Magnosticism

I’ve never had a problem with the Verizon network, but customer service is another story entirely. They just can’t seem to get their in-store experience right, no matter how hard they try. Earlier this month, a shiny new Verizon store opened a few miles from my house in Londonderry, NH. Today I went in to get my battery checked/replaced, since my phone hasn’t been holding a charge for the past several weeks.

I checked in at the touchscreen kiosk near the entry like a good doobie, registering my information so my name would be entered in the service queue. The names of those who are waiting appear on a couple of flat-screens suspended from the ceilings – much like the merchandise pickup window at Sears. I was No. 1 for tech service – a good sign. Except for the fact that there was no sign of any tech support people – or even a tech support waiting area. Everyone on the floor was focused on sales.

Ten minutes into my wait, a manager-looking type finally made eye contact and said, “I’m sure someone will be with you shortly.” She was mistaken. I waited another 10 minutes before bailing. My name never moved from the queue, and I never saw any tech support geeks. All the displays on the floor were shiny and new, but the service still sucks.