Marcelo Claure, Town Hall Meetings, New Family Share Pack Plan, Unlimited Individual Plan, Discussion Thread

[Arysyn]

To conclude, I have not seen the Sprint clip.  I do not plan to track down the now removed clip.  I do not wish to read the articles and comments.  Online commenters, even actual writers, like to spew utter shit these days, and I have enough strife in my life as it is.  Sprint did not make the off color comment.  However, Sprint made a misstep by running the clip in the first place.

 

AJ

 

Surely Sprint did not make the comment, though Marcelo was there talking with the lady and could have told her right then and there "Well, you're entitled to your opinion, but T-Mobile is not a "Ghetto" service, and we disagree with the term being used and will not be airing this on television". Sure, that could have upset the customer and made them leave, but it would have been the right thing for Marcelo to have said. The next thing would be to not air the clip, which shows Marcelo having no such problem with what the lady said. His appearance and body language showed him as being completely fine with what was said, and that is a huge image problem for Sprint, or could have been. My guess if there wasn't already so much negativity being said in politics, perhaps this would have picked up a lot more negative coverage, though I'm not sure.

 

Anyways, despite the word's history, it now has negative associations, which should be refrained from, despite some people's opinions of it otherwise. For a company to not realize this, is really sad and I think it may have hurt Sprint at least somewhat during the time it was there. We'll see if anything else occurs from it though.

[WiWavelength]

At this point, I think it's best to move on from that word. The ad has been pulled and topic has been discussed. No need to rehash.

 

Move on?  Why?  Discussion of "that word" seemingly is the whole point of this discussion -- pardon the redundancy.

 

Should S4GRU feel that posts are unproductive or provocative, staff will take action.

 

In the meantime, we have unexpectedly high activity in this thread.  You have lots of reading to do.  Enjoy the ride.

 

AJ

[gusherb]

I don't get why Sprint is still spinning its wheels when it comes to customer interface nearly 2 years after Marcelo taking over, and with all this supposed cleaning house. He must either not know what he's doing or he didn't clean the right people out or didn't do it extensively enough. Hell, maybe they are oblivious and think everything is just fine.

 

One thing they really haven't improved on that kinda turns me off is customer self service. And also BYOD which is related to self service, because every other carrier at least allows self service BYOD prepaid account setup online. Verizon has gone so far as to now allow not only prepaid but post paid BYOD account sign ups online and even giving the option to use your own VZW SIM card (or order one for free) so as to be able to have working service right away with no wait. AT&T and T-Mobile allow BYOD postpaid sign ups but just require sending a SIM card, but still close enough.

 

They also still continue to have a bottom of the barrel bunch of corporate and authorized retailers in my area (pretty much the SNL skit). Not sure how the SprintShacks are doing though, quite frankly I never cared for that move either and is another story...

 

Don't get me wrong, I really wanna like Sprint but they aren't really where they should be yet and I'm growing concerned if they'll ever be able to get to where they should be. They have fierce competition and need to move quicker, or I see their demise as we know them coming. Just not as soon as the haters predict (Sears has been on a slide to the bottom for 40 years for example)

I left them a year ago hoping they would've kicked it in the ass and made drastic changes for the better by now and I would want to come back, but looks like that ain't happening.

[Houston_Texas]

Move on? Why? Discussion of "that word" seemingly is the whole point of this discussion -- pardon the redundancy.

 

Should S4GRU feel that posts are unproductive or provocative, staff will take action.

 

In the meantime, we have unexpectedly high activity in this thread. You have lots of reading to do. Enjoy the ride.

 

AJ

We have moved on from that word. You should too.

 

The topic now; what is the purpose and credibility of the Listening Tour. That is more important to Sprint. Don't lose focus.

 

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Edited April 13, 2016 by Houston_Texas

[RedSpark]

I don't get why Sprint is still spinning its wheels when it comes to customer interface nearly 2 years after Marcelo taking over, and with all this supposed cleaning house. He must either not know what he's doing or he didn't clean the right people out or didn't do it extensively enough. Hell, maybe they are oblivious and think everything is just fine.

 

The sales/retail section of the website is much better than it used to be. I have to give them credit for that.

 

The Coverage Map page is awful, and now with the new yellow colors being used for Data, essentially indecipherable.

 

The Newsroom/Press page is horribly designed and doesn't reflect well to members of the press covering Sprint developments.

