I have been with Verizon for 18+ years and that means absolutely nothing to them. This LG phone I purchased from them is more fragile than anything I have ever seen. The slightest drop ( it fell less than a foot on a hardwood floor) and it cracks. I have it protected with a case I got from Verizon but still breaks easier than an eggshell. Due to this I have had to make 2 claims already and now I cannot make anymore claims for this piece of garbage and my contract is not up until May of this year.
Now I have worked in customer service for over 20 years and each company I worked for allowed me the ability to use my judgement and "do right" by our customer. When I was a teenager working at a car wash I made more effort than verizon + in either freezing temps or blazing hot summer days to make sure our loyal customers were taken care . I have worked for companies that will send free product/ free shipping/ VIP points even when it was not the companies fault that the delivery was delivered late by our shipping carrier. That is how good companies show appreciation to their customers/fans.
Here is how Verizon handles their customers.
First they use scripted statements that show empathy " I understand how frustrating this is" "I can appreciate the difficulty...." . I'm sure if they reply to this there will be more of this fake empathy. I told both people I talked to that I am looking for a new job ( more fake scripted empathy) and the only options they could give me was to spend money. I don't mind buying a new phone but they want me to buy a phone for a few months ( need smart phone so I can check for replies to job apps when I am out running errands) until my contract is up so I can then buy a new one at retail and pay it off as part of my bill for God knows how long.
Here is what another company would say and do " I see your current plan will expire in a few months. I'll waive the termination fees so you can sign up for a new one and get a new phone at RETAIL ( I have no problem paying full price) ." By offering this I would still be a loyal customer paying full price for all my services ( translation you still get paid the same amount). How difficult is that? I am not asking for free/reduced/extra services. I asked your company to meet me half way.
Told the advisor ( refuse to call them Customer Service) I wanted to reduce costs of my plan until May so I can get a plan with AT&T and cancel verizon in May. Here is the kicker the advisor actually said " Thank you for continuing as a customer of verizon" All I can say is WOW you can't even deviate from the script even when your statement basically says " everything you just told me went in one ear and out the other".
