North America's third largest mobile carrier, namely Sprint, has just launched a new service, called Ready Now and intended to allow mobile users to get the best out of their new handsets. Ready Now basically means that, when you buy a new mobile device from a Sprint store, you will be able to learn everything about its features and capabilities from a specially trained person. Of course, if you're in a hurry or think you already know all there is to know about any handset, you can skip the "Ready Now instructions," but the service seems more than welcomed for users who are not that much into tech stuff. 

Sprint says that about 21% of all the smartphones sold in the US in the last holiday season were returned to vendors, the main reason for this being the fact that users didn't quite understand how they worked. Thus, the US carrier thought the launching of a service like Ready Now was necessary.

"Everyone seems to think that customers should know how to use their wireless phones or that they should figure them out on their own. New smartphones and PDAs are as complex as they are popular, and most wireless customers use only a fraction of their features," says John Garcia, president of Sprint's Wireless Division.

"With more data usage and more people who are data-curious," adds Mr. Garcia, "you have to take the time to explain to people how to get more out of their wireless phones. Ready Now helps customers fully realize the benefits of everything the Now Network can do for them. Whether it's showing someone how to send an e-mail, download a photo, text, or use a live search to find an address, with Ready Now our retail associates will teach you what your phone will do from the first day you own it."

Kim Dixon, senior vice president of retail for Sprint, also said, "This is so important, we closed our stores for a full day to train associates on Ready Now. Everyone's trained – not just a few people. That's a benefit you may not find at another wireless company's store."

For the moment, only Sprint's stores from across the US offer the Ready Now service, but in the near future this will also be available in third party retail locations too.

Well, with Sprint now having a service to enlighten its customers, we shouldn't be surprised if all the other major US carriers will soon come up with something similar. They surely don't want Sprint to have something they don't, right?