 

The truth is that there was a lot broken as far as Sprint's website goes. I'm convinced they must have migrated to an all new retail/billing database, because it's the only explanation for why it would have taken so long to get this far.

 

Perhaps some people are still handling or in charge of some essential functions as it relates to the website, social media and messaging who shouldn't be. It's hard to say for sure without being a fly on the wall. I can only go by what I see as presented as the final customer/media facing product... and in some cases, it's woefully substandard and does not reflect the professional/industry caliber of Sprint.

[WiWavelength]

We have moved on from that word. You should too.

 

The topic now; what is the purpose and credibility of the Listening Tour. That is more important to Sprint. Don't lose focus.

 

I apologize.

 

Even though we have had numerous posts on the word "ghetto," that was yesterday and earlier today.  My mistake that the statute of limitations had expired this afternoon.

 

Unpaid S4GRU staff now will work according to your prescribed timeline -- despite the fact that you have never donated a dime to this non profit site.

 

AJ

[greenbastard]

Sprint has sufficient liquidity from Network LeaseCo to pay the first round of its upcoming debts that are due.

 

More "Network LeaseCo/Handset LeaseCo" transactions will occur in the future as needed.

So if we throw formalities to the side, all Sprint is doing is getting a loan to pay off another loan??? 

 

Maybe a merger between #3 and #4 is the end game here.

[Houston_Texas]

 

 

I apologize.

 

Even though we have had numerous posts on the word "ghetto," that was yesterday and earlier today. My mistake that the statute of limitations had expired this afternoon.

 

Unpaid S4GRU staff now will work according to your prescribed timeline -- despite the fact that you have never donated a dime to this non profit site.

 

AJ

Apology accepted.

 

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[Arysyn]

I don't get why Sprint is still spinning its wheels when it comes to customer interface nearly 2 years after Marcelo taking over, and with all this supposed cleaning house. He must either not know what he's doing or he didn't clean the right people out or didn't do it extensively enough. Hell, maybe they are oblivious and think everything is just fine.

 

One thing they really haven't improved on that kinda turns me off is customer self service. And also BYOD which is related to self service, because every other carrier at least allows self service BYOD prepaid account setup online. Verizon has gone so far as to now allow not only prepaid but post paid BYOD account sign ups online and even giving the option to use your own VZW SIM card (or order one for free) so as to be able to have working service right away with no wait. AT&T and T-Mobile allow BYOD postpaid sign ups but just require sending a SIM card, but still close enough.

 

They also still continue to have a bottom of the barrel bunch of corporate and authorized retailers in my area (pretty much the SNL skit). Not sure how the SprintShacks are doing though, quite frankly I never cared for that move either and is another story...

 

Don't get me wrong, I really wanna like Sprint but they aren't really where they should be yet and I'm growing concerned if they'll ever be able to get to where they should be. They have fierce competition and need to move quicker, or I see their demise as we know them coming. Just not as soon as the haters predict (Sears has been on a slide to the bottom for 40 years for example)

I left them a year ago hoping they would've kicked it in the ass and made drastic changes for the better by now and I would want to come back, but looks like that ain't happening.

 

I really like your posts, gusherb. You almost always are correct about things, even sometimes in contrast to my thoughts. I've also learned a lot from you, and definitely see your viewpoint on many things.

 

Once again, I completely agree with you here. I'm of the thought these listening tours, while great in concept, have turned out to be a mess and are a distraction from what Marcelo really ought to be focusing on. In-store customer service being a big problem for Sprint. I certainly had quite a share of those negative experiences last year, which I've vowed that if I ever go back to Sprint, it'll be through top-level executive response representatives who truly care about the company and its customers, rather than salespeople who don't have much incentive.

 

I'll stop short there with the SNL skit, which I thought was pretty bad. I didn't find it funny, nor do I like much of what that show does poking fun at people. It is cruel, in my opinion, even if it does try to show a representative experience. Better yet, is the interview Shepard Smith from Fox News did a while back with a Sprint store employee, who was nearby a shooting. When interviewed, the store employee kept saying things like "Here at Sprint where we give you 50% off" After the store employee said it a few times, Shepard called him out on it, which the guy pretty much genuinely responded he's been so use to saying it that it became habit. I didn't find the store employee was lying or actually trying to sell Sprint service. It did sound to be a genuine habitual thing to me.

