Sprint has announced that it will start delivering new smartphones and tablets straight to its customers.
"Direct 2 You" is reminiscent of CEO Marcelo Claure's days driving around Boston selling mobile phones back in the 1990s. He says Sprint's research has found that customers would be much happier having Sprint come to them – at the place and time of their choosing – than doing their shopping at a store.
"We think we're solving a huge pain point," Claure told USA Today. "It is basically replicating the in-store experience — in your home or in your office or in a park or in a coffee shop. Wherever you would like to meet us."
Direct 2 You works by sending customers a text when they're eligible for an upgrade. If customers want to upgrade their smartphone or their tablet, they can either call or email Sprint to schedule an appointment and specify the new device they want to get.
A Sprint representative will then drive to the place scheduled by the customer and assist in transferring all files and contacts. The representative will also help the customer get familiar with the new device. Interested customers are encouraged to donate their old devices to Sprint's recycling program.
For now, the new service will be deployed right from Sprint's own backyard, in Overland Park, Kansas. On April 20, Sprint will expand to Chicago and Miami before going nationwide with a total of 5,000 Sprint cars delivering smartphones and tablets to customers' doorsteps.
"We want to get to a point where we're serving appointments on a daily basis, meaning we'll have sufficient cars and sufficient drivers (so) if you make the appointment in the morning, a few hours later you'll have the phone delivered to your home," said Claure.
Down the road, Sprint also hopes to offer an array of devices so customers can can have the same set of choices as in the Sprint store experience. For now, Sprint will only bring the device that the customer specifies and five accessories the customer might want to add.
Direct 2 You is Sprint's latest move to attract new customers and regain its footing in the hotly competitive mobile network industry. With a total of 55.9 million subscribers, Sprint will have to work hard to widen the gap with T-Mobile, which has 55 million customers.
T-Mobile CEO John Legere says that discounting Sprint's inactive wholesale buyers, the "un-carrier" has already overtaken Sprint as the third biggest wireless carrier in the U.S. — a claim that Claure has dismissed.
"T-Mobile (is) always jumping ahead of the facts," Claure said. "I feel quite strongly that at the end of this quarter, we will remain in our position as No. 3."
