DMCA Takedown notice from Sprint

Dear Automattic:
For the following reasons, Sprint Nextel requests that you immediately disable access to the website at http://insidesprintnow.wordpress.com
It has come to Sprint Nextel's attention that the user has posted numerous documents on the site without authorization from Sprint Nextel. Many of these documents are clearly marked as confidential. All are believed to be protected by copyright or to include other Sprint intellectual property that is protected by state and federal intellectual property laws. Moreover, the posting of these documents appears to violate Automattic's Terms and Conditions of Service, in particular Section 2.
1. The intellectual property infringed are copyrights in the Sprint Nextel documents posted and, if marked with the Sprint logo, Copyright No. VA 1-738-903, the Sprint trademark, US Trademark Reg. No. 1104943 and the Sprint Logo trademark, US Trademark Reg No. 3525717;
2. The address of the site where the documents are posted is http://insidesprintnow.wordpress.com
3. The customer's activity also appears to violate the network provider's terms of use.
4. The site is not authorized by the copyright owner, Sprint Communications Company L.P. or its parent, Sprint Nextel Corporation.

It has been indicated to us that "all videos and documents posted between April 28, 2012 and June 16, 2012 are covered by confidentiality and copyright of Sprint Nextel, its subsidiaries or its vendors".

I hereby certify under penalty of perjury that to the best of my knowledge and information that I have a good faith belief that the activity complained of infringes on the intellectual property rights of the owner and that the unauthorized posting and infringing use complained of is not defensible. I also state that I am authorized to act on behalf of the owner.

Sincerely,

Elena Powell
Sprint Nextel Law Department
6450 Sprint Parkway
Overland Park, KS 66251
--
WP says:
"
The blog will remain suspended unless and until you agree to remove the content that is in question or you successfully challenge the DMCA takedown request per the process that was forwarded to you."
>
> "2) Send the above notice to dmca@automattic.com. We will forward the
> counter-notice, in its entirety and including all of your contact details,
> to the claimant. Please ensure that this is sent as a separate email. Do
> not reply to this email with your counter-notice."
>
> so is the only option for me to agree to remove everything they list?
Yes. The laws governing the application of the DMCA require you to expose your personal information to the claimant as challenging the notice is a legal process. You should not challenge the notice unless you are willing to take the matter to court.

ISN Needs your help - "Buy A Beer"(aka donate) to help!

Due to some events that happened this morning, ISN needs your help! If you can donate a $1 or $5 to help out - it will help in being able to continue to bring you the great inside stories and leaks that you've come to love!

I *AM* still employed (for now, LOL!), but some things happened this morning that drastically changed my role (TOTALLY unrelated to the blog, that's still safe for now, as they still have no idea who i am)! :) BUT it does change things up just a little bit. I can't post about it *just* yet - or it might give away who I am :)

If you've donated in the past thank you - and the wordpress site should be upgraded soon, been working on the new theme this weekend. If you have not donated before, and have the ability to do so - I'd appreciate your help!

If you can't - I still love you anyways! But if you can spare a couple bucks, it will go toward me being able to keep the blog. I should be able to post more later tonight! and thank you all for being loyal readers!

If you want to donate, you can do so here (Even a $1 helps!)

https://www.wepay.com/donations/195293

http://insidesprintnow.wordpress.com/donate-buy-a-beer/

Sprint LTE / Alcatel-Lucent Network Vision Solution Overview (AKA the Power behind the Tower)

By now you've seen the video below, which gives the friendly face of the new 'Network Vision' for Sprint...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_ejv9Ud9Uw

Sure, that's all nice and pretty, but have you ever wondered what happened behind the scenes? The 'Power behind the Tower', so to speak. Are you super nerdy? or just super bored? Well, if you have 2+ hours to kill this weekend, or need something playing in the background while you are working on that honey-do list, here's something for you! Each video is around an hour long, and it's the Alcatel-Lucent Presentation that details what is behind LTE and the 'Network Vision' for Sprint:

Alcatel-Lucent Network Vision Solution Overview Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDcPAsS8QKs

Alcatel-Lucent Network Vision Solution Overview Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CpQ5ZWSI0s

Internal Podcasts for Samsung Galaxy S III

Since the last videos were so popular, here's another weekend gift for you!

Internal Podcasts (aka training videos) for the Samsung Galaxy S III:

Sprint Internal Podcast Samsung Galaxy S III - Power:

http://youtu.be/9pmhMuL5oxs

Sprint Internal Podcast Samsung Galaxy S III - Sharing:

http://youtu.be/uFID8G976Z8

Sprint Internal Podcast Samsung Galaxy S III - Simplicity:

http://youtu.be/GNwBJ7LsPOQ

 

PREPAID: Boost Promos via SMS

Some promos are going out for Boost, via SMS:

• SMS 1: Buyback Credit + Handset Discount - 25% unique


• SMS 2 - Buyback Credit + Handset Discount - $50 off - unique


• SMS 3 - Handset Discount - 50% - unique


• SMS 4 - Handset Discount - $75 discount


• SMS 5 - Free IC (6 months) + Handset Discount - $50 off unique


• SMS 6 - $100 Service Credit - "Go see your local dealer or visit us at bm.com"


• SMS 7 - Free IC – 12 months “Go to see your local dealer or visit us a bm.com"


• SMS 8 - Buyback Credit - $25 “Go see your local dealer or visit us at bm.com”


• SMS 9 - Use Q1 & Q2 offers in market to promote. "Go see your local dealer"

View the full detail of each text in the doc below, and in the 2nd doc you can see the referenced doc/info.

[scribd id=97249856 key=key-wyuhgzq97zqfboj2xz3 mode=list]

[scribd id=97250047 key=key-1qq2l604jb7rqa1zoaf4 mode=list]

PREPAID: International LD Dialing Rates

Catching up on emails from this week, and by request, here is the current ILD (International Long Distance) dialing rates for our prepaid/MVNO groups (Virgin Mobile/Boost/etc...). The rates are valid for June 2012:

Sales Portal_ILD Rate Card_June 2012

[scribd id=97248371 key=key-rbivxzwafan2ky6j6qg mode=list]

Authorized Service Center - Service/Repair Assessment/Audit

Ever wonder how we keep all of those "Authorized Service & Repair" centers on task? They're audited once per quarter, using the standards below, just in case you were ever curious:

ASC Self Assessment_May_2012

[scribd id=97248104 key=key-2fk86ihptqn4s7unqxto mode=list]

Samsung Galaxy S III Videos

Some videos, for your morning coffee break :) Samsung Galaxy S III:

http://youtu.be/ynK3GwjFZs8

http://youtu.be/VGao0rOAzDc

http://youtu.be/B24t9dBgJ90

http://youtu.be/z-Lqk8KcB0k

http://youtu.be/CadrImkCM_I

http://youtu.be/dy98V-ObvoM

http://youtu.be/qlbDF8og3ys

http://youtu.be/yuAThUJTRYs

http://youtu.be/Tb7u-WEsnJo

http://youtu.be/1Oqzhw1Z6wA

http://youtu.be/qB0mBbObJXM

http://youtu.be/M3T-bby14cY

http://youtu.be/26DX-P_Bt70

http://youtu.be/8Pbhgl-_LmA

http://youtu.be/Q4pv93wrgc0

Nextel Network Coverage Changes – New York City, Northern Conneticut, Northern Jersey, Southern Conneticut, Long Island, and Central Jersey

Nextel Network Coverage Changes – New York City, Northern Conneticut, Northern Jersey, Southern Conneticut, Long Island, and Central Jersey

In preparation for Network Vision, Network Ops will continue decommissioning a number of existing iDEN towers throughout the country, the evening of 6/11/12,  in the following markets: New York City, Northern Conneticut, Northern Jersey, Southern Conneticut, Long Island, and Central Jersey.

Markets scheduled:

• Tower decommission of the following markets is scheduled :
  
  
  
  • 6/13/12: Charlotte, GA/SC Coast, Myrtle Beach, Raliegh/Durham, South Carolina, and Winston/Salem
  
  
  
  


• Tower decommission continues every Monday and Wednesday evening through July.

Network Vision:

• Decommissioning eliminates excess capacity and has minimal customer impact.


• Retuning/decommissioning towersWILL NOT shutdown the iDEN market service in 2012.


• Customers who rely on in-building coverage near a decommissioned tower may experience in-building signal strength changes but street/in-car coverage should remain the same.

Monday Care Headlines

Monday's are pretty mundane @ the office, so there is probably nothing you don't already know about here - but I figured I'd give you a peek of all the current customer care alerts/headlines/notices for all the customer-facing departments we have. If there's anything that interests you (that I haven't blogged about already) - let me know and I'll dig up some more info on it.
(click image for full size view)

Account Services News / Care Calendar:

Care News & Headlines:

CL / CST / Sups:

Prepaid:

Tech:

Telesales:

Teleweb OPS

Mobile Hotspot and Phone as Modem (PAM) confusion

"Mobile Hotspot and Phone as Modem (PAM) confusion" was the title of the notice that went out Friday - to remind employees of the new Mobile Hotspot/PAM options when swapping devices. We covered the notice last month here.

