Analysts: Sprint to lose 150K subs in Q4

[utiz4321]

I think the cues we get in the fourth quarter and year end earnings call will be very instructive. We should get a glimps in to managements mind set.

[utiz4321]

I agree. That interview was done for a reason, and there are a few people in the upper echelon of Sprint that are coming up with a plan or are getting their resumes updated.

 

I suspect at this point these next couple quarters are going to be rough for Sprint, not outwardly for people that are satisfied with the service like I am, but the stock will take a beating and the upper c level will look different.

 

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

Do you have a link to the interview or an article in which what he said was discussed. I have been unable to find anything about it.

[lilotimz]

Do you have a link to the interview or an article in which what he said was discussed. I have been unable to find anything about it.

 

 

http://asia.nikkei.com/print/article/11793

 

After acquiring Sprint, I delivered a speech urging all employees and managers at the company to join forces with our Japanese unit and work as a single entity.

 

I made the speech because I did not want to repeat the mistakes I had made running previously acquired companies in the U.S. When I took over the company that runs Comdex (Computer Dealer's Exhibition) and U.S. publisher Ziff Davis, I allowed American executives to run them at their discretion. This decision was based on my belief that Japanese owners should not interfere too much with the U.S. executives' business management. That belief was wrong.

     By leaving American executives to their own devices, I was acting as an investor and not as a business leader. This hands-off approach would never enable me to reform management of companies I acquire overseas. It doesn't matter how well a company is run, there is always room for improvement. A hands-on approach allows me to make profitable businesses more profitable.

     It is not that there were no benefits to acquiring the two previous U.S. companies. My experiences with those businesses allowed me to familiarize myself with the U.S. Internet industry. They also paved the way for me to take a stake in Yahoo. 

     But I was unable to create significant growth Comdex and Ziff Davis because I took a half-hearted approach to running those businesses. When I acquired the Japanese arm of Vodafone Group Plc and Japan Telecom, I realized that these companies would not post high growth without strong leadership. So I ran them with strong resolve. Without the correct leadership, even a company with capable managers and hard-working personnel will not be able to reach the top tier.

     This is why I sometimes yell at Sprint executives. At one recent meeting, I learned that our advertising at Sprint was not cost-effective. This made me quite angry. Sprint spends a large amount of money on advertising every year, but its effects have been almost negligible. I directed the Sprint executives to terminate all existing contracts with the company's advertising agencies. We will shortly start from scratch on advertising, with new agents also making proposals.

     Drastic change is sometimes necessary. When I took over the Japanese arm of Vodafone, it was like a sinking ship. I took the decision then to be more aggressive in my approach to management. I realized that I had to say what I wanted without reservation if I was to truly rebuild the company.

     You run the risk of forcing managers and employees to quit if you act like that. But there was little choice. About a third of the executives left the company within six months.

     I can be blunt with Westerners if necessary, probably because I lived in the U.S. when I was younger. I take my own approach to running my companies, and it is not very Japanese.

     Just like Vodafone in Japan, Sprint has gotten used to being a loser. It is perpetually stuck in third or fourth place in the U.S. telecommunications market. Some say the poor quality of its networks explains its position. This kind of excuse keeps Sprint from breaking the vicious cycle in which it is caught. There is a need for a change in mindset.

     Of course, Sprint is inferior to Verizon Wireless and AT&T in some respects. But we can learn a lot from our flaws. Japanese companies provide better telecom network infrastructure and greater customer satisfaction at retail stores. U.S. companies are ahead in Web-based services. Business people in both countries should learn from each other.

     A Japanese SoftBank executive recently made a presentation in English in Silicon Valley. His spoken English was terrible, but who cares? He was able to make himself understood. In the past, I would probably have told Japanese executives at SoftBank to focus on Japanese operations if their English was not at a high level. Not anymore.

Masayoshi Son, chairman & CEO of SoftBank, spoke to The Nikkei in Silicon Valley. Son founded software wholesaler Softbank Japan (currently SoftBank) in 1981. He has played a pioneering role in Japan's IT sector.

 

 

[mrknowitall526]

FWIW, I haven't really experienced any of the "hiccups" with NV upgrades, in the Lehigh Valley, PA/Philly market.  Other people have posted about how NV broke their network, can't do anything, etc.  Most sites in the immediate Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area are at least 3G accepted, and I have checked a number of them and all get at least 1 mbps on average, most of the time well over 1.5 Mbps.  

 

Again, even though the "general public" doesn't have LTE, 1.5 Mbps 3G is really more than adequate, in my opinion.  Speaking from experience.  We have NO cable or DSL broadband available where I live, and have had a Sprint 3G hotspot since August 2012.  I do know that when we first got it that NV hadn't started here yet.  Some time over this summer, the site we connect to was upgraded, and yes, we did have some very intermittent data speed issues.  But they seem to have worked the kinks out and we are at least able to be somewhat productive online.  Can we stream HD video?  Not really.  But with only 12GB to use up, we're not going to try.  But, it's been more than adequate.  Even without having LTE yet.

