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The Most frustrating thing about calling customer service.

A live operator would be so much better than that annoying automated menu that you are forced to navigate through for 15-20 minutes before it’ll transfer you to someone who won’t be able to help you. It starts off by asking you for your phone number and then asking that you confirm via a yes or no answer out loud. Then it’ll ask if it can help you itself, it can’t, it’ll try and solve your problem on it's own even though your problem is beyond its range of understanding. Then finally it’ll send you to the wrong department in the wrong state, you’ll need to give your name, number and account information to three different people none of which will be able to solve your problem regardless of how simple or complex that it may be. And finally you’ll end up singing your song to a fourth person who may or may not be able to solve your problem, all because the automated menu incorrectly directed your call in spite of you wasting valuable time out of your life going through it’s menus and prompts which are completely irrelevant since you wanted to talk to a tech or a customer service/billing person, from the beginning. The customer service people at fios are great when you can get them on the phone and end up In the correct department, but with this menu that rarely happens.

Message Edited by BigDaddyTees on 03-10-2009 06:39 AM

Comments

chinorider

I am not sure where I read/heard about this but as soon as the FIOS customer service starts it's pone number please stuff, I begin pressing zero repeatedly until I get a real person. Usually 5 or 6 times pressing zero works for me. Try it.

SickOfVerizun

Haha ... don't you get it? The ONLY reason Verizon put that stupid IVR in place is so they won't have to speak to you. Their goal is to annoy you and play Cucaracha with your nerves, until you hang up. Most companies do that now as standard practice ... but I think Verizon has the longest IVR out of every place I've ever called and by far the WORST customer service.

I am a former Verizon employee who quit because the Verizon office where I worked was just so ghetto I couldnt take it anymore. And I remember in training all they kept pushing was customer service and "wow-ing' the customer. However, now that I'm on the other side of the table as a Verizon customer, the customer service experience I have gotten is just appalling. I don't even call Verizon anymore ... so sick of talking to people in India who cannot fix and have no clue on how to fix problems. I don't even know why they're there. I had an issue where I disconnected my phone but I also have DSL. Well the rep who did my phone disconnect, did not tell me that it would also turn off the DSL so low and behold my DSL got turned off. I call technical support (India of course) and told them what happend, they said it was a technical issue with my line and they would send out a tech to fix it. So I'm like OK and hang up. an hour later I get a call from a tech alas someone in America! who tells me when my phone was turned off, it also turned off the DSL because i had not been switched to dry loop before the disconnect. The rep advised me that i had to start all over with another DSL account as dry loop. Now this may seem short but mind you this was hours upon hours of being flung around, transferred from department to department and i was upset. Why couldnt the other FIVE India reps tell me that it had to do with my account and I had to start a new order rather than having me troubleshoot and running diagnostics, etc?

For all the time I have taken to meander through the IVR and speak to someone in India, I could have spoke to someone live in the States and Verizon could of had me out their face in less than 10 minutes and everyone's happy. Wowing the customer? Yea, I'm "Wow'd" at how bad Verizon customer service really is.

dhlunar

I have no problem getting out of the IVR system. I have worked in call centers (not for Verizon) in the pass so I learned the tircks.

Two things I don't like:

I can tell the agents here must get an incentive for signing people up for stuff. Most of the time before they end the call they say, "let me see if there is anything else here," and then notice that I live in a location that is eligable for FiOS. Then they tried to sell me FiOS and everytime I say that I have to talk to my roommate and I will call back. Well I know that I am FiOS eligable, but I don't want FiOS and always have to find some excusss to say no. Is there any way that I can have my account noted that I don't want any sales, unless I ask? Or do I need to say when they ask if they have my permission to access my account, only to help me with my problem and nothing else?

My second issue is the overseas agents that are used more on the Internet side. Instead of using you they always use Mr. or Mrs. They also seem to repeat what I say. Like, Me: I want know why it is costing me more this month? Them: So, Mr. (my last name they can't say correctly) you wnat to know why it is costing you more this month?"

PIPESMOKER

That works, just keep pressing zeros.

