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I am typing this email during my Maui vacation due to the failure of Verizon's Technical Support and retail store's failure to work together to resolve a customer issue that could have and should have been resolved today.
I have been a customer before Verizon was formed with Airtouch (i.e. almost 15 years). Today, my Blackberry Tour would not exit headset mode, so I could not use the phone on vacation to call friends and relatives. I called technical support at about 1:15 PM Hawaii time/4:15 PM PST and we worked together for over an hour to reset the phone, wipe the phone, upgrade the software, and unfortunately, it would not exit headset mode. I was told I should swap out the phone and I asked if I could switch it at the Maui store. He tried calling the store to see if they had replacements, but the store did not answer. I asked him if they could FedEx it to me for Saturday morning delivery (I'm a couple days into a weeklong trip) and he said no problem. I then asked when the latest I could place an order was and was told 8 PM PST/5 PM Hawaii time. I told him I'd drive 45 min to the store to see if I could get it replaced, if not, I would call tech support before the deadline to FedEx a replacement. After reaching the store at 4 PM Hawaii time and waiting 20 minutes, I was told they didn't have any replacements. We called tech support immediately to place the order at 4:30 PST and was told it was too late, I would be without a phone until Tuesday.
I explained my situation to the technical support supervisor and reiterated that I'm only 12 days past my 30 days into the Tour. I suggested that the store 'sell' me a new Tour and he credit my account the cost since I needed a phone and this was technical support's fault (i.e. giving me misinformation and not being able to FedEx it in time). ****, even the store agreed. He said that it would be up to the store's discretion. After an hour, both the store manager and the tech support supervisor concluded that my suggestion was the solution, but neither would do it, saying the other should issue the credit. Either way, I don't have a replacement phone and am extraordinarily disappointed with the loss of over 5 hours on vacation, to wait until Tuesday for a replacement phone when the solution was at hand.
I understand retail and technical support are different channels, but in this case (and many others I'm sure), when there is a simple solution in sight, shouldn't it be done in the interest of the customer? I don't think asking for a replacement or new phone for a 42 day old phone while on vacation is unreasonable is it? Especially when everyone agrees and I will get a new phone anyway.
Anyway, thanks for reading.
Last edited by VDPHB; 08-29-09 at 05:01 AM.
08-29-09 04:35 AM - Was anyone else reading this and thinking, YOU ARE ON VACATION IN HAWAIII DEAL WITH THIS WHEN YOU GET HOME? (or was it just me?)I am typing this email during my Maui vacation due to the failure of Verizon's Technical Support and retail store's failure to work together to resolve a customer issue that could have and should have been resolved today.
I have been a customer before Verizon was formed with Airtouch (i.e. almost 15 years). Today, my Blackberry Tour would not exit headset mode, so I could not use the phone on vacation to call friends and relatives. I called technical support at about 1:15 PM Hawaii time/4:15 PM PST and we worked together for over an hour to reset the phone, wipe the phone, upgrade the software, and unfortunately, it would not exit headset mode. I was told I should swap out the phone and I asked if I could switch it at the Maui store. He tried calling the store to see if they had replacements, but the store did not answer. I asked him if they could FedEx it to me for Saturday morning delivery (I'm a couple days into a weeklong trip) and he said no problem. I then asked when the latest I could place an order was and was told 8 PM PST/5 PM Hawaii time. I told him I'd drive 45 min to the store to see if I could get it replaced, if not, I would call tech support before the deadline to FedEx a replacement. After reaching the store at 4 PM Hawaii time and waiting 20 minutes, I was told they didn't have any replacements. We called tech support immediately to place the order at 4:30 PST and was told it was too late, I would be without a phone until Tuesday.
I explained my situation to the technical support supervisor and reiterated that I'm only 12 days past my 30 days into the Tour. I suggested that the store 'sell' me a new Tour and he credit my account the cost since I needed a phone and this was technical support's fault (i.e. giving me misinformation and not being able to FedEx it in time). ****, even the store agreed. He said that it would be up to the store's discretion. After an hour, both the store manager and the tech support supervisor concluded that my suggestion was the solution, but neither would do it, saying the other should issue the credit. Either way, I don't have a replacement phone and am extraordinarily disappointed with the loss of over 5 hours on vacation, to wait until Tuesday for a replacement phone when the solution was at hand.
I understand retail and technical support are different channels, but in this case (and many others I'm sure), when there is a simple solution in sight, shouldn't it be done in the interest of the customer? I don't think asking for a replacement or new phone for a 42 day old phone while on vacation is unreasonable is it? Especially when everyone agrees and I will get a new phone anyway.
Anyway, thanks for reading.08-29-09 10:23 AM - Quick update...
Got a call from a very nice internet service rep responding to an email I sent last night before bed. She apologized profusely and said an exception should have been made considering my phone was 12 days past the 30 days, especially since I was traveling. She put a note in my account to swap out the phone, but asked me to hold off until she gets a hold of the store.
Funny thing here...she called the store 6 times, called me back and asked how many times they were called yesterday before the TS rep gave up. I told her I didn't know, but i was on hold for 2-3 minutes. She called me back 20 min. later and told me she still hasn't been able to get through to someone at the store.
Really nice rep and recovery, but comical that even she can't get someone to answer at the phone.
08-29-09 05:52 PM - This is good & the way it should be. I know it is probably a regional thing. We even see a wide disparity in store opinions. I am not impressed with them here, at all - but other areas, folks love the stores.
No matter what the industry, good management that allows good people to do their jobs nets good results & happy customers. Some folks get that & others don't.
What gets me around here is you call the store & get the automated call routing system. If the store doesn't answer, you get transparently transfered to a call center - and it is a third-party center. Here, it seems to be Tucson - but I am in Phoenix. To the people in Phoenix, Tucson is an irrelevant irritation that we'd prefer to ignore.
Still, you think you're talking to the Scottsdale store or the Arizona Mills Mall store - but you have someone over on the wromg side of the river.
So, for my purposes, the manager's cell phone or the stores non-pub back line is a good thing to get.
Of course, I know I will catch all kinds of H&D from the Tucson contingent now...
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com08-30-09 01:54 AM
