Customer Service Problems: Verizon Wireless - Research Paper Example

Service Problems: Verizon Wireless Introduction The practices of the wireless companies in the USA have lead to dissatisfaction. This customer dissatisfaction essentially stems from billing problems, charging for services without authorization, and poor response to customer calls for assistance. Verizon Wireless leads the wireless industry in customer satisfaction surveys, which may be related to willingness to adjust plans to suit customer requirements and the authorization of customer service representatives to make such adjustments.

Yet, customer service satisfaction on the whole with the wireless industry is at a low and customers quite often have to fight for redressing their grievances. The reasons for this may lie in the words of the Patrick Pearlman, of the West Virginia utilities commission, “wireless has mostly been mostly left to the Wild West of deregulation and nonenforcemnt”. (1). This situation provides Verizon Wireless with an opportunity to enhance its competitive edge through improved customer service.

Customer Service Problems and Verizon Wireless Providing excellent customer service is the foundation, and a major means of sustainability, for any company. Companies like Verizon can offer special promotions and reduce prices to bring in the customers, but retaining them and getting them to return is a different story. Without customer retention and loyalty, Verizon will not be able to stay profitable long-term. Excellent customer service relies on the customer leaving happy enough to, via word-of-mouth, promote the business to others, who will hopefully try the product or service, and continue the cycle of virtually free promotion. (2). There are eight golden rules for providing good customer service.

These are prompt answering and response to customer service calls; not making promises that cannot be kept; listening to customer problems; attending to the complaints; providing assistance even when there may be no returns in it; going the extra mile for the customer; and providing something extra, which may be even just information that is useful to the customer. (3). These eight golden rules provide a basis for evaluating customer service provided by Verizon Wireless as a means of understanding how it can be improved.

Calling in for assistance to Verizon and getting the required assistance is like climbing Mount Everest. The initial responses hardly provide any assistance be it a replacement for a broken phone or redressing of grievances, unless Verizon Wireless gains financially from the assistance provided. Perseverance pays and after doing the run around, the higher ups at Verizon Wireless customer service very reluctantly makes changes that address the problems of the customer. Not many have such perseverance and Verizon Wireless may very well be losing such customers to their competitors. (3). Verizon makes the promise that customer service representatives will be authorized to provide the necessary changes and service that are demanded by customers, when they call in. (1). However, experience with the front line customer service representatives show that this promise is more in breach than in its keeping. (3). Thus the second rule of not making promises that cannot be kept is not followed.

Where Verizon is seemingly failing is in listening to the customer and attending to customer complaints. Specifically, customers have complaints about their experiences with technical support and product failure. These problems could easily be resolved if the employees in the call centers and in the local stores were enforced to provide excellent customer service at all costs. However, based on forum complaints and posted transcripts of telephone conversations with not only customer service representatives for Verizon, but also members of management, it appears the nonchalant approach to customer service and poor listening skills are trickling down from the top.

The Internet provides a forum like no other, for customers to reach millions of potential customers with the touch of a keyboard and the click of a mouse. If they are using the forum to warn potential customers about the poor business practices and lack of customer service the company is providing, it will not take long for the word to get around. (4). Providing assistance when there may be no returns in it is the next golden rule in customer service. Yet, from experiences that the customers have with Verizon wireless customer service it is difficult for them to even have their grievances redressed.

This is because customer service does not have the authority to provide assistance, when the assistance provided is likely to affect the returns of the business organization from the customer. The customer service policy appears to be to extract the maximum from the customers and give the minimum in return. (3). When such is the policy, how can Verizon customer service go the extra mile for the customer, as a part of the requirement for providing efficient customer service. The final golden rule is providing something and that means going beyond the expectation of the customer that calls in for service.

This may be in the form of information only, but when such information can be costly to the company in terms of paying less in terms of more appropriate plan selection, Verizon wireless customer service will not part with this kindly advice. (1). This short sighted policy will lead to loss of customers for Verizon wireless. Ultimately, the costs will be profits, and in the end the business itself. (2) Conclusion Verizon Wireless has the leading position in the wireless industry for customer satisfaction in terms of customer service.

However, evaluation of the customer service provided by Verizon Wireless shows that this customer service is actually deficient in all aspects of the requirements for good customer service and that customer service is not really taken seriously at Verizon Wireless from top to bottom. The leading position that it retains for providing customer service in the cell-phone services sector is a reflection of the poor quality of customer services provided by the cell-phone services sector as a whole.

Works Cited 1. “Cell-Phone Runaround”. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, January 2006, p.78. 2. Ward, Susan. “8 Rules for Good Customer Service”. 2011. About.com. 15 April 2011. . 3. Cooley, Brian. “Verizon’s customer service: your problem is … them”. 2004. cnet Reviews. 15 April 2011. . 4. Pogue, David. “Verizon Responds to Consumer Complaints”. 2009. New York Times. 15 April 2011. .