Wireless customer retention

[Rimbrecht]

Team,

I am a long term, post paid, subscriber with no slow pay history or billing issues.  I have “muscled through” with my loyalty to Verizon albeit the premium pricing and lagging service  levels in some parts of my hometown.  I am interested in pre- ordering the newest IPhone 15 Pro.  I went on its chat feature to simply ask if the rep was empowered to offer me any incentive in addition to their current promotion as a long term customer.  I quoted T Mobile’s advertised promotion.  I did not threaten my business, but respectfully asked if they were inclined to assist.  I was passed to three different reps in a long chat.  I left the chat with two takeaways: 1) Verizon does not have a customer retention culture- Verizon has published significant loss of subscribers in 2022 which has continued into the first two quarters of this year and 2) Verizon does not seem to care about retaining well  established, post paid customers.   Verizon, I am not mad, just discouraged- I feel that my loyalty is not appreciated or valued. 

[vzw_customer_support]

We're sorry you feel like we don't value our long time customers. We'd be happy to help you look through our deals and help you find something that'll provide you with the best value. Here's a link to our deals page where you can take a look and we'll send you a Private Note to follow up.

https://www.verizon.com/deals/

~Jesse

[Cajunmermaid504]

I have been a customer of Verizon  for over  20 yrs - before it was Verizon; it was  Alltel.  I too feel like my loyalty doesn’t mean a thing. I have 4 phones and I’ve ALWAYS paid my bill on time. My husband and I are military. We don’t even get the deals that newcomers get. Every time I try to call I get someone who speaks good English, but has no idea what I asking. Last week I called to see why the phone that I ordered was cancelled. They said  “you went over your points. You are at 4.11 and that’s too much..?”  I have no idea what points mean on my Verizon account is. I asked them to tell me  what does that mean, and they hung up on me. Another 45 minute conversation ended with no resolve. . I think it’s time for me to go to a new provider.  It’s been a good run Verizon, but someone else will appreciate my loyalty. 

[vzw_customer_support]

We never want to see you leave us Canjummermaid. We appreciate you! Thank you for serving. Let's review why a phone order was canceled. We will send you a private message.-Joe

[Angie_braac]

Same here!  Customer for 17 years and always paid the “extra” for Verizon because the wonderful customer service was simply worth it. We added a new phone line onto our plan the beginning of December. We tried to shut down a landline and port our number over and have spent a total of four hours with agents on the phone. Although the agents are extraordinarily nice, the resolutions have been horrific; woke up to no Internet today and feel that our efforts to remain customers are fruitless. We completely understand the other loyal customers frustrations! 

[Angie_braac]

Also should have mentioned that the lack of native English speakers has been extremely hard in trying to find resolutions-a lot is lost in translation. Again, very nice,  just not helpful.

[vzw_customer_support]

Hello. We are here for you. We will be glad to help you clarify any concerns you might have regarding your account. We sent a Private Message to further assist you.  ~Geo

[Pietro-V]

While most of us are not at all fans of  Verizon's billing policies, most of us are seemingly happy enough with the service we receive.

If you already own your phone(s) outright, might I suggest moving to Visible, which is Verizon's own prepaid cellular service. As long as your phone is generally Verizon Wireless compatible and up-to-date, you can bring it to Visible. If you have an Apple (only!) smartwatch, you can bring that for $5/mo. Android smartwatch users are out of luck here (we've been complaining to Visible about this for years!).

For what seems to be unlimited service on the full Verizon Wireless network, WiFi hotspot, and access to ultra-wide 5g where available, I pay $45/month including tax.

I'm a tech specialist and need to have as much access to the Internet and phone as I can get, wherever I go.  I have 2 smartphones. My main phone is on Visible, and my 2nd one is on AT&T.

Really pleased with this arrangement.  You can find Visible (their logo is V*s*ble) at visible.com.

[Bpottsi]

Same issue, I’m a long time customer and even got the Verizon visa a few years back, but two negative in store experiences and one with corporate from my previous upgrade are leading me to look to other carriers.  It’s a shame because aside from the hassles of negotiating upgrades, I’ve been satisfied with the Verizon service.

[SynthpopAddict]

In my experience from calling CS, I'm pretty convinced that the call center is overseas based upon the people answering all having the same accent.  While I do understand this is a common practice in many companies now because it saves them money, it also means that in Verizon's case at least, it's hurting the level of customer service because the people talking to us customers must only have very limited access to anything related to Verizon...after all, the network is only in the US.  Never mind that the call center people are also working in the middle of their night with the time zone difference?  I don't know about the people on the live chat function or the CS reps who answer forum posts, but it doesn't look like they are able to access much either.

It doesn't help that Verizon store employees may or may not know more than how to set up new service.  If the store employees were better trained to troubleshoot issues or just had more ability to handle more complicated CS situations instead of telling us we need to call a number, would help with keeping customers satisfied.