Here's the details:

• On 5/18, Sprint Sales expired and restricted the historical $29.99 Mobile Hotspot and $15 Phone as Modem options. Specialists can no longer add these options.


• Customers wanting to add or change Hotspot/PAM service must choose from the new $19.99 2GB or $49.99 6GB Sprint Mobile Hotspot add-on options.


• Some customers are losing their historical Hotspot/PAM options when they swap to new devices.

Some specialists are not sure if customers can keep their historical Hotspot/PAM options or why they can‘t add the historical options after a swap.

• Set customer expectations that they may lose the historical Hotspot/PAM options when they swap to new devices.

When swapping between different device technologies:
Be aware that historical Hotspot/PAM options systematically expire when performing the following device swaps:

• 3G to 3G/4G WiMax or vice versa


• 3G to 3G/4G LTE or vice versa


• 3G/4G WiMax to 3G/4G LTE or vice versa

Tell customers that their Hotspot/PAM options expired and are not available for the devices they‘re swapping to.
They can choose from the current 2GB or 6GB options.

When swapping to same device technology:
Historical Hotspot/PAM options remain on subscribers‘ accounts when performing the following device swaps:

• 3G to 3G


• 3G/4G WiMax to 3G/4G WiMax


• 3G/4G LTE to 3G/4G LTE

When customers request to remove their historical Hotspot/PAM options:
Tell customers that the options they‘re choosing to remove expired and you can‘t add them back to their accounts.
If they want to add Hotspot/PAM in the future, they have to choose from the current 2GB or 6GB options.

"Early Upgrade Buy Up" replaced by "Upgrade Now"

I've receive *almost* as many questions about this over the past week as I did about the EVO LTE - and I was finally able to get an answer :) Here's the new official policy, that eliminates the "early upgrade buy up" (aka contract buy out) and replaces it with a new program called "upgrade now"

To provide a better customer experience and align Account Services with the same price points as Retail, we’re replacing the “Early Upgrade Buy Up” offer strategy with a new program called “Upgrade Now”. There will be 2 tiers for Upgrade Now fees, based on whether it’s an advanced or non-advanced device:

Non-Advanced Devices

• 09-11 mos. RLOF: $150 UPGRADENOW; CSM charge code: BUY150


• 12-14 mos. RLOF: $125 UPGRADENOW; CSM charge code: BUY125


• 15-17 mos. RLOF: $100 UPGRADENOW; CSM charge code: BUY100


• 18-21 mos. RLOF: $50 UPGRADENOW; CSM charge code: BUY50

Advanced Devices

• 09-11 mos. RLOF: $275 UPGRADENOW; CSM charge code: BUY275


• 12-14 mos. RLOF: $225 UPGRADENOW; CSM charge code: BUY225


• 15-17 mos. RLOF: $175 UPGRADENOW; CSM charge code: BUY175


• 18-21 mos. RLOF: $100 UPGRADENOW; CSM charge code: BUY100

Offers will continue to be targeted in sView/i-Care (Campaign: XU UPGRADE NOW) based on rebate life on file and other qualifying criteria.

Agents must discuss the buyback program with customers.
Retail stores will require the customer to use the buyback program on their old device (exceptions may apply), which in turns gives the customer an instant credit.
Important note: Retail will not be going live until 6/18/12.
Prior to 6/18/12:

• Account Services will handle the call business as usual the same way we’ve handled the buy up offer.


• Offers will need to be dispositioned as Offer Accepted/Declined based on the outcome.

After 6/18/12:

• Refer to nearest corporate owned store so the customer can take care of the entire upgrade process end-to-end without having to wait for their device to be delivered or their buyback credit to appear on the account.


• Important: If customer chooses to visit a store, disposition as Offer/Declined. The store will disposition the Accept during the fulfillment process.

Notes for Account Services:

• Familiarize yourself with the new tiers available based on device type.


• Review Targeted Offers to determine if customer is eligible for this offer.


• If customer is eligible:


• Educate on what the Upgrade Now program is, how it works, and options for completing the Upgrade.


• Position Buyback on every call (instant if going through retail or future bill credit if processed online).


• If prior to 6/18/12, handle the call business as usual the same way we’ve handled the buy up offer.


• After 6/18/12, discuss with customer benefits of visiting a store and provide an address to the nearest corporate store. If customer does not want to go to a store, then handle business as usual, the same way we’ve handled the buy up offer.


• Disposition the offer:


• If before 6/18, disposition business as usual based on the outcome of the call.


• If after 6/18 and you refer to store to have offer fulfilled, disposition as Offer/Declined. The Store will click Accept during the fulfillment process.

NBA Game Time for Sprint

NBA Game Time now offers new free features for Sprint iPhone customers:

• Live broadcasts of NBA games on ESPN Mobile TV


• In-game and post-game video highlights


• Real-time scores, stats and play by plays


• Real-time alerts and breaking news


• Schedules, previews and recaps


• Player and team stats and standings


• Team customization and dynamic interface


• NBA Game Time Plus features:


• Live home and away radio broadcasts for all games


• In-game video highlights

The app also provides NBA draft coverage and live stream and 20% discount on NBA League Pass Mobile.
NBA Game Time for Sprint is new for iPhones, so customers may call with general questions about the application and how to get it.

Cradlepoint MBR1200B router launches 6/10/12

On 6/10/12 Cradlepoint MBR1200B launches for $199.99 as a SKU refresh of the Cradlepoint MBR1200.
Cradlepoint MBR1200B is a robust 802.11n router with 3G/4G failover capabilities.
It‘s built for home, small business, and remote enterprise environments desiring continuous, always-on connectivity.



 
MBR1200B enhancements over the MBR1200

• Better compatibility with corporate VPN termination systems


• Supports IP Pass-through which is important for many enterprises


• Designed to handle future 4G modems


• Completely redesigned to improve usability


• Adds Modern Health Management (MHM) - monitors connectivity of 3rd party USB modems

Pricing and Plans:

• Sprint offers MBR1200B Router for $199.99


• Remember, this device is sold as an accessory and not eligible for equipment discounts.

Kyocera DuraXT launches in all channels 6/10/12

On 6/10/12 Kyocera DuraXT, a Sprint Direct Connect phone, launches in all channels for $69.99. This rugged phone not only meets Military Standard 810G, but it also can be immersed for 30 minutes in up to one meter/3.28ft. of water. It replaces the current Kyocera DuraMax.

Key features:

• 3.2 MP Camera w/flash and Camcorder


• Stereo Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR


• Powerful Speakerphone


• 2.5 mm Stereo Headphone Jack (Supports PTT Headsets)


• 32GB MicroSD Card Slot


• QVGA Display


• Enhanced User Interface.

Pricing:

• Sprint offers the Kyocera DuraXT for $69.99
  
  
  
  • $269.99 Original Price
  
  
  • -$150.00 2yr Savings
  
  
  • -$50.00 Mail-In Rebate
  
  
  
  

Upcoming LTE Announcements.. update...

For those wondering about the upcoming text message about the LTE announcements.... it appears it was put on 'hold' status.. unsure why, but I'll check tomorrow @ the office. But wanted to give you this screenshot so you know I'm not just making this stuff up LOL. So many people emailed me and commented about it, i figured it needed a response :) so stay tuned, I'll get more info tomorrow - but this was posted to the portal.

Sprint BIZ360: Adds Square & Fleetsafer; drops AirCharge/AirBlue Mini

Sprint BIZ 360 is a way to simplify solutions for small business customers. It also helps them customize combinations to optimize their business operations, virtually anywhere. Sprint BIZ 360 is constantly expanding to provide even more solutions to meet the emerging needs of small business customers.

FleetSafer and Square Mobile Credit Card Reader joins the Sprint BIZ 360 portfolio.

• FleetSafer Mobile is software for Blackberry and Android smart phones that automatically promotes safe, legal and responsible use of mobile phones.


• Square Mobile Credit Card Reader allows customers to accept all major credit card payments on their Android or iPhone with the Square Card Reader.

There have also been some modifications to the portfolio for existing features.

• The free 60-day trial for Sprint Workforce Locator and NextMail & NextMail Professional for Basic Version expires on 7/11/12.


• Sprint will focus on Square Mobile Credit Card Reader for its small business mobile payment solution instead of AirCharge and the AirBlue Mini mobile payment.

Sprint to offer SQUARE mobile credit card reader

Customers can now accept credit card payments on their Android device or iPhone with the Square Mobile Credit Card Reader accessory. Customers can add a tip, sign with their finger, and receive an electronic receipt via text or email. With affordable rates and lightning fast direct deposits, Square saves them money and gets them paid sooner. Customers can also review their sales history and resend receipts or issue refunds.

Features

• Fast setup: Customers just sign-up and download the app to begin accepting payments within minutes.