BigDaddyTees

I tried pressing zero and it worked as I was transferred to a live person alot faster, unfortunately the person was unable to help me so forwarded my call to another number the automated machine was played again and told me to call back during normal business hours. I ended up solving the problem (a recurring one) myself, just unhooking and unplugging this and that until it was finally corrected per the instructions of several customer service reps in the past. Somehow rebooting your devices is the most common way to solve the most common problems, but unfortunately there are some things where it seems as though you have no other choice but to call customer service such as billing issues etc. I have found that most of the reps I’ve dealt with have been more than helpful and most times solve the problem, but occasionally you get the rude and lazy ones who transfer you or simply hang up. Even when you want to upgrade your service package or add new products and services to your account.

frustratedX100

I HAVE BEEN DENIED ACCESS TO MY ACCOUNT FOR MONTHS.....I went all the way..punched zeros...and one day stayed on hold on 3 different phones , the first answer took 1 hour 46 minutes. For 2 1/2 months I did not get a bill, the agent had recorded wrong billing address. Without paper bill I had no account number to register on line. After hours and weeks I was able to get the acct # but no "pin". The pin could only be mailed to the registered address (which was wrong) or left on a phone message at the Verizon number, which has no answering service and was over 200 miles away. After 4 hours on chat and phone with Verizon I was told that the corrected address took another 1 to 2 billing cycles to become useful on line!. Are you with me...I will have been denied access to my own account for a total of 4 1/2 months.....with the excuse that this is all bases on new FCC rules and regulations. I work with the FCC daily, and even this government agency does not take 4 1/2 months to get back to me. The individual State Attorney Generals need an influx of these complaints, As consumers we are not being appreciated our true rights. Verizon is quite possibly the worse "service" I have dealt with and that included the Bank OF America credit card system.

SoCalDon

I have to agree, BigDaddy -- it's an annoying, tedious waste of time, to have to repeat these things over and over again, as you get passed from computer, to person, to person within the system. Once the computer identifies who you are via phone number & caller ID, that info. should be passed to each customer service rep, along with access to account info. (which has an ongoing record of what's been said and done, so that likewise you aren't starting over from scratch with each person) if that has been granted. That would save time and tedium for everyone, customer service included.

And as you said, often we know at the outset that a call cannot be dealt with via some automated FAQ system, but you're forced to go through it anyway, no matter what. Makes the customer feel like a total idiot, who must be walked through everything, every step of the way, every time, to confirm that he isn't wasting the time of the customer service reps (never mind that they're wasting the time of customers who call in).

One other ongoing gripe, which is a needless, pointless, annoyance, benefitting no one, but it's a part of the standard routine just the same: Reading from a script. After the customer service rep has rattled that sentence off a few thousand times, they're saying it so fast it's nearly impossible to understand, and given how obvious it is that it's scripted, I find it more annoying and time-wasting than anything else, hoping it will end soon so that we can get on with what's important.

As for the plugs for getting the customer to buy more services, while I don't appreciate that, I find it more annoying, knowing all of the hints and clues about how important customer service's time is, and how unimportant they think the customer's time is. But yet, they have oodles of time to spend trying to get more money out of us. Want to know how to get more money out of me? By doing things that save me time, money, and aggravation. If I need to pay an additional $5-$10 per month to get that, then so be it. Being squeezed through a tiny hole of service (e.g., when there's a problem with the product) is not worth $5/mo. savings.

SoCalDon

SickOfVerizon,

Great post. One comment:

Here's how to "wow" the customer:

Cust. Serv.: "Hi, this is Bob, how can I help you today?"

Customer: "Hi Bob. I'm having problem _____ with my product."

Cust. Serv.: "O.k., let me look into it. One moment please..."

Customer: "O.k."

...

Cust. Serv.:"Found the problem, and here's the solution...."

Customer: "Wow. Thanks, Bob."

Cust. Serv.:"You're welcome. Have a good day."

Customer: "You too. Bye."

See how human, happy, and efficient that is? And the "Wow factor" is in solving problems and providing answers, as quickly and easily as possible.

SMRyan

If that were the case, there wouldn't be a problem, but the fact that it's a problem kinda screams that it takes more than 1 second to resolve. If it were that easy, you could solve it on your own time.

SoCalDon

1) I kinda didn't write "1 second," but nice try at the exaggeration.

