The Most frustrating thing about calling customer service.
BigDaddyTees
Enthusiast - Level 2

A live operator would be so much better than that annoying automated menu that you are forced to navigate through for 15-20 minutes before it’ll transfer you to someone who won’t be able to help you.  It starts off by asking you for your phone number and then asking that you confirm via a yes or no answer out loud. Then it’ll ask if it can help you itself, it can’t, it’ll try and solve your problem on it's own even though your problem is beyond its range of understanding. Then finally it’ll send you to the wrong department in the wrong state, you’ll need to give your name, number and account information to three different people none of which will be able to solve your problem regardless of how simple or complex that it may be. And finally you’ll end up singing your song to a fourth person who may or may not be able to solve your problem, all because  the automated menu incorrectly directed your call in spite of you wasting valuable time out of your life going through it’s menus and prompts which are completely irrelevant since you wanted to talk to a tech or a customer service/billing person, from the beginning. The customer service people at fios are great when you can get them on the phone and end up In the correct department, but with this menu that rarely happens.

Message Edited by BigDaddyTees on 03-10-2009 06:39 AM
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Re: The Most frustrating thing about calling customer service.
chinorider
Enthusiast - Level 3
I am not sure where I read/heard about this but as soon as the FIOS customer service starts it's pone number please stuff, I begin pressing zero repeatedly until I get a real person.  Usually 5 or 6 times pressing zero works for me.  Try it.
Re: The Most frustrating thing about calling customer service.
SickOfVerizun
Enthusiast - Level 2

Haha ... don't you get it? The ONLY reason Verizon put that stupid IVR in place is so they won't have to speak to you.  Their goal is to annoy you and play Cucaracha with your nerves, until you hang up.  Most companies do that now as standard practice ... but I think Verizon has the longest IVR out of every place I've ever called and by far the WORST customer service.

I am a former Verizon employee who quit because the Verizon office where I worked  was just so ghetto I couldnt take it anymore.  And I remember in training all they kept pushing was customer service and "wow-ing' the customer.  However, now that I'm on the other side of the table as a Verizon customer, the customer service experience I have gotten is just appalling.  I don't even call Verizon anymore ... so sick of talking to people in India who cannot fix and have no clue on how to fix problems.  I don't even know why they're there.  I had an issue where I disconnected my phone but I also have DSL. Well the rep who did my phone disconnect, did not tell me that it would also turn off the DSL so low and behold my DSL got turned off. I call technical support (India of course) and told them what happend, they said it was a technical issue with my line and they would send out a tech to fix it. So I'm like OK and hang up. an hour later I get a call from a tech alas someone in America! who tells me when my phone was turned off, it also turned off the DSL because i had not been switched to dry loop before the disconnect.  The rep advised me that i had to start all over with another DSL account as dry loop. Now this may seem short but mind you this was hours upon hours of being flung around, transferred from department to department and i was upset.  Why couldnt the other FIVE India reps tell me that it had to do with my account and I had to start a new order rather than having me troubleshoot and running diagnostics, etc?

For all the time I have taken to meander through the IVR and speak to someone in India, I could have spoke to someone live in the States and Verizon could of had me out their face in less than 10 minutes and everyone's happy. Wowing the customer? Yea, I'm "Wow'd" at how bad Verizon customer service really is.

Re: The Most frustrating thing about calling customer service.
dhlunar
Enthusiast - Level 3

I have no problem getting out of the IVR system.  I have worked in call centers (not for Verizon) in the pass so I learned the tircks. 

Two things I don't like:

I can tell the agents here must get an incentive for signing people up for stuff.  Most of the time before they end the call they say, "let me see if there is anything else here," and then notice that I live in a location that is eligable for FiOS.  Then they tried to sell me FiOS and everytime I say that I have to talk to my roommate and I will call back.  Well I know that I am FiOS eligable, but I don't want FiOS and always have to find some excusss to say no.  Is there any way that I can have my account noted that I don't want any sales, unless I ask? Or do I need to say when they ask if they have my permission to access my account, only to help me with my problem and nothing else?

My second issue is the overseas agents that are used more on the Internet side.  Instead of using you they always use Mr. or Mrs.  They also seem to repeat what I say.  Like, Me: I want know why it is costing me more this month?  Them: So, Mr. (my last name they can't say correctly) you wnat to know why it is costing you more this month?"

