var json_comments = new Array("
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dlynch
October 15, 2008 3:03 PM
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nice work, Verizon - a few weeks later than would be best, but nice work nonetheless!

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2 replies
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marsneedsrabbits
October 16, 2008 4:49 AM
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@dlynch:

Glad to hear you got such a great outcome.
Another thumbs up for Verizon.

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Necoras
October 15, 2008 4:55 PM
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@dlynch: Eh, takes time to move through the system. Verizon recognized that they had a moron working for them and did something about it. Better than most. One glowy fibery thumb up to them.

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AMetamorphosis
October 15, 2008 3:04 PM
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Congratulations Jason !


... and I'm glad that someone high up reads the Consumerist because hopefully things will get better from this awful company.

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2 replies
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NefariousNewt
October 15, 2008 4:01 PM
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@AMetamorphosis: Well, if you want an unvarnished look at how people perceive your company, reading this site is the way to go. Verizon puts a lot of effort into those commercials showing you they will back up their customers with excellent service -- it does them no good to have any part of their customer service fall down on the job.

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alexawesome
October 15, 2008 9:20 PM
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@NefariousNewt: Agreed - we've had mixed issues with Verizon. We LOVE FiOS, but as this blog has discussed, Verizon has some issues with electronic billing if you don't have a phone line through them. Sorry, not good enough. Our bills are consistent, so we aren't as concerned about not being able to see our bill, but this is an ongoing issue that MUST be resolved if we're going to stick with FiOS (which we would very much like to do). Hint hint, higher up!

On the bright side, we have had nothing but exceptional service from our Verizon reps. Thanks to tips shared on this blog and others, we got above-and-beyond results from this company, so we're inclined to stay loyal if at all possible. Again, the billing..? We kind of need to be able to SEE our bill each month, instead of just our credit card statement.

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Nate128
October 16, 2008 1:34 AM
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@alexawesome: Verizon Wireless (cell phones) and Verizon Communications (the company that does FiOS, tv, landline phone) are two separate companies... so if you're having trouble with one, it doesn't have anything to do with the other. Verizon Communications does jointly own VZW with Vodafone, however.

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Bladefist
October 15, 2008 3:06 PM
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With the current economy and the high unemployment rate, I would have preferred this CSR be fired and her job given to someone who would appreciate their job, and work hard to do a good job, as many unemployed people would probably love to do.

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9 replies
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Crim Law Geek
October 15, 2008 5:19 PM
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@Bladefist:
Well, they didn't say what training program they are putting the CSR through. It could be the patented Verizon Wireless Janitorial Arts Training Program®™

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Bladefist
October 15, 2008 9:15 PM
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@Crim Law Geek: lol comment of the day. Course she'd forget to put out the wet floor sign and you'd had a massacre in front of the elevator.

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dequeued
October 15, 2008 4:37 PM
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@Bladefist:
Agreed.

She clearly didn't value her job or take her assigned task seriously.
If I was in her place, and wasn't sure what the procedure was, I would do my very best to help the customer.
I would make a sincere effort to find out what I could do to rectify the situation.

Instead, this CSR was clearly doing the absolute minimum required.

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courtarro
October 15, 2008 3:55 PM
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@Bladefist: That's pretty harsh. You've never made a mistake at work or had a day when you really didn't feel like doing anything?

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socalrob of the 24 and a half century
October 15, 2008 8:27 PM
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@courtarro:
I've made mistakes in my job before but her job is something of importance, so she really doesn't get a chance to not feel like doing anything. People can get hurt if she decides to not do anything that day.


and @ bladefist: I totally agree. I don't have a job right now, keep getting told im \"over qualified\" which is the stupidest thing ever, so I'd love to have that job. I know how to use the internet to look up a zip code and it doesn't take me 15 minutes to do. Even if her internet was down she can still call 411 on her own and ask for the zipcode, it is an information service after all.


How do idiots like this get jobs, when other people (including myself) are willing to work for the same amount of pay and do a 10x better job? If the person from verizon reads this contact me I need a job badly!

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econobiker
October 16, 2008 2:26 PM
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@socalrob:


\"Even if her internet was down she can still call 411 on her own and ask for the zipcode, it is an information service after all.\"


But that would have cost the csr $1 a call...

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Bladefist
October 15, 2008 5:12 PM
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@courtarro: The CSR didn't make a mistake. A mistake isn't on purpose. The CSR made a decision to not do his/her job.

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kathyl
October 15, 2008 4:32 PM
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@courtarro: She put his personal safety, which the service she is employed by is supposed to help protect, at risk because she apparently didn't \"feel like doing anything\" at work that day.

