I have Verizon home phone, cell phone and DSL (yes, DSL. Mock me if you wish). I spotted on their site an option for existing customers to bundle these services for less. Excellent. My mistake was assuming that a company offering a service to their existing customers could actually provide that service. How naïve I was. I, as the customer, looked upon this not as changing my service (as I wasn’t), but only changing the amount I was billed for that service. Verizon apparently looked at this as a complete change in service as well as an opportunity to torture their loyal customer.
Here is how it all went down:
Day 1 (12/15)
I receive a message (on my answering machine), that new phone service has now been activated and that I need to set up my voicemail by calling a certain number. What?
I receive a second voicemail saying a change to email address has been attempted and if I did not initiate this change, I should call an 800 number.
Hmmm… So I call the voicemail number first (though I don’t need voicemail and I’m sure didn’t request it), it asks me for my temporary password. I was not provided a temporary password, though a 5 minute call to the help tells me it’s my home phone number less the area code. Would it be so hard to tell me that?
Then I call the email phone number to find out what that is all about, but it’s nighttime and they are closed.
So I attempt to login to the Verizon site to see if I can find any information. I can not get online. Hmmm.. I know in my heart of hearts, this is related to ‘my new phone service’. So I call up DSL Tech support where the following information is demanded prior to getting through:
My Name
My Address
At alternate phone number (so they can call you back if you get disconnected. Ahem: what does that tell you about their confidence in their own phone service)
I’m enjoying the lovely hold music with interruptions to tell me that I should power down the modem and restart to see if it solves the problem, followed by endless pleas to go online to find help. Really useless for those of us who can not get online. 10 minutes into the call, I’m connected to a heavily accented Indian pretending to be in the US
My Name
My Address
At alternate phone number
Model of my DSL modem (which is from Verizon, so you might think they would know this information)
How long the phone cord is between the modem and the wall
Do I have all the filters on
I interrupt him to tell him my DSL has been working fine all along, so it’s unlikely that it’s the setup. He sighs and says: we have to go through the steps to see what is not working, ma’am. Clearly he is reading a script. After being on the phone with him for 25 minutes and trying a number of things, we are ‘disconnected’. I wait for the call on my alternate phone number, but it never comes. I have no more time to deal with it, so I decide to see if it will be on the next day.
Day 2 (12/16)
The DSL is still not working. I call again. This time there is a message while I’m waiting informing me that some customers in my state are experiencing trouble connecting. Hmmm… Then I am asked to provide all the same information prior to getting to a representative who asks me for the information again. I start with: I called yesterday and was disconnected. Even though I gave an alternate phone number, no one called me back. He says hmm.. but continues on asking for the same information all over again. I say: don’t you have this information already? We need to collect the information ma’am, is the only heavily accented reply. I’m wondering if they actually understand what I am saying to them. Today I ask if the outage could be why I can’t connect. He says: let me check. No, you’re line appears fine. We commence trying the same things as I had yesterday until I grow impatient, saying it’s not my setup. Then I tell him about the bundling and ask if that could be the cause. At this point, he gets fussy with me saying: you started by saying you had an outage, not that you changed your service. To which I reply: I didn’t change my service, I just bundled it. It’s exactly the same service. He puts me on hold (yea, more advice on how to go online to solve my problems)
Him: The DSL is not on because you didn’t have phone service until yesterday and you can’t have DSL without a phone. {His tone says‘duh, you dumbass customer’}
Me: I had both phone and DSL prior to yesterday when you inexplicably turned it off.
Him: well, you’re DSL has a pending status. {happy tone returns} it will be active on the 18th, that is tomorrow!
Me: That’s not tomorrow where I am in the US
Him: oh
Day 4 (12/18)
DSL is still not working. I call again and speak to a third heavily accented Indian, this time a woman, Eve.
Eve tells me my ticket was closed as resolved, but she can open a new one. Well, thanks. She then asks me all the same questions and I say: no. Look it up in the notes. This gets me nowhere and I end up answering all the questions again.
‘Eve’ tells me my DSL should be on and that it must be my wireless router, which is absurd. So we tried going wired and it still doesn’t work (which I knew it wouldn’t because the DSL modem Ready light was blinking and this, I had been told previously, was the tell tale sign that the DSL was not on). Finally, I get exasperated and ask to speak to a supervisor.
Another Indian comes on the line and tells me his name is Adam.
