What do you mean FiOS Support is amazing?

[shadmego]

When people start off saying, "I'm usually not one to complain, but..." it's generally understood that they are prolific complainers. I won't say that, but I want to be taken seriously when I say there seem to be systemic problems with Verizon FiOS customer service - especially in light of their claims.

If I were asked, and I wasn't, I would say that Verizon residential support, including sales, atrociously horrible. Worse than even Comcast. And that's saying something. The good news is that I think I finally put my finger on the problem. I will save this for another post.

First, I want to get to why I'm posting, but I don't want to write a treatise so I will just provide the highlights. If nothing happens, then I will dive into the gritty details.

My unique Verizon FiOS customer support experience started the day I called and inquired about service back at the beginning of April and continues today because nothing that been resolved. I wrote a lengthy letter detailing all my issues and sent it to the customer support email address I was given by a chat agent. This letter was sent on April 19th. This was a few days after they canceled my first install date. The tracking number for this letter is 2296580 should any agent reading wish to look into this.

I then sent a follow-up email asking about the status of the above more than a week later. Here is that tracking number: 2339735. Next, I wait more than a month for a reply or a callback - I'm flexible - with nothing.

On June 9th, I sent my final email asking if someone could please respond to me concerning the issues detailed in the original letter. The tracking number for this email is 2462669.

What I want is to be proven wrong in my assessment of Verizon Customer Support. I also want to be taken seriously as a customer and not ignored. If nothing comes of this attempt, I will post the contents of the letter to this thread and hope that gets somewhere.

[ElizabethS]

This is a peer to peer support forum. Verizon does not monitor it for customer issues. Please state the problems you are having in order for other members to offer suggestions.

[shadmego]

Elizabeth S,

Thanks, I think, for your response. I've actually been studying your response for the last couple of hours and have been utterly confused by it.

I'm not sure why my post got the response it has. I went back and looked at other posts, questions, and complaints and in all cases, specifically those where you were the responder, I haven't seen this type of response. What I have seen is you helping customers out by escalating their issue with Verizon, noting where they can go to continue with the resolution.

Why did I get no such treatment?

You say this is a peer to peer support forum, but of the posts I've read, none could be helped by having "other members to offer suggestions".

I don't know if you work for Verizon or are just a volunteer so I'm not quite sure where to go or how to respond further. I was hoping for is help escalating my problem with Verizon. The only thing I can get from other members is conciliatory responses. While that would go a long way in making me feel like I'm not alone in my frustration, it would do little to actually resolve my complaints, which seem to add up every time I try to reach out to get some help.

If I need to, I can post my letter to Verizon, but it's pretty pointed and I'm not sure it's appropriate to post here. Rather, I would like:

1. This post escalated to Verizon Support so I know someone is looking,
2. That support person to actually look into the three emails I sent over the last few months - and read them, and then
3. Get back to me to hopefully discuss specifics and a path forward to resolution.

I do not have the time to spend hours on the phone rehashing everything in the letter every time I get transferred. I would love someone to go off script for once to help a customer out.

[ElizabethS]

There is a criteria for escalating posts and at this time, yours does not qualify for escalation.

[shadmego]

Interesting. Thanks for the clarification, but could you make me feel any less valuable to Verizon? I get that you have the unenviable task of dealing with irate people all day and I try not to be unreasonable, but seriously, put yourself in my place. How am I supposed to respond to this?

I am a highly upset customer looking for some help getting a resolution to my problem. I'm also a busy professional that can't spend all day on the phone (or in forums) going back and forth with people about my issues.

Thanks, btw for your help.

Hopefully this meets your requirements for escalation:

FYI - I changed bullet 3 at the end from the original and removed the names of the support agents I complimented for their own privacy.

Email from April 19th, 2016 (sent to the customer support email address):

To Whom It May Concern,

I wish the circumstances under which this letter is being written were different. It is my intent here to convey the experience I've had so far as a Verizon FiOS customer and why I am seriously doubting my choice to make the switch from Comcast to Verizon. My complaints start with how Verizon packages its cable offerings and ends, so far, with how customer support seems anything other than supportive. Everything I've experienced so far makes me extremely nervous about becoming a full blown customer.

First, I understand cable packages are built to make money for Verizon. I do not disparage this behavior or fault Verizon for doing this, but I must express my utter disappointment in not being able to select a "custom" package of sports channels that includes the ESPN group. I also wonder how Verizon can claim to allow customers to select only the channels they want but then doesn't include obvious packages that bear this out.