When you have a job, you are paid to feel like doing something. If you don't, either be honest and take a vacation day until your attitude improves or suck it up, or your job should indeed go to someone who appreciates it more.

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LostAngeles
October 15, 2008 4:24 PM
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@courtarro: I'm sure a lot of people have. But there are levels of error that just aren't ok.

The CSR left him stranded out there. That's absolutely not ok. I'm not going to go through any what-ifs on this. Even though he ended up fine, it's still, again, not ok.

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dreamsneverend
October 15, 2008 4:23 PM
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@courtarro: Those who don't respect and take pride in their work should find another job.

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startertan
October 15, 2008 3:11 PM
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Nobody is perfect and companies mess up all the time but it's the ones that are willing to admit fault and at least try to make amends for it that get my business.

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1 replies
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bwcbwc
October 18, 2008 1:17 AM
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@startertan: Well, up to a point...A company that's in a constant SNAFU won't get my business even if they eventually manage to get things right.

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pandroid
October 15, 2008 3:11 PM
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Thanks for the update. I have roadside assistance through my car insurance company, but if they ever fail me, at least I know I can give verizon a shot at trying to help.

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highmodulus
October 15, 2008 3:15 PM
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Ah, the Show Us Your Verizon Face, Roadside Edition!

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Spencer
October 15, 2008 3:26 PM
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\"Latrina\" is a hilarious name. Just saying.

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5 replies
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TreyWaters
October 16, 2008 12:52 PM
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@Spencer: My cousin actually went to school with a girl whose name was pronounced \"Shi-theed\"...spelled \"Sh!thead\".

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EyeHeartPie
October 15, 2008 7:46 PM
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@Spencer: I was thinking the same thing while reading the story...does that make me a bad person?

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adamondi
October 15, 2008 5:45 PM
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@Spencer: Indeed. I have seen that name a few times lately, and I just have to wonder if the parent(s) thought about the name for even a few seconds prior to sticking a kid with it. Here are a few other ways to turn synonyms of \"latrine\" into funny names:

Toiletia
Commodina
Lavatoria
Urinaletia
Priveena

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dadelus
October 15, 2008 3:32 PM
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@Spencer: Obligatory \"Men in Tights\" Paraphrase...


Better than what she changed it from. It used to be $#!+housea

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JayCor
October 15, 2008 3:55 PM
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@dadelus: It's a good change! That's a good change!

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Canino
October 15, 2008 3:46 PM
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I doubt if putting the CSR through training again will teach the CSR basic spelling and geography, which is probably what caused this failure in the first place. That's what happens when you hire minimum wage quality workers to serve your customers.

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4 replies
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nursetim
October 16, 2008 1:53 PM
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@Canino:
Clearly the CSR was one of the many US Americans who doesn't have a map.

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LostAngeles
October 15, 2008 4:25 PM
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@Canino: Hey now, you can get good workers at minimum wage.

You just better damn well up their pay when they show how well they can do their job.

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qcgallus
October 15, 2008 4:32 PM
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@LostAngeles:
I'm sire that would be directly violating the unwritten call center's code of ethics.

Working at a call center I realized that most promotions have nothing to do with merit. They would stack job after job on me, but when it came time for promotion they would go with someone \"more qualified for the job,\" but then when they needed training done it was me they turned to most times.

I will say, though, that it takes a very aware executive to read The Consumerist, and shows that maybe someone high up gives a damn.

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Das Kommunist
October 15, 2008 6:19 PM
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@qcgallus: I agree. When I was working at a call-center, I was basically running the day to day operations of the call center. When the actual position was open to be paid to do that job, I was looked over for \"someone more qualified\". Although, in the end was basically promoting them for cost effectiveness.

Like you, in the end, I still ended up actually doing their job because they wouldn't/couldn't do it. It doesn't matter about how well you can do your job, it's about how little they can pay someone else less qualified and get away with it. Then sticking the other guy with the work.

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Pixelantes Anonymous
October 15, 2008 4:49 PM
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@qcgallus: \"I will say, though, that it takes a very aware executive to read The Consumerist, and shows that maybe someone high up gives a damn.\"

Gives a damn about the customers, or gives a damn about her company reputation?

There is a difference.

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MikeGrenade
October 15, 2008 6:08 PM
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@Pixelantes Anonymous: In a just world the two would go hand in hand.

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DarkKnightShyamalan
October 15, 2008 4:01 PM
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@Canino: Yeah, it raises the question of what exactly they \"teach\" in that training program.

