hell of having NO phone - transcript of calls to Verizon Fios

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ext of chat discussions between verizon fios "call center" and yours truly. does not include text of the phone conversation with a verizon fios usa-based customer service rep (csr) that precipitated the actual emergency of having no phone service.

FIRST CHAT

FIOS Chat Subject:FiOS Television (No Picture / Picture Quality)

Your Question:speaking around 2 w/customer support: remote works, only gets black screen w/small picture of a guy in upper left corner OR white screen w/typeset specs. was going to call back "in three minutes" - no call AND now our phone is out of order, with loud blaring busy noises.

A Verizon Service Representative will be with you shortly. Thank you.

Agent Sampat has joined. (15:17:21)

Sampat(15:17:31): Thank you for contacting Verizon FIOS technical chat support. My name is Sampat , we appreciate your patience in reaching us. May I confirm your telephone number as 2153576892?

John Murphy(15:17:46): yes

Sampat(15:17:56): Thank you.

Sampat(15:18:21): For your account security and to assist you better, could you please confirm the name on the account, complete address and a preferred callback number for future reference?

Sampat(15:20:01): Thank you for the information. Is it okay to address you by your first name?

John Murphy(15:20:23): fine - it is deev

Sampat(15:21:43): Thank you, Deev.

Sampat(15:21:58): Just to let you know, in case the chat gets disconnected due to any issue at either end, please re-initiate the chat through the same channel or call our FIOS phone support at 1-800-837-4966, whichever is convenient to you.

Sampat(15:22:09): I will be sending you an email about self help tips on minor telephone, video and internet issues to your email address auntdeev@aol.com

John Murphy(15:22:40): i would GLADLY call fios phone support, but fios knocked OUT our phone!!!

Sampat(15:23:07): I am sorry for the inconvenience caused.

John Murphy(15:23:07): and i have been awaiting a crucial call!!!

Sampat(15:23:37): I understand that there is no dial tone. Am I correct?

John Murphy(15:24:11): all we get is a LOUD aggravating busy signal - not the usual.

Sampat(15:24:26): Regret the inconvenience caused and I assure you that we at Verizon are always here to help you out with any issues in regards to your services. Please be rest assured we would fix this for you today.

Sampat(15:24:31): Deev, is the issue with all the phones?

John Murphy(15:24:53): so we now have two problems - no fios AND no phone (yes, all phones have same horrid ring)

Sampat(15:25:13): Oh! I see.

Sampat(15:25:19): Let me check the status for you.

John Murphy(15:25:53): only had ONE issue when i first called - only discovered the horrid sound when i picked up to cb verizon about status of the fios dvr problem

Sampat(15:26:23): Thank you for additional information.

Sampat(15:26:33): Lets first fix the issue with phone.

John Murphy(15:27:06): add'l info? all of this is included in my original question (above & reposted below) - speaking around 2 w/customer support: remote works, only gets black screen w/small picture of a guy in upper left corner OR white screen w/typeset specs. was going to call back "in three minutes" - no call AND now our phone is out of order, with loud blaring busy noises.

Sampat(15:27:36): Thank you for this information.

Sampat(15:27:46): Let me run a line test on the server.

Sampat(15:29:49): The test is in progress.

John Murphy(15:30:14): warning - that's what the nice fellow on the line said.

Sampat(15:30:49): Oh! I see.

Sampat(15:32:24): I appreciate your time and patience.

Sampat(15:33:00): It seems that I need to send a technician to your premises to fix the issue.

Sampat(15:33:20): So, that the tech will check the issue manually and will fix the issue for you. Sounds good?

John Murphy(15:34:36): i thought that might be the case. what about the phone? it was fine until the cr rep attempted to fix

John Murphy(15:35:01): when can we expect the technician?

Sampat(15:36:01): Let me check the status for you.

John Murphy(15:36:25): thank you

Sampat(15:36:30): The earliest available appointment slot for the technician arrival is on 11/01/2011 between 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Would you like me to confirm the time slot for the technician?

John Murphy(15:37:17): no phone until TOMORROW?

John Murphy(15:37:45): it was fine until YOUR rep messed it up

John Murphy(15:38:36): both my husband & i use our phone for business. ie MONEY

Sampat(15:39:26): I have tried to run a line test from the server and it seems that there is an issue with the ONT(optical network terminal)

Sampat(15:39:42): I can understand the importance of the phone.