Re: the post about going to Visible - The one downside to using an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) service is you'll be deprioritized on the network since all MVNOs are renting space on one or more of the big 3 companies' (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) network.  Visible is Verizon's wholly owned MVNO, so you probably won't get shoved all the way down to the bottom of the network barrel as you would if you were using a 3rd party MVNO utilizing Verizon's network, but you might find your service quality will take a hit somehow.  This is particularly true if you are in a more populated area where there is more traffic on the network.

[Britnichole91]

I too am a long standing Verizon customer. I initially cancelled a line 2+ years ago but I still owed on the device. When I cancelled the line they added the full amount of the balance owed on the device which was over $900. When I contacted customer service they helped me and reinstated the line with the understanding that is was ONLY being reinstated until the device was paid off and then it would be cancelled. I have been enrolled in auto pay for some time for the convenience but for the last payment or so I had to make manual payments due to some unforeseen family emergencies and financial hardships. When I logged into my account I realized that there was not a balance showing on the device in question so when I asked the online agent regarding this they stated that the device was paid off in August 2023. It is currently Feb 2024. The line also has not been used for calls, texts or data in over 2 years which they can easily verify along with the previous notes nor do I have the device at all. I have been overcharged over $300 for something they were supposed to take care of and didn’t even after being requested and the agent didn’t care at all and would not credit anything even after seeing the notes, previous cancellation and reinstatement. The previous agent did not put in the proper request so as the customer that is not my fault nor should I be overcharged for something that can clearly be verified. This is absolutely ridiculous!  Who treats long standing customers like this?

---

[vzw_customer_support]

Hello, Britnichole91. Help is here as we always want to ensure we are setting proper expectations regarding your billing. I know this may not be the news you want to hear but regarding your account, if there is an active line, the billing is valid. It is also required on your end to contact us in the event you want to cancel the line as we cannot cancel it upon the Device Payment contract ending unless you contact us. Please let us know if you have any questions on your billing and again, we will not be able to credit services during the time the device was active. 

-Natasha

[ocrnlu]

After 27 years of loyalty to Verizon, I'm ready to switch to the cheaper guys. Following Verizon's instructions, I return my old phone in the envelope provided
I have STILL not received my credit toward my new phone! So I called customer service who informed me it has not been received and the deadline has expired. Basically there's nothing I can do. I'm just out $800! I'm a retired nurse, living on SS and can't afford to pay for an expensive phone.I wouldn't have purchased a new phone without the offer bc i really liked my S21 phone. Maybe more than the new one.! The CS rep reduced my bill a little and did all she could to help but her hands were tied.
I have been a loyal customer for 27 years because this sort of thing doesn't normally happen at Verizon. Now it has.
Other carriers have offers to pay off my phone (kind of like the Verizon one Verizon has for NEW customers). When I figure out how to keep this Verizon number that I have had for 27 years, I'm switching and telling everyone I can what a rip off the exchange offer is now.
I did my part. I relinquished my phone in the pre printed envelope. Now Verizon claims it never arrived. I have no proof other than my previous interactions with Verizon. Who's more likely to be wrong?

[vzw_customer_support]

We would hate to lose your preference after all these years, and we're sorry to read that you had this issue with your return. Do you have the tracking for the return? When did you return your phone?

~Freddy

[tonyjg13]

I also feel like Verizon doesn't value long term subscribers. I've been with them for 15 years and I still remember being able to upgrade to a new phone regardless of what plan you had. Now you have to have the most expensive unlimited plan to get a "discount" on phone upgrades. Even though they say you're getting a discount it definitely doesn't feel like it. I understand it's a business but they seem to only cater to new subscribers and don't care about people that have been with them for over a year. 

[vzw_customer_support]

Sending you a private note.

-Cryssie

[irinausa198811]

I have been a loyal Verizon customer for over 17 years and currently have three lines on my account. In December, I contacted Verizon to inquire about adding a fourth line. During the call, the representative mentioned a promotion for a new phone that would require switching all four lines to an unlimited plan. They assured me this change would actually save me money.
I explained that I had two lines with promotional discounts tied to an older 5G plan, and I wanted to ensure I wouldn’t lose those discounts if I switched to the new plan. I spent the entire day speaking with multiple representatives to confirm that the changes wouldn’t affect my existing discounts. One customer service representative, who was very polite and helpful, even called me back several times to reassure me that I would keep my discounts and save on my bill. Based on their assurances, I decided to proceed with the update.
However, this month, I received an email from Verizon stating that due to the plan change, I would lose the monthly promotions on my two lines. I contacted Verizon again, and they confirmed that unless I reverted those two lines back to the previous plan, I would lose the promotional discounts. Unfortunately, switching back to the older plan would not only be more expensive, but I would also lose the discount for having all four lines on the same plan.
As a result, my bill is now higher than it was before I made any changes, and I no longer save money. I am extremely upset that the representative misinformed me, despite my clear efforts to ensure everything was thoroughly discussed and understood beforehand.
When I asked if Verizon could offer any other discounts to compensate for the mistake, they stated they didn’t have any options. This is a very frustrating situation, especially since there doesn’t seem to be a viable alternative with another provider.