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Sprint hangs up on dealer
Published 12:00 p.m., January 18, 2010
Sprint customers who purchased cellular telephones at Otter Tail Telcom in Fergus Falls might get a startling surprise if they’re trying to pay a cellular phone bill or get repair service.
The familiar yellow and black Sprint banner no longer hangs outside Otter Tail Telcom because it is no longer a cell phone dealer for Sprint.
Sprint dropped Otter Tail Telcom as an authorized dealer last Wednesday, said Tim Brinkman, business operations manager for Otter Tail Telcom.
The news was a surprise to the Fergus Falls company and came with little warning, Brinkman said.
“We prided ourselves in taking care of our Sprint customers. But unfortunately, Sprint didn’t want to continue that agreement, Brinkman said.
Otter Tail Telcom would like to thank all of its customers that have purchased Sprint services at their location on the corner of Lincoln and Union in Fergus Falls and allowing the company the opportunity to serve them, Brinkman said.
Other than from a customer service standpoint, the transition from Otter Tail Telcom should be a transparent one. Sprint customers in the Fergus Falls area receive their bills from Sprint’s corporate billing center and calls to Sprint’s customer service and repair service lines are made to corporate call centers.
All Sprint customer records held by Otter Tail Telcom will be picked up by Sprint and moved off Otter Tail Telcom’s premises, Brinkman said.
Alexandria-based Allstate Wireless operates a Sprint-branded store in Fergus Falls at 1105 West Lincoln Avenue and can service Sprint customers at the store.
Otter Tail Telcom will not be abandoning the cellular telephone business, however.
Losing Sprint is providing Otter Tail Telcom with an opportunity to expand its new Speedway Wireless service. The company will offer a local experience with a national calling area utilizing the latest in handsets such as the new Motorola Droid.
“We’re moving forward with our own self-branded product,” Brinkman said. “We will be able to offer better control for our customers and not have to follow the rules of a national cellular provider.”
Speedway Wireless offers local customer service, and local billing with no automated phone system or numerous transfers, he said.
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