Sampat(15:41:01): As its already 4:40 Pm, we may not get technicians now to visit your premises..

John Murphy(15:41:02): i understood it was something like that. here's the bottomline - the dvr is moot. the phone is NOT. the problem was created on YOUR end due to something YOUR rep did. I was on the PHONE with him. tomorrow morning is not acceptable. we need the phone issue resolved asap

Sampat(15:41:47): Let me try to run on advanced line test in the server.

John Murphy(15:42:16): so, YOU created the problem but YOU can't get it fixed because it is too late in the day. had i KNOWN the phone was kablooy, would have been on the internet (which still works, praise be, waay sooner.

John Murphy(15:43:01): i agree that it's probably a problem that needs a flesh & blood technician. running tests didn't seem to do any good with the dvr

Sampat(15:43:21): I request you to unplug the phone and replug it backl.

John Murphy(15:44:27): all of them?

Sampat(15:44:37): Yes, please.

John Murphy(15:46:27): john is taking the wires out of the jacks for all three phones.

Sampat(15:46:42): Alright!

John Murphy(15:49:17): i have a client that i was supposed to call at 4:30 - this does NOT make me look very good. arrrrgggghhhhhhh....

Sampat(15:49:42): I am really sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Sampat(15:51:33): Let me do one thing for you.

Sampat(15:51:53): I will connect you to my supervisor, so that he will check for an alternate option.

Sampat(15:51:58): Please be with me.

John Murphy(15:52:08): thank you

Inviting Sudheer to conference (15:52:34)

Agent Sudheer has joined. (15:52:34)

Sudheer(15:52:39): Thank you for contacting Verizon FIOS Chat support Supervisor Queue. One moment while I go through the previous transcript.

Sampat(15:52:54): Hi Sudheer.

Sampat(15:53:08): We have our customer Deev with us.

John Murphy(15:53:08): i have to meet my client at 5:30, so need this resolved - unless you want to deal with my husband's hunt & peck typing (since he can't use the phone)

Sampat(15:54:43): Sudeer, can I drop the chat from my end?

John Murphy(15:55:20): fyi - am grateful that i can cut & paste a copy of our conversation. by the way, john's reconnected the phones, as requested

Sudheer(15:56:25): Okay.

John Murphy(15:56:28): i need to turn over to john no later than 5:15 est

Sampat(15:56:53): Sudheer, can I drop the chat from my end?

Sudheer(15:57:18): Okay, I will check with our customer.

Please drop off the chat.

Sampat(15:57:33): Thank you.

Sampat has left the conversation. (15:57:43)

John Murphy(15:58:06): High praise for sampat, who was courteous & responsive, with relevant info. appreciated

Sudheer(16:00:36): Thank you so much for your feedback.

Sudheer(16:01:06): We really appreciate that you are taking time to appreciate your feedback.

John Murphy(16:02:44): one of the many advantages to many years working in customer service. i appreciate that this is not a problem of your making, but the phone IS a problem caused by verizon fios when i was trying to resolve a relatively (in comparison) dvr problem.

John Murphy(16:04:47): still loud blaring line on the phone

Sudheer(16:05:53): Oh! sorry to learn about that.

Sudheer(16:06:03): Just give me one more minute while I check this for you.

John Murphy(16:11:08): in nutshell - freakish problem w/fios tv beginning last night (was fine after major winter storm - we live in se pa); called this afternoon to resolve; after numerous tries to resolve via remote, was instructed to hang up & the cs rep would call back "in 2 minutes"; after over an hour, picked up phone to call 800 # & heard hideous busy signal; internet is not affected. informed earliest phone can be resolved is 11/01 a.m. - not acceptable; problem caused on your end

NEXT CHAT ~Chat Subject:FiOS Television (No Picture / Picture Quality)

Your Question:re: chat cut short. what is the situation?

this is beyond not acceptable that VERIZON messed up our phone & the best you could offer was to have it repaired TOMORROW. it was caused by an error on YOUR end.

A Verizon Service Representative will be with you shortly. Thank you.

Agent Sandeep has joined. (19:06:42)

Sandeep : Chat ID for this session is 10311144575. (19:06:42)

Sandeep(19:06:52): Thank you for contacting Verizon FIOS technical chat support. My name is Sandeep , we appreciate your patience in reaching us.

