Comments on: A Personal Tale Of Verizon Woes http://www.pcmech.com/article/a-personal-tale-of-verizon-woes/ Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:29:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Paul Clynehttp://www.pcmech.com/article/a-personal-tale-of-verizon-woes/comment-page-1/#comment-9703 Paul Clyne Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:18:10 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/?p=5970#comment-9703 But isn't this sort of level 1 tech 'support' (if you can call it that) typical - not only for telecoms. You get a drone reading from the sheet often in a accent that makes the entire process much more difficult than it needs be. Often their supervior has the same limitations.I make a point when I get reasonable service (I guess beceause there are so many poor examples, that reasonable or better stands out) to thank the tech and _then_ ask for their supervisor - to let the supervisor know they are doing a good job. But isn’t this sort of level 1 tech ‘support’ (if you can call it that) typical – not only for telecoms. You get a drone reading from the sheet often in a accent that makes the entire process much more difficult than it needs be. Often their supervior has the same limitations.

I make a point when I get reasonable service (I guess beceause there are so many poor examples, that reasonable or better stands out) to thank the tech and _then_ ask for their supervisor – to let the supervisor know they are doing a good job.

]]> By: Garry Bradleyhttp://www.pcmech.com/article/a-personal-tale-of-verizon-woes/comment-page-1/#comment-9692 Garry Bradley Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:54:00 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/?p=5970#comment-9692 If you think it's difficult to deal with a phone company as a subscriber, try dealing with them at the vender level. By this I mean selling communication services to a communications company. They won't tolerate the same b.s. that they hand you. Their marketing puke will call your marketing puke and he will say to (you the local tech), "We are really need to make this work!". You can't transfer them to Calcutta!So much for process management. "hell lets call the local guy" If you think it’s difficult to deal with a phone company as a
subscriber, try dealing with them at the vender level. By this I mean selling communication services to a communications company. They won’t tolerate the same b.s. that they hand you. Their marketing puke will call your marketing puke and he will say to (you the local tech),
“We are really need to make this work!”. You can’t transfer
them to Calcutta!

So much for process management. “hell lets call the local guy”

]]> By: Rich Mengahttp://www.pcmech.com/article/a-personal-tale-of-verizon-woes/comment-page-1/#comment-9679 Rich Menga Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:59:29 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/?p=5970#comment-9679 Sounds plausible at first, however as one who has worked help desk myself:1. Doesn't work. You can speak to rep after rep until you're blue in the face. Each one will be a mindless slug "reading from a sheet" so to speak.2. The pecking order works like this: 1st level (idiots), "Team lead", "Shift Supervisor", Manager, Regional Manager, etc. etc. etc. Even if you get to the shift super, they will not be able to help you any better than the first level. And bear in mind this is all before tier two support and takes at least 45 minutes to get there.3. You can demand all you want to speak to higher levels of the food chain. Doesn't matter. You'll still get quoted the rule book over and over. And each time you'll have to re-explain your situation over, and over, and over...4. I did cancel. :-)The thing you want to do when at all possible is get OUT of "the loop" of corporate cubicle crap and get to the local dispatch office. This is NOT EASY and it's a crap shoot whether you get there or not. When you do, count your lucky stars. Unfortunately I wasn't that lucky.By the way I'm active on Brighthouse already as I write this. No b.s. A local office is less than 2 miles away from me. The tech called in advance to set up the service (as I requested), and he actually arrived 30 minutes early (very nice).I'm-a a happy guy now. :-D Sounds plausible at first, however as one who has worked help desk myself:

1. Doesn’t work. You can speak to rep after rep until you’re blue in the face. Each one will be a mindless slug “reading from a sheet” so to speak.

2. The pecking order works like this: 1st level (idiots), “Team lead”, “Shift Supervisor”, Manager, Regional Manager, etc. etc. etc. Even if you get to the shift super, they will not be able to help you any better than the first level. And bear in mind this is all before tier two support and takes at least 45 minutes to get there.

