Is the customer always right?

That's the question Sprint/Nextel asked themselves -- and in the case of some 1000 customers Sprint decided, No - the customer is not always right.

This was something I learned a long time ago. There are some people you simply do not want as customers (particularly in the technology fields). They monopolize your time and resources, they cost you more money than you make from them (or you lose money because of them), and even when you bend over backward to help them they still bad-mouth you to others. I'll tell you, if you want my help in resolving an issue don't ever use the phrase "The customer is always right" -- that's the quickest way to convince me you're running some scam and trying to rip us off. If you trash your phone, it is not the phone companies obligation to provide you with another one. It still remains your obligation to pay the bill though, even if you've trashed your phone. "But I shouldn't have to pay a bill if I can't use the service" -- this is what I usually hear from these people. "Was it Nextel's fault that you dropped your phone in a glass of beer? No? Then why should they have to give you another $200 phone just so you can fulfill your contract commitment?" Of course that never works, and they abandon the contract, get their credit rating whacked, and then wonder why they can't get a new phone 6 months later.

Sprint was nice to these people -- obviously they didn't like the service, if they were complaining so much. They cancelled the contracts without any early termination fee -- even blanked out the account balance. That's what you wanted wasn't it? Now you don't have to deal with the big bad phone company anymore.

They still aren't happy...