Sprint provides telephone and Internet services to over 54 million customers. As you might expect, Sprint offers multiple customer service options, including phone-based support.

Why Do People Call Sprint?

People call Sprint for a range of reasons, including:

Setting up a new account

Adding or purchasing a new phone

Learning about service outages

Changing personal information, such as name or address

Billing issues

Changing rate plan

Adding new services

Canceling an account

The call menu is straightforward: Calling Sprint customer service takes you a voicemail menu where you can indicate your issue and be directed to an automated service or live representative.

If you are calling from your Sprint phone, you don't even need to dial a number: Just hit *2 for general customer service, *3 for bill payment or *4 to check minutes and account balance.

Some customers prefer to not have to wade through an automated voicemail message. One way to fast-track your concern to a live person is to hit "0" at each prompt. Eventually, you'll be directed to an agent.

How do People Feel About Sprint's Phone Customer Service?

Sprint customers express a range of opinions about the company's phone-based customer service. Some praise Sprint's customer service representatives for providing polite, friendly and effective support. Others are not so pleased with the help that they have received.

Notable Cases

In one case that was documented online, a man contacted Sprint about getting a reduction in his monthly bill. The customer service representative presented him with an option that offered a significant discount from what he was currently paying.

A few days after the man entered a new agreement, his wife visited a Sprint store for a device upgrade. She was told that she could get a better plan that offered even more savings than the husband had negotiated over the phone.

Unfortunately, store staff could not make the change. Calling Sprint didn't help, and the couple ended up being put back on their original, much more expensive plan.

Because the original request had been made over the phone, the couple was unable to easily prove what had happened. While the phone rep promised that a manager would call the couple to resolve the issue, this never happened, leaving these Sprint customers very frustrated.

Eventually, the situation was resolved, but it required email contact instead of handling the situation over the phone.

What Can Be Accomplished with Sprint Phone Customer Service?

Many of common customer questions and issues can be addressed through Sprint's automated voicemail menu or a conversation with a customer service representative. These issues include basic phone setup questions, ordering a new device, updating billing information and learning about new plans.

However, there are some issues that might require a different approach:

Device repairs, for example, will need to be handled through a Phone Repair Center. While a customer service representative may be able to help you determine whether a service problem originates with your device, an accessory or your phone service, a device malfunction will require you to ship or bring your phone to a Sprint Phone Repair Center.

In addition, phone reps do not sell accessories over the phone and can't move your phonebook from one device to another. If you prefer to pay your phone bill in cash, you will need to visit a Sprint store to do so.

Finally, individuals who wish to order a new service plan may find phone-based customer service confusing. If you prefer to see service plan options and contracts in hard-copy before making an agreement, consider seeking help at a Sprint store.

What Can Be Done if Sprint Can't Resolve Your Problem by Phone?

Consumer questions, problems and concerns can often be addressed by Sprint's phone-based customer service team. However, there are situations in which customers have not been satisfied by resolutions offered by Sprint.

There are many reasons for unresolved issues, including:

Sometimes callers and customer service representatives don't communicate well with each other.

The customer's needs can't be met over the phone: For example, the caller needs phone accessories or the device needs physical repairs.

Sprint's policies don't suit a customer's needs or wishes.

When Sprint can't resolve an issue over the phone its customers might opt for the following: