SprintStudio supersized to 5,500 square feet

Sprint Nextel Corp.’s new SprintStudio store in Kansas City comes complete with a sleek design, all-live handsets, a service bar and a concierge service to help visitors learn more about the downtown area or make dinner reservations in the new Power and Light district.
In light of Sprint Nextel’s ongoing problems with customer retention, the carrier has emphasized a re-commitment to customer service. The SprintStudio is supposed to embody that commitment, with more customer interactivity and an atmosphere that director of retail merchandising Jeff Fisher described as “a little bit more real and more casual.”
“The main experience is really to take care of our customers and potential customers . and to start to build and create and foster a relationship with everyone who walks in,” Fisher said. “We’re really looking and hoping for more browsers, more people who just want to see what’s new from a wireless perspective and what’s new with Sprint.”
The SprintStudio is about 5,500 square feet, or more double the size of Sprint Nextel’s typical stores. Video screens play around the perimeter of the store, which cues browsers to entertainment-related devices and applications by bathing them in red, yellow and orange lights; products geared for businesses and productivity are highlighted in blues and greens. Customers can test out the company’s push-to-talk service, music service and other features at “story tables” that include devices and laptops. SprintStudio also offers comfortable seating and free Wi-Fi to encourage customers to hang out.
The store includes a “Digital Lounge” area with touch-screen tables. Multicolored orbs of light “bubble up” to the table’s surface and when touched, let the customer learn more about various content and services. At the back of the store, subscribers whose phones need repair or engraving can watch the technicians at work in a service bar area with stools.
Fisher said that SprintStudio will serve as a testing ground for new retail elements for the carrier. Aspects that are already being rolled out to other stores are a revamped training program for employees for listening to and guiding the customer to an appropriate device, and the story table concept.