Sandeep(19:07:02): May I confirm your telephone number?

John Murphy(19:07:10): yes

Sandeep(19:08:00): At the end of this chat session I will be sending you some basic troubleshooting steps for future reference to your e mail ID auntdeev@aol.com by which you can go ahead and troubleshoot minor telephone, video and internet issues yourself.

Sandeep(19:08:05): For your account security and to assist you better, please confirm the below mentioned details

1) Name on the account:
2) Complete address:
3) A good Callback number for future reference

John Murphy(19:08:20): john r murphy

Sandeep(19:10:00): Thank you for all the details.

John Murphy(19:10:45): yes, there are a lot of details. my last conversation lasted a hour - it would have lasted longer had it not been cut short

Sandeep(19:11:16): I am checking information for you.

Sandeep(19:14:31): I see that the issue is with the remote. Am I correct?

John Murphy(19:14:37): in a nutshell - weird problem with our dvr; contacted fios about problem; very nice cs rep ran numerous tests hoping for remote resolution; ultimately instructed me to hang up, he'd do something & call back in 3 minutes; when he hadn't returned call in an hour, i picked up phone to call back - blaring busy signal. contact verizon fios via internet - not affected - and informed a technician would be out tomorrow morning. why? because it was so late. but it wasn't when i started.

John Murphy(19:15:24): original info ~ ~ FIOS Chat Subject:FiOS Television (No Picture / Picture Quality)
Your Question:speaking around 2 w/customer support: remote works, only gets black screen w/small picture of a guy in upper left corner OR white screen w/typeset specs. was going to call back "in three minutes" - no call AND now our phone is out of order, with loud blaring busy noises.
John Murphy(19:17:22): HOWcould you read related notes & think the problem was with the remote??

Sandeep(19:18:57): I apologize.

Sandeep(19:21:23): I see that you have initially contacted us for set top box issue and then for the no dial tone issue.

John Murphy(19:22:14): I contacted verizon fios via phone for the set top box issue; when the response i was promised did

John Murphy(19:23:21): didn't happen, i picked up the phone to cb only to discover the horrific sounding blare. the first situation happened on our end, the phone - a very sensitive problem for both my husband & myself - happened on YOUR end.

Sandeep(19:26:26): I understand.

John Murphy(19:27:37): my evening turned into a professional nightmare. all i am focused on is getting this resolved.

Sandeep(19:28:37): I am working on that, Mr. Murphy.

John Murphy(19:29:27): it is mrs murphy, as should be in notes. DEEV

Sandeep(19:30:12): I am really sorry, Mrs. Murphy.

Sandeep(19:30:37): Let me go ahead and connect the chat to my supervisor for further assistance. Please be online.

Inviting Shabbir to conference (19:31:07)

Agent Shabbir has joined. (19:31:07)

Sandeep(19:31:12): Hi Shabbir.

John Murphy(19:31:15): thank you. i am beyond frazzled, so please pardon any terse tone

Sandeep(19:31:55): We have Mrs. Murphy online.

Shabbir(19:32:10): Hello Mrs. Murphy and Sandeep.

John Murphy(19:32:21): hey shabbir!

Sandeep(19:33:01): For your privacy reasons, I'll go ahead and drop off from the chat.

Sandeep(19:33:17): Thank you for choosing Verizon and have a nice evening!!

Shabbir(19:33:32): Mrs. Murphy ,I am sorry to see that you are having issues with the phone after contacting us for the video issue,however,I will surely try to get the issues fixed.

Sandeep has left the conversation. (19:33:42)

John Murphy(19:34:09): sandeep did a fine job - your representatives have done what they could to resolve the situation & i am impressed with how courteously they handled my irritation.

Shabbir(19:34:30): Thank you for your valuable feedback.

Shabbir(19:35:50): I am running a line test and we appreciate your time and patience with us.

John Murphy(19:37:32): everyone seems in agreement that a technician needs to make a call. the issue WAS - hours ago - W

John Murphy(19:37:36): WHEN

Shabbir(19:39:40): Well,I am keeping the technician visit as the last option .

