VZW in-store and online reps know nothing.......

[Technified]

I was just doing an online chat with a VZW rep. I asked her when or if Verizon would be carrying the Samsung Gear fit2. Her first response was "we don't know when it is coming out"....... WHAT?????

So I told her that it was already out and in stores. It's practically brand new. She says "give me a sec". I said ok. After a 5 minute wait, she responds with this......

"we have already had it, and don't have it anymore, they retired it"! WAIT...... WHAT??????

So I said, it's obvious that you may be thinking of another product or item. This is a new item, who retired it? She responds back with the same.... They don't have it, it's retired comment. Seeing as she is not knowledgeable about these things I ended the chat session.

This not only happens on-line but in the stores as well. I don't know how many times that I have had to school one or more of their reps on different products that they sell. It's like what are you there for? Vzw only hires people with degrees. Why? Cus if you ask a lot of them they will tell you that this is the first place that hired them right after college. None of them went to school to sell cellphones. They are just there for a check. And it shows!

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[Laura Knotek]

I'd blame management for that. The workers won't know about the products if they weren't trained.

 

[srvctec]

I'd blame management for that. The workers won't know about the products if they weren't trained.

Well, yes and no. If it were me, I'd do everything in my power to learn all I could about the products I'm supposed to be selling (that's how I approached my job at K-Mart in the sporting goods department while I put myself through school 30 years ago) but in today's society, MANY young people won't take any initiative at all- they just want a nice paycheck for as little work as possible.

 

[dpham00]

Well, yes and no. If it were me, I'd do everything in my power to learn all I could about the products I'm supposed to be selling (that's how I approached my job at K-Mart in the sporting goods department while I put myself through school 30 years ago) but in today's society, MANY young people won't take any initiative at all- they just want a nice paycheck for as little work as possible.

That's definitely how many of these people are... See you want to move up... They want to just do whatever to earn a buck, not putting in the effort to better themselves. They want to do the absolute minimum required for the paycheck.

And yes it is a management issue. The same employees will magically be much more motivated if they know that their job depends on their performance, and providing customers with poor responses would yield to disciplinary action.

The op experience is pretty typical of my experiences. They want to do the absolute minimum. I have had some good customer service from Verizon, from those who actually cared about their jobs, but it is few and far between.


Recently I returned a phone. So, all they had to do was to provide me a full refund, less restocking fee. I spent many hours and none of the reps could do it correctly. I ended up having to go through Verizon executive relations... Just to get a refund on a phone. And even then it took a while.

 

[Technified]

You are absolutely correct @srvctec! When I worked at Walmart, in the cellphone department at that, I wanted to know everything so that I could be knowledgeable of the products. Not just in my department, but the entire store. I wanted to give the customers the great customer service experience that I always look for when shopping. I haven't worked at Walmart in 10 years and customers see me somewhere and ask me when am I coming back to Walmart lol.

That's cus I gave them a lasting impression and these new people don't care. They just want a quick buck. But will raise a stink when someone gives them bad customer service.

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[Technified]

That's definitely how many of these people are... See you want to move up... They want to just do whatever to earn a buck, not putting in the effort to better themselves. They want to do the absolute minimum required for the paycheck.

And yes it is a management issue. The same employees will magically be much more motivated if they know that their job depends on their performance, and providing customers with poor responses would yield to disciplinary action.

The op experience is pretty typical of my experiences. They want to do the absolute minimum. I have had some good customer service from Verizon, from those who actually cared about their jobs, but it is few and far between.


Recently I returned a phone. So, all they had to do was to provide me a full refund, less restocking fee. I spent many hours and none of the reps could do it correctly. I ended up having to go through Verizon executive relations... Just to get a refund on a phone. And even then it took a while.

It is few and far between when you get really good customer service from a Verizon rep!

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[Ry]

This can be the case at any retailer.

