I would like to share with you easily the worst customer experience I have ever encountered--and for me that is saying something.
Say hello to Verizon FiOS everyone! I was lured by the free LCD TV offer (or $200 in Best Buy gift certificate) offer for signing up with new service. However, I am realizing that it is not worth it.
Let me recount this for you on a date by date basis:
Dec 4 - I call and have an order placed at 9PM ET. I receive the following email at 1AM a few hours later.
|
Dear Mike,
from volconsumer@verizon.com
to date subject mailed-by
Congratulations! Your home is about to be upgraded to the power of Verizon FiOS. Soon you'll be able to download purchased music in a flash, watch flawless streaming video and get the edge in online gaming with FiOS Internet Service. . And, with FiOS TV you will get a 100% digital picture*, room shaking sound, that allows you to watch a recorded show in one room while someone else uses the same DVR in another room.
Here is a summary of your FiOS order:
o Scheduled Installation Date -- 12-17-2007
o Scheduled Technician Arrival Window -- 13:00-17:00(Hrs)EST
Dec 6 - I receive the following email asking for further information ... I think it's ridiculous, but I do it anyway, especially since I am a Verizon customer in Vermont. They should know who I fricking am already!
Verizon.com Tracking Number: 21980659
from to date subject mailed-by
Billing Telephone Number: xxxxx
Thank you for submitting your order for new telephone service with Verizon.com. To complete your application for new service, Verizon needs to ensure we are establishing service for the authorized party. In order to confirm your identity, it will be necessary for you to provide one (1) photo and one (1) non-photo identification or three (3) forms of non-photo identifications. Please note additional requirements may apply, such as deposit, advanced payment or toll credit limit. If we are not in receipt of the required information within 24 hours, telephone service may not be connected on the due date previously provided to you on our website.
Please choose from the following lists:
http://www22.verizon.com/customerhelp/Data/Verizon /Templatesets/consumer/pdf /Valid_Forms_of_ID.pdf
You may fax or mail your identification.
Faxing Instructions: Please lighten and enlarge your photo copies prior to faxing. The fax telephone number is (800) 688-0427. Please complete and include the fax cover sheet with your order information when faxing identification, by clicking on this link. http://www22.verizon.com/customerhelp/Data/Verizon You will be notified via email that your identification has been processed and approved. If you do not hear from us within 24 hours, please contact the welcome center at (877) 912-6500./Templatesets/consumer/pdf/Fax _Cover.pdf
Mailing Instructions: Please mail a Xeroxed copy of your identification. Please make sure the copy is legible, and print, complete and include the cover sheet http://www22.verizon.com/customerhelp/Data/Verizon with your order information. Your documents should be mailed to:/Templatesets/consumer/pdf/Fax _Cover.pdf
Verizon Welcome Center
408 Leon Sullivan Way, 1st Floor
Charleston, WV 25301
Please wait 3 to 5 business days after mailing your documents and you will be notified via email that your identification has been processed and approved.
Dec 17 - Installation day -- I get a call saying that they can't come because they didn't receive my information
Dec 18 AM - I resend information. See here for the fax cover sheet.
Dec 18 PM - I speak with Julie in the Service Center at 888-553-1555 at 3PM and she can't figure out why there is a problem. She returns my call via voicemail at 5:36PM and said that she had to "refer the order" and will be back to me the next day
Dec 19 - January 1 - I go on vacation. Julie never calls me back
Jan 2 - I resend the fax with my ID ... again, just for good measure.
Jan 2 PM -- I am on hold for an hour and finally get through to the sales and billing office to reschedule. They send me to the "Welcome Center" (read: Unwelcome center) to verify my information ... that is the same information that a) I faxed to them 3 times and b) that they should have already had since I am a VZ customer!). Apparently, because I was already Verizon customer, that was the source of the problem. OF COURSE! Nothing like those returning customers here to mess up your business!
Then they have to transfer me from the Welcome Center back to Sales and Billing to schedule the appointment. I ask for other numbers in case I get hung up on and I was given 866-326-7937.
And then I get hung up on in the transfer. Seriously.
Jan 2 PM part 2 - I call back at that 7937 to the VZ customer service center and on hold for another hour. I have to leave for home and can't wait anymore.
Jan 3 -- Today I come resolved to make sure to document all my names and times. I place my first call at 10:35 AM. After a 41 minute hold time, I finally get to someone who "doesn't cover New York." He is very nice (heretofore Nice Guy), but has to transfer me to a person (who is a Jerk) who says "there is no order for you, and you have to go to the Welcome Center." In fact, the two VZ people were talking to each other and Nice Guy tries to explain to Jerk what happened, and Jerk cuts off Nice Guy and just hits the transfer button. I lose Nice Guy in the transition.
I get transfered to the Welcome Center and speak with a Mrs. Hall at 11:28 AM. She said, "I see no reason why you are here since there are three order numbers that are 'identified and approved' (14202534, 14202951, 14203124) I have no idea why I am at the Welcome Center."
She has to transfer me back to Sales and Billing department.
11:48 I get transfered to "Michelle" who says that she "doesn't do FiOS, but she does all other sales and billing information. I get transfered again.
12:07 - I get transfered to a Mr. Vee who can't find any of my old orders, despite giving my numbers and has to start another order from scratch. I finally get one done at 12:34 PM and theoretically someone is coming next Friday to install the service. Order #N1****98!
*end realtime blogging*
This was incredibly unreal. In total, this order will have taken:
- over 45 days of calendar time (and it still isn't guaranteed to be installed yet.
- over 8 hours of talk/hold time
- 5 orders placed (1 in 12/5, the 3 on 1/2, and 1 on 1/3).
- 3 hangups in VZ transfers
- 3 faxes of very personal information
- about 12 transfers between e-Center, Sales and Billing and the ... my favorite ... "Welcome Center"
In all honesty, it wasn't worth it. It still isn't. I really just completed the exercise to see how bad it could really be. It was amazingly the worst customer experience ever, and unless they are trolling blogs, I doubt anything will come of it. I will send this off to VZ and post back with any "results."
(I use that term loosely).
4 comments:
Wow - hope that you get everything sorted. For a similar experience please check out my Verizon FiOS experience.
I have to tell you that you really should just cancel the Fios TV order completely. Otherwise, the Fios hell that you've entered will continue. The service is awful once it goes in. They have assured me (in RI) that an upgrade is due on or about 1/8 and I'm waiting to see if it actually does improve the service. I regret my choice every time I turn on the TV which happens less and less frequently. Good Luck to you!
I've been in the maze with verizon fi os online for days. All I want to do is watch The Wire. If I want to bundle services, they want me to change my 12 year old phone number. When I call for clarification, I get into the "I don't do fi os" loop. I appreciate your post.
I feel for you. I am having similar problem with them except they have taken my phone number from Cox without installing Fios first.Never showed up to install when said they would. It has been 10 days now with no phone. I have cancelled the installation but it still shows up on the order status as scheduled to install on Feb 4th
I am tired of the run around and have decided to just call Cox and get a new phone number as I can't get mine back from Verizon. Good luck with yours.
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