When going on a service call, field technicians must leave a customer after a certain time has passed, regardless of whether the issue is resolved.


"Service Technicians are not being allowed to do their job," he says.  "Once they're with a customer, they end up rushing through" because of time constraints.



"We can't spend time with customers needed to solve the problem.  The focus is on the amount of time, not the resolution."


U N B E L I E V A B L E


In addition, new processes in the contact center require all call center staff to suggest a cross-sell or upsell opportunity to every caller, even  if that caller wants to make a complaint or cancel service.

"It's insane," says Doug Sellars.

PICKETING FOR IMPROVEMENT IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

According to Sellars, the customer-facing staff is just as upset as customers about these new processes, which coincided with the Florida rollout of Verizon's FiOS network in August 2007.  It's the front-line employee who gets the brunt of the customer frustration. 

After no response from management from their first picket on April 7, hundreds of workers staged a second picket on April 16.  "We're going to make our voices heard," he says.

Numerous calls to Verizon's corporate staff were not returned.  In published reports Verizon spokesperson Bob Elek has said that the FiOS rollout required a shift in field service resources, but that the company has not received many customer complaints about service.  Sellars counters that he has "had a major outcry from the public thanking us for helping them."

Sellars says the goal is to have customer-facing staff work with management on developing a customer service solution that works for everyone.  "Our main goal is for management to sit down with union leadership, realize the current system is not working, and figure out how to make it better for customers, employees and the company."

He adds that senior management should consider the long-term customer point of view when developing service processes.  "We need customers," he says.  "We're afraid that this is going to turn into an exodus.  We have great products, but once you get the product, the service suffers."

A question for you, the reader:

How long could YOUR company stay in business if you followed Verizon Florida's customer service and contact center practices?

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