So Dish Network produces a monthly program called "Charlie Chat" wherein their CEO, Charlie Ergen, takes live phone questions from Dish Network customers and answers them (within the bounds permitted by their PR strategy, of course.) They also produce a "Technical Chat" where their technical VP takes questions about topics like installation, how they allocate satellite resources, relatively geeky lower-level stuff (again, within the bounds of their PR strategy.)

Both shows are fantastic PR tools because, while there are obvious limits on what they can say, they are pretty good about dropping enough nuggets of information to make both programs seem quite valuable.

Right now, there is a general tone of frustration permeating most forums where FiOS TV is discussed. Complaints range from the lengthy wait for IMG updates, to the perceived lack of additions to FiOS TV's HD lineup, to the color scheme IMG 1.9. But underpinning the frustration is a perceived lack of communication from Verizon about these issues. Joe Ambault is perceived as an unreliable mouthpiece, the blog and YouTube channels are thought of as channels for condensed PR releases, and so on.

I believe people are frustrated because they see that the FiOS technology and infrastructure plant is so clearly superior to Cable, but the FiOS TV service is handled like it's a cable company TV service, not as if it were something fundamentally superior. FiOS is clearly one of, if not the best residential communication networks in the country, but yet it feels like FiOS TV could just as easily be run over normal cable lines without any real loss of functionality or quality.

I think a Verizon-produced show in the "Charlie Chat" format would do wonders to help change this perception, especially in the eyes of FiOS' most ardent fans. It doesn't necessarily have to be on FiOS TV itself; it could be a show on YouTube or something. But I think the live element of the "Charlie Chat" format is key, and something like that would only really be well received if it were on FiOS, on channel 131 or on FiOS1. With FiOS1, Verizon's already got the production resources for something like this.

It doesn't have to feature Lowell McAdam or Ivan Seidenberg (in fact, it probably shouldn't--those guys are probably too far removed from the day to day operation of FiOS to have any input that consumers would care about) but it should feature someone high-up in the FiOS organizational hierarchy. And it can't just be another outlet for PR or inaccurate, unreliable information. It has to deal in providing specific answers, even if those answers are "I don't know" or "We can't answer yet." Of course, it still does have to drop some good information, otherwise it'll just seem like a cheap PR vehicle.

I'm hoping this idea receives real consideration, especially in light of the frustrations people are expressing on the forums.

Since there seems to be a good number of customers who are having trouble getting their problems resolved, why not have all complaints that were unresolved after three attempts by the customer referred to a higher authority. Many times representatives do not have the power to solve some problems.  Therefore, refer the problem to someone who can make the customer happy.

Looking at the number of similar complaints posted on this forum, I must conclude that Verizon has a real problem with customer relations.  I just can not believe that most customers just enjoy complaining.

Whenever I have had a problem that could not be solved by the representatives on the phone, I have taken the time to contact someone in authority and I have always been treated very well.  Those in power want to please the customers because without them they realize the company could not survive.

So, have a department whose sole purpose is finding a solution to the problems that have escalated to them.

When displaying an Idea Category, have the Idea Statuses box display the statuses as Idea Category Statuses. Or have it display the Idea Status results for the Idea Category you are viewing.

This way a user can look at the status for ideas in a given category.

Other items are duplicated on the right side bar. Waist of space and not filtered correctly for the Idea category being displayed. Perhaps one box was intended to be the count for the currently displayed category, and the other was for all categories. Or just to see it multiple times as you scroll the page?

Idea Categories

Idea Statuses

Example

It seems that the two main complaints about the new guide are 1) a narrow font and 2) a different organization from the Full view.  These are both likely from default settings not being appropriate for those customers.

The first one comes from the HD layout being on an SD television; so, the guide is compressed.  This is corrected by going to Menu > Settings > Video Settings > Graphics Settings, and choosing SD, then confirming by pressing the left arrow button.

The second comes from the default secondary guide being the Channel view.  This is changed by going to Menu > Settings > Television > Secondary Guide Preference, and choosing Full Guide.

________________________________

I strongly recommend that Verizon address these two frequent complaints by displaying prominently these two simple solutions.  It would make a lot of people a little happier all around.

Was just hooked up taoday with MR-DVR, phone and internet. So far so good. My only complaint is that you can not create series recordings from ALL the boxes (I specifically asked about this numerous times and was told YES.) and that you can not view upcoming recordings from ALL the boxes.

