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Customer Service/ATT vs. Verizon

M

mpossoff

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Mar 21, 2010
2,093
2
Philadelphia
I called Verizon couple times this week to get information. I was surprised how bad the customer service was in regards to politeness and the like. In fact I called them again this morning and got the same attitude.

However everytime time I call Att the reps are extremely polite and helpful.
 
I have heard that CS is not one of Verizon's strong points. But I can't comment on my experience since I don't have them. I have to be in contact with AT&T support all the time, and I have never had a bad experience with them
 
In my experience, Verizon CS is straight to the point with their answers and doesn't really try to understand and/or work with you. ATT is the opposite, they will explain things and work with you if possible.

Lots of Apple fanatics have iPhones and are used to having good CS, sometimes to the point of feeling entitled. I know there will be a lot of complaints about Verizon CS.
 
I have had Verizon for over 10 years and have had excellent customer service. I never called them much, just used their web site, but when I did have to call them they were knowledgable and very helpful. They always resolved my issues quickly. I don't remember ever being frustrated with them; in fact, I can remember bragging about how they went over and above what I felt was required.
 
LIVEFRMNYC said:
In my experience, Verizon CS is straight to the point with their answers and doesn't really try to understand and/or work with you. ATT is the opposite, they will explain things and work with you if possible.

Lots of Apple fanatics have iPhones and are used to having good CS, sometimes to the point of feeling entitled. I know there will be a lot of complaints about Verizon CS.
Click to expand...

I had the opposite experience with ATT. In fact I didn't buy the original iphone because of ATT. Before I got my iphone I ordered a phone from ATT when it arrived it was the wrong phone. It was a phone that was about 150 dollars less than the one I ordered. Instead of apologizing the guy from ATT tried to convince me to keep the phone they sent. It took me 6 months for them to get me the right phone and work out all of their billing mistakes.
 
My AT&T CS has been top notch. I even have a rep dedicated to me, I can call her anytime and she takes care of my needs right on the spot.

Verizon wasn't bad per-se. It's not like they were condescending with menor anything. But they sure didn't seem to really care about my complaints. They just tried to fix them, then tried to brush me aside.
 
Came from Sprint (what a joke!) to AT&T 4 yrs ago and I haven't looked back since. I've also had Verizon and left them because of CS issues and their inability to be flexible.

My experience with AT&T CS has always been helpful and polite. When there is billing issue its handled immediately and to my satisfaction. That's why I stay with them.
 
Sprint customer service was okay, but the wait was always like 2 hours for me few years ago, so I left them. Verizon customer service did not make me feel comfortable talking to them. They made me feel like they were the customer and I was the rep. Based on my experience, the verizon talked down on me like I was a kid. They pissed me off pretty bad.

I was able to forgive AT&T for many times because their customer service was friendly. Their service is spotty in some areas, but I am willing to overlook that every time I look at my monthly bills and CS. Verizon's CDMA network doesn't appeal to me and I hate them for being so greedy back in 2008.
 
I really don't get it when people hold customer service so incredibly high. I GET it that it's important for them to be there for you, but how often do you really contact them? In the last year I've called AT&T CS a total of about 3 times. Each time they know how to handle the issue (usually an international feature change, something I can't handle on the web), and that's-that.

Not sure if there are people that are bored and call customer service every other day to have a friend to talk to, or what, but the way people make it sound on here it's like they're calling every couple days.

I'll note, that when I had verizon, I'd have to call more often, but it was because of their notoriously bad billing, so I'd always be having to get a credit for an activation fee that got charged when it was to be waived on my plan, or a discount that wasn't applied one month, or a pro-rate that I nor they could understand. But even then, I'm not sure I'd say there was anything wrong with customer service. I think 90% of customer issues can be solved by using the internet, be it AT&T's website, or forums online.

I honestly think in today's online world, Virgin Mobile Broadband, who has virtually no human customer service, has a better model. They charge half the cost for the broadband, and in exchange it's a help-yourself mentality. I'd think if anyone believed in that model it'd be the people on this forum, yet there are those few continually bitching about ATT or VZ's poor customer service.

If you want a companion to talk to you and tell you everything is going to be okay each day, try match.com ... otherwise, it's a silly argument. Both companies have extremely high problem-resolution rates, as do Sprint and T-Mobile, and any experience you have otherwise, or those who vocalize here (I have been guilty of this before, hehe), are the MINORITY.
 
I go to Best Buy Mobile. Lines are a thing of a past there. The sales people aren't on commission and their geek squad black tie protection has saved me many a headache as I have a bad habit of dropping my phone.

Just a thought.
 
