Review by danharley 
Posted: 1.4 years ago
member for 3.8 years, 88 visits, last login: 57 days ago
 Apple Valley,San Bernardino,CA
 Contract price not specified. (month by month)
 about 60 days
 "Very fast Internet access"
 "TERRIBLE customer support."
 "Verizon customer support are a bunch of trained idiots"
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)
|
My Verizon FiOS installation was completed just yesterday after months of dealing with some of the most useless people I've ever had to encounter in my life. I had spent months getting this service installed, and I came very close to canceling it on several occasions. If you’re considering FiOS, you will want to hear this story.
I’m an Internet consultant and I deal with Internet services everyday. That in mind, having FiOS services is a very attractive service to me and I don’t need much convincing if it’s benefits.
I knew that my installation was not going to be easy, and I spent several weeks working with FiOS as well as other Verizon departments to make sure everything will go as smooth as possible. I delayed adding services, such as VoIP phones and television, because I knew that would complicate an already complicated situation. It didn't matter how much time I spent in preparing for this installation, because Verizon's customer service ended up screwing everything up anyway.
What complicates matters is having five (5) existing phone lines at my house. Two are residential and three are business. Ironically, a technical problem is Verizon’s FiOS equipment can accommodate only four (4) phone lines. One would think the cutting edge fiber technology, which Verizon is so proud to offer, would be able to accommodate the five phone lines considering they’re offering television service as well. Well, it doesn’t. So I had to transfer one of the phones to a VoIP service. The transfer took nearly three weeks, because I had to wait for another Verizon department to release my account to SunRocket (see my comments about them).
While waiting for the fifth number to transfer to SunRocket, I contacted Verizon FiOS and other departments several times to make sure the installation will go smoothly and if there is anything else I needed to do. The FiOS representative assured me that everything will go very smooth and all my numbers will be transferred to the FiOS service without issue. I was also informed that FiOS would remove the existing copper lines and trench the fiber to the house. Guess what? That didn’t happen.
A FiOS technician came out to prepare for the installation a few days after I approved the order. The technician informed us that there was no order to install the fiber line underground and they wouldn’t be able to even if there were an order because they are not allowed to dig on private property. This contradicts the information I received from the FiOS representative. I had to delay the fiber installation while making arrangements to dig and install underground conduits out of my own pocket.
The fifth line was transferred to SunRocket, and the FiOS installation day finally came. The technician shows up with an order to install two (2) phone lines instead of the four (4) remaining phone lines. This was an obvious screw up, because the service for four (4) lines had been discussed for months with the FiOS representative as well as with other Verizon departments. Not to mention that the technician was able to see for himself that there was five pair of copper phone lines going to the house. The technician had equipment to install the four (4) phone lines in his van, but, instead of going ahead with the installation, his supervisor ordered to cancel and reschedule.
Shortly afterwards, I was on the phone with Verizon and transferred from department to department (which I have become accustomed to by now) trying to find someone who would step up, take responsibility and do what was necessary to resolve the problems, complete the installation and make their customer happy. Instead, I received explanations of finger pointing to other people and departments. This came from supervisors and not their first level customer support representatives. After spending over an hour on the phone of being transferred and put on hold, I hung up and let my Brother deal with them. The representative who talked to my Brother, in what has become a trait of all Verizon representatives, blamed me for not calling their business department concerning the business lines being transferred.
Sub sequentially, I called Verizon FiOS on Monday, and let them know what I thought about such accusation. I also indicated that the installation will be done on Friday as rescheduled or I will cancel the order and call Charter to consider their equal service. I went over the entire installation in detail and took notes of the conversation to make sure there were no miscommunications on my end. I also requested that a supervisor send me an E-mail to confirm everything concerning the installation as well as an apology for wrongly accusing me of Verizon’s shortcomings. I never received the e-mail.
Yesterday the technician calls to indicate he will be arriving soon for the installation of FiOS and transferring three (3) phone lines instead of the four (4) phone lines that had long been indicated for the installation. The screw up was no longer a surprise to me by this time, and I advised the technician to contact whoever he needs to contact to solve this today or don’t bother showing up. I called Verizon FiOS department to inform then of the problem and to remind that I will stop the order if this is not resolved immediately. The representative assured me that she will take care of it and will call me back shortly. She never did. At the same time, the technician arrived and was also on the phone with his department. He too was transferred between departments and put on forever hold.
After over an hour of twiddling our thumbs waiting for someone to talk to us, I decided to call Verizon FiOS again. Ironically, I got through to a supervisor faster than the Verizon technician had. This time the conversation from me was short and to the point. They will fix the problem now or I will stop the installation order. The FiOS representative asked to talk to the technician, and within three minutes he was given the order for all four (4) lines.
