s coming anytime soon for these plans.
Russ
February 17th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Hi Ross,
Was there a limited time promotion in the past weekend? I saw no additional charge for 3-4-5 lines(supposed to be 14.99 per line but showed 0 if you add them in cart) for the EVERYTHING PLUS FAMILY PLANS..or is it just a system glitch?
thanks.
stone
February 17th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
I hear it was just a glitch.
February 18th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
I’m talking to a rep now via online threw the new chat thingy and they are sayin i need to be a sprint employee or know one who can put me on it. I thought it was easy as telling them what you want and givin them your email and 3digits guess its harder then that
February 18th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
o i’m already a customer just wanting to switch over. sorry forgot to mention
February 19th, 2009 at 5:56 am
Robert, I hear what you’re saying. Unfortunately, this offer really is only for new lines of service. Also, it’s intended for signup via the web, which is why sometimes care reps get a bit confused about it.
February 19th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Will we be able to order the Palm Pre though this everything plus referral program? I plan on porting my number from Verizon. Do these plans count for the Sprint Premiere program as well?
Thanks.
February 20th, 2009 at 8:34 am
SD:
I don’t have any word on whether the Pre will be available through Everything Plus. My guess would be yes, but we’ll have to wait and see. Anyone for 3 consecutive months on an individual plan of at least $69.99 per month or a shared plan of at least $99.99 per month qualifies for the Sprint Premiere loyalty program. Most (but not all) of the plans here qualify.
Russ
February 20th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Russ,
The reason I was asking about the sprint premiere is because one of the everything plus referral plans is for $59.99 for 500 min. If I got that and added $5 for N/W min at 6 and added $7 for the total equipment coverage, that would put my monthly bill around $72. Would this qualify for the sprint premiere?
February 21st, 2009 at 3:23 pm
In searching for a better fit mobile plan for my family growing need, I came across this link through Sprintuser forum
As a long time Sprint customer (since 1996 Sprint Spectrum service)..I felt odd that I can not enjoy this referral plan. I am looking at Everything Data Family for 5 lines, compare with the Family plus, it has less minutes and $35 more monthly.
I read Michelle b’s post above, and agreed - “If you treat me well I will stay forever! if …”. I understand the marketing strategy to get new customer, but is that equally important to keep loyal customer happy.? I believe there are tone of us out there, and would feel the same.
February 23rd, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Russ
I signed up with Nextel before Sprint bought them, and I would now like to do this plan. I understand that this needs to be a new line. If I purchase a new line, can I transfer my old number to it after some time? Are there any other ways that I can get this plan and keep my number or do I need to leave sprint and then come back? Thanks for any help - I’m a little confused with what to do!
Steve
February 24th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
SD - unfortunately, it’s only “plan” dollars that count towards qualifying for Premier, so no a $59.99 plan plus equipment protection and 6pm n&w wouldn’t qualify.
Keou and Steve - the Everything Plus plan is designed to attract new customers. We have different ways of rewarding loyal customers. I certainly hear and appreciate your frustration. There are no easy answers to your question Steve.
February 25th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
What is the Sprint Premiere loyalty program? I am new to Sprint, so I don’t know what that is. Currently I am trying to get Sero even though I am a current customer. I have been working with someone to try and get this because I need to save money.
March 10th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Hi Russ, do you know if any new Blackberries (Curve 8900 & Bold) coming out on Sprint???
Thanks
March 11th, 2009 at 4:46 am
Sam - I don’t believe we’ve announced any new Blackberries, but we are always updating our portfolio. Personally, I’m pretty stoked about the Pre. Have you given it a look?