Me: Did you just say ‘Adam’?
Him: Yes
Me: just checking. {and I chuckle to myself}
I go through all the same questions with ‘Adam’ and then he says something must be wrong with the modem and a technician will need to come out. At this point I am passed to ‘Anna’ in dispatch to set it up.
Anna: the technician can come out tomorrow between 8 – 6.
Me: we can’t narrow that down?
Anna: no {just no, no further explanation}
Day 5 (12/19)
DSL is not working. I work from home and wait all day for the technician. None arrives.
At 5pm I call up and demand a supervisor right away. I am finally directed to Edequiel (with a Spanish accent) who gets quite an earful from me. He informs me that the technician had assessed my account from ‘the home office’ and went on to babble something about keys and circuits. In a nutshell, the easiest thing to do is cancel the order and start over. Finally I interject: A. none of this is my problem. You need to figure out how to fix this. B. What time was this note put on my account? And give me the time in my time in the US US 7am , I think.
This is when I really lost it.
So you told me a technician needed to come to my home, then assessed the situation from the home office. The assessment was that the order needed to be cancelled and re-booked. Yet you did not bother to notify me about this, though you knew it at 7am and I sat in my house all day waiting for you. Now it’s 5pm on a Friday and cancel and re-order is the only way to solve this? Did you have any intention of notifying me about any of this? I’ve called several times about this issue already and every time, it’s been a different story. This is fucking ridiculous. {ok, so the whole speech was laced with F bombs}.
Edequiel seems annoyed that I am yelling and just keeps continuing to tell me cancel and re-order is the only thing to do. I say: how about just cancel?
I am then transferred to what I assume is the ‘really pissed off customer service line’, where I speak to a Ms. Coats.
I give Ms. Coats a piece of my mind and she puts me on hold to ‘read the notes on my account’. I think this is really a tactic to allow the customer to calm down, but as I’ve now been on the phone with them for over an hour and have not had internet access in 5 days, my rage is growing by the minute.
She returns and repeats the nonsense about keys and circuits, but says she can do ‘expedited cancel and re-order’, which will take only 3 days.
I say: is that 3 days or 3 business days. Today is Friday, are we really talking about Weds?
Sadly, Weds. was the answer. So I throw off another series of F bombs, which results in an offer of 4 free months of internet service. It only took 6 people to get them to admit they had screwed up and offer something to me. So I say fine. Ms. Coats tells me she will be calling me personally on Weds. to make sure I am happy.
Day 10 (12/24)
DSL is not working. No call is received from Ms. Coats. Not surprising, but it’s Xmas Eve, so I let it go.
Day 12 (12/26)
DSL is not working. I call up the direct number of the ‘really pissed off customer service line’, which Ms. Coats had given me. I call up and say: Please read all the notes on my account and then come back.
A spend about 5 minutes on hold. Gee, I can get help with my DSL online, you don’t say…
When he returns, I can tell he is dreading having to speak to me. I prepare for the worst.
Him: We need to cancel and re-order. I see here that they told you they would do an expedited cancel and re-order. The problem with that is, there is no such thing as expedited cancel and re-order. They didn’t follow the correct procedure, so it was obviously denied.
Me: {long silence} What does that mean?
Him: it means we have to cancel and re-book to get the circuits and keys… blah, blah, blah…
Me: No, just cancel. Cancel and I’m going to Comcast. I’m not arguing about this.
Him: {typing}
Me: And I want a credit for the time I haven’t had internet: almost 2 weeks.
Him: you haven’t had internet for almost 2 weeks?
Me: yeah.
Him: ok, I’m going to cancel you. Are you sure you want to do this because it’s not reversible once I put in the order. {clearly he is reading a script, but I feel the need to fuck with him}
Me: You’re not providing the service now, so it seems safe
Him: ok, are you sure? You may want some time to read any important emails you have on our system before canceling
Me: How exactly would I be getting to these emails?
His response was to start the whole disclaimer over, but not pause for me to respond to any further questions. Ha!
Finally, I am free of them.
Oh, and while all this was going on, my cell phone (also Verizon) started some new behavior: randomly shutting itself off (even in the middle of calls) though it’s fully charged. I Googled this and it turns out it’s a known issue with the phone, and there are numerous rants against Verizon for selling the model, though the issue was know. Fabulous.