The technician was very efficient, and probably spent less than two hours to install the FiOS equipment, hook up the phone lines and provide the LAN connection to the router. Being an Internet consultant, I had the ability to hook up some of the equipment on my own and had the router prepared for operation within a few minutes. We had waited the rest of the day for other Verizon staff to do their job until just before 4:30 PM. A second technician arrived in hopes to help expedite the process. Everything started coming online shortly afterwards. First the phones and then the Internet connection came alive. A quick orientation on accessing the Verizon FiOS e-mail account and other features was the end of the installation.
In conclusion, the individual Verizon employees are not at fault concerning my issues. They’re a small part of a much bigger problem, which is Verizon as a whole. Verizon’s customer support system is renowned to be terrible, and even their own employees know that. However, their employees are not given any latitude to do anything about it. Had Verizon’s corporate leadership given the authority to allow their customer representative or technicians to solve the problem on their own, then I would not have had any issues and I would have had FiOS services much earlier. Instead, Verizon employees are relegated to passing the buck and blaming others for their company’s problems.
If you are considering Verizon FiOS service, then I would strongly suggest you document every conversation you have with any Verizon representative or employee. I also suggest that you contact every Verizon department to make sure your FiOS order will not encounter surprises. Do not trust what the FiOS representative tells you. You need to do the footwork if you want everything to go smooth. As far as myself, I’m making plans to transfer the rest of my services away from Verizon with exception of the FiOS service so I have less reason to deal with their customer support system.
For the Verizon customer service representatives and supervisors who read this… Thanks for NOTHING…
Dan Harley, Jr.
A VERY unsatisfied Verizon customer
Followup comments:  
Geist89
join:2004-01-10
Los Alamitos, CA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Utilities... It's safe to say that 99% of customer service reps, especially in electronics and telco have no clue what they're doing beyond the script they're reading to you.
I've noticed that utilities, as a whole DO NOT call you or e-mail you back when they say they will. They just don't. You have to threaten them with canceling the service, which is unfortunate but a fact of life. 
I'm glad that your problem got resolved in the end, though. | |
|  | 
mattybg
@verizon.net
| Re: Utilities... you have no idea what you are talking about. verizon does not eve use voice over IP....you obviously are an idiot. furthermore you sound extremely uneducated about anything but especially about verizon fiber optics. if you want you can go to ANY camparative third party website and see what they have to say. | |
| | | 
RideRed
Vista needs a popup blocker for Vista
Premium
join:2005-06-18
USA
edit:
March 4th, @02:39PM
| Re: Utilities... Wrong ee cummings...Verizon sells VOIP as "Voicewing". »Company entry - Verizon VoiceWing They offered it to me with my FiOS service. | |
| | | | crtjester20
join:2006-02-13
Virginia Beach, VA | Re: Utilities... Dude that had me rolling. EE Cummings... good one.
And yeah, you're right, Voicewing's been around for awhile now, so yeah Verizon does VOIP too. | |
| | | | | | | JohnA
Premium
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA
| Re: Utilities... said by danharley : I'm good friends with several Verizon supervisors and management in the region. And you couldn't get any of them to help resolve your issues?
By the way, you forced them to create an improper solution. Business phone lines are supposed to stay on copper. Only residential lines are supposed to be migrated to the fiber. | |
| |
VzManager
@verizon.com
| Let's put a few things into context here:
1) CSRs (Customer Service Reps) usually don't have clue #1 about the technical aspects involved with an account.
2) We attempt to ensure there are open communicatons between the Sales orgs and the Network orgs. When a technical problem arises, it's the Network orgs who have to deal with it, and provide a solution. The Sales orgs don't have a good grasp on timelines and communicating details to the end user.
3) If you get the phone number to a supervisor, get their full name and details. 9 times out of 10, there's nothing they can personally do to affect your situationa, but it geives you a startring point for any escalations, etc.
4) If you get on the line with someone from the Network side of the house, DON'T LET GO of them. You may not like all of their answers, but they WILL give you a straight anser on what can be/can't be supported.
5) Keep in mind that Verizon is limited by their suppliers. Currently, the ONT use for installations outside of MDU (Multiple Dwelling Unit) appilications support a MAXIMUM of 4 POTs lines. It's not a limitation of the technology, but rahter a limitation of the hardware currently available to tranfer 5 voice lines. | |
| | | danharley
join:2004-10-21
Apple Valley, CA
 ·Teleblend
 ·LINKLINE
·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Utilities... VzManager - Thanks for the info, and you've hit most of the issues right on the head. However, you forgot one step:
6) When all else fails, threaten to go to another service.
One of my Verizon friends (who will remain nameless to protect his job) told me to threaten to go to another service, which will trigger the flag to send me to the customer resolution department. For whatever reason, that department apparently has the ability to fix problems and cut deals to keep me as a Verizon customer. Most important is that it worked.
My threat of calling Charter to have their services installed if the Verizon problems were not solved that day certainly got someone's attention. The FiOS technician stayed until the job was completed and another technician was sent over to help. A service representative and a supervisor stayed on the phone for hours until everything was resolved. They gave two month credit on my FiOS bill to top things off.