March 13th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
I had all 3 Palms before (650, 700, 750) However, when I tried Blackberry I fell in love with Blackberry service. I currently own a Blackberry Curve. I’m sure a lot of Sprint customers are waiting for Sprint to start offering Blackberry Bold, and new Curve 8900. However, for some reason Sprint is concentrating on Palm Pre. I’m sure that most of the current Blackberry users would never switch their Blackberries to something else. I’m hoping to see Sprint offering NEW Blackberry Curve and Bold in the near future. I saw something online that both phones should be available 1st quarter ‘09 but I’m not sure how accurate this information is. If anyone have any information on the release dates for new Sprint Blackberries please post. Thank you.
March 14th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Hi Russ,
I just have to say that I really appreciate what you’ve done here with this blog entry. I like your honest, thoughtful responses. If there are more people like you at Sprint, I think it will do just fine. I know you’ve swayed myself and my wife, as well as her sister and husband. We’ll be joining Sprint once the Palm Pre comes out (hopefully sooner than later). I know there are a lot of people here who are blinded by their current SERO plans, but the new Everything Plus plans are still a great deal compared to other carriers.
I’ve never been a Sprint customer, but from everything I’ve heard, customer service hasn’t been the best in the past. It sounds like you all at Sprint are really focusing on that and I can only hope that it’s been kicked up a notch by the time I join.
Alright, I know I’m reading like a billboard for Sprint here, but I just wanted to show my appreciation for what you’ve done here. I’ve really enjoyed getting a glimpse of where you all are coming from at Sprint (not to mention the chance to get in on the Everything Plus plans!).
Best of luck and keep it up!
March 16th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Hey Russ,
Thanks for answering questions about this new employee referral plan. My problem is this. I have been a loyal Sprint customer for 11 years. I have not asked much from you guys and have been thru a lot, from going outside our house to get service (no more), to known dropped call locations in the area, to random text messages (lately and have not complained). Now you are back in giving a better deal to new customers than to the loyal ones. It is very upsetting to where I could see myself possibly going somewhere else. Most people do not know of these “deals” and I just learned of this. However, it is actually more hurtful to the loyal customers when they do find out that they are not treated the same if not better than a new customer. How much does it cost you to bring in a new customer? Remember to multiply that by 5 and that is what I have saved Sprint.
I am waiting for the Pre and I will go from there. You are more than welcome to contact me personally.
I do not want to sound like I am entitled to anything. I signed a contract. However, hearing this really saddens me knowing that a company would rather have a high turn over rate than to keep their base and grow from that amount.
March 17th, 2009 at 11:41 am
I would like to second Mark C’s comment. I had to port out, and port back in to get onto the ERP account. I’ve been with Sprint for over five years with not so much as a late payment. The porting process cost me money, gave money to Sprint’s competitors, and left me without phone service for several days. It was a frustrating process, but well worth it for the savings. I certainly don’t blame Sprint… this is an industry wide practice. I do think it’s silly though to offer incentives to new customers as an industry practice. It would make sense to me to do away with the high acquisition costs, and spread the real cost of service to every customer. The current industry practice just encourages people to switch carriers every year or two, which doesn’t help anyone, and costs carriers money. What kind or press do you think the first carrier to make this transition would get? I would imagine that the first carrier to put themselves out there on the edge would make major headlines by stating, “from now on, every time you renew your contract with us you’re treated just like a new customer… Why? Because you are choosing to stick with Sprint, and you deserve our best service for your loyalty.” Regardless, I really appreciate you taking the time to write here. The ERP was a great thing for my family, and the savings are really going to help out during these tough economic times. I hope Sprint considers being the industry leader in eliminating porting issues, and treating old and new customers alike to the best deals currently available. Thanks again!
March 18th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Do you know if the new Palm Pre’s are going to be allowed on the old Sero plans that are still in use?
March 18th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
There’s no official word, but I’d be surprised.
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Russ,
Sprint should really consider opening the Everthing Plus Referal Program to existing customers that also want to keep their existing phone number. Having to port my number to one of your competitors and then porting my number back to Sprint under the Everthing Plus program is quite silly and would cost the customer lots of time, additional money, and leave a negative mark on their experience with Sprint. If Sprint wants to continue the trend of improving its customer service, this is one big item that should be put with that agenda.