If you haven’t passed out from the length of this yet, I’ll continue on and describe my Comcast experience.
I took my laptop to the library where I researched Comcast’s internet offerings. I have Comcast cable now. Low and behold there is a package for existing cable customers to add internet for a bundled rate. Ever the optimist, I sign up.
I’m then directed to chat with a technical person. Joelle, the tech person informs me that I am not eligible for the package, but I do qualify for a more expensive package. It seems you have to be a basic cable subscriber, upgrading to Digital cable and Cable internet to qualify (as if basic cable subscribers would make this jump so often, that this package is necessary). I tell Joelle: the site says this package is available to existing customers. To which Joelle replies:
Joelle> It does state that there is eligibility criteria
Amy_I'm looking at the eligibility criteria and it doesn't say that
Joelle> it states there is eligibility criteria I'm telling you what that criteria is
What a crock. I literally can’t believe that this tone is used on me or that this level of deceptiveness is allowed. But what are my options? I can’t return to Verizon.
So we set up a date for the Comcast tech to come out and that day is today my friends. The appointment was for between 2 – 5. When did he show up: 11am - right after I got out of the shower and am literally naked.
I tell him that I need a few minutes to get dressed and that he wasn’t supossed to be here until 2pm . He replied: well, I’m trying to get my calls done because there is a storm coming (we are expecting about 6 – 8 inches of snow). When did he call to tell me he was showing up at 11: 5 minutes before he arrived. Did I answer that call, no because I was in the shower. Did he show up anyway, yes.
Unbelievable. When it’s convenient for Comcast, they can arrive early.
The only reason these companies stay in business is because there are no other options.
17 days without the internet at home – unbelievable. This adventure is going to cost me about $20 more per month, plus the cost of a new cable modem. But at least I surf faster.
What is the lesson here? None. Or don’t change your service ever.
Ending the year with rage and joy… always an original.
Wishing you a very happy new year filled with all the internet access you desire. Looking out my window at the near zero visibility due to snow, I’m not thinking it’s going to be a big party evening here in the worlds greatest city, but hey, there is still much to be grateful for and to look forward to.
How to piss off customers and alienate everyoneSubtitle: another story about the ineptitude of utility companies (and one in particular: Verizon) or how I began to think I am supposed to be a hermit, completely unable to communicate with the other human beings.
I have Verizon home phone, cell phone and DSL (yes, DSL. Mock me if you wish). I spotted on their site an option for existing customers to bundle these services for less. Excellent. My mistake was assuming that a company offering a service to their existing customers could actually provide that service. How naïve I was. I, as the customer, looked upon this not as changing my service (as I wasn’t), but only changing the amount I was billed for that service. Verizon apparently looked at this as a complete change in service as well as an opportunity to torture their loyal customer.
Here is how it all went down:
Day 1 (12/15)
I receive a message (on my answering machine), that new phone service has now been activated and that I need to set up my voicemail by calling a certain number. What?
I receive a second voicemail saying a change to email address has been attempted and if I did not initiate this change, I should call an 800 number.
Hmmm… So I call the voicemail number first (though I don’t need voicemail and I’m sure didn’t request it), it asks me for my temporary password. I was not provided a temporary password, though a 5 minute call to the help tells me it’s my home phone number less the area code. Would it be so hard to tell me that?
Then I call the email phone number to find out what that is all about, but it’s nighttime and they are closed.
So I attempt to login to the Verizon site to see if I can find any information. I can not get online. Hmmm.. I know in my heart of hearts, this is related to ‘my new phone service’. So I call up DSL Tech support where the following information is demanded prior to getting through:
My Name
My Address
At alternate phone number (so they can call you back if you get disconnected. Ahem: what does that tell you about their confidence in their own phone service)
I’m enjoying the lovely hold music with interruptions to tell me that I should power down the modem and restart to see if it solves the problem, followed by endless pleas to go online to find help. Really useless for those of us who can not get online. 10 minutes into the call, I’m connected to a heavily accented Indian pretending to be in the US
My Name
My Address
At alternate phone number
Model of my DSL modem (which is from Verizon, so you might think they would know this information)
How long the phone cord is between the modem and the wall
Do I have all the filters on
I interrupt him to tell him my DSL has been working fine all along, so it’s unlikely that it’s the setup. He sighs and says: we have to go through the steps to see what is not working, ma’am. Clearly he is reading a script. After being on the phone with him for 25 minutes and trying a number of things, we are ‘disconnected’. I wait for the call on my alternate phone number, but it never comes. I have no more time to deal with it, so I decide to see if it will be on the next day.
