"Michael C. Berch" <mcb@presto.ig.com> (08/17/90)
I have been following the Sprint (etc.) bashing here in TELECOM and elsewhere (misc.consumers) for quite a while with a bemused smile, since I have never had reason to deal with US Sprint with regard to LD service (data communication has become another matter, alas, since US Sprint took over Telenet, but that's another story for another time). Over the next week or so I expect to be making a number of calls to Paris, France. I am a satisfied customer of AT&T LD, but brand loyalty goes only so far and if Sprint's or MCI's international service was much cheaper than AT&T's I'd certainly give them a shot, so I thought I'd start by making rate inquiries. The following transpired: AT&T ---- Me: [Dials '00'] AT&T Oper: AT&T, may I help you? Me: I'd like the direct-dial rate from California to France, please. AT&T Oper: Yes sir. There are three rate periods. The current rate is [rate info followed...] MCI --- Me: [Dials '10 222 0'] MCI Oper: MCI... Me: I'd like the direct-dial rate from California to France, please. MCI Oper: Oh, I'm sorry, you'll have to talk to Customer Service. I'm just an operator. Would you like me to connect you? Me: Please. MCI Oper: [Puts call through.] MCI CS: Thank you for calling MCI customer service... Me: (Asks for rate info, gets straightforward answer.) US Sprint --------- Me: [Dials '10 333 0'] Sprint Oper: US Sprint, may I help you? Me: I'd like the direct-dial rate from California to France, please. Sprint Oper: Oh, we don't have rate information. You'll have to call Customer Service. Would you like the number? Me: Please. Sprint oper: (gives me the 800 number) Me: [Dials '1 800 877-4646'] Recorded voice: Thank you for calling US Sprint, [blah blah, lengthy spiel with voice menu], "press 2 for a customer service representative," Me: [Dials '2'] [FIVE RINGS] Recorded voice: All US Sprint customer service representatives are presently assisting other customers. Please remain on the line... *** [8.5 MINUTES OF MUSIC-ON-HOLD] *** Sprint CS: US Sprint, may I help you? Me: I'd like the direct-dial rate from California to France, please. Sprint CS: May I have the number you're calling from? Me: It would be Mountain View, California. Sprint CS: I need the number. Me: (gives him a random number from our Telebit modem bank) Sprint CS: Yes, and your name please? Me: Look, I don't have an account with Sprint. I just need the rate information. Sprint CS: Well, I need a name for the billing inquiry. Me: It's not a billing inquiry. I just want to know how much it costs to call France. Sprint CS: Uh, OK, I guess I could do that. The rates are as follows... (gives rate info). *** The point of all of this is that even a trivially simple customer service question can be responded to with a rather broad spectrum ranging from the efficient and professional to the totally ludicrous. It also convinced me that I have absolutely no desire to do business with US Sprint, since it appears that if I ever have any problems requiring customer service intervention, not only will I have to wait a long time on hold at an off-peak hour, but I will then have the joy of speaking to someone completely unhelpful. By the way, the rates differed very little among the three companies; in the lowest rate period AT&T was $0.65/minute, and MCI and Sprint were both $0.64/minute. Michael C. Berch mcb@presto.ig.com / uunet!presto.ig.com!mcb / ames!bionet!mcb