If you truly want to offer custom packages, then let customers choose which channels they want. My suggestion would be to offer a local channel package for say, $15-20/month and then charge between $6-$9/month per extra channel. This would allow customers to literally choose what they want to watch without having to deal with 300+ extra, unwanted channels. Further, this would allow Verizon to make even more money by packaging common groupings, not the comical ones currently offered, for slight discounts.

Secondly, I must say I cannot stand the aggressive tactics used by the phone sales people. I wanted to call and talk about possible options for packages and was literally forced to pick an installation date before being allowed to discuss the options/offerings with my wife on our own time. I hate this. A lot. If there was only one thing I could change about Verizon it is this. Really. This literally turned me off of any possible joy I may have had switching to Verizon. I am actually getting angry just reliving this experience in my mind.

There is a sliver of good news, however. The sales agent stayed on the line for almost an hour as we crunched numbers and changed packages several times. Because of the aggressive nature of the agent, though I feel like this was just chasing a sale more than making sure I was happy. I was not. Neither was I given an opportunity to really digest, at my own pace, the options in front of me.

Third, I cannot believe Verizon is still charging outrageous installation fees. Does Verizon not make enough money on their cable and internet service charges? I can't really add anything to this. It's simply ridiculous, and one more significant thing that detracts from what should be a pleasant Verizon experience.

If you really care about customer experience, then make typical installs free and charge for anything extra that has to, or is requested to, happen to get the services to work. Running extra wires and adding outlets are examples of chargeable installation costs. Just plugging in a couple of devices and hitting "next" on a few screens does not warrant a $150 installation fee.

Fourthly, it has been my admittedly limited experience that Verizon customer support does not have any power to make customers happy. This is evidenced by the fact that support agent I spoke with last week, after Verizon failed to make my install appointment, was only able to say "I am sorry for the inconvenience. There is nothing I can do."

What I heard is "There is nothing I can do except say sorry." I am not unreasonable. I believe if the agent had the power, he would have done anything to make me happy. For this, I blame Verizon management. It is inconceivable to me that Verizon customer support is not trusted enough to know how to make things right with customers.

I decided to make the switch to Verizon because I refuse to pay a premium for services I'm not receiving. This is currently where I find myself with Comcast. Considering what I've experienced with Verizon, though I have to wonder if the premium price means I get better customer service, which is nearly invaluable to me. I understand there is a strike going on with Verizon workers, and I do hope it gets resolved quickly to everyone's benefit. I do not, however feel this should be something that affects my negatively, and that's exactly what it's doing.

I have to continue to pay Comcast to carry their services for another two weeks while I wait for Verizon. I also still get the "pleasure" of having to pay for the installation of Verizon services in my home, which makes me spitting mad. Further, I had to take time off of work to make sure I was there for the install scheduled for the 14th. I lost a few hours of work waiting for the install that never happened. And this is after I was assured Verizon had coverage for new installs and that new customers wouldn't be affected by the strike. You know, when Comcast misses a scheduled appointment, they credit your account. I would think Verizon could easily implement this.

The issues I've listed above are serious to me and I hope they convey not only the problems and how they make me feel as a customer, but also ways in which Verizon can improve. I do not believe in calling out problems without also supplying a possible solution.

I am seriously hoping to hit the reset button on the relationship between Verizon FiOS and my family. I want this letter to be the start of a "clearing of the air" between us. I cannot believe that Verizon, a company that is supposed to be known for excellent customer service can be as bad as I've experienced these last couple of weeks. It is in this spirit I would like to mention a couple of service representatives that have been excellent.

The first is - M. S. Above any Verizon customer support agent, this gentleman is the best I've had the pleasure to work with from any company. I would seriously keep him around if I were Verizon and possibly look to making him your corporate trainer. There isn't a representative that couldn't learn something from M.

The other representative I would like to thank is Chat Agent Sh. She was able to cut through all the canned responses and get me the information I wanted without any fluff, and she was genuinely happy to be able to help.

I am asking for the following:

1) I would like my installation fee waived for the reasons listed above.
2) I want the agents I mentioned above rewarded in some way, as they seem to be the only two offer real service to customers that I've been able to see lately.
3) I would like someone to call me to further discuss these and other grievances.

I look forward to your response and hopefully to the start of a renewed relationship with Verizon FiOS.