However, in my situation I am probably going to buy the Palm Pre if it turns out to live up to all of its buzz. Since I am on a grandfathered plan (NOT SERO) with lots of free perks due to severe headaches caused by numerous reps over the past 7+ years of me being a Sprint customer, I know that I will be asked to switch to one of the Everything Data or Simply Everything plans because of the restrictions that are placed on the Palm Pre. The Everything Data 450 plan actually makes more sense to me with my coporate discount, which makes it a few dollars cheaper than the $59.99 500 minute EPRP plan. I know that there are 50 additional minutes but I am really more interested in getting the benefits of being put on the Sprint Premeier Loyalty Program, particularly the higher phone upgrade discount after 1 year part. I have read the fine print about the EPRP program and it states that coporate discounts do not apply, so the EPRP would actually be more expensive for me with fewer desirable benefits. Thus, these plans do not seem to be discounted very much.
April 24th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
[...] Plus(SM) Referral Program E-Mail: russ.s.mcguire@sprint.com Last 3 of CID: 383 Reference: McGuire’s Law ? Blog Archive ? Psst - Have you Heard about Everything Plus? This information was made public by Russ Mcguire on 7/16/08 in his blog. He’s the VP of strategy [...]
April 26th, 2009 at 10:08 am
[...] Plus(SM) Referral Program E-Mail: russ.s.mcguire@sprint.com Last 3 of CID: 383 Reference: McGuire’s Law ? Blog Archive ? Psst - Have you Heard about Everything Plus? This information was made public by Russ Mcguire on 7/16/08 in his blog. He’s the VP of strategy [...]
April 28th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
I’m currently trying to access the Employee Referral program using your email and CID. However, it’s telling me that access is denied. Has there been a change?
April 28th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Sherri,
The site is working for me. Sometimes security settings on your computer can cause the site to not work. You might try from a different computer.
Russ
May 6th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Russ,
This is a wonderful opportunity for you and for Sprint to bring in new customers. I just transferred from Verizon which I’ve realized after being there for 4 years was expensive and didn’t provide as many features as these plans offer.
Thanks for everything, hopefully this new customer will be able to sway more people your way,
Michael
May 7th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Dude, Thanks for your login information. I was able to upgrade both my wife’s phone as well as my own without a hitch on our SERO 500 plans!
Much thanks indeed!
May 12th, 2009 at 12:15 am
Russ,
As a current SERO customer and a soon approaching deadline for an upgrade, I’ve become more concerned as what steps to take to preserve what I have. I have no desire to switch to a new plan, however, would like an upgrade on the phone.
From reading the previous threads, I understand my SERO plan is grandfathered for an extension but only with those phone that run on the PowerVision network. Is this correct?
Now, do you happen to have a reference point to which Sprint/Nextel phone(s) would use the PowerVision network. Do all phones qualify with the exception of the Instinct or a PDA of sort?
Lastly, how exactly is an ESN swap performed? I have read numerous complaints about its functionality and the notion that it should be avoided at the retail store.
May 12th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Fahim,
“PowerVision” is the same as EV-DO. You should be able to upgrade to a phone that has EV-DO without requiring any change to your plan. As you note, there are some phones (e.g. the Instinct) that require an “Everything” plan.
I recently did an ESN swap online through Sprint.com that went smoothly without a hitch. When you log in, there’s a section on your phone and plan. One of the options should be I want to: Activate a new phone. It then steps you through the ESN swap process.
I hope that helps.
Russ
May 19th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I would like switch to the 500 minute “SERO” plan. When I upgrade to the Palm Pre in June. What’s the process of doing this in the store? Just give them your info?
Or could I do this change in advance online, to limit a huge bill. I would need to change say a day or so before the end of my billing cycle right?