2) Speaking as someone who's created a lot of computer software, and provided customer service for it, I've filled my software with code to detect and report problems, every step of the way. Thus, if a customer ever contacted me with a problem (and maybe even provided me with an error code), and provided sufficient description of the circumstances, I could find it and solve it very quickly. A new version of the software would be produced within 24 hours. And in very short order, the product would be completely bug-free. As for problems caused by the end-user, after providing tech support for a few years, I could figure out what the problem was very quickly, even if the customer had very poor communication skills.

3) I've also worked with hardware, and that is a bit different, because unlike software, hardware wears out and needs to be replaced. Regardless, when you're talking about a mega-huge company like Verizon, they can afford to buy top-quality electronic devices, and (similar to my software techniques) fill the system with sensors and redundancy, to detect, bypass, reroute, etc., circuits, as well as to instantly identify problems in the system. All it takes is the foresight, extra thought, effort, and investment, to set it up that way in advance.

Regardless, the larger point has to do with customer service, and "wow-ing" the customer (IF that's the goal). Dump the dang phone tree, dump the need for the customer to explain the same dang thing 3-4 times to 3-4 different people, dump the hyper-silly marketing style rhetoric, stop treating the customer as if his time is worth nothing (but Verizon's time is extremely valuable), and just be plain, simple, straight-forward, and human. Answer the phone, talk to the customers, and if you don't know what the problem is, then just say so. Most of us will understand. Really. And then get to work to solve the problem. We're paying for a service, and it typically is a very important service to our daily lives (phone, cell phone, internet). The wow-factor will be in how fast problems are solved and how few of them there are, and how much of our time and stress-level is taken up with helping them solve it.

iheartfios123

Alrighty - A little more back on topic, here is how to get to the department that you need pretty much everytime. You CANNOT just say agent, because it will more than likely give you whoever is available.

For billing/order status/new order/general questions related to products but NOT related to using your service issues - Call 1-888-553-1555

USUALLY if you have a verizon home phone number you should enter it in from jump - when you get to the main menu press 1 for billing - then as long as the first menu has "none of these" as number 5 press number 5 - when you get to the next menu - as long as number 5 is none of these, press # 5 - you will then get a prompt that says, "if you are calling to pay your bill press one, if not, press 2" If you have a question ONLY - press 2.

If you DON'T have a verizon home number do almost the same except when it asks for your phone number say - "I don't have one" Then when it gets to the 2nd prompt that asks for the number you signed up with, press that in then follow the rest of the steps after the main menu.

If you are calling FIOS tech support, the steps above are pretty much the same except when you get to the main menu, press 2 for tech support.

If you are calling DSL - call 1-800-567-6789

DO NOT ENTER YOUR PHONE NUMBER - Say "I don't have one" 2x for the first question, "no" to are you calling to establish new service, and "I don't have it" for the 2nd. When you get to the main menu do NOT press ANYTHING - SAY Repair - press the option for internet -It will ask you if this is for Fios - press 2 for no. It will then get u into the DSL queue.

For problems with your copper phone service - call 1-800-483-1000

DO NOT ENTER YOUR PHONE NUMBER - Say "I don't have one" 2x for the first question, "no" to are you calling to establish new service, and "I don't have it" for the 2nd. When you get to the main menu do NOT press ANYTHING - SAY Repair - press the option for telephone - It will then say something like "I'd be glad to get you a rep, but it will make it easier if they had a phone number." You can THEN put your number in- It will then get u into the Copper repair queue.

Hope this helps!!! Let me know...

crazzytyme

you know, i was just going to say you can always say customer service and you will be redirected.

but, i need to actually talk to someone now and was transferred to the help desk and so far on hold for 15 min 28 sec. making me angry. very angry. trying to use live chat but it is not working so still just waiting for someone to answer. they can at least put real songs on the hold music. it is the same unstrumental thing for 19 min 19 sec now.

do i hang up or keep holding??? whats a girl to do???

24m 39 sec now still no answer on hold same stupid music loop. they would be better play "this is the song that never ends" lol this ridiculous.

going to hang up i guess.

and process starts all over...........

ya know i am irate now......another 10 on hold and no answer. just the stupid hold music.

have stuff to do will try again later.

---cant get cust service if no one will answer the phone...........

