Verizon: Rant
I've been a Verizon employee for almost seven years. I've been in sales, and within the last year, moved to management. I've even relocated for the company. I've held the line, dug the trenches, and stuck my neck out on more occasions than I should have. For a time, I breathed the red Verizon air and loved it. I've also been treated like complete dirt, both by the system and by individuals.
For those that read my posts, you know I tend to be fair to all sides of an issue. I'm realistic, while maintaining some degree of loyalty. I'm glad I've worked for Verizon, and I'm glad I work there today. I...
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Thanks for posting this here instead of shop talk btw. Or I would've missed it.
I agree with a lot of what you said (most of your rants can apply to indirect management as well).
Agree/disagree?
Verizon's no longer focusing on the things that GOT them big, that's the problem.
We live in a world where stock holders, lawyers, and insurance companies rule, not consumers.
I guess the best way to sum it up is this: without the company, there's no customer, and without the customer, there's no company.
Corporations have to find little ways where they can milk some of the customer base for more money ($9.99 data feature) while cutting costs on the backend (reduce work force, remove costly loyalty programs such as VIP, etc.)
Capatalism: A Love Story. And there was a scene where showed quite a number of companies raking in BILLIONS in profit and yet laying off very large amounts of people, now that's just disgusting greed.
When I owned a business, my profits were about 20% higher than my costs, all by the end of the year.
Companies spend billions to make billions. It's not like their costs are a million dollars and they're pocketing $999 million.
Don't get me wrong, I'm disgusted by what many corporations do. I just don't buy the argument that companies rake in billions without spending billions to get there.
In all, the changing landscape of the industry is the biggest problem. Instead of adjusting to a new market, we continue to hold on to old ways of doing business while enforcing ineffective "new" strategies aimed at reducing our loses and placing blame rather than improving the working environment and customer focus of the company.
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they think just because they have the 'best' network, customers will pay anything just to
keep them. Well the in for a surprise, just look at Toyota.
to large, the think they are irreplaceable.
I agree that original posting was pretty much
about any corporation.
Personally from a consumer point of view I think corporations in general care more about stock holders than customers.
The forced data charge is just the latest thing in a long line of changes (internal and external) that the company is doing that is Totally counter to how they've traditionally acted. As Epik said, they are trying to cling to an old business model that is no longer relevant but trying to use the term "change" to get their employees and customers to go a long with it.
As consumers, we only see a portion of what is going on.
Just Say No to Verizon Wireless Mandatory Data Plans
http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&tid=12272514862 ... »
1. My kids which whom I pay no attention to may get online for x,y and z and run a huge bill in which I will call financial services to try and get a credit, which they will say something to the tune of phuck u pay me and then u start to verbally assault them and wonder why u get nowhere
2. Why buy a data phone if all u wanna do is make calls? Ur lying to urself and everyone else because they make no sense. Oh yeah I wanna driod because the call quality is great no u want one 2 get online send emails get facebook alerts and who can forget the free apps
Or finally 3. The phon...
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If the only reason you are buying a phone is because it looks cool then what are you going to tell your 16 year old who wants a lexus because it looks cool.
People need to understand if you want the cool phone with all the bells and whistles you have to pay for it and since nobody is willing to pay more than $100 for a phone that sells full retail for $500 we are going to have to make up that difference in the plan.
At least you are getting something for your money, would you prefer we just drop the data and charge an extra $240 for the phone?
If it were a B&W (bells and whistles) issue, why is the LG 8360 in the mix, and why were the Motorola Rival and Entice on the list and then removed? The Entice isn't much different from the LG 8360, and I challenge anyone to do any amount of web surfing on the 8360 to show me how similar it is to the EnV Touch.
Honestly, this whole mess wouldn't even be an issue if there were consistency and common sense among the phone category choices.
Verizon wants to FORCE everyone into getting unlimited data on a dumbphone! Go look up the list of simple feature phones and tell me what decent texting phone is available for anyone. The Samsung Intensity! Now do your home work before posting again.
And what makes the Env3 or the Env Touch a better texting phone than the intensity? The touch screen? Sorry that is just a feature to make the phone look cool. The Larger screen? Maybe that is useful if you are going blind. I will grant you that video would be nice but it is not really necessary to most people looking for basic phones.
Phone companies spend a lot of money developing and marketing their products and it is not financially sound to make 50 different phones just so every person has a phone they like. It is called compromise something the average consumer forgot ...
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You work for verizon so you having an objective point of view is obviously to difficult for you. People want choice and they don't want to pay for something they do not NEED! They don't want to pay 40 more dollars a months because in today economic crunch. Verizon is the only carriers trying to screw over their customers in this fashion. Go lay down you make me sick! Get a real job.
The LGs come in constantly with chronic reset issues (powers down and back on). They fix the problem and it comes back. It happens on almost every one.
If I had to pick between an Intensity and any LG right now, knowing what I've seen with random power cycling, I'd pick the Intensity hand over fist. It doesn't have problems.