May 19th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
[...] Originally Posted by treolead you may want to remove the email and 3 digit code if you want it to work for you later (Sprint will probably ban it) Russ McGuire posted in his blog last year, and it hasn’t been banned yet: McGuire’s Law ? Blog Archive ? Psst - Have you Heard about Everything Plus? [...]
May 20th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
I too would also like to know if the Palm Pre will be availiable to us older SERO customers. Being that I am a poor college student the SERO plan fits my budget nicely. And since someone else will be buying the phone for me I would like to keep my plan the same.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Ok, let’s say I get this “Everything Plus”, would my 23% discount still work with this, or it won’t? Because right now I pay about $68 for 500 minutes, Unlimited Data, 1000 Txt, Sprint TV and Radio Basic, No Navigation, TEP and taxes included. If I get this Plus Plan than I will end up paying more than that if I don’t get my 23% off. Any ideas/advice???
May 20th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
@Tosh: SERO plans have been discontinued so you cannot switch to them.
@Tosh and @Luke: You cannot activate the Pre with a SERO plan.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:52 am
For those that don’t know, SERO stands for Sprint Employee Referral Offer. A couple of years ago there was an incredibly great SERO of $30 for 500 minutes. As Park says, this deal is no longer available, and if you’re still on this plan, you won’t be able to get the Pre on that plan. Sorry.
About a year ago, Sprint replaced that Employee Referral plan with the Everything Plus plan described in this blog post. I would expect the Pre to be available with this plan, although I haven’t heard that specifically stated anywhere.
@Chingon, no additional discounts are available on top of Everything Plus. You might look at the Everything Data plan with your discount - depending on if you use all 500 minutes or if you’d like unlimited texting and the other stuff that comes with the Everything plans (Navigation, etc.). If your discount can be applied to Everything Data, it might be a nice bump up (except in minutes) for probably less money.
May 21st, 2009 at 12:39 pm
@ Russ, Thanks for the advice, but my Plan works just fine, I have 1000 messages (video, txt, pics and all that) and only use about 50-100 per month, don’t really need Navigation since I use Google Maps, and on top of that I have unlimited incoming calls from anybody anywhere, my night time mins. start ’til 9PM, but no prob. So…I guess I’m better off staying with my Plan?
May 21st, 2009 at 5:59 pm
hi, i just found out from a customer service rep, that most existing customers will not be allowed to purchase the pre because they do not have “the right plan.” Basically, sprint is going to drive themselves out of business, because they can hype up the palm pre as much as they want, but everyone is just going to switch to the iphone if they have to sign up for a new plan anyways— so much for customer appreciation….
May 22nd, 2009 at 5:07 am
@j lloyd (and others). As I understand it, the Pre will require an “Everything” plan.
Sprint knows from experience that phones that are great at “more than voice” (the web, navigation, TV, and all kinds of apps) naturally lead to lots of data use. (And we aren’t alone: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124200303430005275.html ) For customers that aren’t on an unlimited data plan, this leads to shocking bills, often leading to them leaving Sprint, which isn’t good for anyone. For Sprint, carrying all that data is more expensive than you probably think. The Everything plans are perfect for giving customers an unmatched value while ensuring they’re on a plan that doesn’t sink our company.
I don’t understand the logic of someone switching to the iPhone just because they don’t want to step up to a higher priced plan with Sprint. See this article at CNET comparing the cost of an iPhone plan and a Pre plan: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10244910-1.html As the writer points out, you can get a Pre on a $69.99/month Everything plan that gives you 450 minutes plus unlimited data, texting, navigation, and throws in other stuff like TV and Radio. The equivalent on AT&T is $89.99 and that doesn’t include all the extras. With the employee referral information I provide above, you can get the Sprint price down to $59.99/month, saving $360 per year (and with the employee referral plan, you get another 50 minutes of talk thrown in). That’s real money…
May 22nd, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Russ,
your last reply is totally on point. I was struggling with that same issue/decision, and finally realized what you wrote above.
Kudos for all your helpful info too.