John Murphy(19:40:26): at this point, it's unlikely what could have been a solution at 3:30 can happen going on 9:00. this problem was not of your making - but it was verizon. it has cost me professionally today & will take even more of a toll tomorrow, when i have to cancel morning events in order to be here for the technician. if you can resolve the phone issue via remote, will be over the moon with joy.

Shabbir(19:41:16): Trust me,I will surely do my best .

Shabbir(19:42:01): How many phones are connected ?

John Murphy(19:42:21): three - do you want john to disconnect & reconnect?

Shabbir(19:43:01): Please keep the phones disconnected,also other devices which are working with the help of phone signals.

Shabbir(19:43:21): I will let you know when to connect the phones back In.

John Murphy(19:43:36): he's disconnecting as we text

Shabbir(19:43:46): Thank you so much.

John Murphy(19:47:05): taking a while - hard to get at the jack in his art studio. will let you know when they're all disconnected

Shabbir(19:47:25): Thank you so much .

Shabbir(19:47:46): I suppose that Mr.Murphy is an Artist?

John Murphy(19:48:30): he is indeed. and waiting for a call from the manager of a railroad gift shop that wants to stock his prints & paintings.

John Murphy(19:48:47): all disconnected

Shabbir(19:49:53): I understand.

Shabbir(19:50:03): Thank you for disconnecting all the phones.

Shabbir(19:52:38): Please connect one wired phone and check if it has a dial tone now.

John Murphy(19:53:20): same LOUD blare

Shabbir(19:53:50): Alright.

John Murphy(19:54:19): disconnect again?

Shabbir(19:54:29): Yes,please.

John Murphy(19:54:46): done

Shabbir(19:55:02): Thank you.

Disconnected by Verizon FIOS

NEXT CHAT

Chat Subject:FiOS Telephone (Other)

Your Question:all of the above! see notes for chat ###.

A Verizon Service Representative will be with you shortly. Thank you.

Agent Ramya has joined. (20:22:18)

Ramya : Chat ID for this session is ### (20:22:18)

Ramya(20:22:26): Thank you for contacting Verizon FIOS technical chat support. My name is Ramya , we appreciate your patience in reaching us.

John Murphy(20:22:26): hi!

Ramya(20:22:36): May I confirm your telephone number as ##3 in addition have a good callback number so that Verizon can reach you in case we get disconnected? At the end of this chat session I will be sending you some basic troubleshooting steps for future reference to your e mail ID by which you can go ahead and troubleshoot minor telephone, video and internet issues yourself.

John Murphy(20:23:24): yes - normally that number, but it's been messed up by fios. all phones have been disconnected. no testing has worked. don't even go there.

Ramya(20:24:09): For your account security and to assist you better, please confirm the below mentioned details

1) Name on the account:
2) Complete address:

John Murphy(20:25:02): not getting this resolved when it was just a problem with our dvr - phone was fine until verizon fios tried to fix the problem. we have NO working phone at this time

Ramya(20:26:27): The inconvenience is regretted on behalf of Verizon. However, not to worry. I'll be more than happy to assist you with this issue.

Ramya(20:27:12): Since how long you are experiencing the issue?

John Murphy(20:27:30): this has been a professional nightmare for both my husband & myself. it has taken hours. testing will not resolve. too late for a technician. best you can do is schedule tomorrow. wasn't acceptable earlier, still isn't. i will have to cancel appts to be here. will continue this conversation with additional higher levels to get some sense of satisfaction. READ YOUR NOTES!!!!!!!!!

Ramya(20:28:26): I am so sorry about that.

John Murphy(20:29:00): i end up getting disconnected every time. so not acceptable.

Ramya(20:29:10): In this case, let me connect the chat to my supervisor, who will be able to assist you further.

Inviting Rakesh to conference (20:29:25)

Agent Rakesh has joined. (20:29:25)

John Murphy(20:29:44): hey, they haven't been able to up to now. have been in contact with three - want their names & comments?

Rakesh(20:29:49): Hello and Thank You for contacting the Internal Supervisor Queue . My name is Rakesh. How may I help you today ?

Ramya(20:30:19): Hello Rakesh.

Ramya(20:30:39): We have Mr. Murphy here, who are facing issue with the telephone.

Rakesh(20:30:44): Hello.

John Murphy(20:30:55): READ THE NOTES!!! if you don't have any, will be happy to give you copy of what was said.

Ramya(20:31:10): Also,he would like to schedule a technician for that issue.