• Next day deposits: Take payments during business hours and Square will deposit your funds.


• Bonus! Square redemption offer is available for new Square account activations. $10 will be deposited into customers designated bank account.

Pricing and Rates:

• Square Mobile Credit Card Reader is available for $9.99.


• Rates: 2.75% per swipe for Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.


• No merchant account, monthly fees or set-up costs.


• Manually entered cards cost 3.5% + 15¢ per transaction.

Requirements:

• iOS - Compatible with Apple devices running iOS 4.1 and up.


• Android - Compatible with Android devices running Android 2.1 and up.

PREPAID: Virgin Mobile iPhone Q&A (Internal Doc)

This is going out to the Virgin Mobile folks - Q&A: iPhone Coming to Virgin Mobile

Download: FINAL APPROVED AERO QA edits for the field II

or view below:

[scribd id=96329930 key=key-rkc71w638bt116lfajm mode=list]

New Sprint phone number change fee $15 - 6/10

This is just a reminder for most, as this has been discusses before: $15 to Change Sprint PTN (other than online), but this went out to most care reps today:

Effective date: 6/10/12

Sprint has developed a brand new functionality on mysprint.sprint.com, effective 5/24/12, that allows customers to change their mobile phone number for free. Customers who continue to choose to change their phone number through a live specialist or retail store are now charged a $15 fee.
Exceptions:

• CL customers using Enhanced Account Manager (EAM) can continue to use EAM without being charged a $15.


• Temporary number assignment for a port in.


• Public Sector or Federal

Sprint wants to encourage our customers to take advantage of the self-service tools we‘ve developed for them.

Based on recent competitive research, we believe the top 3 major competitors all charge a Phone Number Change fee.

• AT&T - Retail, Web and Care: $36


• Verizon - Retail and Care: $15 / Web: $0


• T-Mobile - Retail and Care only: $15

Make sure customers understand they will be charged $15 per phone number changed.

• Complete the phone number change transaction.


• Apply a Sub-level charge code: PNCHGA ‘Phone Number Change’ for each number changed.

UPDATED TO ADD:

• The Phone Number Change Fee applies to Market Transfers however the customer can process Market Transfers via sprint.com for no charge.


• This is not an Early Termination Fee (ETF) waiving event.as the Service Plan Guide (SPG) contains DISCLAIMER LANGUAGE - “Additional charges may apply for phone number changes”. Reference Sprint General Terms and Conditions of Service.

Bango available for purchasing select digital goods and services

Bango is a checkout payment option at participating retailers and social networks. Customers can purchase select digital goods and services, like games and media applications, from select merchant websites or within merchant applications and charge it directly to their Sprint bill.

Customers:

• Shop from a computer, a mobile device or within a previously downloaded application


• Must have the phone available to complete the purchasing process.


• Have a $25.00 per line per calendar month limit for Bango purchases.


• Must be a Sprint customer with an active CDMA PTN.


• Must be in good standing, not in collections.

Customers can’t:

• Have all SMS text messaging blocked.


• Have premium content purchases blocked.


• Be flagged as fraud, lost, or stolen.


• Have exceeded any applicable Account Spending Limit (ASL).

Service is not available for Corporate Liable and iDEN customers

Samsung 4G Epic Touch offer for CL/SmallBiz: $50 MIR + $175 Port Credit

Hey... not all posts can be as exciting as launch details - LOL...

Samsung 4G Epic Touch offer for Small business Corporate Liable (CL) prospects 1-74 employees

Effective 6/7-6/30, small business CL prospects with 1-74 employees will receive a direct mail offering the Samsung 4G Epic Touch with a $50 mail-in rebate with a 2-year agreement and up to $175 port-in credit.

In the mailing, they are directed to BISO, sprint.com or their nearest Sprint Store to take advantage of the offer.

PREPAID: Virgin Mobile to Launch Apple iPhone 4 and 4S on 6/29

A press release was distributed today announcing the release of the Apple iPhone 4 and 4S which will operate on Sprint’s 3G network for Virgin Mobile USA.

• Both versions will be available on June 29.


• The Apple iPhone 4 will be available for $549.99 (excluding taxes).


• The Apple iPhone 4S will be available for $649.99 (excluding taxes).


• Both versions will be available at RadioShack, Best Buy, select local retailers as well as at www.virginmobileusa.com.


• Requires one of the current Beyond Talk plans ($35/$45/$55 plans)


• Customers can receive a $5 per-month plan discount when they register for automatic monthly payments with a credit card, debit card or PayPal account, making iPhone available for as low as $30 per month.

Cancellation of Samsung Galaxy S III pre-orders supported

For those 'just-in-case' scenarios... once again, cancellation of pre-orders will be supported. This is partly in response to the problem earlier today.

• Requests to Cancel Pre-Orders in Fulfillment Hold for the Samsung Galaxy III will be supported.


• Escalations is supporting cancellations of pre-ordered Samsung Galaxy S III devices until the window of opportunity to cancel expires.

Window of Opportunity:

• The window of opportunity is the time period customers have to cancel pre-orders and is determined by warehouse activities.


• The window closes when inventory is received by the warehouse and preparations begin for order shipment.


• Once the window closes, the opportunity for customers to cancel their pre-order ends and no further cancellations can be supported.


• This can cause customers to be dissatisfied, and must be explained in terms of warehouse limitations

While pre-order cancellations are being supported:

• OS specialists:
  
  
  
  • Until further notice, transfer customers wishing to cancel a Pre-Order for the Samsung Galaxy S III, per existing documentation, to Escalations/Help Desk.
  
  
  
  


• Escalations specialists:
  
  
  
  • Follow existing process to support requested Cancellations.
  
  
  • DO NOT force the order to cancel, but instead wait for the system to complete either a successful (order falls to ACA) or unsuccessful cancellation (order falls to AEQ) and then follow existing processes through to completion
  
  
  
  

• After the window of opportunity to cancel has passed:
  
  
  
  • For ESCALATED scenarios ONLY, where customers threaten legal action or continued escalation, engage your Vendor Manager and Program Manager.
  
  
  
  

Samsung Galaxy III Color Description Issue (Fixed)

A system issue caused the Order Confirmation email to display the incorrect device color, price and phone model on sprint.com and Telesales pre-orders e-mail confirmations.

• A table update that corrected the issue was pushed into production at 9 a.m. Central time this morning, however, some customers who ordered before the update will be asking about the error.


• Concerned customers are calling or chatting requesting to cancel their pre-order.

 

• Order Support:
  
  
  
  • Explain to customers that placed the pre-ordere on the web:
    
    
    
    • The email content is incorrect.
    
    
    • Customers will receive the color and model that they selected online.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Explain to customers who ordered through Telesales:
    
    
    
    • We are aware of the issue.
    
    
    • We will need to cancel the original order and place a new order.
    
    
    • We will ensure that they receive their intended device model and color, at the price listed in the order confirmation.
    
    
    • Transfer the customer to HD/Escalations.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Help Desk/Escalations:
  
  
  
  • Cancel any original order created by Telesales and rekey appropriately.
    
    
    
    • For any order that is rekeyed, explain to customers we will make sure they receive the device requested at the price discussed at Point Of Sale (POS) and listed on the Order Confirmation.
    
    
    • We will not expect customers to pay any price difference if undercharged on the original order.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Use systems appropriately to place a rekey for the device, leveraging ADJEQX Adjustment to ensure customers are paying the correct amount where they were originally undercharged, based on POS price communicated with the original order.
  
  
  
  

CL Customers can get $100 Visa Prepaid for ZTE & HTC Tablets

• CL (Corporate Liable) customers can buy either a ZTE Optik tablet for $99.99 or an HTC EVO View 4G for $197.99 and get a $100 Visa Prepaid Card.
  
  
  
  • ZTE Optik: Free with Visa Prepaid Card
  
  
  • HTC EVO View 4G: $97.99 with Visa Prepaid Card
  
  
  
  


• To get the $100 Visa prepaid debit card the customer must register for the credit on www.sprint.com/promo and enter the promotion code C1523L.
  
  
  
  • Promotion is limited to up to 10 per account.
  
  
  • Line must be active for 30 days before reward can be given.
  
  
  • Customers will get their $100 Visa prepaid debit card 8-12 weeks after registering.
  
  
  
  

 

PREPAID: The June Times

A lot of people have been asking for some pre-paid info, too - so here you go. The 'prepaid' tag will be used for easy filtering of prepaid items.

Here is the June Times - for prepaid info / upcoming stuff:

Download: Times June National Retail r4 - ISN

or view below:

[scribd id=95998937 key=key-13tg2nkt7yx97bc76v1c mode=list]

Nextel Network Coverage Changes - Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, East Kentucky, West Kentucky, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia

The weekly iDen Thinning update:

• In preparation for Network Vision, Network Ops will continue decommissioning a number of existing iDEN towers throughout the country, the evening of 6/6/12,  in the following markets: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, East Kentucky, West Kentucky, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia.

