Community Beat

[#1]

 You know I love learning more about the members in our community and this week was no exception!  I had the pleasure of sitting down with Malcolm,  a new Verizon employee who works with the FIOS TV product team. 

 Here is what he had to say:

Heather_VZ: Hi Malcolm- we are so happy to have you participating in the forums! First, how long have you been working with Verizon?

Malcolm.Stanley: I've been with Verizon almost 12 weeks now. I’ve been working in cable and broadcast for 20 years, and have worked for some great companies. Being at Verizon is a real thrill.

Heather_VZ: Welcome to the company! Tell me a bit more about what department you're with and what you're working on?

Malcolm.Stanley: I work with Verizon Joe and the FIOS TV product team. My role is to quarterback great product features and make sure the product features exceed the expectations of our customers.

Heather_VZ: That is such an exciting part of Verizon to work for right now. There is so much happening all the time! Give us a sneak peek - what cool things are on the horizon for FiOS TV?

Malcolm.Stanley: There is lots coming, but like all good product managers I have to keep you in a state of suspense for a little while longer…  

Heather_VZ: That is just cruel! We'll learn your secrets soon enough!  So tell me, how long have you been a Verizon customer?

Malcolm.Stanley: 3 years now.  When we moved to PA 3 years ago, living in a FiOS neighborhood was a must for us.

Heather_VZ: What Verizon services do you have now?

Malcolm.Stanley: We have the Triple Play option with voice/video/data pack. We moved from Canada and were stunned by how fast the internet speeds were. We picked the lowest one available, which was s till many times faster than what we had up north, and have been upgrading the speed ever since, to where we are now on 35 symmetrical… 

Heather_VZ: Amazing, isn't it? Tell me- what are your over-all thoughts about your Verizon services?

Malcolm.Stanley: I perform backups to the cloud and when I started doing that I discovered I needed a higher level of upload speed. I called Verizon and asked for an upgrade. It was December 26^th. I was monitoring the upload datarate in a window on my Mac. The call center representative took my request, I heard the tapping of keys, and the datarate line literally went vertical. It was a magic and gratifying moment to see that happen in real time.

We have lots of situations where people may want to use the tv to watch their own show, and lots of conflicts, which is natural when you have kids and everyone is busy, so the multi-screen DVR gets used a lot. Its also interesting, and I know I’m not the only person to say this, to watch our kids use TV in other places than our home. They have never known TV that could not be paused, and that is, when you think about it, a remarkable thing.

Heather_VZ: I know- it's staggering to think how technology has evolved! What boards do you frequent the most in our community?

Malcolm.Stanley: I don't stick to any one board- I'm always hopping around to see what interests me. I especially tend to look for conversations about how people use our products to create and consume video in novel ways. 

Heather_VZ: Why do you enjoy being part of the Verizon Community, or any online community for that matter?

Malcolm.Stanley: I’ve been communicating with people on bulletin boards since 1989, when I joined a BBS called the Powder Keg in Toronto. A few years later, I had my own BBS called Stained Glass, and remember setting up the usenet feed for it, before internet access was available and everything was via file transfer on dial up lines.

Being part of a community has changed over the years in that now we all use our own names and the small slice of people that used to  come visit has grown to where everyone now see this as a convenient and normal way of getting and sharing information. As a result we all learn more and have access to more and more people who can support us when we need help or advice. Sometimes people focus on less positive interactions, but I think this type of sharing brings out the best in people and I enjoy seeing that in our community most of all.

Heather_VZ: When you're not playing around online, what else do you like to do?

Malcolm.Stanley: I have an interest right now in do-it-yourself robotics and consider myself an amateur member of the maker community.   

Heather_VZ: Thanks so much for talking with me! It’s been a pleasure getting to know you!

[#2]

Have had NOTHING but frustration on multiple attempts to get any satisfaction for problems. Hours on hold listening to ROBOTS and dealing with agents who can do nothing but say they are sorry, and that they understand. I have been transferred to "the correct Dept., put on hold, and have the line go to dial tone one numerous occasions. Forget trying to get money back that they owe you. I'm convinced that Dept. doesnot exist. you'll have to be happy with a credit on your account even though it will take 5 or 6 billing cycles to recoup. I'd go to my Congress men but I'm sure Verizon owns them all. That's the only way things could be this bad!

You said it!!! Verizon is a JOKE. This website is a joke and their services are a joke. Everything they do is about roping you into new fees and frustrating the consumer to the point they stop trying to resolve a problem. This website is actually a way to divert customers from speaking with human beings and saves them money as well as provides an income stream via ads on the space. I don't care what the republicans say this uniquely American style of capitalism is an abomination. It may elevate the standard of living for the wealthy but is devastating to the average man's quality of life. Don't let them fool you. Capitalism and Freedom DO exist in plenty of industrialized countries without this ridiculous prophet @ all cost, @ the expense of the consumer!!!! GO BACK TO BROADCAST!!!! Real "competition would allow all of us true choice and a market place that would make that possible!! VERIZON is the WORST! If it didn't cost me $138+ to leave now, I would be done.... forever, FIoS or not. I tell everyone I get the opportunity to, my multiple nightmares dealing with this company. Others who have had experience with VZ, almost always agree. Verizon is a horrible company who puts all of there "Customer Service" resources into making it seem as if they actually care about satisfying the customer but actually only exists to make it easier for them to get into your pockets.

[#3]

I must say that Malcolm has been a welcome addition to the technical forums lately. He's a breath of fresh air.