You’ve seen me singing Sprint’s praises on Chia Town for quite a while. Blazing fast network, good customer service (after fixing the crappy customer service they were known for), and GREAT prices. I laughed at my friends who were paying AT&T boatloads of money for crappier service. Alas…such is not the case.

Sprint’s timing is REALLY bad. They announce this just as Verizon is about the get the iPhone. Perhaps Verizon isn’t as bad as AT&T in some people’s minds and a defection from Sprint to Verizon for the iPhone alone won’t be such a big deal. I had planned on sticking with my Android phone (a Samsung Moment which increasingly seems like a big heavy brick as I look at the new phones coming out…but I’m still happy with it) with Sprint because it just makes sense to stick with an affordable plan on a good network.

But now this.

Seriously Sprint, WTF? Did the Clearwire debacle go so badly that you’re trying to recoup losses and are sticking it to your customers? You have to remember Sprint, the only reason MANY people stayed with Sprint was because it was night-and-day cheaper than the competition. AT&T had exclusivity with the iPhone, Verizon had a big fast network, Sprint had…well Sprint had Android phones and a price that couldn’t be beat.

I’m seriously questioning this move. I love Sprint. I love their service, I love their customer service, and I love the tenacity they’ve shown to rebuild after getting beaten down. I applaud Dan Hesse for taking the helm of a sinking ship and getting things back on track. Good job!

But WTF Sprint? This may be the single biggest thing to get people to defect. It’s not like Sprint has the biggest market share as it is to toy around with. Under this price change, the other carriers will now be CHEAPER. Cheaper I say! I was fine settling for a cool phone (but not a “holy crap this phone is awesome” phone) because I had a good network and a stupidly cheap plan to use it on. Now I can pay less AND get a better phone, Android or iPhone?

I don’t know what you’re doing Sprint. Maybe you’re making boatloads of money from NASCAR or from your LBS (Location Based Services) offerings, but this makes no sense to me.

Rewind to yesterday. We were walking around taking care of business. Pick up some energy bars for our training rides here, get a new shirt for soccer there, might as well pop into the Sprint store and see if I can weasel any info on the Palm Pre out of them (nope…either they were clueless or they played clueless very well). My partner in crime was there with me…a Verizon user. She was spending roughly $150/month for the unlimited voice plan and whatever else she had going on with her Blackberry. We all know I’m a Sprint lover and user so I told her to check out the cost savings. $99 for the Simply Everything plan which gives her unlimited data, voice, and texts to use with her Blackberry. Plus a $100 rebate. And then another $100 credited to her account for porting over from another company. Thus, she actually got paid to make the switch (then again Verizon charged her to cancel her plan with them). The customer service? Amazing. Our guy was super helpful with everything, explained everything, set up her new phone in the store, activated it, set up her email account…just very very helpful to get her up and running with no fuss, no muss. After she was up and running she posted to Facebook (from her new Blackberry of course) that she is now saving nearly $500 a year from switching over to Sprint from Verizon.

And then it began.
The following are all comments to her post:

• Ranter A – Good luck w/ all of those dropped calls. Sprint blows!
• Ranter B – Sprint bites. <Ranter A> is so right. Dropped calls here they come. I just saved a ton of money on my car insurance.
• NEW CUSTOMER – Well been using it all day with no dropped calls so we shall see – good thing they offer a 30 day trial period
• Ranter C – watch out for Sprint. They overcharged me while under contract and customer no-service is the worst!
• ME – I don’t know when all you haters were with Sprint but I’m loving it. I place calls while my AT&T and Verizon friends are complaining about no service. The network is a hell of a lot faster (I even tether my phone to my laptop and use it as a modem…I can stream music and video…it’s that fast). Customer service kicks butt (it was one of Dan Hesse’s…the new CEO…priorities). The reason I don’t have an iPhone (oh trust me I want one) is because I can’t fathom leaving Sprint (great service and awesome price) for AT&T (crappy service and overpriced).
• Ranter C – There are a lot of us out there. Sprint has the lowest customer retention rate in the industry.
• Ranter D – we no longer can talk for free. Don’t text me anymore.
• Supporter A – I would LOVE to be back with Sprint, so much cheaper. But me and <person> need to be on the same network and he needs the Verizon “network”
• NEW CUSTOMER – Ok will call landline then from now on!
• Supporter B – I use to work for Sprint. They were pretty bad then but I hear they are getting better. They had to cut prices because they were doing so poorly.
• NEW CUSTOMER – Yah apparently got a new CEO who is really trying to turn things around. Figure I will give it a shot.
• Supporter A – Hey, <New Customer>, just so ya know…I NEVER had any problems with Sprint. Only when I was up in the mountains and I have some probs with Verizon there too!
• NEW CUSTOMER – Cool thanks <Supporter A>! As I said for almost $40/month savings I will try anything – so far so good!
• Ranter E – I had a TON of dropped calls with them too. I have AT&T now and it happens rarely. I also HATED their customer no-service… Good luck.
• ME – Just to clarify…I had Sprint many years ago. Left them for Verizon because of dropped calls. After a few years of Verizon raping me (and disabling features on their phones so they could charge me more) I dropped them and back to Sprint almost two years ago. Never looked back. My service is better, cheaper, faster. Customer service rocks. So…if you haven’t been with Sprint for a while, I hear ya…but it’s an age old debate. Might as well compare a ’77 Tercel to an ’05 Accord. Work with CURRENT models and services.

