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Verizon Wireless did not exist back in 1984. Neither did Verizon as an actual company, though the individual components that eventually combined to form modern day Verizon did.
The breakup of the Bell System produced both good and bad results. Post divestiture, features were made available to landlines quicker than before, and, customers were no longer required to rent their telephones.
Telephone service pricing flipped. Pre-divestiture...local dial tone was inexpensive while toll and long distance calls incurred charges. Today, dial tone is expensive while standard domestic calls are not billed.
Insofar as not caring for the customer is concerned, user experience would seem to suggest that the concept of customer service, as a whole, has slipped down a few pegs as of late. Part of that could be from the position of if someone doesn't like the service, they can leave and go with someone else. Another person will come along to fill the gap sooner or later.
