Verizon Customer Service is a joke

We got a form letter in the mail from Verizon Online today.

We are sorry to have lost you as one of our valued Verizon online DSL customers and we want you to know there has never been a better time to reconnect...

What???  I have been a Verizon DSL customer since the first DSL hub was available in my neighborhood!  I didn't cancel!  So, I call the "Better hurry and call" phone number on the letter. 

After about 10 minutes of waiting, the person informs me that 'a bunch of those letters were sent to the wrong customers.'  So, being the "long time customer", I asked them to match a recent High Speed Cable offer I received in the mail.  She couldn't help me.  She was only Technical Support.  However, let me transfer you to our Billing and Sales Department.

I get transferred and hear this:  'Thank you for calling Verizon Online.  Our department is closed.  Please call back during business hours...click.' 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!  They didn't even tell me when the business hours were!

Now I'm on a mission to get a much better rate deal or maybe I'll just switch services to their competitors...

What a joke.

_____
tags: verizon | customer service

Comments

[Christopher Bailey]

Dude, first Comcast, now Verizon. It's just a bad customer service week all around for you. You know, someone in the media delivery industry is going to get this right one of these days and eat these companies for lunch. Not having experience in this industry, is it truly that hard to display even an adequate level of customer service?

[K. Todd Storch]

Yeah, it hasn't been very good this week...

I really think it has to do with the size of these companies and the growth they are experiencing. The COO and ops people need to get out of the office and perform functions that their customer's experience each day.

For example, they should make phone calls to their customer service departments and walk through step by step just like we have to.

I think they would be suprised how difficult it is to ask simple questions and get answers to very common questions.

There is tons of competition out there for data and cell service!

Todd

[Andreas]

Now that is what I call bad customer service. But hey -take it positive: At least we bloggers have something to blog about!!

[Rosa]

Oh my goodness Todd, I could go on and on with the bad service stories I have with Verizon. And I feel so stuck with them for they are the only option where I live (part of the price of paradise as they say...) I think you've nailed it about their size being too big for any intimacy with the customer at all, however I also think they have no vision: frankly, I'm not sure what they stand for at all.

[K. Todd Storch]

I think these companies need to realize that the landscape has changes. One customer can make a difference...ie. Kryptonite locks...

Have you looked into Voice over IP phone service (VoIP)?

Todd

[K. Todd Storch]

Andreas,

Excellent point! Thank you for always showing the Wow! in things!

Todd

[Stephanie L]