I suppose as technology eveloves this will be possible.

Allow Advanced Search by Idea Category and Idea Statuses, and specify the Category or Status. I thought we could do that before. So if a user wants to do a search of all their Ideas based on a Category or Statuses, it well help them look at what they have suggested, or any loose ends they may have for a given Category or Statuses. Such as Clarification needed. Help customer help Verizon.

It would be nice if I could search to see what I have for Clarification needed.

                 What I am about to say is something that has bothered me ever since I came back to Verizon.  I am quite satisfied with the performance of the equipment which includes Verizon Fios tv, internet, and phone.  The thing that I am disturbed by is the news page, which I use as my homepage.  Reading news, listening to news, watching news is one of the things that I like to do.  The fact that news stories are the first things that appear on my home page is important to me.  Being confronted with pictures and the stories that go with them is, I feel a good thing.  For some time now ,however,  the feeling that I get when I go to this page is not pleasant.

                 The minute that the pictures appear, I feel bad.  I have no idea who is in charge of the news stories, but I would like to know.  This person or persons in my eyes demonstrate a prejudice slant in their pictures and reporting.  I really am quite surprised at why this is allowed to happen, knowing the amount and diversity of people who have these Verizon services.  Whenever, there is anything good that could be said about something positive that President Obama has done, it is not mentioned.  The stories about the president are most always with a negative caption and an even negative looking picture.  The reason that I am writing this now is because as I signged on tonight and my home page appeared, I became rather sad.  Front and center was the first lady, Mrs. Obama in the top center with a negative picture and negative caption.  I saw the show mentioned and I know that the exchange was not the negative story that the picture and caption tried to imply.   Usually, when African American people are featured, the story is negative.  Everytime I see a picture of an African American I know that the article will contain something negative.  If its not negative, its not there.  When the story involves Mitt Romney, the attitude of the article and the picture is more favorable.

                   It would be nice to have the news page appear without seeing such slanted stories and photographs everytime I turn on my computer.  Since I am African American, it does not make me feel good.  I hope someone will consider this situation. 

                                                                                                                                     Monage            

Add a Community Favorites to the Category side bar. I did find my floated items when I opened the Forums link in your big picture found here, under the link.

Not as intuitive as if it were the first item listed Under Categories side bar. Where it would expand and show your floated boards.

"Community Favorites" or Just "Community" as shown under the Forums link in the picture above. If it would make the page code change easier.

I live in Rolling Hills Estates, CA in a neighborhood names "The Ranch" and all around me are neighborhoods with FIOS but mine . A few years ago I believe Verizon came in and accidentally drilled into an electrical line, and my neighborhood sued them. This may be the reason why FIOS is still not in my neighborhood, but I'm just curious if they really care about stuff like that. I'm dying here it takes me 5 hours to upload 1gb, and 45 minutes to download 1gb, I can't take this anymore it's driving me crazy. BRING US FIOS! I'm about to switch to Cox because I can't handle how slow DSL is, and I have the most expensive one. 

Can we make the user locations show by default? It would be helpful at times to know the town where the users are located. Many user do not realize that, and never set the location to display. If they see it on their postings and do not like it, they can then ask, or look at how to turn it off.

This is a suggestion about this webpage.

Maybe everyone but me knew this already, but I just discovered that when I go to the Ideas page, I'm automatically in the "Hot Ideas" section.  I think that it's nice to be able to start on that page as an option, but I don't think that it should be the default.  How are people going to see all the "New Ideas" if they aren't taken to that section first?

Need a delete message option, it the message is still available for editing, we should also be able to delete it. Unless perhaps it has been replied to, or for other reasons Verizon would have against this option. There have been a limited number of times I have decided I did not want to post that, or it is something I wanted to post later perhaps, the user must edit it, and leave it blank, or full it with something unrelated or misc. trash.

Is this the most annoying, stupidest, grating and insulting commercial on TV today?  What is Verizon thinking!!?? I immediatelly go looking for the remote to turn the channel. If I was an advertiser, I would not let them play this in front of my own commercial. This commercial makes me HATE verizon for treating me as if I was stupid, and makes me think about changing carrier next time my contract is up. At least the TMobile girl is attractive and un-annoying.