One of the worst in-store experiences I've ever endured. Believe me, I kept my visit brief. I'll try to be as fair as possible with my remarks. Likely, some of the most disagreeable and unpleasant aspects of this 'flagship' Verizon location are due to the nature of Verizon itself.
Friends, this once-humble company has become a twisty, slippery, serpent-like creature. Dealing with the modern-day Verizon Corporation is like sticking one's hand into a next of vipers.
First: "call for an appointment". I don't know why; nor do I care why. All I know is what I learned from this experience, and that is that you can't just stroll into a Verizon store and shop.
"Make an appointment" like going to prepare your taxes or get a cavity filled at the dentist. "Make an appointment based on phones we have in-stock".
Then ..when you get there, you are asked to "sign in". Really? Yes really. Sign in like a doctor's office.
You may hear (as I did) "...Oh the representative you had an appointment with is unavailable, stand by while I assign you another representative".
All.... this ...folderol ...as soon as you step up to the doorway. Before you can even look at a phone.
This was the first tip-off I got that something was drastically wrong. It felt like I was joining the Navy. Verizon is so enormous now, they don't care shit about nuttin'.
Next: as this Atlantic Terminal store is a Verizon "anchor" store (or, "flagship", or "star location" or whatever they call it) what you soon discover is that there is not just ONE rule you will inevitably break. Far from it.
You will get tripped up by myriad "store rules", "company rules", "Verizon policies", "purchasing restrictions". A Verizon 'hub' store (or whatever they call it) is full of all this jargon. Layer upon endless layer of protocol and restriction and regulation.
...at the end of a long hot day which I spent hoofing around to all the Verizon outlets in downtown Brooklyn, the true nature of Verizon began to materialize. What I gathered was this: Verizon has "headquarters" stores (like this one in Atlantic Terminal) surrounded by Verizon "retail outlets".
"Verizon retail outlets" are independently owned Verizon franchises usually in the same vicinity. They sell Verizon products (maybe) but somehow, not Verizon services? Some utterly stupid bullsh*t like that. Something designed entirely for THEIR profit, something which results in YOUR hassle.
They just aren't in sync. The store in Atlantic Terminal doesn't communicate with the subsidiary stores. Same company, only not. They give conflicting information, they behave almost like they're rivals. You get bounced from one to the other. That's what happened to me on the day of my Verizon appointment. The sales reps would not coordinate with each other to offer me the product I urgently needed.
I went in there for one reason and one reason only: buy a phone. I had the item specs in hand --the Verizon website confirmed the product was available at this store. I researched! I studied! I planned! In advance. No joy.
The same thing will happen to you. Go in there and ask to see a specific phone model (as I did). "Oh, we have those in the back" ..."Oh, no we don't have them after all" ..."We have a floor model but none actually in stock" ..."But you told the other rep..." "The other rep wasn't referring to this model ..."
On and on and on and on. Like a Three Stooges one-reeler. Clownish incompetence; no satisfaction for the customer. Endless red-tape and protocol. It felt like grappling with the IRS or with my student loan servicer.
The final outrage was just one more flick of the whip in my face, one last lash of insulting, impersonal, demeaning treatment. After failing to solve the tangle of stockroom issues (no, not even their computers could figure it out) what ultimately froze my marrow was this: "I.D., please" "What?" "Your I.D., please. Before we can show you any phones, we must scan your I.D."
To shop for a stupid fuqqin' phone? You think I'd ever show my fuQQin' I.D. to fuQQin' Verizon?
Never dealing with this garbage company ever again. Sheer insanity. read more