Does Verizon care about customer retention?

[Mainedad]

I have been with Verizon for 20 years and spoke to a number of customer service representatives recently.  Everything that I have been told basically says that Verizon cares more about new customers than old.  I'm looking to upgrade two phones to the new iphone xs and after being a loyal customer for two decades am told that I would need to pay full price when new customers get a great offer.  I have not upgraded since the iphone 5 because I have been waiting for a deal for existing customers.  I have been told by representatives that Verizon rolls out different deals all the time and some favor new customers and some favor existing customers.  After doing a simple internet search, I have looked up all the deals over the last two years, and there is no question that new customers are where the deals are driven to.  To be clear, having to add a new line is not a great deal to an existing customer as it only increases our bill.  The last day of my billing cycle is tomorrow, and I will be going to a competitor and moving my lines over.  I never wanted to be someone who jumped carriers but it seems like the smart move is to switch every two years as there is no incentive to stay loyal.  For current customers, I hope Verizon understands that while new customers are an essential part of growing a business, keeping the current customers you have is the only way to sustain growth.  Considering they are the most expensive of the carriers, you would think those of us that are willing to pay a little extra to stay, would be appreciated.  It seems after twenty years, it's time to move on.

[vzw_customer_support]

Your customer loyalty is greatly appreciated and we certainly don't want to lose you.  We definitely want you to take advantage of any applicable promotions and I'm here to help, let's get to the bottom of this once and for all. I will be sending you a Private Message momentarily. 

Ayani_VZW
Follow us on TWITTER @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the _Correct Answer_ button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[Mainedad]

I appreciate it but according to the numerous representatives I have spoken to, there are no applicable promotions unless I am a new customer.  I have responded to your PM and hope to hear of a solution, however, I am not optimistic.

[glitchedpixel]

If a someone ported to Verizon a month before a BOGO deal came out, they'd be in the exact same situation as someone whose been with Verizon for 20 years. Those aren't new customer promotions, those are I needed to add another line and this helps on the equipment cost promotions.

I don't get this mentality of "I've been with company for X years so I deserve free stuff" comes from. First ever phone with Verizon was an LG Chocolate and now I have an LG V30. I'm not getting a discount off the payments. I did get a nice $200 gift card and Google Daydream, though.

Those are the promotions you need to focus  on. Another example is my girlfriend's Pixel that she's getting $10 a month from a Holiday sale and she's a former Altell customer. If a promo requires a new line it's not meant for you nor exclusively new customers. If someone joined Verizon 20 years ago, maybe that new line is for their kid that's old enough for a phone. That situation gives a loyal customer just as much of a deal as a new one.

[Mainedad]

I am not quite sure where you think this has anything do to with porting out a month before a bogo deal.  Verizon just had a bogo deal on iphones for new customers or you needed to add another line for $45 a month.  I strictly use apple devices.  I don't need to add a new line and I am not a new customer, so I couldn't get the deal.  This has been the same bogo deal on apple products that has gone on for the last two years.  There has not been a bogo deal for existing customers over the last two years that did not require a new line of service, however, there have been numerous bogo deals for apple products for new customers.  This is according to the customer service reps looking over my account as well as a simple internet search will point to this.  It seems very clear that pre-existing customers are not the priority.  I am not looking for anything for free, I am just asking that pre-existing, loyal customers be granted the same opportunities to save as a new customer.  Seems pretty straight forward.  Let me put it this way.  I am a customer who only needs two lines.  If I was a new customer who only needed two lines, I would not be asked to get a third line in order to get the deal.  However, as a pre-existing customer, that is exactly what is being asked of me.  This clearly favors a new customer over a pre-existing one.  All I am saying is that there does not seem to be any incentive in being a loyal customer.  For instance, your girlfriend switched carriers to get a deal.

[vzw_customer_support]

Mainedad, I understand the importance of feeling appreciated from the company I do business with. The current BOGO does require a new line to be added but keep in mind our promotion change constantly. We have had some previous promotion where you can get $300.00 off of the devices when trading in. If 2 phones took advantage of this promotion at the same time it would be the same savings as the BOGO for customers adding a new line. We do have a link you can sign up to receive alerts on up and coming promotions. https://forms.verizonwireless.com/dgf/optin/2012/08282012_general_optin/

Rodney_VZW
Follow us on TWITTER @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the _Correct Answer_ button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[Tidbits]

You can switch to another carrier and you will be on the same boat after you took the shiny deal to switch to them.  So if this is going to be about "loyalty" then no carrier will fit. 