 

Perhaps I just got lucky with the combination of legacy equipment and new equipment vendors being used in this area, but my experiences have been generally positive.  Sprint has also been more than willing to issue credits on our mobile broadband plan when service was down, whether it be due to NV upgrades or other issues.

 

So, I suppose I can't truly empathize with those of you that did have to suffer with bad issues.  I still find it to be the best value for the money - Verizon is crazy expensive, AT&T call quality is crap (at least around here), and T-Mobile coverage sucks unless you are driving along I-78 or Route 22 in this area, or drive north/south of them +/- 5 miles.

[IamMrFamous07]

I hope we learn more about sprints plan in 2014 during the q4 conference call. All i care about is band 41 deployement at this point. Also while sprint is deploying band 41 i hope they are installing the necessary equioment so they can turn up 20+20 quickly.

Any word on the small cell deployment??

[Mr.Nuke]

I don't think backhaul is an issue in many cases. 

San Diego may be an anomaly but backhaul is an issue in most cases. Just to contrast this. I'm in Omaha. Sprint has NV equipment (and the sites are NV accepted) on all but 3 sites. We haven't had an LTE acceptance in 5 and 1/2 months. 10-15% of the sites in the Omaha metro are probably LTE accepted. When 90+% of the sites ar NV accepted and only about 10% are on LTE, that strongly suggests backhaul issues. Individual markets are going to have different issues, but if you look at NV on a macro level I think it is fairly clear there are widespread and prevalent backhaul issues.

 

I am kind of curious about the backhaul isnt at the tower yet line of reasoning.  I am sure this has been said somewhere else, but I cant think of it right now.  Arent ATT and Verizon using fiber backhauls? 

In Sprint's defense here there is a huge difference between AT&T, Verizon in Sprint in this regard. The first two can provide their own backhaul at a significant portion of their sites. That said, I'm fully with S4GRU at this point that Sprint needs to be looking at their backhaul contracts on a micro level market by market and exploring all of their options at this point. 

Again, even though the "general public" doesn't have LTE, 1.5 Mbps 3G is really more than adequate, in my opinion.  .

The network in its present state fails to deliver those speeds in a lot of cases. I'm a firm believer if Sprint can provide a sustainable network with average to decent speeds on a consistent basis at a good price point they'll be fine. The issue is they aren't there in a lot of places right now.

[IamMrFamous07]

Also I know this question has been asked many times I just can't find answer but is possible for sprint to make 1900 10x10 oppose to 5x5?

[WiWavelength]

Also I know this question has been asked many times I just can't find answer but is possible for sprint to make 1900 10x10 oppose to 5x5?

In some markets, eventually, yes. In other markets, no. So, the general answer is no.

 

AJ

[IamMrFamous07]

In some markets, eventually, yes. In other markets, no. So, the general answer is no.

 

AJ

Which markets AJ?

[Fraydog]

I think Masa might show up with a paint gun soon like Ari Gold did in Entourage.

[dnicekid]

the hartford, ct market (which was formerly wimax) seems to be popping up quickly, I agree that sprint should invest more before the losses become to great.

 

Looks like sprint plans on doing somethimg internal

 

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/217458/sprint-launching-comprehensive-agency-review.html

[texasbrew]

That link seems to confirm my long held suspicion that the network upgrade strategy is now being driven by a marketing strategy in which Sprint can claim that they have as big of an LTE footprint as any other provider (even if the LTE performance is poor).  Now it seems like the head man wants somebody that can put lipstick on a pig better that the last crew.

[jamisonshaw125]

All that I know is that with them pushing out these text messages to users saying their network is a month away from completion, they better guarantee it and get it done. Last thing they should be doing is saying to their customers that they're so close to being done, and then they have to wait another 3-4 months for their upgrades. 

 

That was not a smart move on Sprints part. Or was it? I don't know .

[bcltoys]

All that I know is that with them pushing out these text messages to users saying their network is a month away from completion, they better guarantee it and get it done. Last thing they should be doing is saying to their customers that they're so close to being done, and then they have to wait another 3-4 months for their upgrades. 

 

That was not a smart move on Sprints part. Or was it? I don't know .

You have got text messages saying their network will be finished where in a month. Is it a town or the whole country. Town maybe hole country not going to happen you got a better shot of seeing God. I can see Delaware and Maryland not being done in a year.

[Rocket87]

You have got text messages saying their network will be finished where in a month. Is it a town or the whole country. Town maybe hole country not going to happen you got a better shot of seeing God. I can see Delaware and Maryland not being done in a year.

Customers in Indianapolis started getting them this weekend.