I think people's problem with the Intensity is simply that it's not the EnV 3.
Just wait until the LG Cosmos comes out... people will think it's a decent replacement for the EnV 3 and forget all about that "crappy" Samsung Intensity.
In fact, ALL your examples are for smartphones (with the exception of the first part of the first one)
The problem is that Johnny has an EnV3 with no data, but now his Brother, who upgrades 3 months later, needs to get data for the same phone (if you have 2 kids near each other in age, you know what hell this is). This would be a signifigantly smaller issue if they did it like they did smartphones.. aka "all phones released after this date require data, all older models do not."
I'm all for people having pride in wher...
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Just like older computers.. you used to have to INITIATE the check for upgrades but with how common DSL is, all computers will now automatically check for updates as long as there is a connection available.
The Droid automatically connects (most apps have a web element). Blackberries and newer winmo devices also connect. (even without configuring emails) There are ways to shut these things off, but they require more basic understanding of the software (and in an Android's case, they require Root level access).
They don't do it all the time. But per use for smartphones use to come out to $10+ a MB so even the occasional c...
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For emails, you get your notification tone, the LED flash, and then you get the message indicator in your notification bar.. you just pull down the bar to see who the message is from.
It's way, way windy!!!!! I'm expecting to be relieved any second now.
No, the notifivation is Android. either by the small flash, or on some phones, the trackball
Reguardless of how long I stay with ATT, I just like the feeling of being a *free* consumer.
And I really don't think protecting an investment in a phone is the only reason carriers like a customer being under contract.
I really do think carriers like customers being under contract because they are AFRAID of the customer leaving to a competitor.
OF COURSE they do contracts to keep you from leaving.
Two years of semi-guaranteed profit versus profit that could be here this month and gone tomorrow? Throw a little cost into having a customer sign a contract and have a decent profit come in each month sounds like a good business practice to me.
If we ever shed ourselves of phone subsidies, we should see a system where consumer pricing is reduced in exchange for a contract take its place. I'm sure each model works out about the same for the carrier.
An entire overhaul of the system is the only fix. We all know it, but most of us (consumers) don't want to go through the process.
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You whole response is that is nothing wrong
with Verizon, all it is customer fault.Well I have news for you, without customers you would not have a job. I have been Verizon Customer
since they were called Bell Atlantic, and yes
the charges and changes becoming more crazy than ever. And all wireless companies should stop telling us that they give us 'free' phones
and quoting some 'phoney' made up full retail
prices. And yes if you don't believe me check
the prices also on their phone accessories, an
item which cost maybe max $8.00 sells with Verizon for $29.99, just because is packed in Verizon red packaging, even though is made by same manufacturer. So since it is your choice to work for Verizon, you should just put...
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Things "packaged" in Verizon packeging are also made for their devices. Try plugging in a newer Motorola into a cheapy Durabrand charger.. My droid goes Crazy with it. Palm's don't even work WITH Motorola chargers. These chargers cost Verizon more. So yes, while they are only costing the company 8 or so, the markup on them is most likely the same as what you paid for the universal charger at walmart.
I agree that Meenomeeno's response was out of place, but there are issues with customers that ...
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*I'm not taking anger out on you.*
I'm just saying there are other options, and that I think a lot of consumers pay more than they have to.
Convenience has a cost associated with it. I buy by chargers at the local store 1) because I like supporting a local business 2)because they warranty them against ANYTHING (even user error) for a year. 3) I've been burned 1 to many times on ebay to trust it.
Completely unrelated note, but I think you'll find it interesting:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/03/11/does-adobe ... »
Basically, it says what I've be...
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And with reguards to products not working that are bought on ebay, well that's why it's important to buy OEM.
On the other hand, however, I've seen promos like BOGOs/BAGOs and BAG4s go away because we're not making enough revenue in accessory sales to compensate for the higher subsidies. If carriers don't sell accessories to un-savvy consumers, they won't be so willing to pay for as much of your phone as they currently do.
Consumers, when buying accessories from the carrier, are (unfortunately) buying not only convenience, but the ability to have free phones when purchased as a BOGO.
Accessory sales are down drastically these last couple years. In response, Verizon moved to "free after rebate" BOGOs.
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That is like Verizon talking about Coverage and ATT replying "we're faster." It's missing the point
I've seen costs, and I can confirm that they are usually within $10 of full retail. Do you honestly believe that a phone costs the carrier $50 and is rounded up to $199.99? Do you think the manufacturer of the phone makes a profit selling a phone to a carrier for $50?
No, the manufacturer is the one who cleans the floor with your money. They make millions of electronic devices all day long and charge $290 for it. The carrier buys them by the thousands (if not millions), and adds $9.99 to the cost to help pay for shipping, stocking, inventory control, inventory personnel, depreciation and taxes, and much more. Then they take $200 off in exchange for the chance to make $20 a month for 24 mon...
