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From: john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Sprint Billing / Embarassing Retraction
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Date: 1 Aug 90 20:22:46 GMT
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Reply-To: John Higdon <john@bovine.ati.com>
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 535, Message 7 of 11



         AT&T NEWS BRIEFS 
         [All items are today's date unless otherwise noted] 

         Tuesday, July 31, 1990 
         
         MARKETPLACE -- US Sprint's long-distance telephone service, the 
         company advertises, uses a fiber-optic network so pure "you can 
         hear a pin drop."  That phrase might also describe the stunned 
         silence ... after [Sprint lost] $42 million in the second quarter. 
         [...]  The problem, [says Sprint's chairman, 
         William T. Esrey], has been a matter of resources.  "We have been 
         outmanned - outpersoned - and outgunned, by AT&T in particular," 
         says the executive, who is lobbying hard against any FCC move to 
         unshackle the industry leader. ... Wall Street Journal, A1. 

                       -----------------------

I have an alternative explanation as to what the problem might be.
It's called "service to the customer". And it is not a matter of
resources; it is a matter of attitude.

On Sunday, I reported a problem with my Trailblazer speaking over a
Sprint circuit to San Diego. I corrected the problem temporarily by
using AT&T, but have called daily to see if Sprint was even working on
it. Finally today, Wednesday, I reached someone who had the tenacity
to get an answer from the technical department. The findings? The
problem is "in the customer's equipment". (Sounds like GTE, no?)

I explained to the person that there was no problem with the
equipment, in fact there was no problem with Sprint except to San
Diego. She asked, "Do you want me to reenter the trouble report?" "Do
you want my business?" "Of course we want your business!" "Then it
will have to work, won't it?" And then there was one more, "Maybe you
should call your vendor and have your equipment checked." "Not
necessary. Even as we speak the equipment is talking, successfully, to
two other sites."  "Ok. I'll make out another trouble ticket."

Now you have to understand that the only reason I'm wasting my time
with all this is that my curiousity is aroused concerning Sprint's
ability to handle customers. If I was not so interested, Sprint would
have lost my business flat, and I would have patronized a carrier that
could serve my needs, as will probably end up being the case.

As my friends say, quoting a line from Stan Freberg's "The United
States of America" -- "When are you going to stop fooling around with
these nuts?"


        John Higdon         |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 723 1395
    john@bovine.ati.com     | San Jose, CA 95150 |       M o o !