 

Sent from tapatalk

 

 

[Paynefanbro]

You have got text messages saying their network will be finished where in a month. Is it a town or the whole country. Town maybe hole country not going to happen you got a better shot of seeing God. I can see Delaware and Maryland not being done in a year.

  

Customers in Indianapolis started getting them this weekend.

 

Sent from tapatalk

  

All that I know is that with them pushing out these text messages to users saying their network is a month away from completion, they better guarantee it and get it done. Last thing they should be doing is saying to their customers that they're so close to being done, and then they have to wait another 3-4 months for their upgrades. 

 

That was not a smart move on Sprints part. Or was it? I don't know .

This is what it actually says:

 

SprintFreeMsg: Over the next month the new network will be largely completed in your area making it better than ever! http://sprint.us/network1 Reply S to stop

[runagun]

I love this.. I'm glad Son isn't delusional like the rest of Sprints Mgmt.  

 

 

“Just like Vodafone in Japan, Sprint has gotten used to being a loser,” Son wrote. “It is perpetually stuck in third or fourth place in the U.S. telecommunications market. Some say the poor quality of its networks explains its position. This kind of excuse keeps Sprint from breaking the vicious cycle in which it is caught. There is a need for a change in mindset.”

[bcltoys]

    

This is what it actually says:

 

SprintFreeMsg: Over the next month the new network will be largely completed in your area making it better than ever! http://sprint.us/network1 Reply S to stop

Got it.

[ericdabbs]

I think the customer losses are going to be worse in Q1 2014.  With Tmobile's ETF promotion I get a sense from reading forums and tech blogs that a lot of these defectors will be Sprint customers.

[Paynefanbro]

I think the customer losses are going to be worse in Q1 2014.  With Tmobile's ETF promotion I get a sense from reading forums and tech blogs that a lot of these defectors will be Sprint customers.

I got a sense that a lot of these are AT&T and Verizon customers way more than Sprint.

[JosefTor]

Ive heard on other forums a LOT of AT&T customers calling in, mentioning the tmobile deal, and being offered TONS of incentives to stay - all without requiring any contract extensions

 

Is Sprint doing the same? Or is the credit purse still tight?

 

Sprint doesnt seem to understand that they need to make their current customers happy. It pays off in the long term. So many purchasing decisions are made thanks to recommendations between family and friends. You need your customers to be advocates of your brand, not disgruntled.

Definitely agree. Sprint used to be the best at this. Back in 2001-2006 they used to have their retention department call me (even though I never filed compliaints) and ask what I wanted. They would then give me options like 500 extra minutes a month, earlier nights and weekends, etc. This made me feel special and made me feel that if I left, I would be screwed. You don't know how many people I made into Sprint customers as a result of this.

 

Then, Sprint came up with their Premier status where they offered perks and the ability to upgrade every year. Talk about not wanting to leave Sprint!

 

Now I feel Sprint just feels like i/we are safe customers and that they should do anything in their power to get people off discount/special plans. This definitely doesn't make me feel like I am a valued customer of 13 years.

 

I hope Sprint goes back to the basics in this shake up. Unfortunately, my company recently laid off about 50% of its folks and we ended up with the older/not flexible people who got us into this mess so they need to go through it right. I believe a very flat level organization would do wonders for Sprint.

[dnicekid]

My fear is Sprint will continue to lose more customers, their bad reputation is really hurting them. I have tried to talk many people the last few days to get on a framily. Everyone just think sprint sucks or they have a horror story about  what happened to them while on sprint. 

 

Sprint needs a really good promo. Something like when nextel first came on the scene it was unlimited for $99 which was unheard of at the time, even though it was only for the first year. 

 

Maybe sprint makes the first 3 payments on easy pay when you switch?

[cavendano]

My fear is Sprint will continue to lose more customers, their bad reputation is really hurting them. I have tried to talk many people the last few days to get on a framily. Everyone just think sprint sucks or they have a horror story about  what happened to them while on sprint. 

 

Sprint needs a really good promo. Something like when nextel first came on the scene it was unlimited for $99 which was unheard of at the time, even though it was only for the first year. 

 

Maybe sprint makes the first 3 payments on easy pay when you switch?

Maybe youre trying too hard?

Just plant the seed for now.

 

  

That link seems to confirm my long held suspicion that the network upgrade strategy is now being driven by a marketing strategy in which Sprint can claim that they have as big of an LTE footprint as any other provider (even if the LTE performance is poor).  Now it seems like the head man wants somebody that can put lipstick on a pig better that the last crew.

Did we read different articles?

[texasbrew]

the hartford, ct market (which was formerly wimax) seems to be popping up quickly, I agree that sprint should invest more before the losses become to great.

 

Looks like sprint plans on doing somethimg internal

 

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/217458/sprint-launching-comprehensive-agency-review.html

The link above that discusses possible termination of all the add agencies.

[Rawvega]

Did we read different articles?

 

Lol I was thinking the same thing.