 

That itself is a big problem, if Sprint is trying to turn its store employees into saying things like robots. It turns the employees into being less genuinely caring about certain customer issues if they are told to think and say only certain corporate speech, rather than really listening to their customers needs. Perhaps in that way, Marcelo might have been better off going on a listening tour with his store employees rather than his customers. In doing so and without announcing who he is, perhaps then Marcelo would find out his employees speaking to him over and over again about how he could save 50% off.

[RedSpark]

So if we throw formalities to the side, all Sprint is doing is getting a loan to pay off another loan??? 

 

Maybe a merger between #3 and #4 is the end game here.

 

Basically. Sprint is getting a favorable rate loan from SoftBank (vs. what it would get on the open debt market) using a mix of network assets as collateral which will allow Sprint to readily meet/satisfy its upcoming debt obligations.

 

Because SoftBank really can't put more money into Sprint without triggering the tender offer clause at 85% ownership (per the merger conditions that would require SoftBank to buy the remaining Sprint shares in their entirety), this is how SoftBank can continue to fund Sprint. Plus, the debt is not directly on Sprint's balance sheet or SoftBank's.... at least as I understand it.

 

Merger between #3 and #4? Perhaps... but not in an election year.

[greenbastard]

Apology accepted.

 

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I guess your sarcasm detector was about as flat as the Houston terrain on that one uh?

[IamMrFamous07]

I just hope NGN finally takes off soon...that's all I want and care about lol

[Houston_Texas]

I guess your sarcasm detector was about as flat as the Houston terrain on that one uh?

Lol. Flat is good, better than the hills in Austin.

 

Ghetto is a buzzword that can derail the thread.

 

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[WiWavelength]

Again all respect to Sprint for the network improvements and such. However, and while I'll admit not all of the Facebook posts seem proper or even genuine, a great deal of them likely are.

 

I do not debate differences in Sprint service at different locations.  For the purposes of this post, I do not care.

 

But Facebook?  Really?  Is it representative of the whole?  Almost every comment is negative.  Facebook has become shit.

 

Back when I was in college -- and Facebook was limited to educational institutions -- it was a neat resource for meeting and recognizing new people.  Then, Facebook opened to everyone and his dog.  The emphasis on the latter.

 

The Facebook commenting system used by so many web sites now is horrible.  Not all that intelligent people -- who could/would never actually write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, cogently make an argument at a city council meeting, or coherently interact with their political representatives -- now can express their feelings on any and all matters.  Dumb, meet dumber.

 

Facebook has become the cesspool of the Web.  I think somebody used the term "vitriol" earlier in this thread.  I agree.  You nailed it.

 

For Facebook, thanks, Obama...I mean, thanks, Zuckerberg.

 

 

AJ

[richy]

So if we throw formalities to the side, all Sprint is doing is getting a loan to pay off another loan??? 

 

Maybe a merger between #3 and #4 is the end game here.

 

This is standard practice, albeit not the only option. You can get two main types of mortgage for a house, principal and interest or interest only, companies have similar options for loans. Companies carrying large amounts of debt often opt for loans, notes, bonds that are in effect interest only. So month to month they pay interest and then refinance them when they become due in full at the end of the term. 

 

What happens is that companies hope that inflation and FCF will reduce the burden of the debt load so that at some point it can be paid off gradually by refinancing a smaller portion of the debt i.e. they have 8bn to repay but 4 bn in cash, they refinance 6bn of the 8bn using half their cash reserves. 

 

Sprints situation is that they are just coming out of a trough, the market is tough, their recovery is not certain. Sprint also has a shock to its books coming, they are going to be forced to count their site lease obligations on their books. While this in reality doesn't change anything, it makes their books look worse to the tune of about $20bn. This also affects their covenant on their existing finances, the agreements about their business and the shape they keep it in. What that means is they could face having to repay debt early and higher costs for all debt they need to refinance. Sprint has a lot of debt maturing i.e. the principal becomes due in full, in their immediate future. Paying higher interest rates would seriously hurt their balance sheet. They have hit upon a very smart (or desperate or creative depending on your viewpoint) option, they are effectively hocking assets at a lower interest rate to pay off maturing debt. They are also moving handset rentals off their books to make their books look better, its not a bad thing, they need to do it to cut costs and make debt cheaper in the future which gives them more money to improve their service. 

 

To you and me all this all means is they are being creative to get out of a tough situation and save money to reinvest. I'd have a hard time finding fault in it and I truly hate beancounteryness.

[Arysyn]

I do not debate differences in Sprint service at different locations.  For the purposes of this post, I do not care.

