Who do I contact when verizon support staff cannot resolve a problem?

[tubers]

Just had FIOS installed last month - am very pleased with the service.  However, I have an issue during the installation that has not been resolved.  Long-story short, technician did the install, actually did a very nice job wiring inside the house, but informed my wife that 'her husband had to finish caulking' the holes he left in our vinyl siding (25' high) for the cable as he had run out of caulk (I suspect it had more to do with the fact that it was 5:30 on a Sat night).  He basically took off without explaining any of the services he had installed or without letting my wife ask questions.  This is a minor problem, I know, but it's the principle that the tech left the job unfinished and it shouldn't be the homeowner's responsibility to complete the job for them. 

Anyway, I've called tech support three times (for the most part, you guys were very pleasant to work with), had two separate repair orders submitted for the same problem, and then each, time, the orders simply disappeared from my account with never an email or a phone call.  The last just happened this morning (3-6) after I spent an hour last night on the phone with tech support.  I was informed by a tech support supervisor that she / tech support / all the contacts Verizon provides us with cannot force the installation guys (dispatch?) to do this repair and that there was nothing she could do.  I was told there was no supervisor, manager, or administrator I could talk to about the problem.  All she can do is give me another service order which I know won't be resolved.  She told me the only option I had was litigation! 

Come on, Verizon!  I plan on contacting the BBB , but I cannot beleive there is no one, and no other folks that I can get a hold of at Verizon that can help me.  If I as a customer am expected to abide by the contract, doesn't Verizon also have an obligation to perform a quality installation, one that doesn't leave holes in customer's homes, or at least spend 10 minutes to fix the problem they created?  I am in a bit of disbelief that there is no one else I can contact from management side to resolve this issue.

[SunshineF]

Hi tubers,

I'm sorry you are having difficulty. An agent with access to your account will reach out to you directly by email, private message in the Forums and/or the billing telephone number on your Verizon account for more information or to help you resolve your issue.

[oldfashioned]

I am sorry but that is inexcusable and it's the installer's responsibility to finish that job, not yours!  Shame on Verizon for that and for telling you this nonsense that there is nothing they can do.  Give me a break!  I think if I had been in your wife's shoes, I would have insisted that the installer has to finish the caulking and can't leave until it's done because that should not be your problem that he couldn't finish the work.  That is not right.  What those tech reps are telling you is garbage. 

If I ever have to move out of my present place of residence, I might very well consider cancelling Verizon and starting again with a new provider. 

[tubers]

Sunshine,

Thanks for your response, but I'm not sure I understand.  Are you telling me to go through tech support again?  I've already done this 3 times with absolutely no resolution.  Three times in the last month.  This would make it a fourth.  The expression is now '4th times the charm'?   Tech support - a supervisor - told me they couldn't force dispatch to complete the work. That is who you are telling me to contact again?  I'm not being snarky - I'm really curious if you truly think that will resolve the problem.  Obviously someone in dispatch is removing the work orders without responding to them. 

 I need someone at Verizon who can solve this.  I don't think I'm asking for anything too difficult or unreasonable.  Can you understand the frustration I feel when this is the response I get?  I'm sorry to be blunt, but I need a real response to my problem - this seems to be a standard candy-coded response that simply confirms to me and other viewers of this thread that Verizon does not care, or is incapable of addressing any problem that falls out of their standard list.

I will file a BBB complaint this morning.  Sadly I'm sure you folks truly won't care or respond to it.  I suppose lucky for me this is a relatively minor issue, but it's ridiculous I have to waste my time arguing about this when it's clearly Verizon's responsibility.   

[tubers]

Hi Questioning,

If I'm being fair, the installation did do a good job on everything else, and the service so far (internet and phone) is really nice.  But as you say, I found it incredible he left the job unfinished.  I'm positive had I been there instead of my wife, he would have mysteriously found some caulk in his truck - or i would have given him mine.  But I am glad to hear someone else thinks this is ridiculous too and that I'm not being foolish for wasting my time. 

I realize in the scheme of things, this is not a big deal at all, I just find it unbelievable that noone at Verizon can actually ensure this problem gets resolved.  It's more frustrating when I speak with tech support, all who have agreed with me that the technician needs to come out and finish the job, but yet their supervisor could care less and offer no more help. 

And there appears no way to get in touch with the corporate office either - at this point that is the information I want.

[KH-OrnEsh1]

tubers - Sunshine explained that she has escalated your issue and a verizon employee will be contacting you.  🙂

[tubers]

Okay ornahp, thanks for explaining.  I do understand now and thanks to Sunshine too then :).  I just saw the PM that was sent and responded to it. 

For what it's worth,  I do appreciate you guys on the 'front-lines' and as I noted, overall I've found the support people I've spoken with to be as helpful in as much as the system allows them to be.

[oldfashioned]

My family was having a problem with their phone and Internet services.  They have Cablevision for their TV and Optimum on line for the Internet and phone serivces.  It turned out that the issue was with a defective modem.  The tech person who came to their house tried a couple of modems to no avail and then was about to just give up and leave.  Well...my mom insisted that he stay until the job is done because my family needs this and sure enough, he found a better modem that worked.  That's what your story reminded me of.

I'm not a homeowner but all the same, I would be very peeved myself if an installer left me with unfinished work like that.  And I'm glad your services are working well but like you said, that's just not right.  My installation was an all day pain in the neck so you have my sympathy.

[tubers · Accepted solution]

Hi Questioning,

Gotcha - it is frustrating, and I appreciate your comments and adding your experiences to mine!

I do want to take an opportunity to actually thank Verizon support , however.  As noted, I was PM'd by a tech early this morning who told me the problem was being forwarded to a manager.  When I came home from work today there was a hand-written note from a Verizon technician informing me the siding was now caulked and apologizing for the delay!  So this matter was resolved in 24 h since I posted my problem on Verizon forums.

Thanks very much to you guys for getting this addressed for me.  I still don't understand why this couldn't be done via regular tech support channels and I suggest that is why most of the customers on this form are really frustrated and short-tempered.

Since most folks only note complaints and never indicate if the problem was resolved, I just want to make sure you guys get credit from other potential readers of this thread that you fixed my problem with minimal fuss!  Nicely done...

[oldfashioned]

Good for you!  I myself have found it helpful to come here plenty of times whenever there was a problem or question that I couldn't resolve by calling 1-800-VERIZON. You may find that information posted here by other customers can help you figure out other things that may arise. 

I usually don't enjoy having contractors or installers in my house.  It's not that I don't appreciate the work they do but I usually don't enjoy having to clean up their mess that they often leave behind, even if it's not a lot.  So if I had to deal with unfinished caulking, that would really not sit well with me either.  When I first had my service installed, I offered one of the guys a glass of water because even though it was part of his job, I felt bad that he had to go into the cross base underneath my apartment to feed all the wiring through because it's "dirty and disgusting" down there and we had to get the super to pry off the cover to the opening.  He had a pretty sarcastic and caustic sense of humor.  It was trial and error just trying to find a grounded outlet and then a tech had to come by the next day because the wiring on my phone jack was messed up.

The party never ends.