I feel like I’m back in the mix of the Mac vs PC wars that I’ve been involved in. You get tired of hearing the same old arguments even though they aren’t valid anymore. Sure, at one point A that this feature and B didn’t. B was more reliable. B was more expensive. Blah blah blah. Half a decade later though things can be fixed. Often times they ARE fixed.

It’s just interesting to see. Being a tech, mobile, and business watcher I keep tabs on what’s going on. Sprint botched their merger with Nextel. Their service suffered because of that and their customer service sucked. Customers were defecting in droves. It was quite frankly a scary place to be. Props to Dan Hesse for coming in and doing what he’s done already. The guy has nads of steel for coming aboard a sinking ship and attempting to make things right. It’s not going to be an overnight transformation but from what I’ve seen so far he’s doing a damn good job.

Ultimately it all breaks down to what makes people happy but I think people fall into their comfort zones and don’t bother to see what new thing is out there, or to see if the old thing has been fixed. It’s this kind of behavior that holds people back (I’m speaking in a general sense now).

I’m looking forward to seeing how this all plays out. My new customer friend has already noticed a faster network while surfing the web on her Blackberry. Let a few more weeks go by and we’ll see if she has all these dropped calls that everyone is ranting about (I sure don’t see them with my Sprint service).

Now to wait for Sprint or Palm to send me the Palm Pre. I’ve been signing up for every drawing I can find. It’s hard to evaluate new hardware when you don’t have it. D’oh!

The folks at MacDailyNews compiled a great list of quotes from various people that poo-pood on the notion of Apple creating a phone. These quotes of course come after the latest numbers reported by Apple showing that they are now the world’s third largest mobile phone supplier based on revenue and that the iPhone outsold the Blackberry last quarter. Not bad from a company that was once called “the beleaguered company” a number of years ago.

My favorite quote (probably based on my frustration with Palm as they keep fumbling the ball) is from Ed Colligan, CEO of Palm on November 16, 2006. He stated “We’ve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone. PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.” 

Really? Good job Ed. While you sat there and and did nothing with your OS, some “PC guys” came along and created one of the most popular phones in history. 

It’s this kind of thinking by executives that drives me crazy. What should be a great company falls by the wayside because of a great mixture of arrogance and ignorance. I love my Treo but damn…it’s like a clunky old brick compared to the iPhone. If not for Apple’s exclusive deal with AT&T and my great plan with Sprint I’m sure I’d be yet another iPhone owner amongst my friends and colleagues.

So how did Apple do it? I’m pretty sure the “cool factor” of owning an Apple device played a role in their sales. However, Apple is known for massive R&D, for finding what the users want, for making things simple to use. While Palm (and everyone else for that part) was sitting on their ass, Apple was working on features, ergonomics, design, ease-of-use…and look where we are now.

Let this be a lesson to all those companies that think they have a particular market or even a particular niche cornered. Anybody can come in and rain on your picnic. In these days and times it is a dangerous thing to rest on your laurels. There is always someone looking to put a better product out there and if you rest, you’ll fall behind faster than you can imagine.

The discouraging thing is that in this day and time, business and technology moves along at a MUCH faster pace than it did even just a couple decades ago. Our product could be obsolete by the time this patent gets granted. Every month that goes by is tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars of missed revenue.

We’ve heard of the USPTO reforms that are supposed to be taking place. When will we actually see these changes? How many millions of dollars must be lost before the USPTO becomes an efficient machine? The economy of the U.S. would benefit from these changes and the U.S. would also become competitive in the international marketplace. Until these changes take place, thousands of good ideas will fail to make it to market at a relevant time, businesses will fail to have a chance to succeed, and our competitive advantage will continue to deteriorate.

Think back to the early days of the U.S. and what people meant when they meant when they said they were going to America to pursue the American Dream. I have a hunch it meant a lot more meaning back then than it does now. There was vast opportunity…undiscovered lands to be explored, undeveloped lands to be developed, gold to be discovered, ideas and views to be followed through without persecution. I fear however that such is not the case anymore. Do people still pursue “The American Dream”?

