Another example of a company who's gotten so big that they've lost their grasp on what customer service really is.
My mom visited this store in late Feb to upgrade her iPhone and was greeted by ANDREW. While I wasn't with her on the first visit, she later described to me ANDREW'S attitude towards her and it was nothing shy of being a complete jackass. His attitude was very flippant and dismissive of her and at one point he actually said to her something like "if you will just listen, I am trying to teach you".
Upon hearing the story (and being plenty angry - you don't mess with a man's mama), I asked my mom why she didn't trade her phone in because she'd likely get a credit on the new purchase. Turns out that option was never offered to her so I told her it *should* be an easy fix and that the store should offer the discount retroactively. So, we went to the store the next day and this is where we met (assistant manager) OMAR.
OMAR greeted my mom and I with a friendly smile but that's as good as it got with him. When we explained the salesperson's shortcomings from the previous day, OMAR apologized and expressed his desire to make it right. I presented him with my first option request... 1) To process a $100 refund (the amount offered for the old phone) back to her credit card. OMAR responded that he couldn't do that. Frustrated, I asked why and his response was that his system didn't have the ability to process refunds like that. Wait a minute! Verizon is a retailer with merchant services and they DON'T have the ability the process a CC refund. We all know that's BS. So I told OMAR as such and he tried to hold his ground.
So, I offered option... 2) Return the entire purchase (which, by the way, would be processing the refund OMAR said they didn't have the ability to process) and allow her to repurchase the same iPhone while adding the credit she was due for the trade in. OMAR said that was an option but smiled at me smugly as he explained he would have to charge a $35 restock fee because, and get this, he couldn't resell that iPhone being returned. Of course he can resell it.... he's reselling it to the same person! And, when I asked him to speculate on why ANDREW didn't offer the trade in value in the first place, OMAR simply said "We're not in the trade in business, we're in the sales business". Ha!
Frustrated, we left the store and I later called customer service and spoke to a delightful young woman who, after hearing my story, was utterly appalled at the treatment we received. She got in touch with another assistant manager CARLOS and I finally had a chance to contact him and work this fiasco out. He was very understanding and, ultimately, between he and the store manager JUAN, got everything taken care of (by processing the refund OMAR said wasn't possible) and for that I'm appreciative. I called JUAN at the store to express my thanks.
Despite this, I am giving this low rating because it's inexcusable that a customer is treated so disrespectfully and should have to put forth so much effort for it to be made right. Verizon used to be my carrier but I will not consider ever returning as a customer. read more