sansri88
Go digtal you analog laggards
Premium
join:2005-12-17
New York, NY
clubs:  | They sent me a letter....
Verizon sent me a letter via overnight UPS saying they want me to stay, blah blah blah...
And they said switch to FiOS. That ticked me off, since it's not even available in my area. |
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nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
 ·Comcast
| if it's a good deal....
if verizon is willing to give the customer a better deal, what the heck.
in the current, non-competitive market, it sounds like threatening to leave or leaving is the only way to make them notice. how many threads exist talking about getting better offers from comcast or another cable company when they call up to cancel?
it's sad that the customer has to be all but signed up with another provider (in cases where there is one), before the company they left even gives a sh1t. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
 ·DSL EXTREME
| True - I like open market approach, however if what they are doing is not legit, then they'll have to stop. This is not much different than slamming/cramming.
quote:
The cable companies also stated that Verizon broke the rules because its knowledge of a customer's intention to switch came from the cable company's number portability request, not from information directly derived from the consumer.
Cable CO says port the line, Verizon's 'retention marketing' has to go and find out who it is, put the status in 'pending' and attempt to win them back while its in transit. I think they're not allowed to do this while the order is pending, especially if it didn't come from the customer.
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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EPS
@verizon.net
| Why?
Other articles on this issue claim that Verizon isn't allowed to contact customers with deals until they've officially switched over- alright, if that's the rule, then they've probably broken it, but why is this? The cable companies are allowed to use retention strategies as much as they want, as are cell-phone companies (including VZW), internet service companies- why not standard POTS telephone? |
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Jeffrey
too dark too early
Premium
join:2002-12-24
Dix Hills,NY
clubs:
·Optimum Online
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Vonage
·magicjack.com
| Consumer Caught in the Middle
May be it's me -- while I can say that I'd consider this fair business practices on the part of Verizon, it does have a little bit of slime associated with it. The customer made a choice to change providers, and they shouldn't have to fight to make that choice once they provide the correct paperwork.
If I wanted to leave Verizon for a cable company, I would have done my research before hand, or at least inquired about a Verizon discount to "save me". May be not every customer would do this, but if it happened to me, I would be a little pissed with Verizon.
--
And so castles made of sand, slip into the sea, eventually.
I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing. |
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Chuckles
Premium
join:2006-03-04
Saint Paul, MN
| reply to nasadude
Re: if it's a good deal....
I say give up completely on retention and improve customer service. Beef up quality control with calls and make phone reps responsible for what they say. Then when a customer does threaten to cancel just tell 'em goodbye, cya, we dont play the threaten us game! When they try the other company still spending the money on retention instead of actually having people tell you the truth they'll get fed up with the crap and come back.
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kustomerservice.net |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA | How about offering it BEFORE they leave?
If they offered the better service and lower prices in the first place, they wouldn't be fleeing to cable.
Duh. |
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Nuts
join:2006-04-27
Forest, OH | reply to sansri88
Re: They sent me a letter....
Hold them to it and tell them to provide you with FIOS. |
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burn1out
Raw Horsepower
Premium
join:2000-12-12
Meridianville, AL | Ethics
Ethics 101
All of them should use it. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
| reply to Dogfather
Re: How about offering it BEFORE they leave?
Exactly.
Telco's take the "I'm leaving" too lightly until the customer actually files to leave. Instead, it appears that Verizon wants a last 'uh-oh, they're serious... Lets hold up the process and put in another shot... with a discount/promise/sugar coating. Even though they've already technically left, I want another shot before they actually get to their new provider.
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to Dogfather
The fleeing is not usually due to dissatisfaction...it's due to the borderline deceptive advertising of teaser rates which triple after the promo is over. Then you call in and argue with the cable company about it. They don't back off and you're back to Verizon again, only to play the same stupid game six months later.
The entire economy is on it's way to being Wal-Martted. All people care about is squeezing the last penny out of the cost and quality is rapidly becoming irrelevant.
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Toolmaster of La Grange. |
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RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to en102
said by en102  :Exactly. Telco's take the "I'm leaving" too lightly until the customer actually files to leave. It's not limited to telcos. Try threatening to leave Comcast cable TV. They'll tell you "go ahead" until you actually place the cancellation order. Then the unadvertised discount rates come flowing forth.