 

But Facebook?  Really?  Is it representative of the whole?  Almost every comment is negative.  Facebook has become shit.

 

Back when I was in college -- and Facebook was limited to educational institutions -- it was a neat resource for meeting and recognizing new people.  Then, Facebook opened to everyone and his dog.  The emphasis on the latter.

 

The Facebook commenting system used by so many web sites now is horrible.  Not all that intelligent people -- who could/would never actually write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, cogently make an argument at a city council meeting, or coherently interact with their political representatives -- now can express their feelings on any and all matters.  Dumb, meet dumber.

 

Facebook has become the cesspool of the Web.  I think somebody used the term "vitriol" earlier in this thread.  I agree.  You nailed it.

 

For Facebook, thanks, Obama...I mean, thanks, Zuckerberg.

 

 

AJ

 

I'm no fan of Facebook, AJ. Actually quite far from it, I basically loathe it. I really dislike how the site looks, its operating policies, etc.

 

While there are those posting on Facebook which are not genuine in their complaints about Sprint, no one could factually claim all of them are shams, particularly regarding the customer service complaints. Many of those who make complaints on Facebook regarding the service, not the network experiences mind you, have similar experiences from those I've read right here on S4GRU from people who generally like Sprint, but don't like its service areas.

 

Facebook itself has many bad qualities to it, but not all of it is bad or wrong. Not meaning to defend Facebook at all by that statement, but I do recognize where there are some legitimate things said there.

[Arysyn]

By the way, for those who haven't seen the Sprint ad, here it is :

 

[gusherb]

By the way, for those who haven't seen the Sprint ad, here it is :

 

Having watched the ad now I can see where she's coming from. She's a perfect example of how long it takes the general population to catch onto when a corporation has seriously improved and to forget their past. I think the word "ghetto" was definitely used in the wrong context and what she meant to say was "they are so bad how could anyone use them?!" Or some other word that would appropriately describe that feeling. And that was definitely true up until recently - they truly had no modern service or none at all outside of large metro areas, and that was as late as late 2014 - early 2015.

 

I think the whole thing was blown a bit out of proportion and Sprint most definitely shouldn't have published that. I also think this was a good example of how quick people are to jump down ones throat for accidentally using the wrong word in certain contexts and also jump down Sprints throat over every minute error they make.

 

It's often a good idea to take a step back and think before reacting to anything. Words aren't the be all end all to communication and many other factors are at play before deciding whether something someone said was an attack, an error in words used, or just plain ignorance.

[sbolen]

Hi guys, what'd I miss?

 

 

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[Jones]

It's often a good idea to take a step back and think before reacting to anything. Words aren't the be all end all to communication and many other factors are at play before deciding whether something someone said was an attack, an error in words used, or just plain ignorance.

 

Marcelo did the right thing and took it down with an apology. Nothing more really needs to be said from Sprint or Marcelo.

[joshuam]

Another miscalculated move. Agree they should try to move on. Can the whole series from the listening tour and start over.

[gusherb]

Another miscalculated move. Agree they should try to move on. Can the whole series from the listening tour and start over.

Make it a surprise drop in on Sprint stores tour, perhaps not even as CEO, and watch store operation, maybe even pretend to be a customer. And do it quietly without a big PR spin, so something can actually be learned.

[WiWavelength]

Hi guys, what'd I miss?

 

You slept though everything.  Mr. Rip Van Webster Groves.

 

The Cardinals somehow won the World Series in April.

 

The Rams are headed back to the Dome.

 

Ferguson is crime free.

 

And Sprint misused a customer's "ghetto" comment about T-Mobile.

 

 

AJ

[notsrealinc]

It looks like Marcelo apologies again on Twitter saying he should have known better, lesson learned

In a series of three tweets on Twitter he states the following:

"I’ve just read all the comments regarding the video we posted and I want to profoundly apologize again to anyone I offended. As a proud Hispanic immigrant, I should have been more sensitive and known not to publish the customers’ comment. This was an honest mistake and lesson learned."

Links to the tweets:

 

https://twitter.com/marceloclaure/status/720406201524072448.......

 

https://twitter.com/marceloclaure/status/720406434903494656.......

 

https://twitter.com/marceloclaure/status/720406521989890049........

Edited April 14, 2016 by notsrealinc

[Houston_Texas]

Glad he apologized.

Lesson learned.

Time to move on.

 

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