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

"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.

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.