Markets scheduled:

• Tower decommission of the following markets is scheduled :
  
  
  
  • 6/7/12: New York City, Northern Conneticut, Northern Jersey, Southern Conneticut, Long Island, and Central Jersey
  
  
  
  


• Tower decommission continues every Monday and Wednesday evening through July.

Network Vision:

• Decommissioning eliminates excess capacity and has minimal customer impact.


• Retuning/decommissioning towers WILL NOT shutdown the iDEN market service in 2012.


• Customers who rely on in-building coverage near a decommissioned tower may experience in-building signal strength changes but street/in-car coverage should remain the same.

Get Ready! Upcoming LTE launches in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio markets

Get Ready! Upcoming LTE launches in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio markets

• On 6/7, smartphone customers in markets slated for LTE will be notified via text message of the upcoming launch.


• The message states: SprintFreeMsg: Ready for some GREAT news? Sprint is rolling out an all-new network in (insert city here). Learn more at sprint.us/sat Reply End to stop.

• Sprint’s all-new network launches by mid-summer 2012 in 4 cities: Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta.


• More cities launch later this summer and throught the year.


• The all-new network includes the launch of 4G LTE and improvements to Sprint’s 3G network.


• The benefits include:


• 
  
  
  
  • More reliable connection to voice calls, emails, and apps, and the internet
  
  
  • Expanded coverage in their area
  
  
  • Faster downloading, surfing and streaming
  
  
  • Improved indoor/outdoor signal strength
  
  
  • Enhanced voice quality
  
  
  • Fewer dropped calls
  
  
  
  

Samsung Galaxy S III Launches 6/21/12 on Sprint

This was JUST pushed out - you're among the first to know @ 10:45 AM :)

• On 6/21 Samsung Galaxy S III launches in all channels with access to the Sprint 4G LTE network.


• Samsung Galaxy S III will be offered in a 16GB version for $199.99 and 32GB version for $249.99


• Pre-order begins June 5 atwww.sprint.com/galaxysiii.

Feature rich

• Samsung Galaxy S III is designed to deliver at 4G LTE speeds. Features include:
  
  
  
  • Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich
  
  
  • 1.5GHz dual-core processor
  
  
  • 2GB of RAM
  
  
  • 2 cameras - 8-megapixel rear-facing zero shutter-lag camera with LED flash, 1080p video capture, intelligent camera features and facial recognition and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera
  
  
  
  


• New features include:
  
  
  
  • S Voice™ is the advanced natural language user interface that enables search and basic device-user communication.
  
  
  • Motion simplifies the user experience by understanding the motion of the user. If the user is messaging but decides to call the person instead, they simply lift the phone to the ear and ‘Direct Call’ will dial the phone number.
  
  
  • Smart Stay uses facial recognition technology and the front-facing camera to identify the user’s eyes.
  
  
  
  

Sharing gets easier

• Samsung Galaxy S III takes sharing media to a new level by making it fasy and easy.
  
  
  
  • S Beam expands on Android Beam™ to enhance device-to-device sharing through NFC technology.
  
  
  • AllShare® Playallows users to wirelessly connect Galaxy S III to their PC, tablet or television to immediately share files, stream music, user-generated videos, photos and other DRM-free content to AllShare-enabled devices using Wi-Fi®.
  
  
  • AllShare Group Cast lets the user share a presentation or photo album in real time with multiple friends on the same Wi-Fi network.
  
  
  • Share Shot allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with a group of friends directly from the camera using device-to-device Wi-Fi Direct.
  
  
  
  

Pricing and Plans:

• Sprint offers Samsung Galaxy S III with:
  
  
  
  • 16 GB Internal Memory Net Price for $199.99 (excluding taxes)
  
  
  • 32 GB Internal Memory Net Price for $249.99 (excluding taxes)
  
  
  
  


• Requirements:
  
  
  
  • A new line or eligible upgrade and 2-year service agreement.
  
  
  • Activation on one of the Sprint Everything Data plans plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones.
  
  
  
  


• The Sprint Mobile Hotspot feature will be available as an add-on.

 

The Welcome Call: it's back!

Starting today (6/4) Customer Care specialists will begin calling targeted new consumer and IL (Individual Liable) customers 4-5 days after activation to review satisfaction and account options.

• Specialists will leave a message if they reach an answering machine or voicemail.


• Topics include:
  
  
  
  • Welcome greeting
  
  
  • Account authentication
  
  
  • Device Satisfaction: Device questions, in-home coverage commitment and Wi-Fi benefits
  
  
  • Account Review: email capture and e-bill promotion, plan review, first bill and next bill estimate
  
  
  • TEP education
  
  
  • Thank You and appreciation closing
  
  
  
  

• Sprint is reinstating the welcome call to address early life churn.

Galaxy S3

A Couple of interesting tidbits popped up in my feed reader today - looks like we're prepping the web team to ready the pages for the Galaxy s3 Pre-Ordering process and launch pages.

They were just submitted in the last 24 hours, so it'll take the web team a few days to get them active, but the landing page will be sprint.com/galaxys3 and the pre-order page will be sprint.com/galaxysiii

The paste below is just from my feed reader, and the links won't work for you I don't think, but it was easier to include than a screenshot. We should have an actual live date soon, along with launch dates, etc...

<item>
<title>Vanity - galaxys3</title>
<link>http://url.sprint.com/url/manageRequest!view.do?directoryRequestId=22360</link>
<description>customer access to S3 landing page</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jun 2012 20:56:10 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://url.sprint.com/url/manageRequest!view.do?directoryRequestId=22360</guid>
<dc:date>2012-06-01T20:56:10Z</dc:date>
</item>

<item>

<title>Vanity - galaxysiii</title>
<link>http://url.sprint.com/url/manageRequest!view.do?directoryRequestId=22354</link>
<description>for a press release and pre order device launch</description>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 May 2012 21:12:19 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://url.sprint.com/url/manageRequest!view.do?directoryRequestId=22354</guid>
<dc:date>2012-05-31T21:12:19Z</dc:date>
</item>

Weekend Maintenance - 6/1/12

Here's the weekend maintenance update for this weekend

Maintenance Details

WEEKEND MAINTENANCE REPORT All Provisioning SUMMARY: Sunday 06/03/2012 1:00 AM CT - 6:00 AM CT DETAILS: Customer Provisioning will be delayed for 5 hrs starting at 1:00 AM. Please do not retrigger transactions as that will only add to the backlog. CDMA subscriber changes (activations, deactivations, swaps) will be delayed due to maintenance for 5 hrs starting at 1:00 AM CT - 6:00 AM CT on 06/03/2012 ACTIONS: Please set customer expectations - transactions will complete after 6:00 AM CT ID: 28681 NMS/CDMA Activations & Changes SUMMARY: Sunday 06/03/2012 2:00 AM CT - 6:00 AM CT DETAILS: You will be unable to complete changes or new activations for CDMA accounts during this maintenance. NMS will be unavailable for4 hrs starting at 2:00 AM CT - 6:00 AM CT on 06/03/2012 ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 6:00 AM CT ID: 30299 ePort SUMMARY: Sunday 06/03/2012 2:00 AM CT - 6:00 AM CT DETAILS: ePort will be unavailable for 4 hrs starting at 2:00 AM CT - 6:00 AM CT on 06/03/2012 ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 6:00 AM CT ID: 30287 Subscriber Migration Tool SUMMARY: Sunday 06/03/2012 - 2:00 AM CT - 4:00 AM CT DETAILS: You will be unable to access the SMT tool to migrate customers for 2 hrs starting at 2:00 AM CT - 4:00 AM CT ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 4:00 AM CT ID: 25473 DMT/Data Manipulation Tool SUMMARY: Sunday 06/03/2012 - 2:00 AM - 6:00 AM CT Details: Specialists may be unable to view/update/delete NMS-Wireless data. Often used to resolve NMS-Billing out-of-sync scenarios for 4 hrs starting at 2:00 AM - 6:00 AM CT on 06/03/2012 Actions: Please advise customers that maintenance will end at 6:00 AM CT. ID: 886 OMIM/Warehouse Orders SUMMARY: Sunday 06/03/2012 12:00 AM CT - 7:00 AM CT DETAILS: OMIM/Warehouse orders - return kits will be delayed for 7 hrs until maintenance is complete. Orders submitted during this time will not ship until after the maintenance is complete. ACTIONS: Maintenance is scheduled to be completed by 7:00 AM CT ID: 25763 Digital Lounge/Wireless Digital Lounge/Media Mall SUMMARY: Saturday 06/01/2012 12:00 AM CT - 7:00 AM CT DETAILS: The following applications will be unavailable for7 hrs  Digital Lounge/Wireless Digital Lounge and Media Mall  starting at 12:00 AM CT - 7:00 AM CT on 06/02/2012 ACTIONS: Digital Lounge/Wireless Digital Lounge and Media Mall  will be available when maintenance is complete at 7:00 AM CT ID: 31454 TOES SUMMARY: Saturday 06/02/2012 12:00 AM CT - 3:00 AM CT DETAILS: The TOES application will be unavailable for 3 hrs starting at 12:00 AM - 3:00 AM CT on 06/02/2012. ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 3:00 AM CT on 06/02/2012 ID: 2307

Maintenance Email Type
AVI Notifications for this Weekend

Maintenance Timespan
06-01-2012 to 06-04-2012

Standard Title
AVI Notifications for this Weekend: 06-01-2012 to 06-04-2012

Sprint's 'Eye in the Ceiling' - The fact that Sprint has cameras in every store isn't news to anyone. There are cameras everywhere. But this one isn't your normal camera - and for anyone that works in a retail environment, this likely isn't even a blip on your news radar, but for the common shopper - this has probably never crossed their mind. And if you think it's for 'security' - you've guessed wrong.

