Amazing convo with Verizon

[Keith White Jr]

Check out this twitter exchange between Verizon and a guy that wants to get a Lumia 950 on Verizon. I love that they basically told him to buy one and see if it will work!

 

[TrueMetalGeek]

WOW! That went pretty bad!
It's almost like those were automated responses unless they have a live twitter user that is that stupid.

 

[theefman]

The guy clearly knows the phone isn't available on Verizon and won't work and is just being a moron to a rep just trying to do their job and clearly stated they don't carry the phone. These front line support people aren't privy to all the reasons why a phone is or isn't on their network yet this fool tries to pass it off like its this reps fault. As far as I'm concerned he's the bigger imbecile here along with all the other delusional, rabid Microsoft fanboys who think this is actually funny.

 

[Keith White Jr]

The guy clearly knows the phone isn't available on Verizon and won't work and is just being a moron to a rep just trying to do their job and clearly stated they don't carry the phone. These front line support people aren't privy to all the reasons why a phone is or isn't on their network yet this fool tries to pass it off like its this reps fault. As far as I'm concerned he's the bigger imbecile here along with all the other delusional, rabid Microsoft fanboys who think this is actually funny.

I agree that he clearly knows the phone isn't available from Verizon but it seems like he genuinely isn't sure if it will work on Verizon. I know many people that don't know the difference between GSM and CDMA and think any unlocked phone will work on any network.

 

[RumoredNow]

I love that they basically told him to buy one and see if it will work!

Could you point out the part of the conversation where the Rep says just buy one and try it?

I can't see that. The Rep just keeps affirming only Lumia 735 or LG Lancet are available or to reference the compatibility page.

 

[Allen Rhodes]

Dude was/is a total troll. Crap like that p***es me off. YOU can research any phone, prior to buying, and see if the radio will work with whatever network you want.

 

[Keith White Jr]

Could you point out the part of the conversation where the Rep says just buy one and try it?

I can't see that. The Rep just keeps affirming only Lumia 735 or LG Lancet are available or to reference the compatibility page.

At least that was how I read it. But I do see that after that Verizon said to ask the manufacturer for an ID number.

 

[RumoredNow]

IMHO, the guy was trying to goad the Rep into making an error and the Rep did an admirable job.

I don't see anything "amazing" in the conversation. It's like a bad prank call made by a 6th grader.

For the record, I'm not pro-Verizon in any way. I would not touch their overpriced services with a 10 foot pole.

 

[Keith White Jr]

IMHO, the guy was trying to goad the Rep into making an error and the Rep did an admirable job.

I don't see anything "amazing" in the conversation. It's like a bad prank call made by a 6th grader.

For the record, I'm not pro-Verizon in any way. I would not touch their overpriced services with a 10 foot pole.

I thought it was amazing on both ends. I thought it was amazing that the guy kept pushing it and I thought it was amazing that the Verizon rep didnt know if the phone would work on their network or not.

I'm not for or against Verizon. I had them years ago but I left when the prices started to get out of my price range. But they have the best coverage for sure.

 

[Summer_Moon]

I'm with RumoredNow.

The guy is a total moron and is harassing Verizon. The phone does not support Verizon and it never will. The support rep did his job. Nothing amazing here in the least. I hate Verizon, but at least I know what frequencies my radio supports before I purchase a phone and not put the blame onto a rep who is getting paid hourly wages to put up with stuff like this.

 

[Keith Wallace]

IMHO, the guy was trying to goad the Rep into making an error and the Rep did an admirable job.

I don't see anything "amazing" in the conversation. It's like a bad prank call made by a 6th grader.

For the record, I'm not pro-Verizon in any way. I would not touch their overpriced services with a 10 foot pole.

I don't agree. The rep shouldn't have repeatedly tried to steer him away. The rep says "you know what you want," then says, "you can get this instead," The rep is basically just saying "choose Verizon, not what you know you want," and while that aims to better the business, that's horrendous customer service. Recommending a customer do something he doesn't want is the exact opposite of being a good representative because it puts forth the image that people HATE with corporations--that they are lazy with helping people and uninterested in taking time to actually talk something through with a customer.

I mean, I hate Android. And Google. However, I can take the information my sister gives me and tell her to just go Android over sticking with Windows when it's led to her app complaints on a not-infrequent basis. The rep had, like, 5 chances to just go "sorry we are unable to meet your needs, good luck with your decision." Instead, you got some repeated junk and stupid links.

The guy might have been a troll from the start. He definitely came off as it deeper into the discussion. That he's bad at having a conversation doesn't mean the Verizon rep is. One's a bad customer, the other's a bad customer rep.

 

[RumoredNow]

I don't agree. The rep shouldn't have repeatedly tried to steer him away. The rep says "you know what you want," then says, "you can get this instead," The rep is basically just saying "choose Verizon, not what you know you want,"

I thought the rep was being realistic. We all know here at WC (or those of us that followed the saga at any rate) that the 950/950 XL will not be activated onto Verizon. Period, game over, etc.

The Rep wasn't "steering him away" as you put it. The Rep is telling the potential customer that if he chooses to sign up with Verizon exactly which options he could count on for Windows Mobile devices.

Good customer service or not, it was a factual based conversation from the Rep's end and they never tried to steer the guy wrong.

What's better customer service? "Sure, come on ahead and do what you want, we'll make it work," knowing full well that what the customer is asking is not possible... OR ..."Sorry, if you want to sign up for one of our plans, these are your verifiable options."

