Second Sprint
A helpful and knowledgeable colleague with extensive cell phone experience volunteered to take my phone to another Sprint Store while I was engaged in a client meeting. Like the Winged Mercury he was off to the Sprint Store in Vernon Hills, where the guys were cool and helpful. I also suspect he had developed some sort of friendship with them and that never hurts customer service.
Attitude
It seems hard to complain about the Vernon Hills store, at least from the distance of having a fleet-footed intermediary. They tried various things, like swapping batteries, a different charger and so forth. Swapping hardware is often the only means you have for determining a failing component or one that is incompatible with others.
The “Fix”
Mercury reported back that despite the most valiant efforts of all the other gods, my cell phone remained deceased and lifeless. Of course, for $75 the Store Guys would work on it some more.
I asked to simply have my phone returned in its present condition.
In the final analysis, no matter how well-meaning service personnel are, they are bound by the corporate cocks who set policy and, incidentally, hire and fire the serfs and other workers at the end of the food chain. Can't blame the service guys for having a self-preserving attitude.
Corporate fucking one now complete, we move on to the next phase of my concubinial servitude.