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The entitled customer mentality is an industry problem which carriers have been working on for some time now (upgrade stipulation changes, discount changes, subsidy changes, etc.). But shedding ourselves of the customer entitlement problem hasn't caused me to feel like Verizon has lost its way. A general disconnect from the average customer (entitled customers are outnumbered by sensible customers these days) has caused the company to forget it's strengths and take pride in its accomplishments.
I mentioned entitlement once in my post. It has little to do with the way Verizon has disconnected from reality. If otherwise, I would have spent a lot of time complaining about the customer ins...
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selling phones, but just the service. Like land line phones, I will buy phone of my choice,
and than choose whatever I want, texting, etc... I can guarantee that these phone will never cost what the carriers charge at 'full'
retail. And than nobody will worry about entitlements. But of course not only the carriers wants you to be under contract with them, but also they control the prices of the phones. And also you do not get anything for
'free'. So I agree wireless industry created
the problem, but to undo, i don't think they are going about the right way.
mar29oct said:
Why don't all these wireless carriers stop
selling phones, but just the service. Like land line phones, I will buy phone of my choice,
and than choose whatever I want, texting, etc...
I can't WAIT for the LTE C-Block to go live and make this dream closer to reality.
The markups exist because of cellphone subsidies (carriers), but they are marked up by Moto, LG, RIM, etc, not by Verizon. Those companies know that they can make the retail cost higher because the consumer (you) will rarely if ever see that change.
I'm all for unsubsidized phones and "dumb pipe" providers.. but I understand that I'll be paying a lot more (400+) for a phone, and I won't have all the benefits (unlimited Mobile to Mobile, "unlimited" packages in general come to mind).
While you might agree to that as well.. the average customer won't. Look at the stink people are starting to throw as they realize they won't be able to buy a N1 in stores, or st...
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Anyone who's ever worked in any kind of inventory control knows full well that there isn't an "inflate cost" button to press in inventory management software. Inflating the cost of inventory costs you more in taxes and return on investment figures at the end of the year.
The full retail price is pretty much cost.
And in case there's any question, I am all for purchasing phones from the m...
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Epik I wanted to thank you personally for taking the bold step to voice what so many of us VZW employees are thinking and feeling.
Many of us have worked in the wireless industry as a career and those of us who were fortunate enough to work for Verizon have genuinely appreciated working for such a well structured and generously compensating company. I can say that it took me many tries to get hired on even with an extensive background. Its been many years of hard work but I can honestly say that my blood sweat and tears have not gone unnoticed..... that is until recently.
I understand the deal with the economy. I understand ...
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You speak truth when you mention the sad reality of losing the company's most knowledgeable employees. We often hear about how old dogs can't learn new tricks. There are a lot of "old dogs" at Verizon. Some of us remember the early days, and some of us came through the golden days. Some of us recall having to sell texting to an unresponsive customer base, or when a PDA sale was a $700 event. We've been through some of the toughest changes in the industry - changes which shouldered those things which we take for granted today.
Like many companies before us, I think Verizon has forgotten how we all learned the business: from the old dogs. They could train us for months and we still wouldn't grasp the jo...
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So make all the money you can while you still can, my friend.
Don't fool yourself by hanging on to what it used to be like. If executives & management have taken a turn and are indeed acting differently, in the multiple negative ways you describe, GET OUT.
If you hang around hoping, you will be (a) disappointed by them, followed by (b) disappointed in yourself.
As the military leaders always say "Hope is not a plan."
Jobs are indeed sometimes hard to come by, but wasting your best working years for a company you no longer respect, and a company that apparently doesn't respect you, is a far greater loss in the course of your life than would be a period of temporary unemployment.
Even if you don't find a better job and leave right away, anyone who is as disappointed as many of the VZ employees posting here should at least TRY to find better jobs with com...
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Paycuts all around, bottom line conscious policy changes, and the overall smack down of any free thinking the corporation thinks may poision the loyalty pool.
You arent alone. Do not quit Verizon though if you plan on staying in retail. Anyone who tells you their company is better is lieing or is too deep in the loyalty pool to know any better.
I know when they introduced our new year paycuts they prefaced it at my company with "we have some exciting news" that will "increase opportunity" and "leverage fair payouts" and other bullshit phrases to make us think anythi...
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Today, we found out that several hundred contract employees were told they'd be out of a job by the end of April. These are technical support people who work in the stores, but who are specialists who actually work for a company called Flextronics. Verizon appeared to be poised to replace them with customer service reps, but at a rate of about one for every two technical specialist. As far as I've heard, a moratorium on hiring people from Flextronics for 90 days will remain in effect, which pretty much means Verizon won't be hiring people already trained on device ...
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This will drive out MOST of the competent people (and others will be fired for still forcing the company to pay them commissions by doing their jobs) and you'll have nothing more than order takers filling those positions.
So the corp stores will essentially turn into Accessory Kiosk and Customer support areas while everyone buys their phone online. (meaning they are MORE likely to require support after purchase since they don't know what they're doing with the device)
And the REALLY ironic this is that the customer won't notice it except to complain. They...
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