Share Your Ideas with Verizon

[#1]

Not a day goes by that I don't curse your DVR and Guide software for one reason or another.  I tried to make a list to give you but I just got angrier with every new entry and had to quit and go take my blood pressure medicine.  I can't believe that you don't care about your customers so I will give you the benefit of the doubt and believe that you just don't know any better.  Either case is very sad; no it's extremely aggravating to a paying customer.  Just to put your mind at ease, rest assured that I'm not talking about adding space-age features (yet).  My frustration and disappointment with your product is painfully  basic. 

For starters, it would be nice if the existing features worked as documented.  Many do not.  For instance, although my Series Recording Default is set to add new series to the top of the list, it only does so about half the time, putting it at the bottom the rest of the time.  Then there is the constant annoyance of having three levels of program information, each with more and/or different bits of information.  One with ALL the information would suffice nicely, thank you.  And lest we overlook that if you want that information about a program on the DVR Schedule to Record list, you can only get the Guide's first level and sometimes not even all of that!  Come on people, this is not rocket science (thankfully for the space program).  Don't you have any product developers with any common sense?

I will give you the benefit of the doubt (until I learn otherwise) and blame the content providers for some annoyances like program start and end times not synchronized with the system clock and erroneous program descriptions that force me to record all episodes because I can't trust the guide to tell me if I've seen this one.  If it were my product, though, I'd be putting some serious thinking power against those extremely annoying issues.  

Is there any forum where I can go to talk with product development people and open their eyes to just how terrible their software is?  I would be happy to compile an exhaustive list if I believed anyone would seriously respond to it.  Otherwise, I will have to remain an annoyed customer overpaying for an inadequate product and advising everyone I can to avoid buying it.

Tony Petri

[#2]

I recommend you make the list.  I feel many of your concerns and frustrations.  I, for one, am working hard to get Vz to see it differently and make the much needed changes. 

[#3]

VZ, take a look at what Tivo has done and just copy it.  Then you are done.

[#4]

yeah, take a look at what Tivo has done and just copy it.  Then you are done.

[#5]

I just sent my Tivo Premier back to Texas before the 30 day trial was over. The HD guide would not work if you try to use parental controls. It says you must switch the box to SD Guide mode. Come on Tivo. I had been a big fan. But Verizons newer software img 1.9 should add some major improvements. We should only hope they can get some good guide data so when I have New and HD in a series manager, it would actually record what I ask for. That has been the biggest complaint. But I don't think Verizon is going to start using a guide provided by Tribune Media. So I guess we are stuck. I sugested they partner with Tivo and cut development costs, and the idea was given NOT LIKELY. I guess because off all the lawyers that must stay in practice.

I sent the new Tivo back, kept my old TIVO HD, and have a Verizon HMDVR bundle with all HD boxes. Waiting for the latest Verizon DVR and 1.9. I am sure Verizon will let us use a HD guide with parental controls, and the data layout will be much better than before.

But you still get my votes because I agree.

[#6]

This is the forum where you can talk to Product Managers. I am the exec that runs FiOS TV.

By definition software can always be improved.  There is no such thing as bug free software. You name the software... and I'll tell you its warts... even from the likes of Apple, Google, Tivo, Adobe, Microsoft....That's why we do 2 software updates a year.

IMG 1.9 delivers many improvements, especially to the DVR. You can set whatever guide data view you want to come up when you press info... The features in 1.9 came directly from customers...

Specific suggestions are way more productive in moving things forward.

[#7]

Look at Microsoft and update Tuesdays.

At least the STB is twice a year only. I am sure the backend gets it more often. The STB and DVR being the front end. That is why widgets and other items can change without updates to software in the customer hardware. So Verizon does spend alot of time on software changes and improvements behind the scenes. So my vote is only because like Joe said, "software can always be improved". I always curse software because nothing is perfect or 100% the way you want it.

[#8]

Joe:

Thank you for reading and responding to my message.

Although I agree that all software has flaws, most of the software bugs we deal with are highly technical and often the result of using high level functions in an unusual way.  Many of Verizon's basic functions just don't work as documented.   While I appreciate your attention to updating the product, I also point your attention to many of the posts herein that have been citing the same issues for years! Here's an example of customers from over TWO YEARS AGO complaining about GUIDE issues that are still outstanding:

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/FiOS-TV-Technical-Assistance/Guide-Feedback/m-p/341/highlight/true#M177

This raises the question: How does Verizon prioritize and apply customer input/feedback to drive decisions on fixes, features and functions of it products?  From the comments I have read, this community could put together a prioritize hit list for you in very little time.  And being customer-driven it would have the most impact on customer satisfaction with your product. For what it's worth, I would love to participate on a Customer Advisory Board and cannot understand why any company would not welcome serious help from members of its customer base dedicated to improving their product. 

Comments?

Thank you,

Tony Petri

　

[#9]

In the new IMG 1.9 did you get rid of FYI Television? Their guide info is horrible. Their guide lists shows as new when they are not, remake movies listed as original movies, most plot summaries are inaccurate, and majority have the wrong listings completely. Why am I watching Star Wars Episode II: The Clones Wars on SPIKE, but the guide says The Bronx Tale? The guide is useless.

[#10]

TO Joe_Ambeault

I just returned to the forum to see if perchance Verizon had any worthwhile response to my posting of February 15.  I found nothing.  So I looked at your personal page and was appalled by the amount of self-serving stuff you have posted.  How can you represent yourself as a service provider and expect to be taken seriously when all you have to give your users is pictures of yourself, lists of favorable comments you have collected and a list of accomplishments that amounts to canned replies and status updates to customer posts.  Pretty pathetic, but then I guess that explains why you've been too busy (or didn't care) to responded to my post in over 4 MONTHS.  Maybe if I congratulate you I'll get some attention. Don't hold your breath.

[#11]

TPETRI,

His page is set up the same way as ALL forum users' pages. That's not a custom "Look at what I've done!" setup - It's the default, and I'm not even sure it can be changed.

Not to say 4 months isn't a long time to wait for a response, but don't gripe about things he doesn't control.