Day 2 (12/16)
The DSL is still not working. I call again. This time there is a message while I’m waiting informing me that some customers in my state are experiencing trouble connecting. Hmmm… Then I am asked to provide all the same information prior to getting to a representative who asks me for the information again. I start with: I called yesterday and was disconnected. Even though I gave an alternate phone number, no one called me back. He says hmm.. but continues on asking for the same information all over again. I say: don’t you have this information already? We need to collect the information ma’am, is the only heavily accented reply. I’m wondering if they actually understand what I am saying to them. Today I ask if the outage could be why I can’t connect. He says: let me check. No, you’re line appears fine. We commence trying the same things as I had yesterday until I grow impatient, saying it’s not my setup. Then I tell him about the bundling and ask if that could be the cause. At this point, he gets fussy with me saying: you started by saying you had an outage, not that you changed your service. To which I reply: I didn’t change my service, I just bundled it. It’s exactly the same service. He puts me on hold (yea, more advice on how to go online to solve my problems)
Him: The DSL is not on because you didn’t have phone service until yesterday and you can’t have DSL without a phone. {His tone says‘duh, you dumbass customer’}
Me: I had both phone and DSL prior to yesterday when you inexplicably turned it off.
Him: well, you’re DSL has a pending status. {happy tone returns} it will be active on the 18th, that is tomorrow!
Me: That’s not tomorrow where I am in the US
Him: oh
Day 4 (12/18)
DSL is still not working. I call again and speak to a third heavily accented Indian, this time a woman, Eve.
Eve tells me my ticket was closed as resolved, but she can open a new one. Well, thanks. She then asks me all the same questions and I say: no. Look it up in the notes. This gets me nowhere and I end up answering all the questions again.
‘Eve’ tells me my DSL should be on and that it must be my wireless router, which is absurd. So we tried going wired and it still doesn’t work (which I knew it wouldn’t because the DSL modem Ready light was blinking and this, I had been told previously, was the tell tale sign that the DSL was not on). Finally, I get exasperated and ask to speak to a supervisor.
Another Indian comes on the line and tells me his name is Adam.
Me: Did you just say ‘Adam’?
Him: Yes
Me: just checking. {and I chuckle to myself}
I go through all the same questions with ‘Adam’ and then he says something must be wrong with the modem and a technician will need to come out. At this point I am passed to ‘Anna’ in dispatch to set it up.
Anna: the technician can come out tomorrow between 8 – 6.
Me: we can’t narrow that down?
Anna: no {just no, no further explanation}
Day 5 (12/19)
DSL is not working. I work from home and wait all day for the technician. None arrives.
At 5pm I call up and demand a supervisor right away. I am finally directed to Edequiel (with a Spanish accent) who gets quite an earful from me. He informs me that the technician had assessed my account from ‘the home office’ and went on to babble something about keys and circuits. In a nutshell, the easiest thing to do is cancel the order and start over. Finally I interject: A. none of this is my problem. You need to figure out how to fix this. B. What time was this note put on my account? And give me the time in my time in the US US 7am , I think.
This is when I really lost it.
So you told me a technician needed to come to my home, then assessed the situation from the home office. The assessment was that the order needed to be cancelled and re-booked. Yet you did not bother to notify me about this, though you knew it at 7am and I sat in my house all day waiting for you. Now it’s 5pm on a Friday and cancel and re-order is the only way to solve this? Did you have any intention of notifying me about any of this? I’ve called several times about this issue already and every time, it’s been a different story. This is fucking ridiculous. {ok, so the whole speech was laced with F bombs}.
Edequiel seems annoyed that I am yelling and just keeps continuing to tell me cancel and re-order is the only thing to do. I say: how about just cancel?
I am then transferred to what I assume is the ‘really pissed off customer service line’, where I speak to a Ms. Coats.
I give Ms. Coats a piece of my mind and she puts me on hold to ‘read the notes on my account’. I think this is really a tactic to allow the customer to calm down, but as I’ve now been on the phone with them for over an hour and have not had internet access in 5 days, my rage is growing by the minute.
She returns and repeats the nonsense about keys and circuits, but says she can do ‘expedited cancel and re-order’, which will take only 3 days.