Did you know this is a camera that's located in every corporate Sprint store? And as of this month, it will now be required in all Sprint Preferred Branded retailers.



 

 

 

 

 

 

Porting In? $50 Credit is back for AAA & Credit Unions

The $50 Port-In Credit is back. It's not as much as previous port-in offers, but it beats nothing. This one is for AAA Members, or anyone with a Credit Union discount on their account. I should mention that  neither of these two corporate discounts require any type of verification. Just in case you were wondering :)

• Effective 6/1-8/31, customers receive a one-time $50 credit for each line that ports to Sprint from a landline or other wireless phone number.


• They will receive a $50 service credit for any phone except iDEN devices or PowerSource.


• The port-in credit applies on first or second bill, after day 61 of activation.
  
  
  
  • It applies as long as the customer registered within 72 hours from the port-in/activation date.
  
  
  • To register for the service credit, customers go towww.sprint.com/promo and enter the promotion code provided.
  
  
  
  


• Customers must:
  
  
  
  • Port from a competitor.
  
  
  • Be on a Corp ID for AAA or CUCorp.
  
  
  • Still register for their NVP discounts.
  
  
  
  


• This promotion excludes all combinations of intra-company porting: Sprint, Nextel, Boost, Virgin Mobile, Sprint VOIP or Sprint/Nextel Partners.

 

Sprint 411 Issues

OK, so I seen this notice and didn't think much of it - but it got me thinking... why do people still use 411?

I'll admit that I have not dialed '411' on my phone - ever. But I have heard of Google's GOOG411, and  Microsoft's Bing411 - however in some quick research I just learned that GOOG's 411 service stopped last year - and Bing's 411 actually is being shut down as of today (6/1/12). Both are pushing their smart phone application instead.

So even more curious, I did some more quick research, and learned that Sprint customers still use our 411 more than 70K times per week! I have to ask WHY! maybe I'm spoiled and grew up in the smartphone world, but I just don't see the need for 411 in our world.. and another interesting fact - of those that use our 411, most use it multiple times per week. Maybe it's a segment of the market that #1 doesn't own a smartphone, or #2 doesn't know how to use their contact list to save numbers, or #3 has more money than they know what to do with. And one more interesting fact  - those on CL(corporate) accounts use it 10x more than IL accounts... so maybe it's cause the company pays the bill.

Am I the only one that has never used our 411 service?

And oh yea - here's the tech note that brought this conversation up today:

• Effective 6/1/12 at 12:01 am EDT, 411 directory assistance calls which are routed through certain switches will no longer be able to receive call completion with their listing request.


• For example, if a Customer calls 411 to receive the phone number to Southwest Airlines, the 411 operator will not be able to connect the Customer to Southwest Airlines directly.


• Instead Customers will hear the phone number repeated twice by automation, then hear “a text message will be sent to you free of charge” and call will end.


• An estimated 3,500 to 6,500 calls per day may be impacted.


• A resolution date is not yet known; however, Sprint is working diligently to fix.


• Apologize for the experience.  Suggested language “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and can assure you this feature will be reinstated as soon as possible”


• Issue credit(s) accordingly.

Forward the complaint to 411Listings email distribution so the 411 team can monitor impact.

Account Services: The Disconnect

As of today(6/1) Account Services (aka 'Retention') will once again be a bit harder to get to... if only for a moment. As of 6/1, all the previously known direct toll-free inbound lines to Account Services will be disconnected, and a new number will be issued - however this one (according to the powers that be) won't be published. Now, we all know that it will only be about... oh, maybe 1 day, before someone locates the new toll-free number, and it's made public on the interwebs once again. Agents, however, won't have direct access to the new toll-free number; they will be required to use an internal 'speed dial' like number to complete the transfer or to reach Account Services. But those that know where to look, it will still be readily available internally, just takes a couple minutes of research to find it.

Sounds like no big deal? So what's the point? Why the change? To most customers it won't be a big deal... the goal is to stop the current influx of calls direct to Account Services for issues which *should* be handled by care - in fact, this is done several times a year. The idea is that care could (and should) be handling about 60% of the issues that are going to Account Services. The problem is that calling general care is a bit like a roulette wheel. We all know this, and this small bit of change attempts to put a bit more responsibility back on general care. The truth is, that care is likely to transfer someone to account services at the first chance they get, because they don't want the negative feedback from an upset customer, so they transfer the call. And as long as the compensation/employment system stays like it is in many of our centers (both internal and our outsourced partners) this will never change.

I could talk about this for hours, but I would rather hear your feedback, and respond to that, otherwise this post would be 5 pages long - lol... it's a subject I have strong opinions on.

So I'll ask the question - does this change matter to you? 

And here's the memo that went out regarding the change to reps:

Effective Date: 6/1/12

• On 6/1, we are changing the backend toll-free number to Account Services.


• We will not publish this number.


• Customers will receive a disconnect message if you attempt to transfer to this number, which will negatively impact the customer experience.


• Specialists should make every attempt to contain and resolve a customer’s call by exhausting all resources such as CST TINC and your internal escalation process.

• If a transfer is required, use your Softphone FCN List (sView)/Speed dial (iCare) to complete the transfer to Account Services.


• TeleWeb Ops: Use soft keys for transfer. OS Chat and Sales Chat, direct to Order Support for transfer to Account Services.

• In 2012, we have an aggressive iDEN migration plan and the pool of Q2 targeted customers has increased to help us achieve our goal of moving these customers over to CDMA.

What you need to do:

• Maximize the Q2 opportunity to move corporate liable (CL) customers over to a CDMA device with these attractive incentives for customers.
  
  
  
  • Rebate Life on File (RLOF) Reset for CL Customers
    
    
    
    • 4/9/12: Most iDEN corporate-liable customers with 1-24 lines will be made upgrade eligible to allow these loyal iDEN customers to affordably migrate to CDMA now.
    
    
    • Standard upgrade compensation rules outlined in the compensation exhibits apply for these accelerated customers
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • CL Discounted Handset Offers
    
    
    
    • 4/9/12 - 6/30/12: Targeted iDEN CL Customers will be able to purchase select phones at deeply discounted prices.
    
    
    • If the customer isn’t interested in a discounted handset offer, they can purchase any other CDMA device and pay regular point of sale price.
    
    
    • Customer must upgrade and sign a 2-year agreement.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • FREE stuff!
    
    
    
    • Customers targeted for an iDEN to Sprint Direct Connect upgrade offer may also purchase a belt clip for $0 on the following devices (so this is a BOGO).
      
      
      
      • CHY4233R Holster - Kyocera DuraPlus
      
      
      • CHY0072R Holster - Kyocera DuraCore
      
      
      • CHY0082R Holster - Kyocera DuraMax
      
      
      • CHM2967R Holster and Shield Combo - Motorola Admiral
      
      
      
      
    
    
    • Telesales specialsits need to search for BOGO Offers.
    
    
    • Care specialists need to do a “combination order”.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Dedicated Care Only
  
  
  
  • 100+ accounts with at least 2 iDEN subs will be targeted with an incentive to migrate in Q2.
  
  
  • If they migrate 50% of their iDEN lines to CDMA by June 30th they will recieve a $25 service credit for every feature phone and $50 for every smart phone.
  
  
  • To qualify they must have an MRC of $35 or more.
  
  
  • Offer will be loaded for Dedicate Care only.
  
  
  • Script will run after 6/30 to script on service credits.
  
  
  
  

HTC EVO 4G LTE launches on 6/2

Looks like they beat me to the punch before I had a chance to post, but now we know :)

• On 6/2/12 HTC EVO 4G LTE launches with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) for $199.99.


• It will be available in all retail channels including www.sprint.com and 1-800-SPRINT1.


• Sprint retail stores will operate on regular business hours.


• Employee programs (EWD/SWAC) will not launch on 6/2

Weekly Playbook Topics - 6/1

Here's the hot topics from the upcoming 6/1 Playbook - since we are all still waiting on a launch date for the EVO LTE, which of these (if any) interests you guys, that you want more info on? Some of these I've covered before, some are still pretty new.

