There you go 
I just had my worst customer service experience with Verizon to date.
The Story:
I logged on to my Verizon account and made some programming changes to my FIOS TV. When I got the confirmation email it gave me an order delivery date of 01/10 (2 days from now). Having been an employee of this industry for more than a decade, I figured "Ok, it's just a default to next business day because today is Saturday. I'll contact tech support and have them push up the provisioning". It's not as if I need a tech...just button clicking.
So I contacted Tech Support via web chat. My first chat started right away with someone named "Prudence" (I use the quotes, because, again, I've done this job....). I sat there for 4 minutes supposedly engaged in a chat with "Prudence". She never did acknowledge my existence, so I disconnected and went back in queue. 5 minutes later I got "Roger". I explained that the order date is 01/10 but I'd like to see if I can get it pushed. It shouldn't be a big deal. "Roger" then stated "You may have to call billing (the people who wrote your order) to have them change it...but let me..." and then a canned "Is there anything else I can assist you with?". I asked for clarification. He hadn't helped me yet. He said I MAY have to call them. Did he mean that the only recourse was to call? Yes he did. I understand. I'll call. I guess his use of the word "may" was just a language barrier. After all, it was clear that he hasn't spoken English for that long.
I then ask which number to call. He tells me "...for pre-date orders...You will need to contact our Billing/Order Dept. regarding this issue, they are available Mon-Fri 8am-6pm at 888-881-8161 Monday - Sunday 8 am - 12 am EST." and follows it up with another message stating "On the weekends..After Hours Video 888-978-2176" Again, I'm going to need some clarification. So far what I have is this number is open Monday - Friday 8am - 6pm but also Monday through Sunday 8am - 12am? And after hours is a different number? I asked for a definition of "after hours", because today is Saturday and I have no idea which number to call. Do I only call 888-978-2176 between 12am and 8am when the other line is closed, or did he make a typo? He just kept copying and pasting "On the weekends..After Hours Video 888-978-2176" over and over again. I kept asking him to tell me what his version of after hours means, and also noting I still don't know what the true hours are. He kept saying this like "Again..." and then repeating himself as if I was an idiot.
I decided to make it easy. I asked "Who would I call RIGHT NOW?" He once again copy/pasted "On the weekends..After Hours Video 888-978-2176" and then I asked him why he is ignoring his mistake and refusing to acknowledge it. I then got a goodbye and a "You might receive a survey" message. I stated that I feel this rep was rude and perhaps too arrogant to be in a customer service position if he cannot admit to a typographical error and just supply me the proper hours of operation. I got a "I'm sorry you feel that way" and then he disconnected me! Nothing resolved. No idea which number to call for which time of which day.
I assumed he wanted me to call the "after hours" number, so I did, spoke to Ann and she provisioned my order immediately. Knew exactly what I wanted and how to make it happen. She said it would be effective within a few hours and reviewed the changes with me. She was exceptional; fast and courteous.
I spend approximately $250 monthly with Verizon for my TV, Internet and Telephone services and I get **bleep** like this providing front line customer service? I think this web chat is a detriment to Verizon's customer satisfaction and they'd do better without it. It's time for me to start looking at Comcast. After all, I am in the Philly area, and Comcast seems far more interested in providing the sort of features and content I am interested in....and their web chat is done in Canada, not Cebu.
Wow, I just realized how long that post was. Sorry!
I also cannot figure out how to un-bold it.
There you go
actually, the techs on the chat were right. You have to speak to ordering to have those changed. I have a friend that works at the FSC and he says that the Techs no longer have the ability to push orders through. He says that they had so many agents pushing orders through improperly (activating the service without it being billed) that they took that ability away and now all those issues must go to the orders department now. So the online chat's and calling "repair" will get you no where now.
But your right, they should have made it clear.
To make it clear for others. This is the info I have.
1-800-837-4966 M-F 8a-9p (your local time zone) Sat 8a-3p Sun 8a-12p
Any other times (after hours) 800-553-0228
Your phone numbers are a little different. They may be additional or local numbers. The ones I listed were the national numbers. Now I have not called them in a long time. I know that the normal hour one is still good, but I'm not sure about the after hour one. It worked the last time I used it.
Good post space. I ran into this over the weekend. There is an after hours billing/orders department that must fix anything with the activation of channels or equipment. So tech support sits on their hands now when something shows on the account and is not activated properly. They could not even reset my DVR to factory defaults. They said they didn't have access to the tool for activating features. Now when something is broke go figure! I was transfered to that department which I am sure is now overwhelmed, because the techs can do nothing. After 30 minutes on hold I gave up. Still can't order VOD from the STB, it gives a credit error, but I can go online order flex view, download it to media manager to authorize online, tv, and portable viewing all over an hour to watch one movie because of this mess. All they can say is everything looks normal, it should work, you have to talk to orders department. What is the point? I will not be buying and VOD from VZ just to make a point.
First and last VOD I will ever pay for now that I have my newer hardware. 1.8 made it look pretty, but it is better if it works. I hope 1.9 is better. Oh yea the hour was not including the time spent on the phone. It was to install the Media Manager software I did not want after I found out if you order online you must use the media manager from what I was told on the phone. And almost 30 minutes to download 989MB SD movie on my 35/35 connection. Then surprise, it showed on my DVR and STBs as being purchased. Why it could not just be marked as authorized and show up on my hardware. Yea they got issues!
Terrible? I'm afraid that your complaint seems to be the norm. I just spent over 1 hour on hold, chat, and the web site just trying to get a simple change made, voice mail ring pick up changed from 4 to 8 so I have time to get to my phone. The whole experiance ended with a supervisor requesting approval to call me directley, requiring me to hang up on the customer support line. Whne he called back he then told me he was transferring me to a representative that would take care of my issue - and precieeded to hook me up to the same line I had been on hold with for 50 minutes - effectively placing me at the back of the line all over again! This is not the first time I have received unsatisfactory service from the Verizon service/chat department. I am totally disgusted with the whole expe
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