How do you solve too many customer complaints? - Sprint "fires" bad customers

[Morrigoon]

There are two approaches to improving your customer service score: you can actually improve your customer service, or you can cease doing business with people who complain:

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...Customers.aspx

Way to step up to the plate, Sprint!

[Alex]

I have to work closely (though thankfully not directly) with the phone customer service people at my job. So I see most of what comes in and there is definitely a core group of customers where we frequently kid that the next time they call we're going to say "Obviously you hate us, here's your money, might we recommend you try a different bank."

Now, there are definitely things that we do that are stupid and the vast majority of issues are legitimate but some people just like to complain and end up costing us more money than we'd ever make off of them.

We'd never do it because it is bad PR no matter how justified but boy would it feel good sometimes.

[Not Afraid]

We've done it. Some customers are NOT worth the time and energy they suck away from everyone else. It becomes difficult to provide excellent customer service when certain customers make it VERY difficult to do so - no matter what you do. Getting rid of the low hanging fruit can be good policy and good business in certain instances.

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

We've done it. Some customers are NOT worth the time and energy they suck away from everyone else. It becomes difficult to provide excellent customer service when certain customers make it VERY difficult to do so - no matter what you do. Getting rid of the low hanging fruit can be good policy and good business in certain instances.

Yep. I once had a customer who would come into my store every couple of weeks right at closing time......only to complain about my product, my service, my employee, and even my location. Rarely did she buy anything and when she did it was something from my bargain area...and then she would come back and complain that it wasn't up to her standards(then don't buy it from the bargain room I wanted to scream). Finally I told her I couldn't do business with her anymore(so politely that she actually left the store thanking me) and when she asked me to reccomend another place she could go I said I couldn't(because I wouldn't wish her on my worse enemy, let alone my friendly competitors) but wished her good luck

[Kevy Baby]

I don't fault Sprint for this action. I think it is about time that companies stand up to money losing PITA's.

From a different article:

The No. 3 U.S. wireless provider, with 53 million customers, said today that it started sending service termination letters on June 25. Sprint said the cancellations involved 1,000 to 1,200 customers who had collectively called the company about 40,000 times per month.

That means that these customer called in on average 33 times per month!

Since this amount represents about 1 customer out of every 50,000 (or approximately .0023% of their customer base), I think it is a smart move.

[Morrigoon]

Actually, I agree that some customers need to be "fired"... it was just funny that the firing of their customers seems to have come on the heels of their being ranked worst in customer service.

[Nephythys]

We also "fire" bad customers in my industry- retirement plan record keeping..if a plan is too small, or too problematic or has a bunch of crazy people- they have suggested they take their business elsewhere.

[blueerica]

Only 1,000? They'd probably be dumping more if people like me piped up. You know, the kind that thinks Sprint sucks yet doesn't call because he/she feels it doesn't change anything. I'm just happy my contract ends in a month and a half. After being with Spring for 11 years and happy for 9.5 of them... I want them to know they can take the last year and half I've been stuck with them and Nextel and shove it.

Not that I'll tell them. I don't want any complications when I close out my contract.

[blueerica]

I should add that I'm glad they're dumping problem customers. Some people truly are nothing but problems. But like I said earlier - there would be more, if more people were willing to speak up about how crappy the last year or so has been since they merged.

[Betty]

Spring sucks!

I handle the cell phone account for our office (one of my many duties is approving bills since I have a knack for spotting errors... aka: actually read the bill and make sure we got what we're paying for) and we have both Nextel and Spring.

THey are the same company because they've merged - only their not.

Different phone numbers, account numbers, bills. Different shipping methods.

Nextel is right on top of things. I order them. They arrive. If there's ever a rare problem, it's taken care of immediately.

Sprint has problems with orders yet waits for the customer to call, wondering where their order is before they even attempt to solve the problem. From there, it involves more follow up phone calls on the customer's part because Sprint does not call back after saying they will. When the customer calls back they find that their order is now placed - but with todays date even though by this time at least a week has passed. And they've either shipped it the slowest way known where it will take 5-7 business days to receive, or they overnight it but at the customer's expense because it's their fault or something.

Yes. Personal experience. Not once. But twice just like that. Not to mention all the other lame things like sending a box of wireless cards, half set up, half not. Sending a card that was not on our account, and seems to be some "phantom" card that isn't in the system. with no record I ever called and even ordered a card. which I now have to send back and wait for a new card that I really need to check out to an employee.

Sprint is as bad as Verizon is. Since the DMV now has appointments, I think they might be easier to deal with. Give them a run for their money anyway.