[BACKFLP540]

Unfortunately, NO. Verizon couldn't give a garbage about loyalty or retention. I have been a customer since '04 after taking a year off from being a customer since '00.  17 years with the company and they hardly do anything to show appreciation. I say this just after last month, I was on the road all December and used almost 40 gigs of data. The throttling killed me after the 22 gig cap and after a call, they offered to give me the "above unlimited" (last time I checked the definition of 'unlimited' was "not limited or restricted in terms of number, quantity, or extent." so I really don't know how they can restrict data speed (throttle) after a certain amount of data reached and still call a play "unlimited". But I get the marketing slight-of-hand by putting the word "data" after unlimited to mislead the sheep...but I digress) plan for the rest of the month without charging me extra. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Bottom line is they do as little as possible and I have been told flat out more than a handful of times that my customer loyalty means practically nothing to them and I can just leave if I feel I deserve more from them. Recently went through some issues with my gen 1 Pixel (that I got through Verizon) that was the result of a class-action lawsuit against Google to replace the phone if it was still under warranty. My phone, although I had the over-heating issues in the first few months of purchase, didn't fail until a week ago. Google refuses to direct me to a retailer of a replacement motherboard without paying a 3rd party company $300 labor to do it, when I have an A+ cert and am proficient in repairing cellphones. It's racketeering and Google just gave me the middle finger about it.  Even though I was one of the first people to purchase their debut mobile device, not even a week after it was introduced. Point being,

Large corporations have too many customers to show decent respect to one, no matter how much loyalty they've shown them for many years. "Drop in a bucket"

[removed]

Content modified as required by Verizon Wireless Terms of Service​

[boringusername]

BACKFLP540 wrote:

Unfortunately, NO. Verizon couldn't give a garbage about loyalty or retention. I have been a customer since '04 after taking a year off from being a customer since '00.  17 years with the company and they hardly do anything to show appreciation. I say this just after last month, I was on the road all December and used almost 40 gigs of data. The throttling killed me after the 22 gig cap and after a call, they offered to give me the "above unlimited" (last time I checked the definition of 'unlimited' was "not limited or restricted in terms of number, quantity, or extent." so I really don't know how they can restrict data speed (throttle) after a certain amount of data reached and still call a play "unlimited". But I get the marketing slight-of-hand by putting the word "data" after unlimited to mislead the sheep...but I digress) plan for the rest of the month without charging me extra. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Bottom line is they do as little as possible and I have been told flat out more than a handful of times that my customer loyalty means practically nothing to them and I can just leave if I feel I deserve more from them. Recently went through some issues with my gen 1 Pixel (that I got through Verizon) that was the result of a class-action lawsuit against Google to replace the phone if it was still under warranty. My phone, although I had the over-heating issues in the first few months of purchase, didn't fail until a week ago. Google refuses to direct me to a retailer of a replacement motherboard without paying a 3rd party company $300 labor to do it, when I have an A+ cert and am proficient in repairing cellphones. It's racketeering and Google just gave me the middle finger about it.  Even though I was one of the first people to purchase their debut mobile device, not even a week after it was introduced. Point being,

Large corporations have too many customers to show decent respect to one, no matter how much loyalty they've shown them for many years. "Drop in a bucket"

[removed]

Content modified as required by Verizon Wireless Terms of Service

If Verizon or any carrier offered unlimited they way you wanted you be complaining about the dial-up speeds of your connection that would be happening all the time.

Also your speed in NOT throttled after 22 GB. It can be deprioritized during times of congestion. There is difference. Throttled means hitting 22 GB and having your speed slowed 24/7 until the next month. That is NOT what happens. People have used HUNDREDS of GB with Beyond Unlimited after 22 GB without slow down because they are in non congested areas.

If you need more than 22 GB Above is $10 a month more and you get 75 GB

People that have unrealistic expectations is why I wish Verizon never brought unlimited back. Also you are free to go to T-Mobile since they offer "better" cheaper unlimited.

As far as retention Verizon has the lowest churn of any carrier. Go read a quarterly report. As far as you being "loyal" THINK about what that really means. Being loyal means you could have gone somewhere that had better service for the same price or the same service for a cheaper price yet you decide to stay. How smart is that? That's admitting that one make dumb financial choices. Staying with Verizon because they were the only choice or the best choice is NOT being loyal.

[removed]

Content modified as required by Verizon Wireless Terms of Service

[meganzplace]

So there is still a problem with trade in options.  If you have kept your phone for more than three years it is not eligible either for trade in on any plan that I look at.  I have two lines with droid turbos and they are not on any list because they are to old.  So because we waited for a deal and there isnt one we are out of any offer Verizon says they are offering.  So once again being loyal has no benefit.