John Murphy(20:34:28): one was offered earlier - best that could be scheduled was tomorrow between 8 and noon. was unacceptable at that time, as the phone problem was caused by VERIZON FIOS and both my husband & i had urgent use of the phone tonight. we both took professional hits due to this problem. YES schedule the appt. UNDERSTAND that i will have to break appts in order to be here so a Verizon technician can solve a problem that Verizon caused. Beyond frazzled.

Ramya(20:35:43): For your privacy reasons, I am dropping off the chat session from my end. Thank you for choosing Verizon. Bye and take care!

Ramya has left the conversation. (20:36:09)

Rakesh(20:37:24): Just to keep you updated. I am checking your account.

John Murphy(20:38:48): just get it resolved. it won't be to my liking - that would have been at five hours ago - but it's all that can be done. aaarrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! the phone problem was CAUSED by verizon fios!!!!!

Rakesh(20:39:48): Checking for the nearest available slot.

Rakesh(20:39:53): Please stay connected.

John Murphy(20:40:44): what was offered was 8-noon, tomorrow. this is not a problem caused by the storm or old equipment. the phone fiasco was created by VERIZON fios.

Rakesh(20:40:59): I would block Tuesday 11/01/2011 08:00A 12:00P . However I need some more information before I do that.

Rakesh(20:41:11): 1. May I have your cell phone number, so that we may send you the status of the technicians visit via text message?
2. Do you have any pets?
3. Is your house a independent house or apartment?
4. Do we require any access codes?
5. Please let me know any two call back numbers that we can contact you on.
6. Please make sure there is someone at your home who

John Murphy(20:41:11): such as?

John Murphy(20:42:09): IF I HAD A CELL PHONE, WE WOULD NOT BE IN DIRE STRAITS!!!!!!

John Murphy(20:43:04): there are NO contact numbers where you can call us because THE PHONE DOESN'T WORK

Rakesh(20:43:31): Please make sure there is someone at your home who is above 18 years of age when the technician comes to your home.
Two CBRs (trouble tickets & construction callbacks)
Please make a note, you will receive a call on the day of your dispatch, please make sure that someone will answer the call because there is a possibility that you might miss out on the appointment as the call was not answered.
If you are not able to be at home, please ensure someone, at least 18 yrs of age, is home to meet our technician, or they will not come in your home and you will have to re-schedule.
If you have any pets, please make sure they are secured for the safety of our technician.
Please leave your Router/STB/Phones plugged in and turned on from now until our tech completes the repair.
Please allow the technician access to your Router/STB/Phones during their visit.

John Murphy(20:43:31): i will be here - having canceled work commitments

NEXT CHAT

Your Question:technician was supposed to be here to repair phone that VERIZON fios messed up - scheduled for 8-noon, still not here. i have NO phone. please check on status. can supply with full text of yesterday's FOUR calls regarding this situation. WHAT IS THE STATUS?? ~ DEEV Murphy ~

A Verizon Service Representative will be with you shortly. Thank you.

11:19:55 Estimated wait time is 5 mins 42 secs. We apologize for the delay. You are next in the queue. A representative will be with you shortly.

Agent Mohana has joined. (11:20:25)

Mohana : Chat ID for this session is ### (11:20:25)

John Murphy(11:20:32): see notes for ###. (15:17:21) and @@@ (19:06:42)

Mohana(11:20:37): Thank you for contacting Verizon FIOS technical chat support. My name is Mohana; we appreciate your patience in reaching us. May I confirm your telephone number as ###.

John Murphy(11:20:58): yes - you are texting with Deev Murphy

Mohana(11:21:29): At the end of this chat session I will be sending you some basic troubleshooting steps for future reference to your e mail ID by which you can go ahead and troubleshoot minor telephone, video and internet issues yourself.

Mohana(11:21:29): For your account security and to assist you better, please confirm the below mentioned details

1) Name on the account:
2) Complete address:
3) A good Callback number for future reference

John Murphy(11:22:53): 19053 WE HAVE NO PHONE - your cs rep messed something up trying to resolve a dvr problem. otherwise ###

Mohana(11:23:13): Thank you for the information.

John Murphy(11:23:15): background info, info from yesterday - "Rakesh(20:40:59): I would block Tuesday 11/01/2011 08:00A 12:00P . However I need some more information before I do that."

