My Experience Today

[CheabNorton]

I would like to start out by stating that before today I have been treated well by most representatives from Verizon Wireless.  But after today's experience, I can honestly say I have never been treated with more disrespect or dealt with someone who was so ignorant and with so much arrogance.  I have spoken to many costumer service representatives as well as store employees over the last month, and none of those experiences even came close to the way I was treated today

Today, I cut my day short so I could go to my local Verizon store to upgrade my mobile device.  Over the last month or so I have spoken to many Verizon representatives regarding my upgrade status, along with my current "unlimited data" plan.  I was informed by all of those associates that it was possible to upgrade my device and still keep my plan I currently have without any changes at all.  I was informed that if any problems were to arise at the store, I should refer them to the comments on my account and ask to speak to the manager and they could and would take care of me.   

I have two lines on my account, one is mine, the other is my mothers.  She is more than happy with her phone and said she "never wants to upgrade to a new device as long as she lives".  All of the representatives I have spoken to over the last month or so have informed me that it was possible to use her upgrade for myself and keep my plan.  I even called customer service again on my way to the store this evening to make sure this was the case.  The representative I spoke to, Joyce, said she was not sure I could do this, but she didn't think I could. 

When I arrived at my local Verizon Wireless dealer, 163 E Bridge Street, Homestead Pennsylvania, they asked me why I was in and I informed them I was going to use one of the upgrades on my account to get a new device for myself so I could continue to keep the same plan I am currently on.  The gentleman I spoke to told me this was not possible, and he was sorry I was misinformed by the other 4 or 5 Verizon representatives I had spoken to recently.  I then asked for the manager, as customer service had informed me to do, so I could get this matter resolved and walk away with my new device. 

When the manager approached me, I could tell this was not going to be a fun conversation.  He had an agitated look on his face, and the first thing he said to me was, "We are not allowed to do this for you.  If customer service said they would take care of you, I suggest you call them and have them help you."  To my surprise, at that very moment, the customer service representative who I had spoken to on my way to the store a few minutes earlier called me back.  She told me that she did some research and the store was able to do this upgrade for me.  She informed me how it was going to be done, and I put her on with the manager of the Homestead store, who claimed his name was Mark (which I was unable to verify because he was the only employee in the building without a name tag on). 

I game my phone to Mark and he spoke to Joyce for a few minutes and very angrily handed the phone to me and waked away.  I said hello again to Joyce, and she immediately told me that Mark was able to help me, but refused to.  She told me to get his name and the store location number so she could report him to her supervisors.  She also informed me that the police of Verizon Wireless is to help its customers and treat them with respect, and she was sorry I was being treated in this manor.  I hung up with Joyce and asked the manager for his name, which again, he said was Mark.  I wrote it down and asked for the store location number from him, but he gave me a dirty look and walked away.  A minute later he came back and asked why I wanted his information, to which I replied, "Joyce from customer service told me to get the information because you are fully capable of helping me, but you refuse to."  Mark then looked at me and said, "I am not able to hlep you.  If you don't mind leaving the store, we are closing."

I called back to customer service as soon as I left and spoke to a very polite young lady.  She took his and the stores information off of me and apologized for the way I was treated.  She said that he had no business treating me in that manor, and he was fully capable of taking care of me so I could have left with my new device today. 

Mark talked down to me.  He treated me as if i were beneath him, and as if he were better than me.  I have worked in a retail setting for many years, an not even irate, angry customers have ever treated me the way Mark did this evening.  I left without my new device, and I am now questioning whether I want to continue to use Verizon Wireless as my wireless provider.  I was told that Verizon trains all of its employees the same and gives them the tools to provide assistance to all of its customers, but I am not seeing that from my experiences.  Every representative I have spoken to, including Mark this evening, has given me different information and different answers for the same question I have repeatedly asked. 

Is this the kind of service I expect when I pay my hard earned money on phones and monthly service?  I expect to be treated a little better, I can promise you that.  I really do not feel like I should have to feel beaten and battered after walking out of a  Verizon wireless location.  I have never been talked to or treated by anyone, the way I was this evening.  At this time, I feel like the matter was not resolved in the least.  Again, I am questioning my continued service with Verizon Wireless, and I suggest that if this is the manor in which they treat their customers, everyone else should do the same. 

[Ann154]

You should have been able to use your mother's upgrade on her line to get a new phone and not affect your line's features.

The address of the store is associated with a corporate store. That is sad that it sounds like they were rude and misinformed.