Well here's my opinion... The incredibly horrific, pathetic excuse these people consider "customer service" is assinine! I called 2 months ago to start up an account with them for DSL and Cable... I gave the rep all my info and then she explained that they only do satalite... I live in an apartment so that wouldn't probubly not work, so I explained that I would have to hold off on everything to get an okay with my landlord if that was okay... personally I don't like satalites so I wasn't very stoked about this idea of it anyway. Well sure enough we decided we didn't want it so I called back and explained that I appreciated the help from the rep but that I would not be getting any service with them period... she replied that it was okay and thanked me for taking them into consideration.
Sure enough the modem and what not arrived from UPS and my boyfriend signed for it and set it down since it was addressed to me, to my surprise it was from Verizon! Not more than a day or two later I recieve a bill... what for right... I told them I didn't want anything so I like many many others calls the number to contact for issues and I'm thrown into the wait... but it didn't say how long... so I timed it, 48 mins... I had to hang up I have a cell phone only and it's not free. So my boyfriend and I continued about 30-35 more calls to get a hold of someone. After bitching our way through... FINALLY someone "helped" me, although she was incredibly rude and inconsiderate, none the less she said she was crediting me the amount of $42.17 and that I wouldn't recieve anything else from that company.
What is this? 10/15 at 3:00 I recieve another bill! I see the credit for 42.17 but now I have online payment for 61.38 so I called and spoke to another ignorant rep that I had to scream my way into a supervisor named Lee Waters... who said he would make sure that this account is canceld and make sure billing gets the memo that I am not responsible for that amount.
So... on 10/20 I recieve a collection notice for $61.38 (the stupidity of THIS company is a whole nother story). I called at 5:00 central time to find out that they were closed, how convenient that they are only open while I am making the money that they are trying to take. I '0'ed my way into Tech support to deal with a man named Al, employee number 2003287 (who said he was not allowed to give out him last name), we butted heads for quite some time while he tried to transfer me to billing, I explained that billing was closed at 5... his response, "oh yeah, you're right" of course I am I've been trying to tell your whole fucking company that! So I explained that he needed to right down in the notes attached to "my" account that if I ever heard anything from their company again that they would hear from my lawyer.
So we called at around 1:00 on 10/19 to see if in fact it was being taken care of... "What notes they said, I don't see any recollection of you ever calling to cancel this account" the lack of communication is unexceptable. So now I'm talking to the supervisor, named Selton (who couldn't give out her last name or her employee number, keep track of this, it makes a point) but her extention was x6050 in the Nothbrook, Virginia office for DSL billing. She was somewhat decent when it came to being a supervisor but I would expect her attitude from someone a lot lower, like in the mailroom or the truck drivers. So we explain the situation for the 100th time and she tells my bf that would but him on hold and call collections and explain that we don't owe anything (needless to say when I called collections the next day, they had no phone call that ever existed from her). She said it was taken care of but that she no longer could discuss it with him because I was the primary holder of this account... an account that I don't have... so I get on very annoyed by everything of course, and she explained that they have my e-mail address so that means I asked for an account... what the hell does that have anything to do with this? Yeah like I stated before, I was interested until I was told that the co. only has satalite, then explained to hold off on EVERYTHING! Then she said "someone signed for the package that we sent you so you have an account here" First off, my bf who is NOT on the account signed for it... what does that tell you, anyone could have signed. Second what was he going to do open it in front of the UPS guy and send him packing with it? Now she wants me to send it back... with MY money, nope not going to happen, she tells me it will take 10 days to get a packing sticker from them until then "I have an account" Grrr! I leave to go back to work and my bf gets back on the phone to settle everything, "so we are no longer in the middle of this correct, you understand that we DO NOT owe any money to anyone?!" he asks... Her reply... and of course..."you must pay the collections the $61.83 and within 2 billing cycles (2 months) I would recieve a credit of that amount" how does this work? I pay money that I don't owe? Grrr again!
Luckily today the 20th, I got off work early so to deal with these morans some more. TWICE I'm on hold with a James Johnson (oh he gave me a last name) and a Mr Biggs (another last name) waiting for Selton x6050 and somehow I just got dropped... wow isn't that convenient... Customer service is deffietly this company's number one priority! So I call and wait on hold for about 17 mins and get a hold of this girl named Nichole Harris (what's this her last name you say) from DSL Billings in Northbrook Virginia, she is amazing (Selton is her sup.) I explain the situation and she is sooo nice! She explains the entire situation of what is going to happen which is that online went through the land line to get the amount owed, land line went to collections, online has now released "my" owe amount from "my" account and the credit will be issued to the collections from the land line so that everyone is squared. She also informs me that it would only take their company to finish the credit one billing cycle for them to go through each subsection of the company and that I am NOT to pay anything to the collections that it will balance it'self out with the credit. Wait didn't the supervisor tell me I HAD to pay collections and that they would credit me?! I explained to Nichole that she had been the only considerate, attentive, understanding, most productive person that I had delt with since 2 months ago. I thanked her up and down and explained that Selton needed to be released from her position and for her to take over, she knew more and corrected what her sup had previously told me and was just outstanding! Meanwhile she connected me to their collections in Westfield, Indiana with a just as equally helpful woman named Shannon. She verified that the credit was issued and that I was not going to deal with that company ever again and that in fact I would recieve a letter of completion of the affair and that there was absolutly no charge to me what so ever and apologized for the on going incovenience.
I am totally surprised that there is someone willing to help someone who never had an account with them in the first place since NOBODY would help me in the first place. Anyone who deals with customers over the phone is a direct mimic of the training given to them by superiors and a representation of that company, which I am disgusted with and would not recomend to anyone ever.
My personal opinion is that Nichole Harris of DSL billing in Northbrook, Virginia and Shannon of Westfield, Indian sound be praised by superiors for the job well done on actually following through with helping and verifying completion of an issues needed to be taken care of. My gratitude goes out to these two and I am thankful!