I still believe that my problems would be better resolved if the technician or his supervisor had the authority to make a field decision instead of getting bounced from department to department until I became so upset that I was going to cut off Verizon. Then again, that's not my problem to fix. Some yahoo with authority in Verizon should pull their head out of their butt and consider customer satisfaction should be important instead of just making sure the stockholders are happy.
DCH II | |
| zchannel
join:2001-02-28
Hermosa Beach, CA
·Verizon FIOS
| Verizon FiOS I'm surprised at this critique because my installation of FiOS TV and Data came off flawlessly. True, I have only a single line, but the response of tech support is much better than Time Warner Cable/Adelphia from who I finally threw out, due to their merger troubles. The data is a true 15 Mbps down / 2 Mbps up. The field guys spent all day wiring in Hermosa Beach. Haven't had the problems outlined here, but I must say a novice tech support person finally got my Outlook 2002 to work with their email, because authentication is required. The best ever internet experience. | |
| rosh400
join:2004-01-14
Potomac, MD
·Verizon FIOS
·VoicePulse
| Square peg into a round hole By that I mean that you've got five phone lines and a home business. You should have been working through commercial sales, not residential sales. You tried to shoe horn a residential solution into a business environment and then you are surprised that you had nothing but heartache.
The four line limit has nothing to do with the capacity of fiber and everything to do with the VZ residential accounting system. If you need five lines, you need a business account, not a residential account.
3 weeks to port a phone number. That's normal. Usually takes 4.
I'm not downplaying your aggravation. I understand aggravation but I think you put yourself in a no win situation.
FIOS residential is set up for standard residential installations. For those of us with standard residential requirements, installation is not a problem. | |
| |
Sorry
@verizon.net
| Re: Square peg into a round hole  Well said, and thus this is why original tech only had order for 2 residential lines and this is why morons who think they are more knowledgeable than everyone else are dangerous. They create an unnatural situation and then complain when it doesn't go smoothly. That same fiber could do 32 lines if you want it but you would have to pay the hundreds of dollars for the terminal equipment necessary as a commercial account, the residential version is smaller and free. I would venture you didn't volunteer to do that. The problem I see here is that Verizon gave in to you and created this problem to begin with instead as you indicated having someone there with enough cojones to tell you that you were a commercial account with that many lines. | |
| rfjason
join:2007-03-23
Kirkland, WA
·Verizon FIOS
| Hey, me too! I had a nearly identical experience with Verizon: six months of utter CSR incompetence, screw ups, and finger pointing. I, too, never received call backs even though they were always promised.
It's sad when a major company like this gets by with a "lowest common denominator" policy to customer service. | |
| psbny
join:2002-01-06
Peekskill, NY
·Verizon VoiceWing
·Verizon FIOS
| 4 lines on an ont Just a little fyi. i work for Vz and do fios installs. it's not unheard of to install more than one ont to provide additional lines. i readily admit that if it were me on my house i'd prefer the idea of one ont and some voip for additional lines. heaven knows that the bandwidth won't be an issue. | |
|
hiriburu
@verizon.net
| Verizon FIOS TV FIOS TV ordered on 09/21, on 09/24 still not working
After 2 techs, 2 days of onsite assitance.
Here is my phone log *STAY AWAY from them for now*
Sep 24, 2007 08:41 AM 1 888 553 1555 00:46:00 not resolved
Sep 24, 2007 08:01 AM 1 800 688 2880 00:10:00 not resolved
Sep 24, 2007 07:52 AM 1 800 688 2880 00:01:00 not resolved
Sep 23, 2007 12:58 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:25:00 not resolved
Sep 23, 2007 12:56 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:02:00 not resolved
Sep 23, 2007 11:04 AM 1 800 688 2880 00:03:00 not resolved
Sep 23, 2007 10:46 AM 1 800 688 2880 00:16:00 not resolved
Sep 22, 2007 03:33 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:29:00 not resolved
Sep 22, 2007 03:30 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:03:00 not resolved
Sep 22, 2007 02:04 PM 1 800 688 2880 01:07:00 not resolved
Sep 22, 2007 01:53 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:11:00 not resolved
Sep 22, 2007 09:14 AM 1 800 688 2880 00:08:00 not resolved
Sep 21, 2007 08:15 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:18:00 not resolved
Sep 21, 2007 05:04 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:18:00 not resolved
Sep 21, 2007 05:02 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:03:00 not resolved
Sep 21, 2007 04:20 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:07:00 not resolved
Sep 21, 2007 04:09 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:07:00 not resolved
Sep 21, 2007 03:56 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:12:00 not resolved
Sep 21, 2007 02:32 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:28:00 not resolved
Sep 21, 2007 02:30 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:02:00 not resolved
Sep 21, 2007 02:27 PM 1 800 688 2880 00:03:00 not resolved
total time spended with reps & techs on the phone: 4.31 H
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