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ElizabethD
October 15, 2008 4:06 PM
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I'm hoping more and more corporations will have someone monitoring posts on blogs like Consumerist with an eye to improving CS practices -- and, of course, to mollifying PO'ed customers.

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IphtashuFitz
October 15, 2008 4:22 PM
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Nice that Verizon is making amends, but it never should have gotten to that point in the first place...

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Ein2015
October 15, 2008 4:48 PM
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Hooray! Happy endings!

So Consumerist is either gaining ground in the industry or Verizon is getting more intelligent. Or both. Win-win situation either way! :)

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Daniel Rutter
October 15, 2008 4:59 PM
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I just got off the phone with a Latrina Jackson

How are Keisha and Natella?

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1 replies
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Tijil
October 15, 2008 6:22 PM
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@Daniel Rutter: Hahahahahaha... Excellent link! :)

Thanks!

I hadn't run into that program before.

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intellivised
October 15, 2008 5:15 PM
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If it would of been any month besides June/July/August getting stranded on I-25 or I-80 in post places without competent roadside assistance can be a pretty desperate situation.

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intellivised
October 15, 2008 5:16 PM
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In most places in Wyoming. Need an edit button!

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frankadelic
October 15, 2008 5:40 PM
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Maybe Jason will now call 411 and apologize for cursing out the innocent operator and send them something for the stress he caused them.

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2 replies
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XDoctor
October 15, 2008 5:56 PM
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@frankadelic:

Yeah, that part's not going to happen.

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devsgurf
October 15, 2008 6:01 PM
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I'm also a little mystified this was treated as a training opportunity rather than a reason to terminate someone.

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2 replies
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Das Kommunist
October 15, 2008 6:23 PM
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@devsgurf: In a call-center environment it's actually very embarassing and humiliating to be sent back to complete a training course you had to go through when you were first hired.

Yes, I would have fired her in a heartbeat for doing that, but chances are her center has a very forgiving manager and thinks that a little humiliation will straighten them out or force them out.

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devsgurf
October 15, 2008 6:50 PM
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@Red_Dawn:

I dunno. I've done my stint in a headset and if I was one of her co-workers who actually gave a sh*t about my job, I'd find it completely demoralizing. What does it say for the quality of people the company is hiring if someone can screw up that bad and basically just be publicly humiliated for it. I also wonder what kind of signal it sends to the rest of the call center...screw up...and we'll take you off the phones for a week and give you a break from customers.

I guess the real question is, had the OP perished, would Verizon have taken 4 days to help locate his body?

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Das Kommunist
October 15, 2008 8:02 PM
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@devsgurf: I'm not defending Verizon by any means, but would you rather take the embarrassment or spend your next couple of weeks hunting for a job?

Yeah, it may be demoralzing, but if you are a good co-worker and cared about your job, you really wouldn't have to worry about being sent back to training. As an employee who cared you'd automatically do your best to do your job.

I've done QA and you can tell whether or not someone really gives a !@#$ about what they are doing just by their tone, and reactions.

By what I could tell and agree with most of the people on here, she most likely didn't care about the job at that point.

Some people tend to forget that it is that very customer who is funding the company to allow them to sign her paycheck.

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devsgurf
October 15, 2008 9:52 PM
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@Red_Dawn:
Yeah, it may be demoralzing, but if you are a good co-worker and cared about your job, you really wouldn't have to worry about being sent back to training.


No what I think is demoralizing would be working with a collosal screw up gets \"training\". Maybe in your call center experience, training had a stigma to it, but I would guess most people would see it as free time off the phones.

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Das Kommunist
October 16, 2008 7:04 AM
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@devsgurf: Unfortunately, your thought about it as free time off the phones is correct.

While I was a trainer for Sprint, uptraining was to most agents as a chance to screw off and get paid. In the end, the trainer makes or breaks how agents or new hires perceives the training and their time off the phones.

It's usually the kids fresh out of high school who decided that it was their free time. So I'm going to assume that this rep in the story was in her early to mid-twenties or their last stint of teens. And just so you know, I'm not one of those people that thing young people don't understand. I'm 23 and I believe age can be an issue.

I was passionate about my job and making sure people 'got it'. I was known as the guy who was mellow and laid back until you had that 'free time off the phones' mindset. From that point forward, I made your day hell until you realized that you were in there for a reason.

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The_IT_Crone
October 15, 2008 6:13 PM
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Wow. I've been fired for FAR less and when I always went above and beyond at my job. I know a lot of people are willing to think Verizon made this situation good, but I can't think that keeping a person that puts people's SAFETY at risk is a good idea.

