Terrible Customer Service - Letter Sent to VP
KathleenDWarner
Enthusiast - Level 3

Thanks to the community for giving me info. Here's the full text of the letter I sent. Will update when I hear back and response.

Ms. Berberich:

I write now, as an almost 20 year Verizon customer, to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the rapidly deteriorating and incompetent Verizon customer service over the past few months.  Since early this year, I've spent the equivalent of a least a day of my life on the phone with Verizon customer service reps, having to call back multiple times to resolve problems that had they been educated and competent and actually done what they promised me to do, would have been resolved in under a few hours.

By way of example, just yesterday, August 31, I received my bill  with charges of over $650. After talking with the Verizon customer service rep, turned out that because of a glitch in your system, Verizon had charged me the $450 difference between the discounted price of an IPhone5 versus the full price, because, according to their records, I had never accepted the terms and conditions when I purchased the phone on or around June 14, 2012. Note that the phone was the second phone I had received from Verizon in June, the first being defective and not receiving signals.

With respect to the phone for which I was now being charged full price, I was quite frustrated to see this charge, because, as I explained to the rep yesterday,  when I purchased the phone over TWO MONTHS ago,  I had spent hours on the phone with a Verizon rep at that time because of the difficulties in accepting said terms and conditions - which, as I am sure you aware,  caused me to not be able to activate and use the phone. After spending time to figure out the technology glitch, I was finally able (with the rep on the phone) to accept the T&Cs and since mid-June 2013 have been using the phone. 

Now, as the rep yesterday explained, almost 2.5 months later, Verizon's systems apparently and incorrectly flagged me as NOT accepting the terms and conditions.  After way too much time on a holiday weekend, and much frustration on my end, the rep was able to reverse the incorrect charge (or so she told me she was doing, immediately).  I then spent another 20 or so minutes while she checked with a supervisor regarding how to provide me with some small apology token, which ended up being 10% of two months bills. As I said to her, it is not a matter of the money but rather, the acknowledgement from Verizon of the aggravation and loss of time I have experienced due to a mistake made on the company's part. The rep yesterday was very pleasant, but friendliness does not substitute for actual helpfulness, competency and expertise. Apparently, she was none of the latter.

Imagine my frustration when I received an updated bill today with only a $40 credit rather than the ~$500 I was expecting (450 phone, plus ~30 in taxes on device, plus discount). I actually have no idea what that $40 represents, since it's not 10% of my bill.


This was really adding insult to injury - on top of having been on the phone for way too much time yesterday, back in late June/early July, I spent HOURS on the phone with multiple representatives while they walked me thru generally erroneous "solutions" to the fact that my phone was registering excessively high data usage, even when I was in a wifi area only. One of your reps actually said "just read the manual" and sent me an electronic copy.

One resourceful and thoughtful rep (I'm sorry I didn't get his name to share with you) finally had me wipe the entire phone and reload all of the software etc. That solved the problem until last week, when I again experienced excessive data usage, despite, being in my home where I use only wifi. The rep who I spoke with (again, I didn't take her name, much to my regret) was very lovely and nice, and when she couldn't figure out the problem, promised me she or a tech person would call me back within 24 hours. She even provided me with a text number to reach her, should I not hear.

I didn't hear back from her, or anyone else. I texted - twice - without response or a phone call. So instead of a solution to my problem, I was forced to turn off the cellular data function, not wanting to expend more energy talking with yet another Verizon representative, who is cloyingly cheerful, but not helpful.


Major customer service fail.  I await your response.

Kathleen >Personal info deleted<

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Re: Terrible Customer Service - Letter Sent to VP
budone
Legend

In reading your letter, I see you had a device replaced. Was it swapped at the store? If so what is the address of the store?

Was the device sent back via packaging sent with the replacement phone?

I wonder if the charge is for the replaced phone that never made it back to VZW.

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Re: Terrible Customer Service - Letter Sent to VP
KathleenDWarner
Enthusiast - Level 3

All done online - because I purchased the first phone over the phone, they wouldn't let me exchange in a store unless it was a verizon owned store as opposed to a franchse, which is what is all around me (another ridiculous source of frustration). Have all documentation, including the receipt re the replaced device being received by Verizon.

That's originally what I thought the problem was, and where we spent the first 45 min of the convo - but the rep explained noooo, they had all the doc, saw the first phone returned and logged in - it was the system showed that i hadn't accepted T&Cs so "they had to charge me full price" but then acknowedged it was an error.

Utter ** as I outlined in my letter, particularly given the time spent at the time of purchase working thru the T&C issue - they wouldn't activate the phone until i accepted!

Re: Terrible Customer Service - Letter Sent to VP
KathleenDWarner
Enthusiast - Level 3

>Post deleted for attempting to avoid the inline profanity filter., which is a violation of the VZW ToS<

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator><

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Re: Terrible Customer Service - Letter Sent to VP
KathleenDWarner
Enthusiast - Level 3

>Post deleted for attempting to avoid the inline profanity filter., which is a violation of the VZW ToS<

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator><

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Re: Terrible Customer Service - Letter Sent to VP
budone
Legend

Alright. That's what hit me. Glad to see the phone make it back.

Re: Terrible Customer Service - Letter Sent to VP
KathleenDWarner
Enthusiast - Level 3

>>Post removed for discussion of moderation.  Please send a Direct Message to moderator or admin_moderator   if you have concerns about moderation.  Any further violations of the will result in this thread being locked to further replies.<<

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

Re: Terrible Customer Service - Letter Sent to VP
KathleenDWarner
Enthusiast - Level 3

I don't understand - I asked for an explanation and my post was deleted without specific information about how to contact the moderator. Please advise

Kathleen

<< Signature information removed to comply with >>

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

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Re: Terrible Customer Service - Letter Sent to VP
TTesmer
Enthusiast - Level 1

I agree.  The current customer support offering is miserable.  When I call I get put to a digital assistance and when I go to the website I get a digital chat assistant.  No help whatsoever with my issue.

Have been with Verizon for many years and most of my employees are using Verizon, but I researching other carriers who offer customer service. 

Verizon has become most disappointing.

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Re: Terrible Customer Service - Letter Sent to VP
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

We would be more than happy to help you right here. We also have numerous ways to reach a live agent, found here: https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/contact-us/ . How can we assist you?

 

EllisandraC_VZW

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