Direct 2 You now available in Dallas, Detroit, Tampa and Washington, D.C.
As Sprint appears to have fallen to the No. 4 spot behind T-Mobile US in the domestic carrier wars, the Kansas-based operator has expanded its novel Direct 2 You service, which essentially offers to deliver new devices to customers.
The service was initially offered in Kansas City, Mo., Sprint’s headquarters, then expanded to Miami and Chicago. As of July 13, the service is now available in Dallas, Texas; Detroit; Tampa, Fla.; and Washington, D.C.
The Sprint Direct 2 You service calls for a “Sprint-trained expert” to take a device of the customers’ choice to their preferred location, where they will set up the new device, including transferring all content and providing a tutorial on how it works. Customers will receive an offer via text or e-mail about the upgrade opportunity, and can then call, text or e-mail to set up an appointment time and location.
“We listen to our customers, which is why during the past year we’ve worked tirelessly to improve Sprint’s network, value and customer service,” Rod Millar, VP for Sprint, said in a statement. “Direct 2 You is all about taking the best customer experience one step further and addressing pain points for the customer. It makes buying a phone a unique and stress-free experience.”
Sprint touted the service-friendly nature of the offer, but as it’s currently tied to device upgrades also looks to be a way for the carrier to proactively manage potential churn. The carrier reported a year-over-year increase in churn for its last fiscal quarter, which on the postpaid side jumped from 2.15% to 2.33%, and on the prepaid side increased from 3.22% to 3.97%.
T-Mobile US set the bar for second-quarter results announcing it added nearly 2.1 million connections to its network during the quarter, pushing its total base to 58.9 million connections and perhaps officially taking over the No. 3 position in the domestic wireless market.
Branded postpaid net additions topped the growth, with T-Mobile US stating it added just over 1 million connections to its network tied to a device financing plan. The postpaid growth was dominated by “phone” connections, which accounted for 760,000 net additions, with mobile broadband devices, which includes tablets and mobile hot spots, accounting for 248,000 net additions. Total branded postpaid growth increased 11% year-over-year.
Sprint’s position as the No. 4 carrier behind T-Mobile US is based on industry analysis and research reports and has not yet been made official by way of quarterly reporting.