Mohana(11:23:36): I understand that there is a Technician visit today and no one came till now right?

John Murphy(11:23:50): no one has come

Mohana(11:25:15): We really apologize for any inconvenience caused to you. Please do not worry; I will do my best to resolve this issue.

Mohana(11:25:15): Just to let you know, in case the chat gets disconnected due to any issue at either end, please re-initiate the chat through the same channel or call our FIOS phone support at 1-800-VERIZON or 1-800-837-4966, whichever is convenient to you.

John Murphy(11:25:59): ah hem - I HAVE NO PHONE. will re-initiate chat.

Mohana(11:26:29): Not to worry I am checking with my technicians, please give me 2 minutes of your time.

John Murphy(11:26:53): happy to!

Mohana(11:29:09): I am online with my technician he is working on the ticket.

John Murphy(11:29:49): thank you

Mohana(11:30:19): You are welcome.

Mohana(11:30:19): You are welcome.

Mohana(11:32:36): Thank you for being online.

Mohana(11:32:41): I appreciate your patience.

Mohana(11:32:46): Sorry for taking much of your time.

Mohana(11:33:27): I see that the technician is on another job and he will be coming to your place.

John Murphy(11:33:39): when?

Mohana(11:34:19): He will be coming in the next 1 hour.

John Murphy(11:35:02): this should be a verizon fios priority because the phone was fine until it was messed up on your end in trying to resolve the dvr problem. now we have both the dvr, which is a bother, and the phone, which is disaster

John Murphy(11:35:35): is there a ticket number we should refer to?

Mohana(11:35:40): Not to worry once the technician visits he will fix all the issues.

Mohana(11:35:55): Yes the ticket number is PADQ02HUQY

John Murphy(11:36:09): since i am scheduled to be with a client this afternoon, it is a worry.

John Murphy(11:36:29): thanks for the ticket number. phone to call if delayed?

Mohana(11:36:44): I understand your concern, I am sorry for the delay.

NEXT CHAT

Chat Subject:FiOS Telephone (Other)

Your Question:re: ticket ####; background ~ Mohana(11:29:09): online w/ technician working on ticket. ~ Mohana(11:33:27): technician on another job; he’ll be at your place…in next hour. ~ John Murphy(11:35:02): phone was fine until your csr messed it up trying to fix dvr.

A Verizon Service Representative will be with you shortly. Thank you.

Agent Bhim has joined. (17:14:20)

Bhim : Chat ID for this session is ### (17:14:20)

Bhim(17:14:25): Thank you for contacting Verizon FIOS technical chat support. My name is Bhim , we appreciate your patience in reaching us.

Bhim(17:14:30): May I confirm your telephone number as### . At the end of this chat session I will be sending you some basic troubleshooting steps for future reference to your e mail ID by which you can go ahead and troubleshoot minor telephone, video and internet issues yourself.

John Murphy(17:14:33): technician never showed

John Murphy(17:15:01): that is correct number - albeit NOT functioning at this moment in time

Bhim(17:15:20): My sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused.

John Murphy(17:15:20): it is 6:15 est

Bhim(17:15:25): For your account security and to assist you better, please confirm the below mentioned details

1) Name on the account:
2) Complete address:
3) A good Callback number for future reference

John Murphy(17:16:13): (gives)

Bhim(17:17:03): Excellent! Thank you for confirming the details.

Bhim(17:18:03): I am checking the details for you.

John Murphy(17:18:06): once again it is after 5; once again it might be :"too late" for a technician; once again, this is so totally beyond acceptable'; did i have to cancel my business appt this afternoon to ASSURE that what was promised - the technician would be HERE in an hour - was DONE? what will be EXCELLENT is seeing a technician walking in our door within the next hour.

John Murphy(17:19:02): if you would like me to send you a text copy of the MANY conversations i've had over he past 36 hours, will be happy to oblige. considerably longer than 300 characters

Bhim(17:19:27): I see that you are contacting us as the technician is yet to visit to fix the service, am I correct?

John Murphy(17:19:38): yes

Bhim(17:19:58): Thank you for confirming. I can understand your concern.

Bhim(17:20:38): I see that the technician team is currently closed. Let me connect with my supervisor and check if he can do something about this.

