I had the worst customer service experience of my life this evening at a Verizon store in Flagstaff on RT 66.
My phone fell out of my pocket today as I was rising from sitting on the floor. It fell about 3 feet and the screen shattered. I didn't panic though, because I thought that my wise decision to purchase insurance on my phone was going to pay off. I asked an Verizon web assistant if I should go into the store to get help and she said I could do that or deal with customer service over the phone. So, I made an appointment for 5:30 to get help at the store where I purchased my service, was sold on insurance and got my phone.
When I arrived I had to wait in line like everyone else. My appointment did not help me get prompt service. Steven, the manager, was checking people in. There were numerous employees milling about and talking to each other that did not seemed to be helping anyone, Steven being one of them.
After about 15 minutes, I approached Steven again and before I could say a word, he copped an attitude with me. He asked with impatience, "What, EXACTLY, do you need today?" I told him about my phone and that I had insurance and would like to get a replacement. He first said that they couldn't help me. They weren't the insurance company. I told him about my online chat with the Verizon assistant. Then he said he guessed he could dial the phone number for me to get help if I really wanted and rolled his eyes. Then he said that he could also take my $170 deductible that was required before my phone could be replaced, but really, the insurance thing wasn't his job.
I was shocked, not only by how rude this little man was, but because of this new and absurd information.. When I agreed to purchase insurance, I was not told about a deductible. The woman who sold my husband and I our plan, service and extras told us that the monthly fee was all that was required to protect us from out of pocket costs should anything at all happen to our phones. That was WHY we bought it. We never would have if we had been told about a deductible. I told Steven this. His reply was that its all in the contract. I asked him why I hadn't been told about the $170 fee. He said it was too much to go over and that was why they had contracts. I said I wanted a refund for the insurance money that we paid over the last year and he said he couldn't do that. I said I wanted the name of the employee that lied to us. He said no, that wasn't his job. I said I wanted him to find out and deal with that employee and he said again that wasn't his job and it wasn't hers to tell us about the fee because it was all in the contract. I asked to speak to the manager and he said he was it. He kept saying things like, "of course there is a deductible! Its like car insurance. That phone is worth $700! Thats a deal to only have to pay $170."
During all of this he was very rude and condescending in tone and attitude. He showed no sign at all of being interested in actually helping me or resolving anything. His only goal seemed to imply I was an idiot and get rid of me. He also either had no idea what he was talking about or he was lying to me. The Verizon website states that its actually a $100 deductible for my phone to be replaced using insurance. As for the cost of my phone, it is so outdated that it isn't even given away anymore. It has never worked properly, it was a serious downgrade from my first generation Droid that it replaced and it is certainly not worth $700. It is the iPhone 4 8G and it sells new for $99. I have been pissed for the last year that the sales girl got me into a contract with that phone to begin with, but now I find out that I was lied to about the insurance and then treated this way in the store. It is appalling.
This guy, Steven Mcmanama, has no business working in customer service of any kind let alone being a store manager. He may be a shark of a sale's person but his lack of customer service skills is going to cost the company money in the long run as customers get burned, tell all their friends and twitter followers about their horrible experiences with Verizon sales tactics and customer service and then find more ethical companies to work with.
Its true, I suppose, I shall have to start reading the fine print of any and all contracts I sign. I should have done that in the first place. Steven did not need to rub this in, however and the fact that contracts are used does not give employees the mandate to lie or omit pertinent facts from customers for the sake of a sale. This is simply very bad business. Its also very bad for business to have people like Steven Mcmanama running the show. read more
