If you had any doubts that billing errors are rampant in telecom and wireless invoices then the Fortune interview with Sprint Chief Service Officer Bob Johnson should eliminate any doubts.
Here's part of the Q&A.
What is the number one reason customers call in and why is it so difficult to help them?
The highest volume of calls is for billing errors - these are typically generated through the account setup process... So it used to take an average of four to six calls to get a billing problem solved.
What are you doing on the “upstream” side — to make sure that subscribers have fewer reasons to call in the first place?
Many people call in with billing problems, especially overages [fees for using services like texting and data beyond what's allotted in their plan] so in March we launched “Simply Everything” [an unlimited voice and data plan that costs $100 a month], and throughout this year you will see more and more simplified pricing from us.
We have noticed a more proactive approach on behalf of Sprint when opening and resolving billing discrepancies for our clients. Have you had any billing errors on your Sprint invoices? Have you noticed any improvement in their ability to resolve complaints? In one call?