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Toolmaster of La Grange. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
| Now did you place the cancellation order with... Comcast ?
Telco has different restrictions with LNP.
This would be more similar to you taking your Verizon Wireless service (out of contract no less), walking over to AT&T/T-Mobile/Sprint/Nextel and saying 'port my number and sign me up'.
Then having Verizon call you on your phone while its pending to be ported and saying... "I'll give you better deal.. just cancel that agreement you've just signed with your wireless company. We're holding the number, and haven't completed the port yet."
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
| reply to Jeffrey
Re: Consumer Caught in the Middle
said by Jeffrey :May be it's me -- while I can say that I'd consider this fair business practices on the part of Verizon, it does have a little bit of slime associated with it. The customer made a choice to change providers, and they shouldn't have to fight to make that choice once they provide the correct paperwork. The slime part isn't because they are trying to retain customers. It is because they often DELAY a port of a number for more time than is necessary so that they can extend their marketing effort. The FCC gets involved because delaying porting of a number is against the rules.
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Internet News
My BLOG
My Web Page |
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Jeffrey
too dark too early
Premium
join:2002-12-24
Dix Hills,NY
clubs:
·Optimum Online
·Verizon FIOS
·Vonage
·magicjack.com
| said by TKJunkMail :said by Jeffrey :May be it's me -- while I can say that I'd consider this fair business practices on the part of Verizon, it does have a little bit of slime associated with it. The customer made a choice to change providers, and they shouldn't have to fight to make that choice once they provide the correct paperwork. The slime part isn't because they are trying to retain customers. It is because they often DELAY a port of a number for more time than is necessary so that they can extend their marketing effort. The FCC gets involved because delaying porting of a number is against the rules. Yeah I agree, that's what I'm implying if I wasn't clear. Wanting to retain the business is fine, but any delays that further prohibit the customer's choice is slimey, IMHO.
--
And so castles made of sand, slip into the sea, eventually.
I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing. |
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RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | reply to en102
Re: How about offering it BEFORE they leave?
Re-read what I posted. I was using their cable TV cancellation tactics as an example of how the practice of not taking customers seriously is not limited to telcos.
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Toolmaster of La Grange. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
2 edits | I understood what you meant about not taking it seriously, however, TV cancellation tactics are done by you calling your Cable/Satellite/etc. and cancelling them, which they will typically beg afterwards. What LNP is doing is the same in practice (i.e. not taking seriously), however they are governed by different laws.
I personally don't care for the tactic either way, but its management 101. Go and ask your manager for a promotion/raise/etc.. Unless you're in a good spot, they'll typically deny you, or give you a little bit.
Hand them your resignation, and they may offer you a lot more.
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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NOCMan
Verizon Fios User
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Flower Mound, TX
| reply to en102
Re: if it's a good deal....
No the problem is that LNP requests do not require Verizon to call their customer. Verizon is using the request as an excuse to have a rep from the retention department make a sales pitch to them to keep/delay them from switching services.
The only problem I have is most likely the deal verizon cuts with the customer most likely also has a min 2 year committment attached to it. |
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Syncognition
join:2008-01-12
Winter Park, FL
| reply to EPS
Re: Why?
Because VoIP/wireless service is not a public utility. Cable companies get to call themselves phone providers as an offer strategy, but when it comes to regulation, they don't have to play by the same rules. For instance, if an ILEC wants to increase basic service rates, it is almost an act of congress and has to pass through the state PUC, while a cable company can increase rates without any of that trouble. They also have fewer taxes and regulatory fees to pay.
Phone companies are fighting hard to have cable providers regulated equally for voice service. As it is the cable industry has a pretty big advantage because of this lack of regulation, and you better believe that any communications provider is going to take any unfair advantage they can get in order to succeed in this highly competitive environment. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
| reply to NOCMan
Re: if it's a good deal....
I guess I worded my response a bit wrong with the 'Verizon's retention dept. "has" to go out and win back. It's an excuse for their marketing department to have a chance to attempt to win you back. Their marketing/retentions should only be involved before the port was initiated, and after it is complete.
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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