Twinsbb17 said:
I go to Best Buy Mobile. Lines are a thing of a past there. The sales people aren't on commission and their geek squad black tie protection has saved me many a headache as I have a bad habit of dropping my phone.

Just a thought.
Click to expand...

HAHA, seriously?

PRO- They're a neck to strangle that you know will be there if the bill comes to something aside from what's promised. They're usually passionate about mobile, so they make it their hobby to know the devices, plans, etc. Their stand-alone mobile stores are very good. I used to work for one of the carriers in Government Contracts and these were the type of employees we'd love to send customers to because we knew they'd give them no-BS answers.

CONS- They still have to drink the Best Buy kool aid. I also worked for Best Buy during college, and they don't pay commission, but departments work on point systems, and if you want your job, you sell the geek squad and extended warranty products.

Last time I bought a Virgin Mobile MiFi there, they offered to sell me "Geek Squad Device Optimization" for the "low cost of $70" ... optimize my MiFi? LOL, that's funny.
 
Twinsbb17 said:
I go to Best Buy Mobile.
Click to expand...

Me, personally, I wouldn't trust Best Buy with an 8 track cassette. But thats just my opinion based upon experiences of listening and talking to them.

As for CS with AT&T, they've always seemed very polite with me and have pointed out a few things to help us save some money (we're on a family plan with 3 iphones).
However, that being said..I will question their training as I haven't always gotten the correct information.
Like one time before MMS came out, AT&T told me that it was Apples fault and not theirs. I asked them why does the same phone work else where then, trying to prove to them they were wrong. But they continued to say it was because Apple didn't want MMS in the USA yet.
But she was still nice. lol
 
I've actually had pretty good luck with both Verizon and AT&T.

Going to either of their stores for service can be a mad house.

I prefer dealing with Verizon via email, as I get a timely response and once you're established you really shouldn't have many reasons to call CS.

Also, I'd imagine Apple is handling all of the technical support for the iPhone hardware anyway.
 
Hm, to me its about who is on the other end and your attitude going into it can dictate it too, sometimes not.
Ive had verizon for over 10 years myself, not very many times to call in on the few rare occasions something came up and have either taken care of the situation and/or went above and beyond it to ensure it was resolved from here on out, etc.
Even in the event of trying to discuss possible changes to our plan/bill and request features be alittle different i contacted their presidents office and within a matter of hours got a phone call back from them and discussed in good length what i'd like to see change..whether or not those features ever evolve into that or similar atleast they reached out. pretty comparable to apple sometimes.

ATT with regards to just using the iPad i had pretty good service. The data plan expired one month and i didnt need for that period of time so i let it go thinking i could just renew the data plan next month no problem.
Turns out you had 7 days to renew it otherwise it would drop from your account, my fault for not looking into it and not knowing if att had it listed somewhere. but the rep even after not having it for a month allowed me back on the plan.

So overall, nothing bad really.
 
I have had Sprint and AT&T. I call perhaps once or twice a year or so for something or other. AT&T has been nice given my limited experience/need for customer service.
 
JonMPLS said:
I have had Sprint and AT&T. I call perhaps once or twice a year or so for something or other. AT&T has been nice given my limited experience/need for customer service.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty picky, and I'm okay with the way AT&T handles customer service. I was fine with Verizon too.... altho it's not like in the old days where there were a ton of issues. I suppose LTE will bring with it new challenges, but now that the technology has been unchanged for 10 years now so they've had a chance to work it out. Also the billing systems are a lot more stable today than 5 years ago.. now we just need a new technology and a merger of carriers so we can break the status quo hahahahaa
 
personally I dont care about the customer service for the one time every 4 years I may have to call, I want a cell phone company so I can talk on my phone without call issues, not so I can have a friendly person to talk to at the company once in a blue moon :)
 
I've had good and bad experiences with both AT&T and Verizon. Both at different times had good customer support. I've also had problems with both ATT and VZW's customer support at other times.
 
After the purchase or signing a contract you should not need a lot of service unless you are an OCD person. I have been with AT&T for 10+ years and have not needed to deal with them much. You can, like most carriers handle most your needs on their website.

Neither likely have phone service people worth writing about.
 
maflynn said:
I've had good and bad experiences with both AT&T and Verizon. Both at different times had good customer support. I've also had problems with both ATT and VZW's customer support at other times.
Click to expand...

Spot on... it's all on who answers the call. If Shaniqwa's fighting to keep her curls curled cause it be raining where she be, she might be all up in yo biz. If baby's daddy dropped off her child support before work, she might be happy :)

Sorry, just had to.
 
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