May 24th, 2009 at 10:08 am
With my plan now I have pick 3 would I be able to keep it if I switched to this plan?
Thanks
May 24th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Russ…. My current Sprint plan is up and I am looking to upgrade upon the relase of the Pre. I have read that SERO is not an option for the Pre… however as you just said and I have heard elsewhere… the Pre requires an “Everything” plan. Does this suggest that the Everything Plus Referral Program… (which by definition is SERO thanks to you!!!) is a viable option? If so that would be great… I apologize for my confusion hopefully you will be able to clear things up!
May 24th, 2009 at 11:49 am
@Chris - I doubt it.
@Tyler - SERO was a specific plan that was offered up until about a year ago. As other comments on this post have noted, it was about half the price of the Everything Plus plan. Because Everything Plus is also an Employee Referral plan, some people refer to it as SERO.
The Pre isn’t available with the old SERO plan. As I understand it, it will be available with the current Everything Plus employee referral plan.
May 25th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
[...] McGuire’s Law ? Blog Archive ? Psst - Have you Heard about Everything Plus? $59.99 is a great price for 500 anytime minutes and unlimited… everything else Mr. Yoe if you do choose to go to ATT for the iphone you will be paying much more and suffer faulty logic. Welcome to 2009, unlimited data plans no longer cost $30 [...]
May 25th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
[...] pre for $59.99/mo McGuire’s Law ? Blog Archive ? Psst - Have you Heard about Everything Plus? This may or may not have been posted already… if so… get over it… if not this is how to get [...]
May 25th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
[...] pre for $59.99/mo McGuire’s Law ? Blog Archive ? Psst - Have you Heard about Everything Plus? This may or may not have been posted already… if so… get over it… if not this is how to get [...]
May 26th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Hi Russ,
I’d like to find out if my current employee discount 23% off will work on Everything Plus plan when I switch to this plan.
Thank you
May 27th, 2009 at 4:24 am
@Daniel - I think I’ve said it before, but maybe I wasn’t clear. Other discounts (including your employee discount) can’t be applied to Everything Plus. You may be better off with your existing discount than with Everything Plus.
May 27th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Hi Russ,
You mentioned in a comment:
“About a year ago, Sprint replaced that Employee Referral plan with the Everything Plus plan described in this blog post. I would expect the Pre to be available with this plan, although I haven’t heard that specifically stated anywhere.”
Have you found an update yet? I would like to get the Pre with the everything plus plan for 500 mins, but I’m not sure exactly how to go about it. I sure hope the pre shows up on the everything plus plan website.
If not, can I walk into the store and ask for this plan in the store?
May 27th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Hi, Russ,
Do you know if the new Sprint MIFI device will be available for purchase through the Everything Plus Plan? I currently have 2 out-of-contract $30 SERO plans using 2 Palm 700p phones. I would like to switch to a single Everything Plus Family Plan ( (2 lines), add the Mobile Broadband plan, purchase 2 Pre phones AND purchase the MIFI unit. If this is possible, what do I need to do? The EP website isn’t showing the Pres nor the MIFI unit at this time. Will the discounts apply to both phones and is there going to be a discount offered on the MIFI device?
Thanks.
May 27th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
When will the Palm Pre be available to new customers who wish to sign up via the Sprint Employee Referral plans (Everything Plus)? Apparently it will not be at launch:
http://www.precentral.net/pre-not-available-sprint-web-or-telesales-launch
May 28th, 2009 at 9:20 am
As I understand it, both the Pre and the MiFi will be available for Everything Plus in the same timing as those products being available on the web.
May 28th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Hi!
When I go through the referral plan, I do not see “pre” as an option in selecting phones?
May 28th, 2009 at 11:16 am
@Chris - The Pre is not yet available through any channels. When it is available on Sprint’s website, it should also be available through the referral plan portal.
May 31st, 2009 at 6:25 pm
hi russ-
just wanted to thank you for posting your info-
I am on the old SERO plan, started that with my nextel i880-
I just used your info and purchased a nextel 8350i-
will this blackberry work with my SERO plan?
