Bad communication and financial loss

[ceradilla]

My phone went into SOS mode for more than 8 hours, and I spent a long time troubleshooting and calling customer service, only to have my calls drop twice. There was no resolution. It wasn't until I got home and saw a news report that I found out about a massive power outage in the area.
Verizon's failure to communicate a major outage to its customers is completely unacceptable. They wasted my time and, even worse, the outage caused me to miss important business calls and meetings, which resulted in a financial loss. This kind of poor customer service and lack of transparency is why I'm now taking my business elsewhere.

[SynthpopAddict]

There wasn't a notification at the top of your Verizon account page to say there was an outage? You can use the "Check network status" link to the right, under "Get help from Verizon", to check for outages and sign up for updates when there is an outage.  The same link is called "Network support", if you go to the main Verizon website and scroll all the way down to the bottom for the link.

I don't know why CS couldn't simply tell you there was an outage though, unless it was because whomever you spoke with is at an overseas call center and can't access that part of the company.  That definitely is something which could have been done better.

If it was a large power outage causing the problem, that's not Verizon's fault directly...cell phone towers run on electricity and even towers which have a backup power supply, the backup has a limited amount of time before either the battery runs down, or the generator runs out of fuel.  In extreme situations where cell towers have been destroyed or the power is out for days, mobile "cells on wheels" (COWs) are deployed to provide basic cellular coverage (5G won't be working and it will be whatever spectrum of LTE which uses the least amount of power).

In any case, sorry to hear of your experience.  Guessing WiFi wasn't available either due to the power outage.

[ceradilla]

Thank you for your follow-up and for sharing your perspective. I understand that you're not a Verizon employee, and I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
To answer your question about the Verizon account notification, I was driving when the outage happened and had no connection. I couldn't access Wi-Fi or data, so there was no way for me to see a notification on the app or website. Even once I did get to a Wi-Fi connection, I was unable to log in to my Verizon account.
The problem wasn't a lack of tools or links on the website; it was a complete communication breakdown at the most critical time. Verizon failed to use the communication channels available to them—like text messages or a simple, clear message on their automated phone service—to inform customers. Instead, I spent hours troubleshooting and desperately trying to connect to my meetings on the road.
I appreciate you explaining the technical side of outages, but the cause of the outage is not my concern as a paying customer. My concern is the total lack of communication and the significant financial loss that resulted from it. I pay for a service, and when that service fails, I expect to be informed immediately so I can take action to protect my business and my livelihood.
This experience highlights a fundamental flaw in Verizon's customer service, and it's why I am considering a different carrier.

[Flmommy2]

I’m still stuck on sos mode. We have 5 Verizon phones in our family and mine is the only one so it’s definitely not a power issue or an across the board issue… I still can’t get any answers on timing. 

[ceradilla]

Hello there,

I completely understand your frustration. It's clear that the person that  reply to my message  , "synthpopaddict," doesn't grasp the reality of the situation you and I experienced. Telling  me where  to check for an outage on an app is useless when I had no service and are on the road. Especially living in a rural area where immediate WiFi access isn't an option. The lack of reliable service and transparent communication from Verizon is a serious problem. It's frustrating to be given technical excuses when the core issue is that the service you pay for failed you when you needed it most.

I'm truly sorry you're still dealing with this. This isn't just about a small inconvenience; it's about paying for a service you can't rely on.

It’s incredibly frustrating, and I'm sorry to hear you're still stuck in SOS mode. It's especially difficult when the problem seems to be isolated to your device and not a widespread outage.

You should definitely reach out to Verizon customer support directly. Explain your specific situation: that you have five phones on your account, and only yours is affected, proving it's not a general power or network issue.

Ask them for a clear apology and inquire what accommodations or compensation they can offer for the significant inconvenience and bad service you've experienced. Make it clear that your service is not working and you need a resolution.

[Psyllicon]

THANK YOU, FLMommy2~!

I also have FIVE phones on an account, at least THREE different locations (and at least one phone that can be ANYWHERE) so the Verizon Support limitation ('Enter your Address') is INFURIATING~!!   Your issues confirm to me that this could have happened to ONE of my Parents but not the Other.  

Verizon was relatively SILENT on this from my perspective, which was unforgivable~