• 6/1/12 - 6/11/12: iDEN Network Shutdown Notice


• 7/1/12: Sprint will no longer add new iDEN accounts


• 5/25/12 - 6/30/12: Reactive $0 Transition Offer for iDEN to CDMA Migrations


• Sprint® Direct Connect®


• KYOCERA DuraXT - launches 6/10/12


• Lenovo Ideapad™ S205s - 6/10/12 in all channels


• 6/10/12: New FleetSafer® Mobile for CL Customers


• Sprint Zone 4.0 launches on HTC EVO 4G LTE


• 6/17/12: TEP Tiered MRC and Deductibles


• Sprint BIZ 360


• 6/4/12: Welcome Calls reinstated

Sprint gives Boost Mobile an 'Update' on HTC EVO Design 4G Delay

While Sprint has so far been super quiet to it's own direct customers so far on the full launch day for the HTC EVO 4G LTE, this message just went out to the Boost Mobile care reps about the HTC EVO Design 4G:

Use the approved sound bite below to address any questions about the availability of this device:

“You may be aware that some shipments of HTC devices had been temporarily delayed due to U.S. Customs which may briefly delay the initial availability of the HTC EVO Design 4G™. These issues have now been resolved and we expect product will start flowing shortly. We expect to have devices in dealer doors as soon as next week. To access the latest news and device information, visit www.boostmobile.com or Boost on Facebook where we’ll be providing updates. Thank you for your interest and continued patience.”

iDen/Nextel service to cease on 6/30/2013

iDen(Nextel) gets it's execution date. Today, Sprint announced plans to transition business and government customers from its iDEN (2G) Nextel National Network onto Sprint Direct Connect. Sprint also announced plans to cease service on the iDEN Nextel National Network as early as 6/30/13 as part of our Network Vision plan.

Beginning 6/1/12, Sprint will send written notices to business and government customers regarding the iDEN Nextel National Network shutdown.

Customer notification of the shut down along with migration offers will continue over the next year as the iDEN shutdown draws closer.

• Sprint has already discontinued selling iDEN devices in certain channels.


• It will discontinue selling iDEN devices in all channels and all brands carrying iDEN Nextel products over the next several months.


• Sprint will continue to support customers with iDEN devices during the network transition and will work with those customers to ease their transition to Sprint’s CDMA service.


• Tower retuning details available at www.sprint.com/nextelnetwork

SVD - Simultaneous Voice & Data on LTE Phones

This is nothing new to most early-adopters of the HTC EVO 4G LTE, however there are some details released below that may be of interest - such as it's obviously not guaranteed, and it does require certain conditions to work properly.

• Sprint 4G LTE phones can acheive Simultaneous Voice and Data (SVD) when connected to a WiFi router.


• They may also achieve SVD when connected to Sprint’s LTE or CDMA networks.

• Sprint 4G LTE phone customers may not see a consistent SVD experience on Sprint’s networks based on numerous conditions.


• SVD should not be guaranteed to our external customers.


• SVDO is possible on Sprint’s LTE phones/handsets, without assistance of LTE or WiFi, utilizing 1x and DO.


• Works only in optimal network conditions.


• Experience not consistent with SVDO; in weaker coverage, voice will take sole priority.

• SVD can be achieved with either LTE or WiFi coverage.


• CDMA + LTE, or CDMA + WiFi should be the primary combinations to achieve simultaneous voice and data, as with previous phones/handsets.


• If utilizing SVDO, the experience will vary, however, if in optimal conditions data speed will be consistent with EvDO speeds.

Friday AM Update on the HTC EVO 4G LTE

8AM

MANY people are now playing with their new EVO LTE - but some are still waiting. Despite the lack of internal updates, here's what is known as far as delivery/pickup dates.

Also.. if you're wondering what that 2nd package is that you're receiving - it's a free Gel Case for your new HTC EVO 4G LTE! Sprint's way to say 'sorry for the delay'!

Sprint:
Online orders are mostly all delivered, and in-store pre-orders should be arriving at some point today. There has still been no word internally on why it's taken so long to get them to our own corp stores, but the wait should be over within 24 hours according to what I'm seeing.

Best Buy:
Online orders have shipped overnight, and in-store pre-orders were able to be picked up in more stores as of yesterday

RadioShack/Target:
Pre-Orders will be arriving at most locations this morning via FedEx, and will be immediately made available for pickup for pre-orders.

Wirefly/Amazon:
I still haven't heard a definitive answer on these two 3rd party resellers. For this one, you probably have better information that I do. However, no one has yet been able to say for sure where the delay is at.

Other notes...

Late last night it was discovered that a few shipments had mismatches between the ESN(serial number) on the outside of the box, and the device inside. This was not due to Customs, but rather a labeling error from HTC. It's not a large deal, and care or webchat can clear it up for you, it will only take a few extra minutes when activating.

There is an expedited process in place for lost/damaged/not received packages... so if you get the runaround if you are having this issue, keep escalating until someone offers it.

And we still have no official launch date. The delay of this has been for a couple of reasons, the primary one being the promise to make sure that all pre-orders are available before the launch date. And this has taken a day or two longer than expected. Will we hear word of an official launch today? I'm optimistic that we will.

Remember twitter (@InsideSprintNow) is where you'll get the news first, as it's easier for me to sneak a tweet sooner than a full post for breaking news, like a launch date, as soon as it happens :)

HTC EVO 4G LTE - 5/25 Official Launch

Just as tens of thousands of you are peeking out your windows watching for the UPS truck, as your phone is out for delivery today, we have received official confirmation:

Tomorrow, Friday 5/25/12 WILL be the official national launch day for the HTC EVO 4G LTE.

UPDATED AT  AM

This has been assumed since yesterday, but could not confirm until just now.

 

Wacky Wednesday Training Video

Ah, the joys of working at Sprint.. someone referred me to this horrible video that's used in finance care training - to call attention to the danger of leaving confidential info in account notes.

After the stress of the past few days, I figure we all needed a good laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVF4xc2h3Qo&feature=youtu.be

Reminder: New TEP Tiers & Deductibles in June

We posted about this before (TEP Changes in June) - but wanted to remind everyone, and add a couple of details, like the fact that even if the MSRP changes, the deductible will remain the same as the initial launch. Also, anyone that buys a Tier 3 or 4 device before 6/17 will  see a $3 credit in their monthly bill from July through September (to offset the legal notice that is required for changing the price). At the new prices, is TEP worth it? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments or via twitter #TEPsprint

• Beginning 6/17/12, new Tiered TEP, ERP and Deductibles will be introduced based upon Device Standard Retail Price (SRP) at time of launch.


• A new $11 TEP Tier will be introduced to support high-end device models and the $8 TEP Tier remains in place for existing device models.


• A new $9 ERP Tier will be introduced to support high-end device models and the $5 ERP Tier remains in place for existing device models


• ESRP Fees will remain the same


• Apple iPhones are NOT eligible for TEP.

.	ERP Deductible Effective 6/17/12	Device SRP at Time of Launch	TEP Monthly Fee Effective 6/17/12	ERP Monthly Fee Effective 6/17/12	ESRP Monthly Fee Effective 6/17/12
Tier 1	$50	= $324.99	$8	$5	$4
Tier 2	$100	$325 - $549.98	$8	$5	$4
Tier 3	$150	$549.99 - $599.99	$11	$9	$4
Tier 4	$200	= $600+	$11	$9	$4
Whenever a device launches, it launches in a specific tier and remains in that tier, even if the SRP changes.

• Customers purchasing a Tier 1 or Tier 2 device models with TEP remain at the $8 Tier and device models with ERP remain at the $5 Tier.


• Customers purchasing a Tier 3 or Tier 4 new device model and add TEP or ERP before 6/17, will:
  
  
  
  • Be at the $8 Tier and then move to the $11 Tier for TEP
  
  
  • Be at the $5 Tier and then move to the $8 Tier for ERP
  
  
  • Receive multiple written notifications explaining the increase in their monthly TEP charges, ERP charges and deductibles
  
  
  • Including a postcard for TEP and ERP customers
  
  
  • Be sent a legal notification in the form of a letter by mail after 6/17 notifying them that their TEP monthly charge will be increased from $8 to $11 and ERP monthly charge will be increased from $5 to $9
  
  
  • TEP customers will see a $3 credit in their monthly bill from July through September, which will meet Sprint’s legal requirement to notify customers 90 days in advance of a price increase.
  
  
  • ERP customers will see a $4 credit in their monthly bill from July through September, which will meet Sprint’s legal requirement to notify customers 90 days in advance of a price increase.
  
  
  
  

So, you wanna buy ISN a beer?

I've always turned down donations, despite multiple requests, and the legal issues if I were to make any sort of profit. So, with that being said, I've come up with a solution! Instead of buying a beer for me, if you really want to donate something, then let's make it something that can make the ISN blog better for everyone!

If you'd like to make a donation - it will be to added together to pay for the yearly upgrade fee so I can get a premium wordpress account ($99/yr) that way I can actually customize the theme into something that is a little more friendly,and gives me extra storage space for all these cool docs! Anything that's donated that goes over the amount of 1yr of hosting, will be used to add extra space, or to pay for an additional year.