Bhim(17:20:46): Just to let you know, in case the chat gets disconnected due to any issue at either end, please re-initiate the chat through the same channel or call our FIOS phone support at 1-800-VERIZON or 1-800-837-4966, whichever is convenient to you.

Not to offend you, but if you have a cell phone you may call the above number or just re-initiate the chat.

John Murphy(17:20:46): F R U S T R A T I O N

John Murphy(17:21:16): i don't have a cell phone - hence the urgency

Inviting Rakesh to conference (17:21:56)

Agent Rakesh has joined. (17:21:56)

Bhim(17:22:01): Hello Rakesh.

Rakesh(17:22:01): Hello and Thank You for contacting the Internal Supervisor Queue . My name is Rakesh. How may I help you today ?

Bhim(17:22:10): We have Mr. Murphy with us.

John Murphy(17:22:10): yes, i am aware the tech team packs up at 5. which is why i CALLED earlier.

Bhim(17:22:25): Mr. Murphy, we have my supervisor Rakesh with us.

John Murphy(17:23:43): Rakesh - just take a moment to read the notes, which would tell you that i am DEEV murphy, not my husband john. but am suspecting that your reps might not input notes, since i have to go over it all each time. can send you text copy of all previous conversations if that would expedite getting this situation - caused by VERIZON FIOS - fixed.

Rakesh(17:25:58): We do have an option to check the real time status of the technican. However its little difficult now as the department which does that is closed.

Bhim(17:26:28): May I have your permission to drop off the chat?

Rakesh(17:26:33): Yes.

Bhim(17:26:39): Thank you for choosing Verizon. My supervisor will be assisting you further.

Rakesh(17:26:59): However the technician appointment shows on 11/4/2011 as of now. Now let me tell you what I could do for you.

John Murphy(17:27:17): previous conversation - Mohana (11:33:27): I see that the technician is on another job and he will be coming to your place. 11:34:19): He will be coming in the next 1 hour Mohana(11:35:40): Not to worry once the technician visits he will fix all the issues. Mohana(11:35:55): Yes the ticket number is @@@

Bhim has left the conversation. (17:27:22)

John Murphy(17:28:20): thursday is wildly NOT acceptable. this was a problem caused by VERIZON fios - i was on the phone to get the dvr problem fixed. the csr caused the phone problem.

John Murphy(17:28:34): if he couldn'

Rakesh(17:28:44): I do accept the fact that you have gone through lot of trouble. I would like to make it very simple for you now. Now here's the plan.

John Murphy(17:28:57): can't wait - go on...

Rakesh(17:32:22): The team which does scheduling is closed now and we have limited access to those records. What I would do is I would arrange a supervisor contact the concerned team to get an update on this and also I would arrange a call back from supervisor. Please give me your preferred contact number on which our Supervisor can reach you.

John Murphy(17:32:44): MY PHONE DOESN'T WORK

Rakesh(17:33:55): Any other preferred call back number/cell phone number ?

John Murphy(17:35:22): I DO NOT HAVE A CELL PHONE. THERE IS *NO* WAY YOU CAN REACH ME BY PHONE. if i could write in bold, i would!!!!!!!!!!

Rakesh(17:35:52): Sorry . I didn't mean to make you angry.

John Murphy(17:36:05): not angry - weary weary weary

Rakesh(17:36:25): In that case request you to contact us around 01:00 PM and our next agent would provide you the details.

John Murphy(17:36:59): you're saying to contact you tomorrow AFTERNOON???

Rakesh(17:33:55): Any other preferred call back number/cell phone number ?

John Murphy(17:35:22): I DO NOT HAVE A CELL PHONE. THERE IS *NO* WAY YOU CAN REACH ME BY PHONE. if i could write in bold, i would!!!!!!!!!!

Rakesh(17:35:52): Sorry . I didn't mean to make you angry.

John Murphy(17:36:05): not angry - weary weary weary

Rakesh(17:36:25): In that case request you to contact us around 01:00 PM and our next agent would provide you the details.

John Murphy(17:36:59): you're saying to contact you tomorrow AFTERNOON???

Rakesh(17:38:30): Yes so that we can give you an update on this. The only reason why I requested you to contact us is as there is no option fo rus to contact you and give you an update.

John Murphy(17:40:08): yes, i got that. an agent isn't available until 1:00 eastern standard time??