SoCalDon

CrazzyTyme,

Or better yet, here's what I'd like phone-tree designers to add:

"Your hold time is approximately ____ minutes. While waiting, if you'd like to listen to pop music, press 1; for country western, press 2; for hard rock, press 3; for classical, press 4; for news, press 5; for a comedy routine by Bill Cosby, press 6; or for no sound at all, press 9."

Waiting on hold is one thing, but when you have no choice but to listen to some music you don't like, and may be poor quality, is indeed a further annoyance of the whole process. And truth is, if I want to listen to music while I wait, I have several radios and stereos available, all of which have much better sound quality than a single tiny speaker in a telephone, shoved against one ear.

blazersharon

We should not have to press anything to get a live person.Maybe a nother number to use for certain situations. They are getting redicuous on alot of things lately.Even the people you talk to.They don't put you through to a supervisor they put you through to another customer service rep.And they also if they don't want to hear your crap will put you on hold till you can't take it anymore.Been there the last month with order change still not fixed.

Tricia

I regret having ever switched to verizon. They screwed up my computer and the service is horrible. Calling customer service is a waste of time and they do nothing to help when there is a major problem and a very dissatisfied customer.

jumpin683

I don't have phone service with Verizon (Internet and TV) and calling into customer support is a painful experience. Because there is no physical phone number associated with my account I generally answer "dont have a phone" to the first two questions. I am then able to get a live person. I tell them I need the New York Service Center for technical support with <Internet, TV> and they transfer me. At that point I tell them I provide my contact number but inform the rep. I don't have verizon phone, only Internet and TV.

I've tried using my contact number back at step 1 and step 2 but since my contact number is not a verizon phone I am put into an infinite loop of the IVR. Zeroing out is the best option for me.

dhlunar

What I hate about calling customer service is at the end of the call they inform me that my address is eligible for FiOS. Then they try to shove it down my throat about how great it is. Well, I know I am eligible for FiOS, but I don't want it because I don't have a problem with the services that I currently have and I don't want to have to pay an arm and a leg and have to get myself into a contract. Is there any way of telling the customer service representative that I am only interested in them helping me solve my problem and not trying to sell me FiOS? The last time I called and the CSR told me that I said: "Not interested, BYE!" and hang-up.

Heath

I left comcast because of how much they frustrated me, verizon's customer service and phone system is mind bogglingly frustrating. Last friday while i was shopping Verizon to potentially switch I was looking to get them to waive the monthly charges for the HD set top boxes for fios TV. They said they could not waive the HD set top boxes but they could in fact waive stahdard definition set top box monthly equipment charges. The next day I set up to have verizon FiOS installed on sunday. Now heres where the jounrey begins at 10am EST tuesday. I am in Virginia, my cell phone is a california number. I understand that i call 800 numbers i get routed to west coast places. I try calling the 1800 verizon number, said that they are closed. So im assuming i got routed to a west coast department which would in fat be closed because its only 7am and they open at 8am but you would think that when you give your account information and zip code it would point you in the direction of the region that your account is in. Nope. So after going in circles with phone prompts and online chat support trying to reach someone on the east coast an HOUR went by, finally its 11amEST/8amPST, so i call again, get someone on the WEST coast (as expected). That person said that they would transfer me to someone on the east coast, but instead transfered me to someone on the west coast again. This next person finally transfered me to someone on the east coast who couldnt help me with my quest/request/problem and sai dthey would transfer me to someone who could help me. I asked that person to make sure that the person who they are transfering me to is on the east coast. I got transfered to someone on the WEST coast AGAIN! This person transfered me to someone on the east coast, this time central flordia, deals with financial situations, or so im told, seemed smart, nice lady but couldnt help me with set top box charges. She said she would transfer me to someone on the east coast to help me but guess what? Yep, got someone on the WEST coast! I gave up at that point and went the online chat support route again who told me that they do not waive monthly set top box charges. So I try the phone one more time! After 1 transfer i got someone who was on the east coast and handles billing questions! Sadly, 2 hours and 17 minutes have gone by now and she tells me that they do not waive monthly recurring charges and does not know why someone would say that they did. I asked who could? She said no one could at all. I bet if i had an account at the time i was first talking to the lady who said she could waive SD set top box charges it would have happened right there. A very disappointing end to a very frustrating journey with verizon's customer service.

Mkm

DRY LOOP--------Contact Retension Dept. 1-800-483-4000

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