As I've said 1,000 times - I don't do this for the money, obviously. I do this because I, too, am a Sprint customer - and I enjoy it, and I feel it's needed. So PLEASE don't feel like I'm asking for a donation, because I'm not. But for those that would like to 'buy a beer' for me - you can help me get a wordpress upgrade instead :)

This is probably the one and only time I'll ever post about this, I may add a link to the sidebar for when this scrolls off the screen, but I've literally had so many requests of ways to donate, that this is the only solution that I can come up with, and one that will be beneficial to everyone!

So, if you want to 'buy ISN a beer' (aka donate to the WP Upgrade fund), you can do so here:

https://www.wepay.com/donations/inside.sprint.now



Also - I chose WePay, because after talking with them about remaining anonymous, they would be willing to fight a subpeona, and I've used them for another project before, so that helps to protect my identity :)

4:30PM #EVOGATE Update

8:30 PM Update: Android Central has a screenshot of a BestBuy internal memo, showing that they will be releasing the pre-orders as soon as they're in stock.: http://www.androidcentral.com/best-buy-fill-evo-4g-lte-orders-soon-may-24

4:30PM

While nothing has been announced *yet* today officially... here's a recap of what we know for sure:

• Consumer direct pre-orders are being shipped for delivery tomorrow as we already knew (your phone is likely a few thousand feet in the air at this moment, or on the ground, depending on your location)


• BestBuy.com began charging cards and shipping around noon today for online orders


• We have multiple verifiable reports of 3rd parties that will be receiving stock tonight as well, but there are a couple that won't receive it until tomorrow.


• Sprint Store pre-orders have already shipped and should have arrived today or in the AM.

With ALL of that in mind - there has still been *NOTHING* published internally as far as an official launch date. However, If I had to stake a wager - it would be that pre-orders/reservations would be able to be picked up tomorrow (Friday at the absolute latest).. but with that also being said, it's pure speculation until I hear something definitive. With the way the DWL (Device wait list) works, it's to everyone's advantage of giving a good notice of when they will be able to pick up their device - especially given there is an upcoming holiday weekend, and a ton of people have travel plans. So with all that in mind - I think the 'official' launch day will be Friday 5/25.... simply because tomorrow is super short notice.. especially given the fact that nothing has come out with anything new so far today, and it's almost time to close up shop here on campus.

So that's my prediction - 5/25 as an official launch date - but it's just that, a prediction, until I hear otherwise... and of course, as soon as I hear otherwise, you'll be the first to know!

And - my favorite tweet of the day - UPS has a GREAT attitude about all this.. think they're waiting on an EVO too?



https://twitter.com/UPSHelp/status/205407829941682176

NEW: Change Your Phone Number on Sprint.com for FREE; $15 for care/store to do it for you

Starting on 6/10, Sprint is adding a new self-service option to sprint.com allowing customers to change their mobile phone number online for free. Of course, while this is a plus for customers - and sold as a 'benefit' - the truth is it's a cost-cutting measure to reduce the number of calls into customer care. Calling into care for a number change after 6/10 will be a $15 charge on your bill(with some exceptions). Either way, it's a great new added option to the online tools in my opinion. Personally, I think we should all have advanced account changing options such as this in our sprint.com consumer portal - and who knows, as we continue to cut costs that might just be a reality.

• Customers choosing to change their phone number through a live specialist or retail store on or after 6/10/12 will be charged a $15 Phone Number Change fee. Note: Some exceptions apply (emergency harrassment, accessibility, etc...)


• The sprint.com Change Phone Number functionality will become visible and available to customers on 5/24 when it goes live for production testing; however, official launch is 06/10/12.


• Customers can change their phone number at sprint.com/changenumber and My Sprint at no charge or through a live specialist or retail store for $15.


• When a customer expresses concern or frustration with the new fee; tell them based on recent competitive research, we believe the top 3 major competitors all charge a Phone Number Change fee.
  
  
  
  • AT&T - Retail, Web and Care: $36
  
  
  • Verizon -Retail and Care: $15; Web: $0
  
  
  • T-Mobile - Retail and Care: $15
  
  
  
  

HTC EVO 4G LTE Overview/Advocate Deck

By request - here's the HTC EVO 4G LTE Overview/Advocate Deck - which is basically just an information PDF with recommendations on use / selling / accessories / etc... which was sent to the device advocates, and possibly some retail folks as well.

Download: EVO 4G LTE Overview & Advocate Deck - ISN

or view below:

[scribd id=94583457 key=key-20poq3wyvvl4pm41qy1i mode=list]

HTC EVO 4G LTE: 5/ Launch Date!

As we all know the pre-orders have already started shipping (some last night, some more tonight), and now we have the full launch schedule for an official launch day of

@CustomsBorder Twitter blows up 9,900% - Makes News!

Apparently some government worker was overheard saying "OMG they're talking to us on twitter - what do we do!"

Thanks to a tip from a fan, OhMyGov is reporting...

Last week the US Customs and Border Protection, a branch of theDepartment of Homeland Security, created some online controversy by locking down all HTC EVO 4G LTE and HTC One X mobile devices as the agency investigates if the devices are still breaking Apple patents.

The US Customs investigation dates back to an order by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) last December that found HTC guilty of violatingApple patent 5946647 - a patent related to detecting data items within otherwise unformatted content. However, it appears that the patent wars have just started.

In the past few days tech savvy Twitter users have been airing out their frustration with Customs and Border Protection, creating much buzz around the otherwise unnoticed agency. Campaigns were started on Twitter using the hashtags #FreemyEVO and #CBPevo, encouraging agency to release the phones.

Mentions to the US Customs Twitter handle, @CustomsBorder, were up 9,900% yesterday over Thursday because of the lock down, skyrocketing from 26 mentions to 2,600. Unfortunately for @CustomsBorder, most of the mentions express frustration with the agency versus praise.

So, YES, we were noticed.. just in case you wondered :)

 

EVO 4G LTE - ReadyNOW Setup Guide

While we're waiting for the official launch date to be released hopefully later today, here's something that you might find useful. Ever wonder what guides are used for the retail store folks during the 'ReadyNOW' setup process? It's an intriguing look at what settings are recommended.. as well as what will happen the moment your phone is turned on for the first time.

Download here: HTC EVO 4G LTE ReadyNOW Guide - ISN

or view below:

[scribd id=94548043 key=key-1d5r2v6gex6kecmuwirh mode=list]

iDEN/Nextel Coverage Changes: Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson/Yuma, Oregon, Washington

Our normal Monday/Wednesday Update for iden tower decommissionings:

• In preparation for Network Vision, Network Ops will continue decommissioning a number of existing iDEN towers throughout the country..
  
  
  
  • On the evening of 5/21/12, in the following markets: Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson/Yuma.
  
  
  • On the evening  of 5/23/2012, the following markets will experience coverage change: Inland Northwest, Oregon/ SW Washington, West Washington.
  
  
  
  


• Tower decommission continues every Monday and Wednesday evening through June.

Network Vision:

• Decommissioning eliminates excess capacity and has minimal customer impact.


• Retuning/decommissioning towers WILL NOT shutdown the iDEN market service in 2012.


• Customers who rely on in-building coverage near a decommissioned tower may experience in-building signal strength changes but street/in-car coverage should remain the same.

Select Samsung Seek and Intercept Customers will get an extra $50 off new device

Starting 5/23,

 

• Sprint is offering an additional $50 off of a new device to select Samsung Seek and Intercept customers nearing their service agreement end date.


• Eligible customers will get a direct mail or email about the offer or see it on Sprint Zone.


• Customers are required to enter a promo code to get the discount on the Web.


• Refer customers asking about the offer to a Sprint retail store or to sprint.com.

HTC EVO 4G LTE's - CLEARED & SHIPPING!

While I was typing the previous post about the update call earlier, I got the notice that customs finished the other half, and this notice will hit customer care at 5PM CST Today (35 min from now):

• We are pleased to announce that our warehouse has HTC EVO 4G LTE devices to fill pre-orders.


• We are no longer accepting pre-order cancellations.

What you need to do:

• Beginning 5/21/12 at 5:00 p.m. Central, tell customers we cannot accept pre-order cancellations.


• Our warehouse is processing pre-orders and delivery is expected by 5/24.


• If a customer wants to cancel their order:
  
  
  
  • Advise them to wait for delivery of their device.
  
  
  • Once received, they can either refuse shipment or call Order Support to process an RMA
  
  
  
  

and for those that wanted a screenshot for confirmation:



 

HTC EVO 4G LTE: Some have cleared, awaiting launch date.

**UPDATE** JUST GOT NOTICE THAT THEY FINISHED AS OF A FEW MINUTES AGO, AND DEVICES ARE NOW SHIPPING. NEW POST COMING WITH DETAILS. 

