Sprint cutting up to 2,500 more employees from the payroll
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Nov 10th 2009 5:59AM
posted Nov 10th 2009 5:59AM
It's been a helluva couple years for Sprint -- new networks, new platforms, and new acquisitions have all been intermixed with a drawn-out recovery effort that's undoubtedly weighed heavy on the hearts and minds of staff at the company's dual headquarters in Kansas and Virginia. With more (albeit slower) subscriber losses in its most recent earning's report, it's still all but impossible to say whether they'll be able to survive in the long term as an independent operation, and we're not quite sure what to make of this latest move, either: a promise of 2,000 to 2,500 job cuts to be announced through the fourth quarter, many of which will be completed before the year's up. It gets a little weird here because Sprint's applying some hardcore spin in its press release, touting the fact that reduced calls to customer service -- ostensibly due to an improved experience -- have lessened the need for call center staff, but we're not really buying it; the business continues to shrink, and staff continue to be cut. The good news is that they're being cut at a much slower rate than before, so it's still entirely reasonable to believe that black ink is in sight -- particularly if they've got a killer 2010 lineup in store.
slimming up for a company sale.
You ignorant trolls, there is nothing to be gained one way or the other by cheering people loosing jobs. Did backdoor, I mean backbeat adopt a new name?
Lets see here. Sprint just bought our Virgin Mobile and IPCS. So with that buy out, there is double if not tripe position that really dont need to be there. So yes a lay off is bad anyway you look at it. But in real life, a company will not have 2-3 people doing the same job if it not needed. I feel really bad when companies lay people off but that is life when you buy out another company. So its not like this is something new or was not foreseen. It was coming.
I hope that sprint succeeds this way they can strengthen their network and become even better than Verizon. I forsee there Wimax scenario if done correctly being potentially huge for them
I'm sad for Sprint's laid off employees, but you are kidding yourself if you think Verizon is worried about Sprint's WiMax. Sprint made the Betamax choice in 4G networks. (remember that one?) LTE is where the future is as the worldwide standard for 4G. With the technology consolidation from virtually all the world's major wireless carriers except Sprint to LTE, where is that going to leave them for 4G handset offerings? How many handset makers are going to bother releasing flagship products for WiMax and a company that keeps losing postpaid customers at a furious rate. This is even despite having a considerable pricing advantage to their primary competitors. The Pre failed to stop the bleeding, and it probably had the best shot in a long time. Sad to say, but I just don't see Sprint continuing as an independent company for much longer. Getting swallowed up by T-Mobile or some other wireless company might be the best thing for Sprint's remaining employees.
That's terrible for those Employee's and their Families, I feel bad for them..... = (
old mistake: shitty customer service
new mistake: limited plan choices and ugly ass phones!
Solution: add more plan choices like Tmobile, don't fuck around the original phone designs (example HTC Diamond) and get more GSM capable phones (or they call them world phones)
Sprint does not have 'dual headquarters'. Sprint HQ is in KS
At least sprint is trying to stay a viable company....unlike some financial and automotive companys begging the administration for money. Things at sprint are only going to get better, now that ipc is out of the way they can really start getting the 4G out there quicker! With recent and fourthcoming device releases, you know sprint has realized that device slection is the biggest consumer decision. Think about it if you have equal coverage in your area and company A has boring devices and campnay B who has really nice devices, the average consumer is going to go with company B. This is all about having a cool device for example the Iphone. How many People have terrible phone and data services and just deal with it becasue they have an Iphone. Not to mention pay more, how can you not dig the $99 all you can eat price!!
@cwndrums who brilliantly said: "unlike some financial and automotive companys begging the administration for money".
Sprint was the **ONLY** wireless carrier to receive Federal BAILOUT money! Money that trickles down to the trolling stooges filling up comment areas to shill for the NOW network. The irony is rich though their trolls are ethically bankrupt.
@winnerswin
Not true. No wireless carrier in the US has gotten any bailout money.
Want to prove me wrong? Provide a link.
I never said any celluar company received any bailout....just sayin
Too easy, toothlessviper: "The Overland Park-based wireless carrier said in a Friday release that it was the only wireless carrier to get such a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the federal stimulus plan."
http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2009/04/13/daily44.html
How many times do you have to be wrong before you get it?
Well... if you actually read the article you posted and understood it, the grant was from the US dept of energy to help expand hydrogen fuel cells. It was a grant, not bail out money, the thing about some stimulus money is that it is either use it or lose it, and Sprint is a very socially aware albeit their struggles, they are very green and have quite a few green initiatives. You sir are clearly ignorant and have no idea what you are talking about. It is really sad that such a large company is so messed up from the previous executives that it is so hard to turn around and people have to lose their lively hood. The general public has no clue what Sprint does and how their network operates. There is a lot of innovation behind the scenes regarding network technology and converged solutions that other carriers don't have, here is another fun fact, Sprint is one of 2 tier one wireline companies in the world. They also have the second largest IP backbone in North America, so to you know it all's riding big red jockey style and sucking the seeds out of the Iphone, check yourself and back your lame comments up with fact.
