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Old 04-22-2003, 06:06 PM   #1 (permalink)
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rubicon's Avatar
 
Location: Redondo Beach, CA
Customer service nightmare with Verizon voice and DSL

I recently moved and had to switch from SBC to Verizon. The transition was less than smooth. Verizon mucked up about everything from voice to DSL although not all of it their fault. Unfortunately they didn't try to help things along.

Here's a copy of a letter I sent to them, via their Media Relations department because the main switchboard operator didn't know who to connect me with in Customer Service.

I tried to avoid sarcasm as much as possible so there's some rough humor thrown in there instead.

------

(snip)
April 21, 2003

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter to inform you that your telephone and DSL installation service is the worst I have ever encountered. I would rather have my teeth pulled without anesthesia than go through this again. Let me explain why Verizon has provided me with abysmal service.

I recently moved from West Hollywood to Redondo Beach, California. Upon calling SBC (formerly Pacific Bell) to transfer my phone service I was informed that Redondo was not their market – I would have to deal with Verizon.

On March 25th, 2003 I called Verizon to schedule installation of two telephone lines at my new residence. The phone rep was pleasant and courteous – I ordered two phone lines and one DSL circuit. (Aside: I was disappointed that Verizon’s DSL service was more expensive than SBC for similar up/downstream bandwidth.) The voice lines were to be active on April 3rd and DSL active on April 10th. The DSL date was especially important because I needed to resume working from home and the bandwidth was required for my computer programming projects.

A couple of days later I received a single phone message from Verizon saying the existing tenant did not terminate their phone service and the Verizon install could not continue without that termination. I had my wife contact the tenant who promptly cancelled her voice line. I called Verizon to reconfirm the install date and was told all was well.

April 10th was my move-in date and I had no idea if phone service was active yet although I would soon find out. That morning, the day DSL was to go active, I received a cryptic email message from Verizon stating they could not enable DSL service – no specific reason was given. I called customer service and was told the existing tenant did not disconnect their service, thus Verizon was unable to install DSL. I explained the tenant did notify Verizon to disconnect the line however the phone rep discovered the tenant forgot to disconnect a second line that was in a different name. At no time did Verizon provide any pre-emptive phone calls to alert me to this additional problem.

I was further informed by the phone rep that none of my voice lines were active. She terminated the tenant’s second line for me (interesting how the old tenant wasn’t required to do it herself anymore) and arranged to have them on-line the following day or two – and fortunately they were. The rep also mentioned the DSL would be delayed 5-10 days, well past when I needed it. I spoke with a manager to try and push up the install date but to no avail. By the way, my neighbors got their DSL installed in three days – what’s that about?

Without DSL I needed to use temporary dial-up. I discovered that Verizon does not offer complimentary dial-up access so I had to subscribe elsewhere for one month of dial-up and purchase a dial-up modem. I was not happy about this added expense which has cost me $80. (Incidentally, SBC provides complimentary dial-up.)

Some time around April 14th I received a voice message from Verizon asking me to call customer service. The phone rep informed me their computer system assigned incorrect phone numbers on my voice lines and they would need to be reissued. You could only image how displeased I was but fortunately I had not announced my new phone numbers to my personal and business contacts. I asked to speak to a manager, seeking a reason why Verizon continued to fumble my install.

The manager I spoke with was friendly but said I was stuck with the situation – like it or not. I told her that SBC provided me with flawless service and she said it was simply my misfortune with Verizon because plenty of Verizon customers get great service and many SBC customers get poor service. Can you believe this story??? She further explained your computer system regularly issues already in-service numbers and incorrect regions. (Aside: get with it Verizon – I program databases for a living and I can’t believe your system would have these problems – spend a little money and get it fixed.) I asked if I could get four consecutive numbers for my new phone lines. She said she would contact the appropriate department the following morning and call me on my cell phone by 9:00 AM with the new numbers.

Next day, 9:00 AM came and went. The afternoon grew into dusk with no phone call. You call this customer service - from a manager no less? I picked up the phone and called the customer “no-service” department yet again. I was really, really unhappy but the nice woman on the phone sympathized and got me the four consecutive numbers I asked for. She also issued me a $25 credit for Verizon missing the original install date. She said the DSL was slated for install on April 22nd but she could do nothing to bump it up.

My self-install DSL kit arrived a couple of days ago. All the parts were in the box and I decided to plug it in tonight, April 21st, to see if the DSL circuit was active yet. To my chagrin, Verizon has fumbled yet again – the DSL modem is as dead as a door nail. I suspect the power supply or the modem is defective because the unit does not power up.

