Sprint Is First Among Major Wireless Carriers for Customer Satisfaction

Sprint is #1 among all national carriers and most improved in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, over the last four years, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), May 15, 2012 – Sprint (NYSE:S, news, filings) once again emerged in the number one spot among major wireless carriers for customer satisfaction, according to results from the 2012 American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Released today, the ACSI survey also shows that Sprint is the number one most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all industries, over the last four years. Additional findings from the study include:

• The ACSI survey finds wireless customers continue to feel a greater sense of loyalty to Sprint. Sprint is unbeaten among national carriers for the highest rating in customer loyalty among national carriers and is the only national carrier to see consistent improvement in this area since 2010.
• Sprint was also cited in the ACSI survey as number one in call center satisfaction. Concurrently, Sprint recorded its lowest level of calls to customer care per postpaid subscriber on record during the first quarter of 2012.
• Sprint is the only company across all 47 industries measured in the ACSI to improve its customer satisfaction from last to first in the period of 2008-2012.

“Not only to come from last place to first place in our industry, but to be the most improved U.S. company, period, over the last four years in the ACSI survey is a testament to the relentless focus the people of Sprint have placed on serving our customers,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO.

Frontline Sprint employees are enthusiastic about serving the needs of customers and resolving issues.

“I simply try to do the best I can and make sure I’ve gotten everything done,” said Virgil Bosley, specialist-Customer Care, Lenexa, Kan. “Getting recognition from our customers makes me feel like we’re doing the right thing. It might be small steps sometimes, but it tells me we’re heading in the right direction.”

“What I preach to all of my team is to treat customers like they’re family members,” said Alex Alum, store manager-South Miami Beach, Fla. “The better a customer feels when they leave the store, the more referral business they’re going to bring to us. And long-lasting relationships come from great customer service.”

In addition to ACSI, other independent third-parties have also recognized Sprint in customer service:

• Sprint was ranked by J.D. Power and Associates highest among full-service providers in its 2012 Wireless Purchase Experience Study, Volume 1.
• Boost Mobile was ranked highest among non-contract providers in the same study and Virgin Mobile USA received the highest ranking in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Wireless Customer Care Non-Contract Study – Volume 1, with Boost placing second.
• Last month, Sprint Wholesale collected four 2012 Domestic Best-In-Class Awards from ATLANTIC-ACM in the categories of Network, Provisioning, Customer Service and Sales Representatives.
• Sprint also received the ATLANTIC-ACM Best-in-Class Network Award for Global Wholesale Excellence earlier this year, and Frost & Sullivan identified Sprint as an excellent example of an end-to-end mobile solution provider for the small business sector.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index is a national economic indicator of customer evaluations of the quality of products and services available to household consumers in the United States. The overall ACSI score factors in scores from more than 225 companies in 47 industries and from government agencies over the previous four quarters. The Index was founded at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and is produced by ACSI LLC. ACSI can be found on the Web at www.theacsi.org.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 56 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2012 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.