June 1st, 2009 at 8:19 am
[...] it’s available now at Sprint.com! (It’s not yet available through Everything Plus, [...]
June 1st, 2009 at 11:25 am
Russ,
Thanks for being honest and letting us know the REAL reason why the old SERO plans are not compatible with the Pre and Instinct due to your loosing money. I thought you made some money on the SERO accounts, but can see why u can’t allow the Pre and high data usage accounts. Maybe one day I can afford the Pre. Until then, thanks for being honest.
June 1st, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Howdy, thanks for this information, but I went to sprint.com/everythingplus and entered your information and i get the following informatin: Access Denied
You may be trying to access a private offer or shopping area on sprint.com. Please confirm that the link you entered is correct.
We apologize for the inconvenience. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact us at 1-877-618-5606.
NOTE: If your computer is running an Antivirus software package, such as Norton Internet Security Pro® or Zone Alarm Pro®, you may choose to follow these steps to adjust your privacy settings to gain access to this website.
Is there something wrong with the site, or does your information no longer work?
thanks
stephen
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:19 am
Russ,
I have a F&F family plan would I be able to change it to the Everything Plus family plan?
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:38 pm
@Chris - Everything Plus is for new accounts and new lines only. Sorry.
June 4th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Russ,
If i have the Sprint unlimited data pack on my plan and I pay for the plan, can I get my plan on the Pre or is it mandatory that I have to have a simply everything plan? Wish you success with the launch of Pre.
June 5th, 2009 at 4:50 am
I think an Everything plan will be required with the Pre. Sorry.
June 7th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Russ
Thanks I have being with Sprint for almost 10 years and I expect that not to change. Like most people following your blog we are Tech Junkies and Enthusiasts and one thing we would like to see happen at Sprint is a larger portfolio of innovative phones like the G1 and finally the Palm Pre on our network.
For someone that considers being connected a lifestyle, nothing matters to me more than the availability of phones on a carriers network. Continue to provide more phones like the Pre and lower data rates and you will continue to have the business of many like myself.
Eli.
June 7th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Dear Russ,
I recently came across your website. I, like many customers above, am on an older Sprint plan (c. 2002) that has most of the features of the new Everything Data plans at a lower cost. I’d be okay with moving to one of the new Everything Plus family plans (at an increased cost) which would give access to a couple of features, but it appears that this isn’t possible. What if my wife opened a new account under the Everything Plus account? Could we then port our numbers over?
June 8th, 2009 at 4:43 am
Christopher - unfortunately, if you’re porting Sprint numbers over, it won’t be viewed as a new account, even if it’s in a different name.
June 9th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Russ,
I was wondering what Sprint’s thought process was when it came to making the Pre unavailable to SERO customers.
I’m speaking for myself, and a few friends I’ve talked to on this subject, but no phone is worth the added cost. It would cost me a minimum of $1400 to switch to the Pre. That’s $200 for the phone, and a minimum of $50/month to move from sero to another rate plan. If I move to the Everything plan, we’re well over $2,000 just for a phone.
You’re a businessman, would you make such a switch? So how did your company make such a determination? I’m guessing here, but did you actually sell any Instincts when you tried this on us last year?
I will not be paying this outrageous amount for a brand new, untested device. Myself and others will probably switch to other carriers out of principle on this one. Now we’ve got the iPhone 3GS drawing us to AT&T…
Let me be clear that I’ve been a satisfied Sprint customer, but my loyalties only run so deep. I’m with Sprint as long as you still honor sero. If and when that is canceled, I’m gone with it.
Nick
June 9th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Christopher - there is a way around this. It’s stupid, but works.
Port your number out to a pre paid carrier like tracfone. You’ll probably pay between $10-$20 for a new phone at walmart. This will automatically close your current sprint account and if you’re under contract you will be charged the termination fee.
