http://gethuman.com/Verizon_Wireless/news_950/rss http://gethuman.com/Verizon_Wireless/news_950/rss http://gethuman.com/images/gethuman-hands50.gif http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/29053/ Thu, 24 May 2012 17:30:23 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/28927/ Tue, 22 May 2012 19:49:35 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/28781/ Sat, 19 May 2012 19:50:38 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/28756/ Fri, 18 May 2012 21:17:59 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/28706/ Thu, 17 May 2012 20:53:21 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/28487/ Mon, 14 May 2012 16:34:29 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/28409/ Fri, 11 May 2012 18:11:27 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/28122/ Mon, 07 May 2012 20:26:36 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/28104/ Mon, 07 May 2012 17:51:21 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/27742/ Tue, 01 May 2012 16:56:42 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/27642/ Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:09:51 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/27597/ Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:00:42 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/27596/ Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:00:38 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/27573/ Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:10:15 +0000 http://gethuman.comhttp://reviews.gethuman.com/customer-reviews/Verizon-Wireless/27467/ Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:53:56 +0000 http://gethuman.com/blog/Verizon_Wireless__Getting_Human__328.html Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:14:18 +0000
Any time a company announces that it's going to cost it's current customers more money to get the same services they've received forever, there's usually a public outcry that follows and often times those fees are reversed (are you listening Bank of America?). However, we're all about advocating better customer service and hiring more actual people to speak to in customer service departments, so we're conflicted. While it's no secret that cellphone carriers have been losing money trying to subsidize iPhones and Android phones, to announce the intentions of future spending from the revenue increase, and to tie it directly to the customer service department, then I guess we support it? To be honest, the proof will most likely be in the pudding on this one. If Verizon takes the extra money earned and hires more workers, provides better customer service, and in general is more available to it's paying masses, then so be it. But if they simply take the money to invest in a one off upgrade to their online customer service ala Facebook, well then there's going to be hell to pay. More often these days companies are beefing up their online customer service with Frequently Asked Question sections as a way to save money vs paying employees, and nothing is more infuriating than wanting to talk to a company, only to find they are not accessible and instead you are turned to a website. So the ball is in your court Verizon. If you truly care about your customers, you'll take that money to hire more customer service representatives for us to talk to. However, if all of a sudden we see you issuing a dividend to your shareholders while customer service falls off, then you can expect an exodus of customers looking to jump off the sinking ship.

For more on the new fees at Verizon, text for link. ]]> http://gethuman.com/blog/Verizon_Wireless__Consumers_1__Verizon_Wireless_0_307.html Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:01:25 +0000
What's particularly interesting about this situation is, according to an article in the Boston Globe this morning, is that many companies already have similar charges in place for customers looking to pay over the phone, yet it's because of the sheer size of Verizon Wireless and Bank of America that gained the public's attention and ensuing outrage. Companies such as RCN, NSTAR and even AT&T Wireless already have similar charges in place, yet because Verizon and B of A were forced to announce their plans publicly, it allowed empowered consumers to take to the social media sites and garner up such disdain for the companies over the new policies, that the companies were forced to listen to it's customer base and thus cancel the planned programs. That being said, whether or not customers will be able to get those charges removed from companies that already charge similar fees is yet to be seen, but it's interesting to see the swing in the pendulum back towards the customers. Now more than ever customers who used to not have a voice, are able to take to Facebook and Twitter and quickly gather mass opinion against a company, and for once, the companies are forced to listen. The good news is with two very high profile companies being forced by it's consumers to cancel new plans that are designed to do nothing but increase corporate profits, other large corporations considering similar plans in the future will have to take notice of the possible fall out. Consumers have had enough of corporate greed and feeling like they have no voice and now more than ever are able to force companies to listen to them, or else those customers will simply take their money elsewhere.