You can NOT have quality service if you do not have quality employees. It's not a matter of her not knowing how to do her job, she was UNWILLING. You can't train someone to not be lazy.

Or, as Ron White says, \"You can't fix stupid.\"

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1 replies
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newfenoix
October 15, 2008 8:44 PM
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@The_IT_Crone: I agree. You can't train someone that isn't trainable.

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MartaMyrrha
October 15, 2008 6:48 PM
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We can be quick to blame the CSR...however, bad training in the first place may be to blame.

I see it all the time in my business. The reps really just have NO idea how to handle anything above simple matters - because they are not trained to. I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt to this CSR.

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rushevents
October 16, 2008 5:19 PM
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@MartaMyrrha: I DO blame the CSR! Just the fact of asking if he was home then following up with the could you meet someone at your house when he had already explained he was nowhere near any house anywhere show a lack of lateral thinking skill.


In other words she is TOO F'ing dumb to be a customer service agent!


(Something which should have been caught in the hiring process.)

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mythago
October 16, 2008 1:17 AM
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@MartaMyrrha: You don't need good training to realize that leaving somebody stranded by the side of the road, after PROMISING HELP, is a lame maneuver.

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econobiker
October 16, 2008 2:28 PM
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@mythago: Many people don't understand that Wyoming is very unpopulated and it takes time to drive from one place to another. It is not like hanging out at a 7-11 in suburban Maryland while waiting for your tow truck to arrive...

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tspack
October 15, 2008 8:22 PM
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Latrina? Seriously? The poor woman. Her parents were either cruel, abusive bastards or mind-bogglingly stupid. \"Yay, a baby! Let's name her after a toilet!\"

Anyway... I'm glad to see some positive resolution to the horrible customer service.

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ShortBus
October 15, 2008 8:39 PM
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@tspack: She changed it TO Latrina. Used to be \"Shithouse.\"

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LibertyReign
October 15, 2008 9:27 PM
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I hav eto admit I'm impressed by Verizon's response to this complaint. Did they not also tell the NSA to go screw when asked to violate customers' 4th amendment rights?

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Roclawzi
October 15, 2008 9:55 PM
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Let that be a lesson to all of us, when stranded on the side of the road, trying to get help from verizon roadside assistance, call once, and then post on consumerist.com so the publicity will shock them into action.

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MyTQuinn
October 15, 2008 10:49 PM
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Congrats to Verizon for stepping up, but the CSR should be fired, along with whoever chose to go with retraining as an alternative. Anyone capable of being trained (or retrained) to handle something like this properly could not have handled it so poorly if they tried.

If you start with inadequate raw materials, whatever you're trying to build won't work. Similarly, if you start out with a moron, no amount of training will result in a competent CSR.

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2 replies
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Sanveann
October 16, 2008 1:39 AM
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@MyTQuinn: Couldn't agree more. This CSR is clearly beyond help.

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Nate128
October 16, 2008 1:38 AM
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Verizon Wireless spends a lot of time and money on each employee to go through the training process. The company likes to keep people employed and help them get better rather than term them. Contrary to what you may think it's very hard to find people who want to do the call center. It's a job that burns you out real fast. The rate for keeping people at the call centers is about 30% 6 months after hiring. So there's a huge amount of turnover. Knowing this it makes a lot of sense for them to try to keep people hired rather than just terming them, even though this particular situation was unfortunate.

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rushevents
October 16, 2008 5:12 PM
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As a former training manager I have to say loudly - \"YOU CAN'T TRAIN STUPID!\"


The operator was a COMPLETE bonehead. My prediction - She will NEVER be any good at this job. One of the mantras in the training world is \"What? Should I just train them LOUDER next time?\"


Can't look up a zip code, can't remember the nature of the call can't answer automated system question on their own \"Are you at home?\"


She is Hopeless! Note to Verizon FIRE HER NOW!!!!!!!!!!! She will only do this again!


Send her Back to McDonald's to be the cashier who swirls's her finger over the register keyboard looking for the picture of the Big Mac.


AAARRRRRGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I HATE STUPID CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE!!


There! I feel better now. :-)

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crystal4134
October 14, 2009 7:49 PM
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I have paid for roadside assistance on my cell phone bill for 2 years. The one time I used it, I was hung up on 3 times, the reps were very rude and 3 hours later I ended up calling a tow truck myself because nova 1 said there were none available in my area. If you pay for roadside assistance through nova 1 CANCEL it because it is a rip off!! I asked the name of the company and said nova 1 but they represent verizon wireless. I work fr verizon wireless and they are no part of the company, But you can believe any account that i see has this feature, that I will tell them to cancel this service because it is horrible!!!

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