Give the sprint system one to two weeks to purge your account from the system. Then have your wife sign up for a new sprint account, and port your number back from the pre paid phone. This will create new accounts for you.
(I believe this “backdoor” is not specifically excluded by sprint. Considering you’re trying to spend more money with them and willing to sign a new contract, I would hope they wouldn’t frown on the use of this loophole.)
June 10th, 2009 at 4:59 am
@Nick - I think I’ve been clear on this in other comments before. As data usage increases, the old SERO is a money losing offer for Sprint. The Pre is a great phone for surfing the web, using navigation, watching Sprint TV, etc. We expect that folks with a Pre will be heavy data users. It actually is expensive for us to build and operate the wireless networks that support that data use. The more people use, the more it costs us.
Bottom line, we can’t afford to have Pre users on a $30 plan.
But, we believe that the Everything plans are a great value. In fact, using a Pre on a Simply Everything Plan will save you over $400 a year compared to using an iPhone on AT&T and even more savings when compared to the same features for a Blackberry on Verizon.
Throw on top of that the extra savings with Everything Plus (generally another $10/month) and I’d say Sprint is still offering an incredible value for the best mobile experience.
Yes SERO was an awesome deal - but we can still give you a great deal without losing boatloads of money on each customer.
June 10th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Russ, I’ve been looking at the Everything Plus Family Plan and thinking about switching….my question is I am no longer under contract, have a F&C plan which includes 2000 anytime /N&W starting at 6pm,mobile to mobile,unlimited data and txt, picture mail,free roaming on 2 lines for $85.00 plus tax. Since I am no longer under contract would they allow me to switch to that plan….granted I’ll lose 400min.
June 10th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Unfortunately, the Everything Plus plan is only for new customers, or those migrating from the old SERO plan. Sorry.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
BTW - I love the Pre, and can’t wait for more apps to come out (and for them to improve the battery life a bit). It has tons of potential.
June 11th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Thanks Russ, One last thought though….If I just canceled the service completely since I’m no longer under contract and took both my numbers to say cricket for a month or two since they don’t have contracts would they allow me to come back and port my numbers into this plan at a later date? I can’t see Sprint willing to lose a 11 year customer to save a few busks.
June 11th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Mr. McGuire,
I think the Everything Plus Referral Plan is a good one, when compared to the other plans out there right now, but not so much when compared to the former SERO plan…but then again, nothing was better than the former SERO plans. That said, it makes no sense to offer this great plan, but not allow people to get the one, exclusive, phone that Sprint has to offer along with the plan.
I have a plan that the retention department put together for me, and it has unlimited data and texting included, but I cannot get an Instinct or Pre because I do not want to pay twice as much as I am paying now.
This makes me feel a bit unappreciated as a customer: Being told that a person coming in off the street gets the same offer as I do. Where is the loyalty to me? Telling me that if I want to keep the service I have had for over 5 years, I am limited to the secondary and tertiary level phones, unless I want to spend what someone who never had Sprint service would spend is just not good business.
It seems as though Sprint has made a corporate decision to try to cut ties with any of the older contracts that are not as profitable as the new ones, through attrition. They are slowly sqeezing people either out of Sprint altogether or over to a more expensive, more profitable plan.
June 11th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
As a follow up to my previous comment: Perhaps, if Sprint offered a modest 5-10% discount (on top of any other discounts they may get)off of the “currently” offered plans to any existing customer who switches to a more expensive, current plan, then those customers would feel appreciated.
Would it be so bad to offer a “loyalty” discount?
June 12th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
The everything plus looks good to me. Sprint has to start making money somehow. My question is when will i be able to start news service with a Pre on in cause that’s what i’m waiting for.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
ddub - I think it had been hoped to be available by now. I’m guessing it will depend on the inventory situation. Sorry I don’t have a definitive answer for you.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Russ that’s what I figured. my local store had a 50 person wait list yesterday. But hey at least there’s some demand. Better then no demand. Still disappointing that there are no referral sign ups yet. But i guess i’ll have to wait.
