teleguy
Enthusiast
Jun 8, 2005, 2:21 AM
Post #1 of 1
(837 views)
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Not to be too skeptical, but how many times has a phone company promised simplified billing?
To be totally fair, since telecom is still one of the most heavily government regulated industries, there are many things that cannot be done to simplify billing , due to government reporting requirements.
But you are the final judge. Check out the new version that Sprint is promising to simplify your life (at least a little) here. http://pcsinvoicetutorial.sprint.com
Check back here and tell us what you think. You like? You not like? What is the good, the bad and the ugly of this effort?
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Setting the Bar for Simplicity, Sprint Demystifies Billing for Wireless Customers
Sprint changes monthly wireless bill for the better
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — 06/07/2005
It's no secret to people who use mobile phones that reconciling a wireless phone bill can be a daunting task. The vast array of wireless products and services that make our lives easier can appear more complicated when viewed in print. Sprint (NYSE: FON) plans to address this issue by unveiling a revamped wireless bill aimed at making it easier for customers to understand their services and associated charges. The newly redesigned bills are part of an ongoing effort to increase customer satisfaction and will begin arriving at Sprint customer homes and on www.sprintpcs.com in mid-June.
Millions of mobile phone customers spend an increasing amount of their household budget on wireless services. According to a recent study done by TNS Telecoms, wireless households spend on average about $75 per month on their wireless bills, and as families add more mobile phones to their existing bill, exactly where that money is going can become more complex.
"Sprint is all about making it easier for our customers to do business with us - especially when it comes to understanding wireless phone bills," said Matthew Ariker, vice president, Customer Management and Retention, Sprint. "Our redesigned wireless bill sets a new industry standard when it comes to delivering simple, intuitive and useful information to our customers - whether they are tracking spending for one person or an entire family."
Sprint conducted extensive research with current Sprint customers and leveraged experts in interaction design and human factors to develop a bill that solves the issues customers found most confusing. Based on this research, Sprint has designed a wireless bill that offers a concise, one-page summary of charges up front, which is complemented by a more detailed breakdown of charges throughout the rest of the bill.
Some of the highlights of the redesigned Sprint wireless bill include: - A more streamlined design that maximizes the use of white space and makes it easy to read.
- Additional information for accounts that share minutes across multiple phones and for roaming-included plans.
- The redesigned bill makes it easier for customers to see when a plan change occurs, including per-minute charges for additional usage or noting expiration dates for promotions.
- The terminology used has been revised to be simple, descriptive and consistent. For example, changing a section header from "Voice Airtime Summary" to simply "Minutes Used."
Other changes customers will find include three simple and easy sections: - Your Sprint PCS Bill - The new design provides an at-a-glance view of the most critical, summarized information on the first page:
- Balance Summary: A breakdown of current charges into logical categories helps customers understand what makes up the amount due each month.
- Total Minutes Used: A new summary of total usage for all lines on an account has been added, allowing customers to quickly and easily track their minutes each month.
- Questions About Your Bill?: Provides an easy reference on how to contact Sprint.
- Account Summary - This section is primarily designed for accounts with more than one phone on them:
- Charges by Line: An easy-to-read summary table listing the charges for each phone on an account.
- Shared Anytime Minutes: For accounts that share minutes, this new section helps customers keep track of how many minutes each person is using, an invaluable feature for Sprint's growing base of customers on this type of plan.
- Detail - Each phone on an account has its own detail section:
- Your Plan: A description of the customer's plan can be found here and now includes additional services, such as Nights Starting at 7 p.m. or Sprint PCS to PCS CallingSM.
- Minutes Used: Shows the number of minutes used by type for the previous month. For example, any roaming usage will now be included here as opposed to another separate section.
- Monthly Service Charges: Provides a clear description of plan charges and even shows the expiration date of any promotions such as a "Two Months Free" offer.
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