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[RHChan84]

The retailer's don't know anything. I went into the VZW store to look at the urbane 2 and they didn't even know it had LTE service and they don't know if you can buy it without a plan. Then I looked at the Moto 360 2 which doesn't have LTE and they told me there will also be a data plan. There's no LTE in it. He said well if you get it with the plan it's XXX and without a plan, it's XXX. I told him those prices were for the difference sizes and options. I gave up on them a while back but I didn't think it would be this bad.

 

[dpham00]

This can be the case at any retailer.

Posted via the Android Central App on the Moto X Pure Edition

But management and corporate policies helps out a lot. Just look at Amazon... They aren't perfect but I am satisfied with amazon and usually they exceed expectations. There are a few occasions where they only meet expectations. Honestly I haven't had a situation where they didn't meet expectations. This is not to say that amazon doesn't have screw ups, I order a lot from them(last year I placed more than an order a day on average), so things do get messed up.... But they are very responsive to getting things corrected. Now compare to Verizon... I couldn't even get them to refund me for a phone that I returned that they confirmed receipt of, even after hours and hours and many calls and had to escalate to Verizon executive relations, and even that took multiple calls but at least Verizon executive relations was responsive and called me back. If Verizon executive relations was their normal customer service then I bet many people would be happy with them. Unfortunately I had to send a nasty gram to Lowell to get to executive relations because there is no easy way to access executive relations through normal channels.

 

[cbreze]

Those of us that frequent phone and tech forums are of course pretty knowledgeable about the stuff we are interested in even if it's not been released yet. When I go into a Verizon store, which is almost never, I already know more than probably anyone working their regarding their own products. Imagine Joe or Jane average customer who walks in with no idea except they want a new phone. Wow, the vultures start circling. I hope all you knowledgeable folks out there help your less knowledgeable friends when it comes to "new phone" time. It's no wonder there are so many iPhone users.

EDIT: Back in the day when I punched a time clock if I didn't give it my best and know my product line I was out of a job. Times have definitely changed. Not always for the better either.

 

[dpham00]

Those of us that frequent phone and tech forums are of course pretty knowledgeable about the stuff we are interested in even if it's not been released yet. When I go into a Verizon store, which is almost never, I already know more than probably anyone working their regarding their own products. Imagine Joe or Jane average customer who walks in with no idea except they want a new phone. Wow, the vultures start circling. I hope all you knowledgeable folks out there help your less knowledgeable friends when it comes to "new phone" time. It's no wonder there are so many iPhone users.

EDIT: Back in the day when I punched a time clock if I didn't give it my best and know my product line I was out of a job. Times have definitely changed. Not always for the better either.

For in store experience, it will depend on the local manager a lot. It is somewhat like schools in that sense... A good principal can make a huge difference.

 

[Almeuit]

This can be the case at any retailer.

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This.

 

[Technified]

But management and corporate policies helps out a lot. Just look at Amazon... They aren't perfect but I am satisfied with amazon and usually they exceed expectations. There are a few occasions where they only meet expectations. Honestly I haven't had a situation where they didn't meet expectations. This is not to say that amazon doesn't have screw ups, I order a lot from them(last year I placed more than an order a day on average), so things do get messed up.... But they are very responsive to getting things corrected. Now compare to Verizon... I couldn't even get them to refund me for a phone that I returned that they confirmed receipt of, even after hours and hours and many calls and had to escalate to Verizon executive relations, and even that took multiple calls but at least Verizon executive relations was responsive and called me back. If Verizon executive relations was their normal customer service then I bet many people would be happy with them. Unfortunately I had to send a nasty gram to Lowell to get to executive relations because there is no easy way to access executive relations through normal channels.

Now that's a great example! I have NEVER had any issues with Amazon! Wrong order..... Situation rectified immediately! Have to return an item..... Refund is quickly done! No having to call around, speaking to multiple people cus they keep transferring you!

I had ordered a bunch of cases for my Note 5. Of the 6 cases that I ordered 1 was wrong and another the box was damaged. The case was fine. They refunded me my money for the one with the box being damaged and sent me out the correct case for the one that was wrong. I didn't have to send back either one. They basically took responsibility for their mistakes. Where as Verizon will try and place the blame on the customers.

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