June 14th, 2009 at 2:38 am
Seriously all you people moan and complain I want a Pre to and I am on a SERO plan just wait a few months and decide what you want to do. So many people are on Pre waiting lists and the stores are only getting as many as they can. Wait and decide if you want to change plans. You decide to come on and gripe at the Sprint CEO seriously.
June 14th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Russell, agreed. The company has to become profitable and it it’s plans don’t make financial sense you can’t expect them to continue. And when you have a popular product you’re going to have to expect shortages. It happened for the Wii too. Me i waited like 9 months for the G1, it wasnt’ good enough i kept waiting for the Pre. A little longer won’t hurt me. Patience is a virtue.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Good morning, Mr. McGuire,
For the most part, I do find the griping to be unreasonable. As I said before, the Everything Plus plans are really good plans, compared to all other carriers; they only fall short comparing them to the older SERO plans.
My question was one of trying to find a nice middle ground, whereby Sprint can become profitable, by moving people over to current, profitable plans, but still show the appreciation for long time customers.
So, how about it…why not offer a small 5-10% discount to anyone who switches from a plan that no longer exists to a current plan?
Win - Win situation.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:28 pm
@ Gary
Why are you constantly complaining??? The new SERO is still ~8% cheaper than the standard plans. IF you want the newest phones pay the price, get a flip phone if you want to keep your old plan.
This is the middle ground.
June 28th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Russ –
Do you have any idea if the BlackBerry Tour will be available to Everything Plus customers at first release or will we have to wait longer similar to the Instinct and Pre?
June 28th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
I’m only guessing here, but it seems like it will be based on supply and demand. As long as folks are on a waiting list waiting for the phone, it won’t be available through Everything Plus. The Tour will be a great phone, but I’ll be surprised if it is as popular as the Pre or the Instinct.
June 29th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Amazed that Sprint allows this many people to sign up under one person! I do have a question though, can I add a line to the Everything plan or do I have to go with the Everything family?
June 29th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
i have been with sprint for many years and i have never had a problem with them. not a single one. my cell phone company ever
June 29th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
My families’ 2 year contract ends on July 1st. As we have been loyal customers would we be eligible for this program? Our current plan will no longer be available. Once our contract ends, wouldn’t we be considered new customers? We don’t mind if we must get new phone numbers. This plan would suit us better than any of the others offered. Thanks for the info
June 30th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Russ,
Does your email address and CID still valid for entry into the everything plus website? — http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p/sprint/epc/epclanding.asp?id9=vanity:everythingplus
couldn’t gain access today, thanks.
July 1st, 2009 at 4:52 am
Stavros - sorry for the delay getting this posted. I’m guessing by “add a line” you mean add a line for something like $20 and share the minutes. The answer is no, because the data part becomes the issue. Unlimited data can translate into significant costs for Sprint. The Everything Family plans are intended to provide the equivalent “add a line” structure.
Of course (assuming all the normal credit approvals, etc.) you can always sign up for 2 or more separate lines at the full Everything Plus price.
July 1st, 2009 at 4:56 am
Mel - sorry for the delay in getting this posted. Everything Plus is for new lines added to Sprint. That means that you can’t move your existing lines to this plan. However, since you’re willing to get new phone numbers, you can cancel your old lines and sign up for new lines under Everything Plus.
July 1st, 2009 at 4:58 am
George - over the past year of having this posted, I’ve gotten this question a lot, and every time it works fine when I try it. I’ve been told that the security settings on some computers make it appear to not work, so you might try again from a different computer.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:34 pm
logging on works fine for me. got excited for a split second when the pre not available didn’t appear on the front page. But alas it’s still not available. boo hoo. lol.
July 2nd, 2009 at 8:00 am
Russ - Have you found out about any updates on the Tour as it comes closer to release date regarding it being available to Everything Plus customers?
Thanks.