Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back Says Sprint

By: Tariq Bamadhaj (Senior Editor)

In a very interesting move, Sprint recently announced a new strategy in their quest for customer satisfaction: the Sprint Free Guarantee. Think of it as your usual return policy on steroids! For a new consumer who’s been wanting to try out Sprint, they can now walk away within 30 days, should they not be satisfied with the service and not be liable for any fees or charges. This includes activation fees, monthly recurring charges and even restocking fees! It sounds like a great deal and so far, I’ve not seen anything in the fine lines that would suggest otherwise! Here’s the full press release from Sprint:

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Mar 31, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) –Sprint (NYSE: S) is backing up its promise to be the best value in wireless, by announcing the only full money-back satisfaction guarantee on service plans that exists in the wireless industry today.

Beginning tomorrow, the Sprint Free Guarantee gives any customer opening a new line of service the chance to try Sprint for 30 days. If a customer isn’t completely satisfied, they can get reimbursed for the device purchase and activation fee, get the early termination fee waived, get a full refund for service plan monthly recurring charges incurred and get all associated taxes and Sprint surcharges associated with these charges waived. In addition, Sprint will waive the restocking fee for new customer exchanges as part of this policy.

"Sprint’s new guarantee policy is yet another effort by them to respond to the needs of wireless consumers today," said Sheryl Kingstone, Director, Yankee Group. "It’s giving consumers the transparency they need to best determine whether they are completely satisfied with the services they want from their carrier. Sprint is putting more power in the hands of its customers and helping to create a better experience for them overall."

The Sprint Free Guarantee is a unique step in what is a growing list of industry "firsts" for Sprint, as no other major wireless carrier matches this guarantee today.

Sprint customers will be responsible for certain charges not associated with the Sprint Free Guarantee: usage not included in the monthly service plan, premium content (i.e. digital downloads, songs, games, applications), third-party billing, international charges and any associated taxes and Sprint surcharges.

"When Dan Hesse came to Sprint, he committed to changing Sprint and the wireless industry for the better. This guarantee is a strong statement about our confidence in the improvements we have made in our network, customer experience, rate plans and handset line-up," said Bob H. Johnson, president, Consumer, Sprint. "But we also know that consumers always have fears about switching their services to another provider, so we’ve made it easy for them to try us. Not satisfied? Cancel within 30 days and we’ll give you your money back."

As part of the guarantee campaign, Hesse is featured in a stand-alone TV ad touting the Sprint Free Guarantee that begins running tomorrow on network and cable outlets. In the ad Hesse invites customers to join Sprint, "and if you’re not completely happy with Sprint within 30 days, we’ll give you your money back."

"This is a big win for cost conscious consumers," said noted Consumer Lifestyle Advisor Jennifer Jolly. "We want this kind of honesty and transparency. We want to know there’s no more sticker-shock or bait and switch, that when a company promises us something, their word is good. Can you imagine if we could test drive a bank, health insurance, a credit-card, or any of the other things we spend our hard earned money on every month – free for 30-days? This is a big step in the right direction for Corporate America and we savvy shoppers are the ones who will benefit the most."

The Sprint Free Guarantee is one of several game-changing policies, services and products Sprint has announced over the last couple of years that has revolutionized the industry. Its award-winning device line-up, great voice and data networks, and its unmatched value in pricing plans are the reasons why Sprint is confident customers will want to give the company a try.

• Pricing plans – Plans such as Sprint’s Everything Data, featuring Any Mobile, Anytime, offers an unlimited wireless experience starting at just $69.99 per month. This means Sprint customers can get unlimited calling to and from any mobile phone in America, unlimited messaging and unlimited Web, including GPS navigation, for the same price AT&T and Verizon charge for unlimited talk only. In addition, with the Sprint Right Plan Promise, customers can move to any rate plan at any time without requiring a contract extension or any fees.
• Network Advantages: 3G & 4G services – Sprint is the first national wireless carrier to launch 4G. The service is available in 28 cities today, providing a new and improved Internet experience through the next generation of services. Sprint is extending its 4G leadership by launching the HTC EVO 4G this summer – the world’s first 3G/4G Android phone. Sprint also has the largest voice calling and the second largest 3G data network (inclusive of roaming).
• Device Line-up - Whether customers want the latest Blackberry smartphone, an Android phone like HTC Hero with Google or Samsung Moment with Google, or Palm Pre or Pixi, Sprint has an award-winning line-up of Smartphones and devices to fit any budget. The upcoming launch of its HTC EVO 4G, will offer one of the most robust multimedia experiences on a wireless phone today. It won "best of CTIA" earlier this month.
• Sprint Premier – Sprint celebrated the one-year anniversary of Sprint Premier, its exclusive rewards program in 2010. Sprint Premier provides annual upgrades, anniversary rewards, accessory discounts, "Just Because" perks like trips and tickets to events, and many other benefits to members. Customers with Sprint Everything Data plans are automatically enrolled in Sprint Premier.
• Ready Now – Sprint offers a personal trainer-like service free of charge called Ready Now. This exclusive Sprint experience offers hands-on device training and set up for customers at Sprint stores nationwide. A Laptop magazine study last Fall gave Sprint first place in a tie for in-store customer service.

The changes are all helping to build customer loyalty and ensure customers have a great experience with Sprint. During the past eight quarters, Sprint’s retention of existing customers has improved at a rate more than five times that of its nearest competitor ¹ and overall customer satisfaction has improved as well. The guarantee is another important step in Sprint’s pursuit of customer experience excellence.

For complete information about the Sprint Free Guarantee visit, www.sprint.com/guarantee beginning tomorrow.

Sure looks good right? If you’ve been holding back on Sprint, now would be as good a time as any other to give them a shot. They’ve come a long way and their services keep improving. And if it doesn’t work out for you, there’s always that Sprint Free Guarantee!