Category: Communication

I am a Nextel faithful. I have had the direct connect service since high school and there is nothing that compares with it. Unfortunately, Sprint bought Nextel a few years back, and as predicted by Nextel customers, it was the end of all customer service as we know it.

Because of the insane amount of money that I spend with Sprint on a monthly basis (unlimited Blackberry service, unlimited mobile broadband card service), I get better customer service than most, but the service experience itself (quality of coverage, consistency of billing, amount and frequency of marketing message)… well that’s just crap.

The biggest problem I have right now is this: I am a paperless girl. PLEASE send me my bill by email as a PDF and let’s work together to endless printing and tree killing. I have not received a bill by email the last two months (and I’ve checked my spam filter and all the other little tricks). I DID however receive an email telling me my bill is two months past due. And three text messages.

So why the big complaint?

1) My text messages are CONSISTENTLY a day late, or more. They are never instant. It’s pretty much synonymous with Sprint.

2) I have a big problem with a service provider who cannot seamlessly provide its customers the services they are paying for in a consistent and timely manner and even more so when they can get THEIR messages to me though, when they feel I owe them too much money. (You can get the past due email to me, but not the monthly emails? You can get the “bill due” text message to me, but never any other texts?)

If I had received my bill as arranged to begin with, the payment due date and amount due would’ve gone immediately on my calendar with a 5-day reminder attached to it.

A disconnect in the service experience like this indicates two things to me as a consumer:

1) They value me paying my bill more than they do actually providing the services I’m paying for.

2) I’m paying a premium for this provider but not receiving superior follow-through. Could I easily cut my bill by $50 a month with a competitor and receive the same quality of service? Betcha I could!

Hmm… decisions, decisions, decisions.

I will say one positive thing about Sprint – when you call the 888-number, you are almost always given the option in the voice prompts for “to speak to a representative, press 0”. Definitely necessary to get a live body on the other end for issues like this.

No wonder Sprint keeps losing market share and brand value each quarter…

This will be AWESOME once it’s in place!

From the City of Raleigh email newsletter

City of Raleigh to Bring Free WiFi Network to Downtown

The City of Raleigh Information Technology Department has issued a request-for-proposals for the design and installation of a WiFi network in Downtown Raleigh. The goal of the project is to offer free, outdoor public WiFi access in the downtown area bordered by South Street, West Street, Morgan Street, and Person Street.

Working in cooperation with Downtown Raleigh Alliance, the WiFi network will support downtown revitalization efforts, including the reopening of Fayetteville Street to vehicular traffic, the opening of the Raleigh Convention Center and the highly anticipated opening of City Plaza in the fall. The City hopes to develop a marketing strategy for the WiFi network that will share in the success of the recently implemented downtown ‘You R Here’ brand and the R-Line downtown circulator bus service.

Free WiFi will be yet another valuable resource available to downtown residents, visitors and employees. The project is scheduled to be completed this fall. As work continues on the WiFi network, the City will release more detailed information about the project, including its planned coverage, marketing and branding, and schedule.

For more information, contact Jonathan Minter, Assistant Information Technology Director, at 996-5462.

I can see it now – not having to use my wireless card in Downtown. Fabulous!

This is a {Double Post} from my personal blog, because I believe it’s a prime example of how NOT to conduct your business.

Every morning that I’m planning on being in the office for a bit, I launch Firefox and XMRadio.com so I can listen to The Highway (formerly Highway 16) and whatever else fits my fancy that day.

Today, this is what I was greeted with:

“Screw that.” – was my first response. “I beg you pardon?” – was my second.

Let me preface this by saying that every single vehicle in my family has either XM or Sirius radio. Thanks to the merger, XM/Sirius has a good deal of business with us. Each vehicle has a removable satellite radio unit so we can use them in the house, on the boat, wherever. Technically, I could do the same in my office, but the reception isn’t great since this is a commercial building constructed of primarily metal. I am however, not above engineering up a solution to avoid being charged for something I’ve always been provided as an included service.

Plus, the online radio service isn’t THAT good anyway. The “what’s playing now” feature (so you can see what’s on other stations before you change the channel) never auto-updates anymore.

Finally, I’m not the world’s best copywriter, but I’m pretty sure I could’ve damn well figured out a better, more eloquent way to say “renew your contract now if you still want this free service of be prepared to ante up more money”. Don’t play games with me XM, I will win.

PS – XM Radio… I HOPE you find this blog post and feel a little embarrassed. I would too if I were you.

[End Rant]

It makes me cringe when I get a “friend request” from a business, organization, or association. I cringe less significantly when it’s a group, but there’s still a little sting.

This is a classic case of jumping right in without a little doing research.

Those who would take a little time to explore facebook and learn about its features would have learned a few things that would make them appear less “new” at this social networking game:

1. Profiles are for people. How in the world can I really be “friends” with an organization? I can be a fan, but not a friend. 9 times out of 10, unless it’s something or someone I really care about, I deny the request until the group can get it together and make a page.

2. Pages give you “insights”, which are facebook’s versions of watered-down analytics. That’s valuable info my friends, not to be tossed by the wayside lightly.

3. The number one reason I don’t want to “friend” you or join your “group” is because I don’t want you poking, writing on my wall, or messaging the heck out of me. That’s what updates are for, and when they’re sent out in their rightful place, they’re received with higher effective rates.

So please, stop making yourselves look so ridiculous.

Also, from what I hear… they make you pay to create a profile as a non-personal entity. Throwing away money on something they’re giving away for free are we? Bad form.

/rant. Thanks for letting me vent!