Eric, aka ewells26, guess what, pumpkin? If not included in the Stimulus Bill, the funds would not have existed for Sprint to get on its knees and beg. No getting around that, despite your virtual ad for your 'NOW' [minus _another_ 2500 employees] network. If one were to believe you sniveling, cowardly promotional trolls, Sprint would be a major success. The open market can be such a cruel place to have your dreams dashed, huh pumpkin?
Winnerswin who the F is Eric. My name is Mark Dewells, and for the sake of anonimity (sp) I shortened it, I am sure if this Eric you supposedly think I am knew who you were or that you felt so highly of him he would call you to a public beat down.
Eric, aka ewells26 ... Were you lying then ... or lying now?
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/profile/3243694/
Threatening a public beat down is a hoot. The sniveling cowards at EngadgetMobile enjoy your ilk, especially those taking a % from the Sprint trolling shills such as Don Louie-the BitchBoy & Pals. Go fuck yourself into oblivion. Don't settle for less! ;)
@winnerswin: Browsing through your comment history, you've got a deep-rooted hatred for Engadget Mobile that leaves me wondering why you frequent the site.
@chris ziegler: Not the site that is disliked. Only those individuals from the site who conveniently run defense for known promotional trolls who warrant anything less than respect. If your hallowed site is a "responsibility-free zone", whereby anything BUT holding one accountable is permissible and the accepted norm, I must have missed the notification on the way in. Hope that makes the distinction more clearly understood now. The distinction is night-and-day from where I observe. Thanks!
cocoviper, wouldn't waist time responding to the winning winner because the poster is convinced the only people touting any benefits Sprint are delusional. The only thing that keeping their argument going is the ads by competitors and defecting subs, the ads are spin and defections prove nothing.
"Sprint's applying some hardcore spin in its press release, touting the fact that reduced calls to customer service -- ostensibly due to an improved experience -- have lessened the need for call center staff"
This makes perfect sense... when you have millions less customers than a year previously, you need far less call center staff to handle the customers that are left.
That wasnt bailout money....did you read the article? They received to grant to work on new technology not to bail them out. FAIL.
Most who are informed on such things recognize that there was no "Bailout Bill", but that is specifically how many regard the $787B "Stimulus Package".
If you weren't being willfully ignorant -- the only logical conclusion -- one might suspect you were just trying to sidestep responsibility for blindly supporting the only wireless provider [Sprint] to ask for and receive bailout funds -- while they layoff _another_ 2500.
@ winners.
You must not have read the article that you provided; because it is about their dumb "green initiatives," and no it was not part of the "stimulus" (and no it is not a stimulus or even a bailout when the government starts telling the companies to do things. That sir is called marxism.)
Being a Sprint customer it makes me mad that they keep subsidizing and pushing this green crap. Nobody wants the Reclaim phone. I don't like wastefulness, but this is getting stupid. Stop sending out these gay phones that no one wants just because crazy said the world will end.
I could go off a little more but I know that this is a electronics comment nest and not a political one.
I am not certain why people complain about the limited number of plans with Sprint. I am faced with the possibility of having to switch from Sprint to either AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile due to where I am living. With 4 phones, 1500 minutes, unlimited text and web, I pay $150 a month ($169.97 plus tax minus a corporate discount of 20%). Everything else that I have looked at will be about $100 more a month and not include "Everything" like my Sprint plan does.
I even looked at the latest T-mobile plan that is supposed to be cheaper than Verizon, but when I ran the numbers it came out to over $300 for my closest match. Is there a trick to getting a deal out of these people, because I don't see any other plans that are better than Sprint's.
Where does Sprint _not_ have any service that _every_ other major carrier _does_? I call bullshite!
Otherwise, from what I hear ... There's a map for that.
Moron.
try this zipcode....
85546 Plug it in to the Sprint website and put down that you would like to start new service. I have already talked to their customer service, if my roaming exceeds 50%, they will drop me. Feel free to check the contract, then let me know who the moron is, or was that your signature line?
Let me get this right ...
The same company who begged for $7.3M in Stimulus Funds --
The same company who will be laying off _another_ 2500 over the next 6 weeks --
The same company who is still bleeding RED with subscriber losses and net financial losses --
... will drop you if you roam on VZW more than 50% -- ALL because their towers don't _quite_ come close enough to where you need coverage? Where have I heard this before about Sprint over the last 20 years?? Guess no one can blame THAT on bad policy from a couple years ago, huh? ;)
You may want to look into TMO since they have that area blanketed with coverage, and have a Family plan of unlimited voice, text, & data for $140/month. Hope you can find some way to survive without your NASCAR-TV