Consumer Reports: Sprint falls to bottom of satisfaction list
Sprint has fallen behind in all facets of cell phone service provider responsibilities, a new report finds, causing a mixed reaction among students.
The cell phone provider was ranked by Consumer Reports as the least reliable in all areas of phone service, including the reliability of talk, text, 4G service and overall value.
The news came as a shock to some students, as Sprint placed second in the last cell phone provider ranking for Consumer Reports.
Mathew Turner-Reed has been battling with Sprint as a cell phone service provider.
"The Sprint plans are good because you get unlimited data, talk and text, but the cell service is sub-par at best because there isn't always a strong data or voice connection," the Eastpointe senior said. "When you ask about dropped calls or bad service, their response is always that they're upgrading or doing maintenance to the cell towers."
Students like Turner-Reed are disappointed by the advertised benefits of the Sprint service, claiming it doesn't live up to their expectations.
“They advertise their unlimited talk, text and data plans, but the service is so bad sometimes that it’s not worth it," Turner-Reed said. "I say that mostly because you can only talk on your phone 50 percent of the time because calls are constantly dropped.”
Students who side with Turner-Reed will likely agree with his frustrations regarding Sprint.
"I cannot tell you how many times I have dropped a call for no reason," Turner-Reed said. "They always tell me they're upgrading to improve the service, but by the time they're done upgrading the towers to 4G, we'll already be at 5G or 6G."
Consumer Reports noted Verizon beat Sprint handily in the overall competition for best cell phone provider.
Some students, while they can understand the frustrations with Sprint, are confident in Sprint as a provider.
"My family has been with them for more than 13 years and we've never wanted to switch to another phone service," Fowlerville junior Callie Ackerman said. "I'd say the reason they fell to the bottom of the list is because the service we've come to know has been slightly decreasing. It's frustrating when you try to call the support line and you know more about your phone or service than the person who works there."
Despite these few frustrations, Ackerman continues to be satisfied with her service and is confident Sprint is one of the top cell phone providers.
"I've never had a problem with dropping calls or unreliable service unless I'm way out in the country," she said. "I love Sprint, plain and simple"