I think it is possible for people to pursue this dream but it is much harder than it was for the early pioneers and settlers. A vast majority of the people today are content with their 9-5 jobs and everything that this content life entails…a mortgage, a commute, material possesions, watching life go by as they enjoy the security of their current life. Yet…is there really security?

To me, there is a new American Dream and it involves stepping outside and taking a riskier road, many times bucking convention of societal norms, and pursuing a dream or passion that not everyone may understand. To many, leaving the security of a full time job is too risky to go out on their own and implement a new business idea. That’s a shame as this new idea may revolutionize a current way of doing business or even create an entire new ecosystem based around one product or idea (think the Apple iPod…how many companies now base all or a large portion of their revenue on iPod-related products?). Athletes would also fall in this category to me. Sure, they could graduate from college and get a job making $50,000/year but they’re taking the risks of something physical, sometimes risking career-ending injuries, to pursue their own dreams. Musicians and artists fall into this set in my mind also. This one is much tougher as this set generally must live in a completely different realm than the rest the nation. No 9-5 job, a “corporate look” is definitely out, yet they’re out there working, trying to find their own American Dream.

It’s an interesting time we live in. Pursuing a “regular job” probably won’t give you that financial independence anymore. You may be able to get a comfortable living as you climb up the corporate ladder, but to be truly independent you’ll probably have to pursue the new American Dream. There are still opportunities out there but given the complacency of most Americans and the teachings of society and the instructions we receive in our universities it is a hard thing for many people to grasp that these opportunities exist.

I’ve pondered all this as I was working on another business plan and thinking about the recent list of inspirations I’ve witnessed in my life. These inspirations were discussed at Waxporhetoric if you’re interested. I feel fortunate enough to be surrounded by people that are striving for their own American Dream…which in my eyes has become synonymous with “pursuing your passions” (despite the fact one friend once told me the American Dream was to become a home owner). This so-called American Dream is not what it was once defined to be and now has a new meaning for each person you come across in the streets. I’m curious enough now to find out what this dream is. I may have to poll a number of people and do a follow-up. I invite all the readers to give input as to what they believe the dream to be.

Frustration number one…the Samsung Instinct that they’are about to sell. My previous post gave them kudos for coming up with a phone that could perhaps compete with the iPhone. Will it be the “iPhone killer” that many people like to call it? Hell no. Apple has far too much clout, brand loyalty, inroads to the enterprise, and just that “cool factor” that consumers want. However, I think the Instintc will be a good alternative to those that don’t want to go to AT&T for various reasons (dislike of AT&T, corporate contracts with Sprint, etc). So if the Instinct is a decent competitor, why am I frustrated? Read the fine print on Sprint’s page about the plan you must have to get the Samsung Instinct to work properly. You need the “Everything Plan” for $70.

C’mon Sprint…get a clue! You’re losing customers left and right. The SERO plan is the most amazing deal around. I love talking to sales reps from other carriers and seeing if they can match the service and features I got and looking at their bewildered faces as they say “um, no, we can’t match that” and I love telling friends how great it is as they complain about their service with Verizon and AT&T.

So tell me Sprint…why are you going to force people to use that plan to get an iPhone competitor when they can get the real thing for roughly the same price at AT&T? Do you ENJOY losing customers? Don’t you want to draw them to Sprint with a deal they can’t refuse? I dropped my service with Verizon early (and paid that ridiculous early termination fee) so I could have the Sprint SERO plan and I’m quite glad I did. I like my Palm Treo…but it’s like an old Ford to me already and I want to have a sexy new Ferrari to play with. Give me a good phone I can use with my SERO plan and I’ll continue to sing your praises…and stay on as a loyal customer. Offer me an old brick with my current plan or force me to upgrade to a different plan so I can get a better phone and you’ll probably lose me.

I just don’t get Sprint’s mentality. Don’t they know cell phone customers are fickle? I’m sure they’ve heard of the industry term “churn” since they seem to have the highest rate. Offer a super phone at a good rate and you’ll keep people…maybe even draw a few over to you.

Also…how long are we going to have to wait for WiMax to have its widespread adoption? The more time that goes by, the less relevant it’s going to be. Perhaps if it was a superior service you’d have a chance but rumor has it that Verizon’s planned LTE network is faster. So why don’t you fire up that WiMax coverage now and gather the customers you need to survive? You’ve got the backing of some majorly heavy hitters (Google, Time Warner Cable, Comcast). Use it now and get some customers, offer new services, make the consumers want to be part of this new media revolution. It’s possible…it really is, but you have to act now before the other services and networks come to be and you’re once again watching your competitors steam ahead even if you have more to offer.