Deloused,
What you fail to understand is that customers do not need an update with an exact date. That would be highly preferable, however we do need at least something. If no further information is available, we at least need to know, "Why so long?" as this forum asks. This entails providing a detailed response rather to allow us to understand rather than the typical lazy, short, and uninformative response that are given by Verizon customer service representatives. Your response detailing the process is a perfect example of what we, or at least I, am looking for given that you cannot provide the actual release date. I understand this type of response takes more time which translates to higher costs due to lost productivity (more time = less responses), however it all boils down to how much Verizon values its customers, the quality of customer service it would like to provide, and the level of customer satisfaction it would like to maintain. Due to Verizon's premium pricing, I believe we deserve this type of time and effort when interacting with customer service representatives.
To put my situation into perspective, I have owned a Droid 4 for many many years due to my preference in physical keyboards. I know I am in the minority in my preference - which I guess is the reason for the lack of availability of new devices with this feature (passport is bulky and not on Verizon). However, as you can imagine, after so many years my device is in desperate need of an upgrade. I hope you can see why this situation can be a bit frustrating after waiting for a new device like the Priv for almost half a decade.
With that said, overall I was highly satisfied with your response. That really was all I wanted to hear. Thank you for being the only Verizon representative to take the time to write a detailed, honest, and informative response! I will continue to wait for the Priv on the Verizon network.
Best,
Chrono2050
Over on the Android blogs the story is that the delay is Marshmallow. As in the other carriers released the device with Lollipop, to be updated later. VZW is waiting to release the device until they can market it with the very newest version of Android. It's the only valid reason for a delay this significant. It hit the FCC in December, so that's not the problem. Delay makes the device seem dated when it finally is released. And obviously contributes to customer dissatisfaction. I seriously thought they would make a Valentines release to try to increase sales, but I suppose all the hardware keyboard people and the dedicated BlackBerry fansd will all just continue to be patient... Or, indeed, switch.
Service providers in places like Pakistan release phones faster than verizon. Even T-Mobile released the phone atleast 60 days sooner than verizon; but if it was the NSA favored iPhone then they'd have available immediately.... do the math on that one.
They could provide an update and release the phone in a substantially more timely manner.
I am a Blackberry user and I like Blackberry devices, period. There is no "equivalent" device that would satisfy me as it would not be the Blackberry Priv--which is what I want. Aside from that, I would be very upset if I locked myself into a two-year agreement (or paid some astronomical price for) a device that I really didn't want in the first place and then you launch the Priv. That right there would definitely send me packing! If the company was not in a position to be able to provide regular updates to its customers, then why even encourage us to sign up in November? I think that's the cause of much of our frustration. I get that you're just a customer service guy that makes no decision, but you should share with the higher ups the beating you guys are taking on their behalf. My patience is wearing thin is all I can say...
If Verizon can't tell us the release date, can't they at least tell us the date that an announcement will be made?...I think that would be more than fair!
No, they don't normally announce when an announcement is going to happen. If or when Verizon Wireless announces a phone will be available for purchase, it usually occurs a few days before the the phone is officially available. At most, the announcement is a week before the phone's release date.
I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.
"They don't normally announce when an announcement is going to happen."...but perhaps they should make an exception this time. 68 pages in the "Verizon Priv waiting room" on Crackberry.com and counting plus this thread among many others. And considering that the phone has been out for months on AT&T, when it does appear on Verizon, it will be old tech, I think it would be more than fair to at least provide an estimate as to when to expect an announcement.
It almost appears as if Verizon wants this phone to fail. It will be released either near or after the release of the new Samsung Galaxy phone, and rumors are at a price on par with the Galaxy which will have superior specs such as a faster processor, longer battery life, more notoriety, etc...
They might make an exception for the high volume high dollars devices. The BlackBerry Priv is neither one of those. Since you mentioned Samsung, discussion about when the next Samsung phone will be released will likely well over 100 pages across multiple threads. Verizon Wireless allocates funds for advertising and marketing based on the rate of return. I don't see the Blackberry having a high enough rate of return to justify the "full page spread" resources.
I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.
No one is asking Verizon to allocate funds to advertise the Priv. Just to at least provide an estimation to when an announcement will be made if they cannot provide an actual release date. There are many people waiting for the Priv compared to the low cost of writing a simple message, "We expect to have information on the Priv's release date in approximately..."
The cost of writing that 30 second message? Just the few cents in wages to whomever posts it. Therefore, the rate of return?...High
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