Complaint against extremely incompetent customer service

[suedono]

Please read this message with care and escalate if necessary.

Today, I have just experienced a second round of extremely poor and incompetent support from Verizon in the last 30 days. Proper action needs to be taken to correct such poor performance and lack of concern for their customers. The FIOS service is second to none, but the support end is just as bad as the rest in the industry, and will continue to weigh it down.

A few weeks ago, I had contacted Verizon and initially spoke with billing. I was inquiring about channels that have now become copy-protected, something that Verizon would have had to sign off on and be aware of. I have a Tivo in which I transfer programs to a computer to watch at my convenience since the Tivo is often full. Upon further research, I discovered that HBO and Cinemax may have requested to have a copy-protected block put on them over the summer of 2012, and Verizon was to notify their customers. We never received this notice, and I was unable to take proper action in recording and transferring as needed within the time-frame before this went into effect. I noticed this block around the same period on my own. I called in recently to inquire if they knew anything further about this or if there were other channels I should know about that possess this copy-protection block. Billing said they did not know and that technical support would know, so I was transferred. The technical support guy didn't seem to know, but was adamant that the information was available on the Verizon website. I was navigating the website as I was speaking to him, much to his dismay as he hoped to dismiss me due to inadequate knowledge, and I found no evidence of any information pertaining to this, even after navigating to where he specifically said to go. He said he would transfer me to billing, but I insisted not yet to be transferred and at least fill them in on the information already communicated once he did so. He transferred me at his will and let alone, a cold transfer. I then had the distinct pleasure of speaking with  Robin. She turned my request into an argument as to why I needed to know this information, while I had clear intent as I would haven't been calling otherwise. She clearly didn't know anything about this topic, and continue arguing how Verizon did not give them any information on it, that they have no need to inform me, and I have no need to be calling about this. It really seemed like I was getting in the way of her next cigarette break. You really need to take proper quality assurance in seeing how your representative think they can argue and insult their customers, particularly when they most of them have no knowledge on the subject to begin with, but take no caution into making up information, cold transferring, or in Robin's case, arguing with me and giving me attitude as to why I would find this information useful.

Please have someone at the appropriate level look into this copy-protected channel issue with HBO and Cinemax and advise what has been agreed to, as I was not properly notified. Also advise if other channels are copy-protected or plan to be. I do have the right to know this information as I pay for these services and subscriptions.

On an additional series of calls just made today, I called in to find more information on the 411 calls made on my 12/25 and 1/25 statements. From a billing perspective, it is unfair to bill a customer for a service without being able to back it up or provide any additional detail to the service. I can only guess that a call was made within the whole month, not the date or the time, or even the number connected to, the whole point of the service. No one in the household claims to have made these calls. I asked Virginia about the ability to block 411 directory assistance calls, but she advised that they have no way to, either through them or online. I asked her about refunding the charges since they could not back them up, but she insisted they are sustained. I pointed to the fact that I had this issue once before, and they were refunded, and no help was made at blocking or identifying them. She insisted her claim that they were sustained even though it was proven prior that they are not. At this point they transferred me to technical assistance to see if they knew how to. Technical assistance did not and said this would be a billing department issue and transferred me back. I then was lucky enough to speak a lady who referred to herself as {edited for privacy}. Through her voice, tone, and self-reference, she already was reminiscent of Robin from the previous case, and she proved me to not be mistaken. Upon conveying the same information already how the calls cannot be identified or blocked, I asked if a credit could be provided for them. Mid-sentence I hear hold music, only 5 minutes later to discover how she transferred me to Ted in technical support and did not want to deal with me any further. I have been strictly calm and professional through the series of all of these calls and should not be treated in this manner from the support team. At this point I advised Ted nothing could be done at this point and I would need to end the call to compose this message. Please look into identifying details to these 411 calls, finding a way to block them, and refunding them.

Are these employees unionized? Is that why they care so little? Serious action needs to be taken into addressing these issues and the demeanor of these representatives.

[AnnieS1]

suedono,

Please go to your profile page for the forum by clicking on your name, and look down the middle towards the bottom where you will find an area titled "My Private Support Cases".

There you will find a link to the private board where you and the agent may exchange information. This should be checked on a frequent basis as the agent may be waiting for information from you before they can proceed with any actions.

Regards,

AnnieS