Really?

Sprint, really?

You’ve decided that you don’t want to included true MMS messaging on any of your phones because you can’t support two systems at once? Really? So the whole fact that you have both an iDEN network and a CDMA network both operating simultaneously (and in some cases, simultaneously in the same handset) didn’t present a few problems at first? And color me surprised because having to maintain PicMail means you HAVE TO MAINTAIN A SYSTEM. True MMS delivers pictures to the PHONE, not a server. By intercepting my picture messages and formatting them and placing them on a server then sending me a text message with a link to access that message (but only for 60 days) you are SAVING yourself work? Really? I could have sworn running zero servers is almost always better than running ANY servers at all. Especially when your phones already support the standardized protocol. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you have customers leaving in absolute droves. You’re losing customers at a rate of 2.6% a quarter. I’m no math major, but losing 1.3 MILLLION people a quarter cannot be good for business. I want you to do well, but with Google getting ready to release a slew of Android phones this year and Apple releasing an updated version of their iPhone’s OS, I don’t know that you are going to be able to hang in there without some sort of miracle. When you have people like me willing to spend well over twice their total monthly bill to switch carriers and get a better phone with better service, something is desperately wrong. Yet somehow you say you will be coming through this year with more users at the end. Really? You think that people are going to take your word for it or are you actually going to start getting more customers sometime soon?

And Apple, you don’t escape unscathed.

Apple, really?
You create this super neat phone and don’t include rudimentary features like copy/cut/paste? Really? Did one of the engineers or developers think that was a good idea? I’m glad you’re finally coming around with it, but it took until version THREE of your operating system to come up with that? Are you sure it couldn’t have come out earlier? Are you sure you didn’t just hold out on that feature until sales started to slow down and then ‘release’ that ‘new’ feature to boost sales for just a little while longer? That’s just business, so I can’t fault you for that, but you work for the customers because you would be absolutely nowhere without them. And now that Steve Jobs is sick and out of work, you need public support and confidence more than ever. Do you think everyone out there is willing to accept all your products without a problem? You just released a shuffle with not a single button. Did you really think that was a good idea? I’m thinking you might sell some, but my prediction is your biggest sales are going to come from the refurbished iPod Shuffles that are available on your web site every now and then.

I’m starting to think that Android is going to be my last chance given to Sprint. It’s that or the Samsung Dash that’s coming out in Q3 of this year that is going to keep me with the company. I have a great rate with them because I know an employee, but I’m willing to pay for a customer experience.

Take heed Sprint and Apple, I am your prime target. I’m a single, 20-something person with a small to moderate amount of disposable income and am a stickler for good customer service. If you can’t get me on board your products, you’re going to have a heck of a time getting the general public on board.