 

As of this afternoon's launch update call, I have learned that only some shipments have cleared customs at the Louisville warehouse. It turns out that they are not being cleared per model, as we thought, but rather per shipment. Which, in hindsight makes sense, but had not crossed my mind before. I do not know how many 'shipments' were received, but as of 3PM today, it was reported that about half had cleared. I also learned that the update came so late in the day, because they were awaiting to see if they would complete today or not. It is anticipated that they would finish this afternoon, or tomorrow at the latest.

NOTE: this does NOT mean they are checking every phone, as some have asked - it simply means they are testing a sample from each shipment (each shipment contains 1,000's of devices, and they only sample 1), and that sample does not get shipped out, so no worries about getting a 'used' device. There was also some mention of some additional reasons why they were checking actual samples, instead of just going by the paperwork, but no real details were given on the call.

OK. So the big question is when will they ship. If they finish late tonight or tomorrow, they would ship as soon as tomorrow night. At any point after that, they will ship on the night they are completed. You won't hear this from care or stores if you ask, because they are being told to give the customary 'unsure/out of our hands' responses you've already heard already, because we can't be 100% sure of when they will finish. And since they delay is expected to be short, they will launch all at once (not ship out half now, the rest in a day or two)... and all pre-orders WILL get their devices first. It's still planned that the launch date will be this week, as they could be finished as soon as tomorrow.

I know there's probably more, as it was a crazy long call, but I wanted to get as much too you guys as quickly as I could. I'll reread this after I post it, and post any updates as needed. The next launch update call is tomorrow afternoon.

... and here's the updated/same answer that has been re-provided to care:

Q: What is the status of pre-order and when will pre-order devices be delivered?

• HTC is working with U.S. Customs for a speedy resolution and your pre-order fee still holds the device.


• We will provide a ship date as soon as possible.


• We maintain the promise for the preorder customers that they will be among the first to receive their HTC EVO 4G LTE units.

HTC EVO 4G LTE Videos

had no idea you guys like videos so much. Someone asked if I had any HTC EVO 4G LTE videos? of COURSE! lol... here's the ones I was able to round up internally. Not sure if they are just for internal, or for use on the sprint.com site - but either way, here they are!

HTC EVO 4G LTE Camera Overview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohdpFXuWsl0

 

HTC EVO 4G LTE General Overview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjOFw2P34Qw

 

HTC EVO 4G LTE Audio Features:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBCLh2QnJr4&feature=youtu.be

 

HTC EVO 4G LTE Android & HTC Sense:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ_B2HjKvd4&feature=youtu.be

 

Sprint's Network Vision 2012

Came across this video a few days ago.. it's an internal explination of the 2012 Network Vision. I know it's nothing earth shattering, or really all that interesting to most (or maybe it is!), but until we get some new EVO news, I figured I'd give you all a break from hitting the refresh key on all the sites, and give you a video to watch instead, lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_ejv9Ud9Uw

HTC EVO 4G LTE: Cleared by Customs

It would appear that customs has cleared the HTC EVO 4G LTE. According to the TaiPei Times:

"In a twist to the US’ import ban on various HTC Corp (宏達電) smartphones, the company yesterday said some of its products blocked by US customs because of patent-infringement concerns had been allowed to enter the US market after passing the customs’ review."

I have not seen anything internally yet as far as shipping dates, but I would expect to have that info either later tonight or super early in the morning. I do know there were several plans drafted based on when they would be cleared, so I'll get that info and match it up and see where we're at. Hang tight, it's going to be a fast paced next 24 hours! :) And who knew customs worked on the weekend for commercial stuff!

Thanks to about 200 people that sent me this article! I was out at brunch and having drinks with some friends on a lazy day, and had no expectations of anything breaking today :) At least now I've got some snooping to do.

 

Saturday Funday: Actual Sprint Training Video for DNC (Do Not Call) List

I'm sure we could all use a little humor today, and thanks to another alert employee who pointed me to this internally, I'm going to share with you a video that made me laugh this morning. If you're a Sprint employee you'll probably find it even funnier, but apparently this went out to all our Care folks during annual training.

If you listen carefully there are some very hilarious moments throughout the vid...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rD-80uQ1do&feature=youtu.be

Weekend Maintenance Report - 5/18

For those of you that are new, the maintenance windows are posted on Friday nights for the entire weekend, and on weekdays when it's anything that's customer impacting. Here's this weekend's update:

Maintenance Details

WEEKEND MAINTENANCE REPORT CST/SP2 Maintenance SUMMARY: Sunday 05/20/2011 12:30 AM CT to 1:00 AM CT DETAILS: The CST/SP2 tools will be unavailable due to maintenance for 30 minutes starting from 12:30 AM - 1:00 AM CT ACTIONS Maintenance will end at 1:00 am CT ID: 8575 My Sprint.com SUMMARY: Sunday 05/20/2012 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: My Sprint.com will be unavailable for 1 hr and 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT on 05/20/2012 ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 3:30 AM CT ID: 32300 Wireless Manager SUMMARY: Sunday 05/20/2012 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: Wireless Manager will be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance for 1 hr and 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT on 05/20/2012 ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 3:30 AM CT ID: 32299 Boost Mobile Activations SUMMARY: Sunday 05/20/2012 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: Boost Mobile Activations will be unavailable for 1 hr and 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT on 05/20/2012 ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 3:30 AM CT ID: 31461 NOS Number Porting System SUMMARY: Sunday 05/20/2012 2:00 AM CT - 6:00 AM CT DETAILS: Number Porting System will be unavailable for 4 hrs starting at 2:00 AM CT - 6:00 AM CT on 05/20/2012 Customer port requests will not process from 2-6am CT. ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 6:00 AM CT ID: 30492 NMS/CDMA Activations & Changes SUMMARY: Sunday 05/20/2012 2:00 AM CT - 6:00 AM CT DETAILS: You will be unable to complete changes or new activations for CDMA accounts during this maintenance. NMS will be unavailable for4 hrs starting at 2:00 AM CT - 6:00 AM CT on 05/20/2012 ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 6:00 AM CT ID: 30299 Online Store (www.Sprint.com) SUMMARY: Sunday 05/20/2012 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: Customer‘s will be unable to access the Online Store (www.Sprint.com) for 1 hr 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT on 05/20/2012 ACTIONS: Customer‘s will have access when maintenance is complete at 3:30 AM CT ID: 29076 Subscriber Migration Tool SUMMARY: Sunday 05/20/2012 - 2:00 AM CT - 4:00 AM CT DETAILS: You will be unable to access the SMT tool to migrate customers for 2 hrs starting at 2:00 AM CT - 4:00 AM CT ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 4:00 AM CT ID: 25473 CSM/sView SUMMARY: Sunday 05/20/2012 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: Ensemble Applications CSM, sView will be down for 1 hr 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT on 05/20/2012 ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 3:30 AM CT on 05/20/2012 ID: 25193 Sprint.com Community SUMMARY: Sunday 05/20/2012 - 2:00 AM - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: Sprint.com Community will be unavailable for 1 hr 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT on 05/20/2012 Community will be splashed during this maintenance ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 3:30 AM CT ID: 1203 OMIM/Warehouse Orders SUMMARY: Sunday 05/20/2012 12:00 AM CT - 7:00 AM CT DETAILS: OMIM/Warehouse orders - return kits will be delayed for 7 hrs until maintenance is complete. Orders submitted during this time will not ship until after the maintenance is complete. ACTIONS: Maintenance is scheduled to be completed by 7:00 AM CT ID: 25763 CSM/sView SUMMARY: Saturday 05/19/2012 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: Ensemble Applications CSM, sView will be down for 1 hr and 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT on 05/19/2012 ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 3:30 AM CT on 05/19/2012 ID: 31463 Sprint.com Community SUMMARY: Saturday 05/19/2012 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: Sprint.com Community will be unavailable for 1 hr and 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT on 05/19/2012 Community will be splashed during this maintenance ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 3:30 AM CT ID: 31462 Online Store (www.Sprint.com) SUMMARY: Saturday 05/19/2012 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: Customers will be unable to access the Online Store (www.Sprint.com) for1 hr and 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT on 05/19/2012 ACTIONS: Customers will have access when maintenance is complete at 3:30 AM CT ID: 31460 Boost Mobile Activations SUMMARY: Saturday 05/19/2012 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: Boost Mobile Activations will be unavailable for 1 hr 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT on 05/19/2012 ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 3:30 AM CT ID: 30493 Wireless Manager SUMMARY: Saturday 05/19/2012 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: Wireless Manager will be unavailable due to Scheduled maintenance for 1 hr and 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM CT - 3:30 AM CT on 05/19/2012 ACTIONS: Maintenance will end at 3:30 AM CT ID: 28242 My Sprint.com SUMMARY: Saturday 05/19/2012 2:00 AM - 3:30 AM CT DETAILS: My Sprint.com will be unavailable for 1 hr and 30 minutes starting at 2:00 AM -3:30 AM CT on 05/19/2012 ACTIONS:  Maintenance will end at 3:30 AM CT ID: 5543