Friday, March 27, 2009

Why Would You Pick Verizon Phone Service?

About a week ago we were awakened at 1:30 a.m. by our Slomin Alarm System SIREN! I ran through the house expecting to find an intruder. I banged into a wall, since I was half asleep, and busted my head as well as cut up my foot. My son, who is temporarily staying with us in a downstairs apt ran through a door to get to me and broke the door. Neither of us could find anyone in the house and I shut off the alarm. There was no warning beep prior to the alarm siren (which was deafening) going off. We called Slomin and were told that if phone power is cut off for 15 seconds or more the alarm system activates without any warning beep in the siren emergency mode.

After cleaning up the blood on the carpet from my wounds we went back to sleep, I called Verizon Customer service the next morning and after reviewing all of his notes the CSR told me there was no cut-off in power in any of his information. I then called Slomin and was told, for the 2nd time, that it was Verizon's fault for cutting off power to the phone. Again I called Verizon Customer Service and was told they had no information. I demanded that they connect me with a supervisor. Twenty minutes later ( as I was on hold) a supervisor came on the line and read the previous notes on my account. She told me that she would investigate and get back to me the next day. She called the next day to report that, in fact, it was Verizon's fault. Apparently there was trouble in the FIOS lines and they were repairing the problem in the middle of the night, assuming it wouldn't impact on any customers. They forgot that many of us have alarm systems tied into the phone lines.

Each night the same supervisor has been calling me to report that the "ticket is still open" and that repairs have not been completed.

What would have happened if I had not demanded that a supervisor talk to me? I believe that Verizon's Customer Service and communications with customers is POOR at best; I had bad experiences before. As I wait for the repair, my wounds are healing but the downstairs door is still broken. The supervisor told me that Verizon would take care of that but so far no one has contacted me about it. I think I will share this story with a couple of major market TV stations as well as my Blogger friends.

4 comments:

Bmore_Gooner said...

Well it sounds like that alarm of yours is really keeping you safe.

David Ettlin said...

I 'fired' Verizon for my home service a year ago after repeated antagonistic responses to my complaints of buzzing on the line, which I knew from past experience and repairs always originated from company line problems and not the wiring or phones in the house. Verizon would invariably open with the threat that if a repair crew was sent and the problem found to be inside the premises, I would be charged for the repair visit. Then Verizon would insist I unplug every telephone in the house and plug in a phone at the outside connection. Then we'd reset everything, and the buzzing would still be there. Sometimes it would take two days before Verizon would show up at the neighborhood connection box a half block from my house and the problem would vanish. Verizon never to my knowledge checked my complaint history and previous resolution to the recurring problem, which is inexcusable. So finally I add digital phone to my home computer and TV service from Comcast. Just a day after Comcast hooked me up and Verizon was discontinued, I got a Fed-Ex package from Verizon offering me 50 bucks and a lower rate if I would come back. Frankly, had Verizon responded to and resolved complaints speedily and without objection, and responded to competitive forces of other available providers by lowering the billing rate for its services long ago, I might think kindly of the company. But it flunked on both issues. And I have had no problem -- repeat NO PROBLEM -- with my Comcast phone service since its installation a year ago. Its high-speed Internet service is very, very good. Its high-def TV makes my Samsung 42-incher look great! And when I'm watching TV and the phone rings, I get a caller-ID read-out at the bottom of the screen. When I'm traveling (and remembered to disconnect the phone from the answering machine before leaving), I can get my voicemail through my Comcast Internet connection from anywhere -- in the U.S. or abroad. I still have Verizon cell service, but only because it's part of my older daughter and son-in-law's group package and thus very cheap, and doesn't involve the connection and repair problems of Verizon's inept home phone service.

Unknown said...

Intersting since my alarm also went off in the middle of the night( it may have been the same night) and my alarm company asked if I had fios, which I do. My issue was that i called 911 and plice were her and gone before th ecomapny called me to ask if there was a problem.

Maryland Burglar alram said I had a weak battery system hence the alrm set off. hmm I wonder if it in fact was the FIOS repair in the first place.

Tony333 said...

Verizon Wireless provides really best services!! I recently got new phone from here...