[Charles Vamossy]

Avoid Verizon on Thursdays and Fridays

Here is a word to the wise: avoid placing any orders for services with Verizon late in the week. They close every night at 6PM sharp and they are not open on weekends and holidays. The changes and features you ordered during the day are implemented at night and if there is anything wrong with the implementation, there is absolutely nobody you can talk about it for two or even three days. Repair CSR refuse to accept any complaints and Verizon Business Office hangs up on you without taking messages. E-mailing is useless, too, since no one looks at it before they open for business.

You are better off placing your order early in the week, so you may catch the errors in time for someone to complain to.

It is simply amazing to me that a giant corporation like Verizon is unable to find customer service representatives to work on weekends and holidays, when even the smallest common grocery stores or furniture outlets manage it quite well. Perhaps the difference is that they are interested in sales and customer satisfaction, while Verizon is not.

[Bill]

Come on, customer service in Corporate America in 2005?!?!? Verizon truely reaches for the poorest rating. I had fiber optic installed whereas Verizon tore up my yard, installed equipment only to leave me without phone or computer for several days. Their customer phone system sucks- 20 minutes on hold only to end up with a rude, could care less employee who then put me back on hold. What a BAD Joke!! And to think I pay for this "service" monthly.

[George]

I am very disappointed with Verizon Online. The installation did not go well at all. I called Verizon Online and they told me that there was an outside telephone line problem. They told me they will have someone come Friday after Thanksgiving. I called a few times to confirm the appointment. One says they won't come Friday, because of the Thanksgiving holiday and the other said that they will come. The other person said they were misinformed. Therefore, I felt very confused and I decided to cancel it. If they do not know how to be prepared before, then why go through this aggravation? Verizon Online is a very stupid service.

[verizon dude]

wow - you guys all suck

[Sara]

I work for verizon and hell no we aren't working past 6pm. We run the show and Im sick and tired of all you idiots calling us that don't even know how to operate a phone or a computer. And by the way we get paid a lot of money to piss you off. Happy Holidays!

[Debbie]

My experience with Verizon has been absolutely horrible. I am going to go with another company for my wireless phone, but need a land line for faxing and also need internet access. There has to be an alternative to using Verizon for phone and for DSL service. I am certain that a company will soon come in to offer better service, but in the meantime what are the options? Anyone?

[dave]

help stop verizarape

http://verizarape.com

[jimexfly]

sigh

over a month of all of the above

[antiverizon]

I have had worst experience with verizon customer service. The people over there don't know what they are doing. Because of the stupid customer service rep's suggestion, now I am stuck with my old phone even though I am due for upgrade. I can't upgrade the phone, and I can't cancel the service. Their online program sucks. Because of "my account" online, my account with verizon is really screwed, and no one is taking care off the problem. Just got a simple "sorry" from them, but didn't get offer to fix the issue. The rep named "Lisa" was the worst. She won't let me talk to the supervisor or transfer my call to anyone who understands better. She put me on hold for 55min and ran away. I am switching to cingular. After 6 years being their customer, this is what I get. I am totally done with it.

[sup]

Hehe - don't worry - our techs' complaints about asshole customers who call for the dumbest shit is far more humorous than all your pathetic rantings. What do you mean Verizon stops spamming? What, you wont support my net work of 100 computers running off one static IP ? An why is it so slow?
Come on people - free doesn't mean we'll fix every computer problem you come up with.

[Charles Sonneborn]

I signed on for Verizon highspeed FIOS a year ago when employed and sending lots of data over the internet. Now my job has been cancelled and I don't need FIOS at $40/month. Verizon says, even after the year-long contract has passed, it will not let me revert to DSL although many in my Maryland neighborhood have it. What gives?