I’ve been in the computer field for over 10 years. I have designed and implemented wide-area networks using T1, DS3, and wireless circuits. I have built file server networks servicing thousands of users. I have programmed databases and developed dynamic web sites. You can’t fool me - I know you can rush a DSL install – so why does your customer service department tell me it’s not possible? How can a company of your magnitude use computer systems that issue incorrect phone numbers? Why does your installation department not notify new customers when their order can’t be fulfilled because the old tenant still has service? To boot, you send out defective DSL equipment. You’re a technology company but I’ve yet to see how it’s improving how you do business. Did I mention the customer service is atrocious?

I’m most disappointed that Verizon has done nothing to make me, YOUR CUSTOMER, feel better about doing business with you. NOTHING HAS GONE RIGHT with my install and Verizon made little effort to rush things or give me any more than a $25 credit and a “sorry, you lose” story. I’ve asked if I could be compensated in some fashion and was told that nothing further could be done beyond the $25 credit. Verizon makes Ebenezer Scrooge look like a philanthropist.

Perhaps I need to pay additional money to get better customer service? Tell me who to write the check to. I am astonished that I have no choice in local phone service, even though the market has been opened to competition. Perhaps there is some new, small, unknown carrier with service in my area but I know they would simply lease the lines from you, and thus, I’m still stuck dealing with your service. I would pay handsomely to get SBC in my area. That’s how disappointed and disgusted I am with Verizon.

Incidentally, I was told by one of the Verizon phone reps that the incumbent carriers have an informal agreement not to encroach on each other’s territory. Isn’t this against the law, anti-competitive, and monopolistic? I shudder to think what you’re all up to.

So here I sit with a non-functional DSL modem – beyond frustration and moving into exasperation. When I call customer no-service tomorrow morning I can only imagine the rhetoric I’ll get about why a replacement won’t reach me until Monday of next week instead of overnight delivery.

I’m over the barrel and I don’t like it. I have wasted more time trying to get my phone service working than is reasonable. At this point I’m unsure how Verizon could get back into my good graces. Perhaps six months of free DSL and phone service? Twelve months? Make me an offer and get the job done so I can get on with my life.

I’m interested to hear what you have to say about my experience and how Verizon has dealt with handling the customer service related to my account. Before you formulate a response consider this scenario:

You, dear reader responsible for dealing with my nasty letter, have a problem with your office computer – you need to print out a very important document by the end of the day. Your computer keeps freezing up and the printer keeps jamming. You call the Help Desk and the support rep tells you this: “I’m very sorry but our standard response time is 24 hours and there is nothing I can do to help you sooner. I’m sorry that your computer and the printer are down even though it’s our responsibility to have them running. As for your missed deadline and lost productivity, there is nothing I can do but offer you a jelly donut when our technician visits you in the next day or two. And, no, there is no one else here that can help you – we have a contract with IBM to provide Help Desk services and you’ll have to find your own computer support, at your expense, if you’re not satisfied with our service.”

Would YOU be pleased with that sort of customer service?

One last thought. At the end of every customer service call with SBC they ask something like “did we provide you with excellent customer service today?”

I don’t recall Verizon asking that question.

Now I know why.

Yours Truly,
(snip)
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Old 04-22-2003, 06:18 PM   #2 (permalink)
Psycho
 
Contact the BBB is one solution. Any chance in California they have an independent agency responsible for regulating California's broadcasting and telecommunications systems.

In Canada, we have the CRTC, once you file a complaint with them, you can expect to hear an apologize and freebies from the company that you have filed a complaint against.
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Old 04-22-2003, 06:18 PM   #3 (permalink)
MSD
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I love the jelly donut part. I've heard horror stories before, but never about Verizon. I guess they're not as good as I thought.
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Old 04-22-2003, 06:28 PM   #4 (permalink)
Tilted
 
ouch ... The BBB is your best option. At least you're in a more forward thinking state that would be more likely to protect its consumers. I just stay away from giant companies 'cause I've been farked over so many times by entities like BellSouth, Charter Communications or Atlanta Gas Light.

I happily use a small company from Florida called SnappyDSL for my ISP and I've had great service from them. Of course I had great service from my last ISP (DirectDSL) before they went the way of the dodo, man that was a sad day ...

Good luck, rubicon, enjoy the beach!
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Old 04-22-2003, 06:57 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Location: Plugged In
LIke HeyAgain mentioned, you need to CC this to California's equivalent to Oklahoma's Corporation Commission. (i.e. the state dept. that kicks phone companies in the ass when needed).

Also let Verizon know that you've filed the complaint.
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