If you want to see more stories like this, make sure to tune into CNBC tonight at 9pm EST to see GetHuman.com's own Christian Allen in the documentary "Customer (Dis) Service" which details the sad state of customer service and how now more than ever customers are reacting back to companies that have bad customer service. We know we'll be watching! ]]> http://gethuman.com/blog/Verizon_Wireless__Have_We_Learned_Nothing__306.html Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:07:24 +0000
This makes absolutely no sense to me. While it is clear the company is looking to streamline it's operations and possibly eliminate workers who process customer bills by forcing paying customers into paying through online options, the one that sticks out to me is the hand written check. Doesn't that still require someone to scan or process the check? Am I missing something here? I understand that many times companies make decisions to save money, but this one has me scratching my head. More importantly, how is this any different than what Bank of America tried to do a couple of months ago with charging customers a $5 monthly fee just for having a debit card? Customers became so outraged at the idea of being charged all of a sudden for the same service that they had received for years that they threatened a mass exodus from the bank. If you are a Verizon Wireless customer that pays over the phone or through the company website, isn't this the exact same thing? Who are the executives that think this is ok and don't they read what happened to Bank of America? Is somehow making it a $2 fee more acceptable than a $5 fee? Maybe I'm making a much bigger deal out of this than it needs to be but it bears asking these questions. Maybe these executives studied the Bank of America situation and are using a different strategy going forward, but somehow, this all seems very wrong. It'll be interesting to see if customer outrage causes the company to rescind the idea, much like what happened with B of A.

If you want to read more about the changes at Verizon Wireless click here. ]]> http://gethuman.com/blog/Verizon_Wireless__No_More_Flat_Fee_Data_260.html Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:41:03 +0000 Verizon Wireless will cap the amount of data cellphone users can access under its $30 a month broadband plan. The change in the plans will only affect new users as old users will be grandfathered in under their current plans. Under the current setup, Verizon Wireless users pay $30 each month and can access as much data as they want. However, with the new change, new users will be limited to 2gb per month. According to the company, that's enough data to "to send 1,000 e-mails, view 100 Web pages, listen to more than 20 hours of streaming music, upload more than 20 photographs, and view over two hours of high-definition video." That's a lot of data. For customers that use more data, there are more, higher priced plans that allow more data usage. For those customers that are concerned about not knowing how much data you use per month and are worried about going over your allowable usage, the company plans on sending text messages to customers when they reach 50%, 75%, 90% or 100% of their allowable data. The company will also send texts when users hit 110%.

Obviously with the boom in smartphones, Verizon is trying to limit the bandwidth usage by charging customers more for their actual usage, but hey, at least they are willing to warn customers of their data usage so they don't all of a sudden get a huge charge on their accounts. For more on the changes in the cellphone plans, click here. ]]> http://gethuman.com/blog/Verizon_Wireless__Aaaaaaaand_There_s_The_Rub_207.html Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:44:11 +0000 Verizon Wireless announcing the addition of the iPhone to it's already stellar network, the company tried to slip one by it's loyal customers. Say good bye to the New Every Two program that gave existing customers anywhere from $30-100 off a new phone if the customer signed a new two year contract. The move is seen as an effort by the company to cut costs. When customers upgrade their phone, Verizon Wireless essentially sells the phone to the customer at a loss as the company subsidizes a large part of the transaction. The company recoups those losses by locking in the revenue of a guaranteed contract over the next two years. Pretty tricky right? By getting rid of the New Every Two program, the company is limiting it's losses in subsidizing the phones and the onus is thus placed on the customer to pay for a larger part of the cost of the phone. It's a classic case of a company distracting you with the flash and hype of the iPhone announcement, while simultaneously padding their wallet when no one's looking.

So what does it mean to you the customer? Essentially if you were a customer who liked to upgrade your phone every couple of years, you might need to think twice about it going forward. Existing customers will still be able to use one more upgrade credit towards the purchase of a new phone, but after that, buying a new phone will become more expensive. The good news? If you are one of many people that are going to purchase a new iPhone, the credit will help reduce the cost, essentially making the cost of the 16GB phone $99. The bad news? If something happens to your phone or you need to buy a new phone in a couple of years, it's going to cost you.

If you want to read more about the ending of the New Every Two program, click here. ]]>