3. You can demand all you want to speak to higher levels of the food chain. Doesn’t matter. You’ll still get quoted the rule book over and over. And each time you’ll have to re-explain your situation over, and over, and over…

4. I did cancel. :-)

The thing you want to do when at all possible is get OUT of “the loop” of corporate cubicle crap and get to the local dispatch office. This is NOT EASY and it’s a crap shoot whether you get there or not. When you do, count your lucky stars. Unfortunately I wasn’t that lucky.

By the way I’m active on Brighthouse already as I write this. No b.s. A local office is less than 2 miles away from me. The tech called in advance to set up the service (as I requested), and he actually arrived 30 minutes early (very nice).

I’m-a a happy guy now. :-D

]]> By: Scott Fordhttp://www.pcmech.com/article/a-personal-tale-of-verizon-woes/comment-page-1/#comment-9675 Scott Ford Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:25:15 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/?p=5970#comment-9675 Forget the entire thing, smoke signals worked for years before the telephone. Forget the entire thing, smoke signals worked for years before the telephone.

]]> By: Drewhttp://www.pcmech.com/article/a-personal-tale-of-verizon-woes/comment-page-1/#comment-9674 Drew Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:50:30 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/?p=5970#comment-9674 I agree with Roger. Having been in both your position (customer) and also being on the other end of the phone (cell phone company) I agree in that if you don't get the service that you expect you go through the process of elimination. 1. Speak to the rep. If you get nowhere, try another one. 2. If after the second rep, you still get nothing - speak to the manager/supervisor. 3. If after the manager/supervisor, go to the NEXT level. I know it sounds kind of strung out by then, but demand it. They have no right in refusing to allow you to speak with the first or second manager. 4. Still no luck? Advise them you wish to be transferred to the cancaellation department to cancel your service (this can work even if you are on a contract). It's almost a surefire way of getting; a) what you wanted originally, or b) a real person with some form of "outside the box" thinking and authority to make whatever was supposed to happen, happen. BHN are pretty good IMO, Rich. Only whenever you get the techs to come out, keep your fingers crossed they are actual Brighthouse techs and not the contractors - the BHN ones are fantastic! I agree with Roger. Having been in both your position (customer) and also being on the other end of the phone (cell phone company) I agree in that if you don’t get the service that you expect you go through the process of elimination.
1. Speak to the rep. If you get nowhere, try another one.
2. If after the second rep, you still get nothing – speak to the manager/supervisor.
3. If after the manager/supervisor, go to the NEXT level. I know it sounds kind of strung out by then, but demand it. They have no right in refusing to allow you to speak with the first or second manager.
4. Still no luck? Advise them you wish to be transferred to the cancaellation department to cancel your service (this can work even if you are on a contract). It’s almost a surefire way of getting; a) what you wanted originally, or b) a real person with some form of “outside the box” thinking and authority to make whatever was supposed to happen, happen.
BHN are pretty good IMO, Rich. Only whenever you get the techs to come out, keep your fingers crossed they are actual Brighthouse techs and not the contractors – the BHN ones are fantastic!

]]> By: Rogerhttp://www.pcmech.com/article/a-personal-tale-of-verizon-woes/comment-page-1/#comment-9672 Roger Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:53:51 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/?p=5970#comment-9672 This sort of problem happens a lot whether dealing with local or out of state service representatives. I have found the best thing to is, not to sound annoyed, ask for the reps name, phone number and location and then ask/insist to speak to a supervisor. When the supervisor comes on ask for their name, ask if they are indeed a supervisor and ask for their phone number/extension. Write all these names down in case of more problems or if you need to call again. Then discuss the issue with them and more often than not you will get satisfaction. This sort of problem happens a lot whether dealing with local or out of state service representatives.
I have found the best thing to is, not to sound annoyed, ask for the reps name, phone number and location and then ask/insist to speak to a supervisor.
When the supervisor comes on ask for their name, ask if they are indeed a supervisor and ask for their phone number/extension. Write all these names down in case of more problems or if you need to call again.
Then discuss the issue with them and more often than not you will get satisfaction.

]]> By: Scott Fordhttp://www.pcmech.com/article/a-personal-tale-of-verizon-woes/comment-page-1/#comment-9669 Scott Ford Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:41:56 +0000 http://www.pcmech.com/?p=5970#comment-9669 Sounds like my experiences with Sprint. Sounds like my experiences with Sprint.

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