Re: The Most frustrating thing about calling customer service.
PIPESMOKER
Enthusiast - Level 2
That works, just keep pressing zeros.
Re: The Most frustrating thing about calling customer service.
BigDaddyTees
Enthusiast - Level 2

I tried pressing zero and it worked as I was transferred to a live person alot faster, unfortunately the person was unable to help me so forwarded my call to another number the automated machine was played again and told me to call back during normal business hours. I ended up solving the problem (a recurring one) myself, just unhooking and unplugging this and that until it was finally corrected per the instructions of several customer service reps in the past.  Somehow rebooting your devices is the most common way to solve the most common problems, but unfortunately there are some things where it seems as though you have no other choice but to call customer service such as billing issues etc. I have found that most of the reps I’ve dealt with have been more than helpful and most times solve the problem, but occasionally you get the rude and lazy ones who transfer you or simply hang up. Even when you want to upgrade your service package or add new products and services to your account.

Re: The Most frustrating thing about calling customer service.
frustratedX100
Enthusiast - Level 1
I HAVE BEEN DENIED ACCESS TO MY ACCOUNT FOR MONTHS.....I went all the way..punched zeros...and one day stayed on hold on 3 different phones , the first answer took 1 hour 46 minutes.   For 2 1/2 months I did not get a bill, the agent had recorded wrong billing address. Without paper bill I had no account number to register on line.  After hours and weeks I was able to get the acct # but no "pin". The pin could only be mailed to the registered address (which was wrong) or left on a phone message at the Verizon number, which has no answering service and was over 200 miles away. After 4 hours on chat and phone with Verizon I was told that the corrected address took another 1 to 2 billing cycles to become useful on line!. Are you with me...I will have been denied access to my own account for a total of 4 1/2 months.....with the excuse that this is all bases on new FCC rules and regulations. I work with the FCC daily, and even this government agency does not take 4 1/2 months to get back to me.  The individual State Attorney Generals need an influx of these complaints, As consumers we are not being appreciated our true rights.  Verizon is quite possibly the worse "service" I have dealt with and that included the Bank OF America credit card system.
Re: The Most frustrating thing about calling customer service.
SoCalDon
Enthusiast - Level 2

I have to agree, BigDaddy -- it's an annoying, tedious waste of time, to have to repeat these things over and over again, as you get passed from computer, to person, to person within the system.  Once the computer identifies who you are via phone number & caller ID, that info. should be passed to each customer service rep, along with access to account info. (which has an ongoing record of what's been said and done, so that likewise you aren't starting over from scratch with each person) if that has been granted.  That would save time and tedium for everyone, customer service included.

And as you said, often we know at the outset that a call cannot be dealt with via some automated FAQ system, but you're forced to go through it anyway, no matter what.  Makes the customer feel like a total idiot, who must be walked through everything, every step of the way, every time, to confirm that he isn't wasting the time of the customer service reps (never mind that they're wasting the time of customers who call in).

One other ongoing gripe, which is a needless, pointless, annoyance, benefitting no one, but it's a part of the standard routine just the same:  Reading from a script.  After the customer service rep has rattled that sentence off a few thousand times, they're saying it so fast it's nearly impossible to understand, and given how obvious it is that it's scripted, I find it more annoying and time-wasting than anything else, hoping it will end soon so that we can get on with what's important.

As for the plugs for getting the customer to buy more services, while I don't appreciate that, I find it more annoying, knowing all of the hints and clues about how important customer service's time is, and how unimportant they think the customer's time is.  But yet, they have oodles of time to spend trying to get more money out of us.  Want to know how to get more money out of me?  By doing things that save me time, money, and aggravation.  If I need to pay an additional $5-$10 per month to get that, then so be it.  Being squeezed through a tiny hole of service (e.g., when there's a problem with the product) is not worth $5/mo. savings.

Re: The Most frustrating thing about calling customer service.
SoCalDon
Enthusiast - Level 2

SickOfVerizon,

Great post.  One comment:  

Here's how to "wow" the customer:

Cust. Serv.:  "Hi, this is Bob, how can I help you today?"

Customer:  "Hi Bob.  I'm having problem _____ with my product."

Cust. Serv.:  "O.k., let me look into it.  One moment please..."

Customer:  "O.k."

...

Cust. Serv.:"Found the problem, and here's the solution...."

Customer:  "Wow.  Thanks, Bob." 

Cust. Serv.:"You're welcome.  Have a good day."

Customer: "You too.  Bye."

See how human, happy, and efficient that is?  And the "Wow factor" is in solving problems and providing answers, as quickly and easily as possible.

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Re: The Most frustrating thing about calling customer service.
SMRyan
Contributor - Level 2
If that were the case, there wouldn't be a problem, but the fact that it's a problem kinda screams that it takes more than 1 second to resolve. If it were that easy, you could solve it on your own time.