 

[RobertP1]

As a person who answers customer service tweets everyday. The goal is to keep the person engaged in a positive manner. The guy knew the phone wasn't available and wouldn't work on the network. He was just trying to stir the pot. The rep should have ended it a little quicker, that is my only gripe with the rep.

You could tell this guys story in an instant. He is the definition of a troll.

 

[bucfan11]

Not sure he was a troll. Verizon needs to know when they do not offer a service someone wants. If enough people ask for a Windows phone Verizon will supply them.

 

[Keith Wallace]

I thought the rep was being realistic. We all know here at WC (or those of us that followed the saga at any rate) that the 950/950 XL will not be activated onto Verizon. Period, game over, etc.

The Rep wasn't "steering him away" as you put it. The Rep is telling the potential customer that if he chooses to sign up with Verizon exactly which options he could count on for Windows Mobile devices.

Good customer service or not, it was a factual based conversation from the Rep's end and they never tried to steer the guy wrong.

What's better customer service? "Sure, come on ahead and do what you want, we'll make it work," knowing full well that what the customer is asking is not possible... OR ..."Sorry, if you want to sign up for one of our plans, these are your verifiable options."

What about in the thread, when the rep (after seeing the guy say he won't be choosing Verizon) says, "We would be sad to see you leave. Please reconsider. Things are always changing," which was followed by just another link to the phones he already said he didn't want?

Better customer service isn't repeatedly telling the guy the same things, as if it changes anything. The rep didn't need to respond with ANYTHING after he said "You definitely know what you want. At this time the phones on the previous link are the only Windows phones available. ^JR". Instead, we got multiple people replying repeatedly to him with other stuff.

 

[PGrey]

Not sure he was a troll. Verizon needs to know when they do not offer a service someone wants. If enough people ask for a Windows phone Verizon will supply them.

Yep, although there is some cross-over, Verizons' bands are quite a bit different than the rest of the GSM world (not to mention the CDMA issue).
There was a recent article though, in one of the rags, in which an Android (I think an S7) GSM phone did support enough of their bands to be functional, in some circumstances (mostly metro would be likely the deal).
Eventually hopefully we'll be more like the EU, and really the rest of the world, and learn to support the customer. This is where TMobile seems to be going, the others, not-so-much, or at least based on the most recent lobby/auction of bandwidth...

 

[PGrey]

What about in the thread, when the rep (after seeing the guy say he won't be choosing Verizon) says, "We would be sad to see you leave. Please reconsider. Things are always changing," which was followed by just another link to the phones he already said he didn't want?

Better customer service isn't repeatedly telling the guy the same things, as if it changes anything. The rep didn't need to respond with ANYTHING after he said "You definitely know what you want. At this time the phones on the previous link are the only Windows phones available. ^JR". Instead, we got multiple people replying repeatedly to him with other stuff.

This is a problem that's not specific to Verizon. I recently switched ATT->TMo->ATT (coverage issues), and I actually went through a set of cities, along a known route we use a LOT in the winter, a good deal of our weekends anyway.
TMo was perfectly willing to tell me I had coverage, even though my map showed marginal and mostly ATT coverage, they insisted I could connect with my full 10GB of data, all throughout the trip, their "special map" had all the new tower data... Turned out, I couldn't even connect half the time, unless I roamed, and then I metered out all my 200mb/month just going one direction (working, while my wife drove), and when I called they sent me to their retentions department, which was perfectly willing to admit they didn't have coverage on a good deal of my route, and wouldn't comment on what was coming, and couldn't explain what the other CS agent was talking about.
So, I think this CS Verizon agent was more or less doing the right thing, at least they were trying to steer the customer to what they knew would "actually work" on their network...

 

[Keith Wallace]

This is a problem that's not specific to Verizon. I recently switched ATT->TMo->ATT (coverage issues), and I actually went through a set of cities, along a known route we use a LOT in the winter, a good deal of our weekends anyway.
TMo was perfectly willing to tell me I had coverage, even though my map showed marginal and mostly ATT coverage, they insisted I could connect with my full 10GB of data, all throughout the trip, their "special map" had all the new tower data... Turned out, I couldn't even connect half the time, unless I roamed, and then I metered out all my 200mb/month just going one direction (working, while my wife drove), and when I called they sent me to their retentions department, which was perfectly willing to admit they didn't have coverage on a good deal of my route, and wouldn't comment on what was coming, and couldn't explain what the other CS agent was talking about.
So, I think this CS Verizon agent was more or less doing the right thing, at least they were trying to steer the customer to what they knew would "actually work" on their network...

I know all that. My point was that the rep's act of telling the guy to buy what he doesn't want, after he said he was going to go to a different carrier because he didn't want those devices, was bothersome.

 

[PGrey]

This is the same way a guy on a Ford* lot will try to sell you on his car, before you move on down the line to the VW* lot down the road. It's the nature of the sales business, like it, or not. Keep in mind that car dealers make FAR more on service then they do on a sale, typically.
I still think the sale of a marginal(or BYOD) phone on good service is far less disturbing, than the claim of coverage on a bad service, despite whichever device is sold/used, but that's just my opinion.

Oh, and BTW, yep, I wish my phone would function on Verizon too, so that I could dual-sim it, I'd have TMo for most stuff and Verizon for backup, rather than AT&T for everything.

*Random car varieties for demo purposes