I will never step foot in another Verizon Wireless store location. I have visited one of them twice and it was a lesson in frustration. I am befuddled by how business can be conducted efficiently in these places. On my first visit all I need to do was upgrade my phones and renew my contract. I had no questions at all. I knew exactly which phones I wanted and planned to be in and out fairly quickly. Upon entering the store I was greeted by an employee with an iPad who asked for my name. He entered it into the iPad and said that I was in the queue. I waited for 20 minutes. While waiting I couldn't help but notice the ridiculous fashion in which the store operated. There were 8 employees (I counted them) and roughly 12 customers. I overheard an employee sitting in the corner of the store coaching an elderly woman on how to use e-mail. There was another conversation between a customer and an employee going on at the register regarding iTunes. I left after the next name in the queue that was called was not mine. I realize that Verizon is trying to operate like the Apple store however you don't have a Genius Bar where people can ask questions. Instead you have sales associates wasting excess amounts of time teaching people how to use their phones. My second visit was very similar to the first. The customer to staff ratio was roughly 2:1. All I needed to do was deactivate a prepaid phone for my mother. It would have taken 30 seconds. I never got to speak with anyone. I left after waiting 20 minutes yet again, but not leave without voicing my opinion to the store manager. I let her know that I knew it wasn't her fault on how the store operated, but to raise the issue if there are ever corporate staff meetings. You guys need to have a line for people that don't have questions. A "business only" line for customers that just want to walk in, do their business, and walk out. On my second visit to the store there was a girl in her 20s that needed one of the employees to put a screen protector on her phone. That's ridiculous! You guys are wasting people's time. Direct the knowledge hungry customers to some online tutorials or create workshops for them. Don't use your store as a forum in which non tech savvy people learn how to use Twitter. For others like me, do yourselves a favor and do not visit these store locations. These are not Verizon Wireless stores they are Verizon Wireless universities where people can go and receive an entire education on the use of smart phones. When I buy a car at a dealership I don't have to wait for the sales people to teach each customer how to drive. Why do I need to wait for Verizon customers to learn how to use their phones?