I say: is that 3 days or 3 business days. Today is Friday, are we really talking about Weds?
Sadly, Weds. was the answer. So I throw off another series of F bombs, which results in an offer of 4 free months of internet service. It only took 6 people to get them to admit they had screwed up and offer something to me. So I say fine. Ms. Coats tells me she will be calling me personally on Weds. to make sure I am happy.
Day 10 (12/24)
DSL is not working. No call is received from Ms. Coats. Not surprising, but it’s Xmas Eve, so I let it go.
Day 12 (12/26)
DSL is not working. I call up the direct number of the ‘really pissed off customer service line’, which Ms. Coats had given me. I call up and say: Please read all the notes on my account and then come back.
A spend about 5 minutes on hold. Gee, I can get help with my DSL online, you don’t say…
When he returns, I can tell he is dreading having to speak to me. I prepare for the worst.
Him: We need to cancel and re-order. I see here that they told you they would do an expedited cancel and re-order. The problem with that is, there is no such thing as expedited cancel and re-order. They didn’t follow the correct procedure, so it was obviously denied.
Me: {long silence} What does that mean?
Him: it means we have to cancel and re-book to get the circuits and keys… blah, blah, blah…
Me: No, just cancel. Cancel and I’m going to Comcast. I’m not arguing about this.
Him: {typing}
Me: And I want a credit for the time I haven’t had internet: almost 2 weeks.
Him: you haven’t had internet for almost 2 weeks?
Me: yeah.
Him: ok, I’m going to cancel you. Are you sure you want to do this because it’s not reversible once I put in the order. {clearly he is reading a script, but I feel the need to fuck with him}
Me: You’re not providing the service now, so it seems safe
Him: ok, are you sure? You may want some time to read any important emails you have on our system before canceling
Me: How exactly would I be getting to these emails?
His response was to start the whole disclaimer over, but not pause for me to respond to any further questions. Ha!
Finally, I am free of them.
Oh, and while all this was going on, my cell phone (also Verizon) started some new behavior: randomly shutting itself off (even in the middle of calls) though it’s fully charged. I Googled this and it turns out it’s a known issue with the phone, and there are numerous rants against Verizon for selling the model, though the issue was know. Fabulous.
If you haven’t passed out from the length of this yet, I’ll continue on and describe my Comcast experience.
I took my laptop to the library where I researched Comcast’s internet offerings. I have Comcast cable now. Low and behold there is a package for existing cable customers to add internet for a bundled rate. Ever the optimist, I sign up.
I’m then directed to chat with a technical person. Joelle, the tech person informs me that I am not eligible for the package, but I do qualify for a more expensive package. It seems you have to be a basic cable subscriber, upgrading to Digital cable and Cable internet to qualify (as if basic cable subscribers would make this jump so often, that this package is necessary). I tell Joelle: the site says this package is available to existing customers. To which Joelle replies:
Joelle> It does state that there is eligibility criteria
Amy_I'm looking at the eligibility criteria and it doesn't say that
Joelle> it states there is eligibility criteria I'm telling you what that criteria is
What a crock. I literally can’t believe that this tone is used on me or that this level of deceptiveness is allowed. But what are my options? I can’t return to Verizon.
So we set up a date for the Comcast tech to come out and that day is today my friends. The appointment was for between 2 – 5. When did he show up: 11am - right after I got out of the shower and am literally naked.
I tell him that I need a few minutes to get dressed and that he wasn’t supossed to be here until 2pm . He replied: well, I’m trying to get my calls done because there is a storm coming (we are expecting about 6 – 8 inches of snow). When did he call to tell me he was showing up at 11: 5 minutes before he arrived. Did I answer that call, no because I was in the shower. Did he show up anyway, yes.
Unbelievable. When it’s convenient for Comcast, they can arrive early.
The only reason these companies stay in business is because there are no other options.
17 days without the internet at home – unbelievable. This adventure is going to cost me about $20 more per month, plus the cost of a new cable modem. But at least I surf faster.
What is the lesson here? None. Or don’t change your service ever.
Ending the year with rage and joy… always an original.
Wishing you a very happy new year filled with all the internet access you desire. Looking out my window at the near zero visibility due to snow, I’m not thinking it’s going to be a big party evening here in the worlds greatest city, but hey, there is still much to be grateful for and to look forward to.