John Murphy(17:40:49): at this point, the entire text of our endless conversations will make great material for my blog.

Rakesh(17:41:29): Agents are available from morning 09:00 AM. I just told you 01:00 PM so that we can have some buffer time and by then even our records would be updated.

John Murphy(17:42:39): your info doesn't get updated until early afternoon? not immediately??

John Murphy(17:43:40): if that

John Murphy(17:44:30): if that's the best you can do, then that's the best you can do. will feel at least some sense of balance by doing the least i can do, which is to share my experience, in detail.

Rakesh(17:44:41): Mr.Murphy , Information definitely gets updated right away. However when I meant to have a lag or requested for buffer time is that we have lot of customers contacting since there is storm. So there might be really a long wait time. So the reason I have infomraed 01:00 PM.

John Murphy(17:47:32): this was not a problem due to the storm. the dvr happened a day after the storm passed, the phone problem was created by your own people. do what you can. i will be sharing my experience & ccing copies to ivan seidenberg, chairman/ceo verizon, and other relevant execs. can't do anything else, can i?

John Murphy(17:49:05): or is it lowell mcadam? can copy both.

John Murphy(17:49:39): my bad - lowell mcadam, not ivan.

Rakesh(17:51:29): Sorry for misunderstanding, When I meant storm I meant to say that our services are down because of the storm and many customers are affected and we have limited technicians. However at the same it we would never consider your request with low priority.

Rakesh(17:51:49): I am sure everything would be fine when you contact us tomorrow.

John Murphy(17:54:10): it is what it is. am okay with what i can do - at least it's something. a tip about customer service excellence - when someone can't follow through on a commitment, especially when the commitment confidence has been eroded due to not showing up as expected, something as small as a quick e-mail (if phone isn't available) giving an update not only is a courtesy, but it neatly lobs the ball back to the customer. a suggestion, not for your end, but for the technician.

Rakesh(17:57:45): Mr.Murphy, I know what you are going through and I am very much sure I would felt the same. Honestly you really don't have to go through this. But I am helpless at this point of time as the department which manages technicians is closed. If I am not able to help you in this case right away the only reason is that I am not able to get in touch with them and I have limited access to manage those records. I hope you understand.

John Murphy(17:57:52): every single agent i worked with online has been exemplary, handling my increasingly FRUSTRATED communications with compassion & as much information as you could, with what was available, supply. thank you.

John Murphy(17:59:28): glad i was writing that as you were writing yours - have nothing but praise for the service received from each & every chat agent. if you could crawl through the wires & get the info or drag a technician to our house, i am absolutely SURE you would!!!

down with inequality, not capitalism

a lot of people - intentionally or not - are misreading what occupy wall street protestors are railing against. for the majority of them, for people like myself, it's not about evil corporations that have to be brought down. it's about a more realistic sharing of the profits made by those corporations, a system similar used to that in some other nations, where the head of a company can't make more than a certain percentage of entry level employees. the protests, as i've heard them described, are less about abolishing corporation than making them more humane.

it's interesting that the supreme court ruled that corporations have the legal standing of personhood, when a more inherently bloodless, bottom line over life line entity you're rarely going to find.

my view of mega large financial institutions is forever colored by a comment made by rey cooper at a sultry autumn "snacks by the tracks": after hearing someone mention something her bank had done for free, rey quipped - "banks don't do anything for free." there's always something they're getting out of whatever they do.

and that's not evil - that's business. but when 1% of the population of a country controls most of the wealth, then that is sick.

it's not corporations, per se, that most of the people i've heard gripe are trying to rein in - it's the mega corporations, the "too big to fail" institutions whose executives have grown comfortable living lives beyond consequences.

we've gone from being a nation where everyone was equal under the law to one where if you're high enough, wealthy enough, important enough, you can get away with the most blatant disregard of our laws because pursuing justice comes at too high a price, too much discomfort.

it's the inequality of seeing an entire strata of financial nab bobs who brought down our economy get away with it, scot free.

it's the inequality of seeing leaders lie & do things against our own principles, and get away with it because "the nation needs to move on."

it's the inequality of a mega wealthy businessman extolling occupy wall street protestors to return home leave, get a job, get a life because he doesn't grasp that the protest is over the cold reality that the home is lost, the jobs are overseas, and their lives short-changed by economic policies favoring corporate "persons" rather than actual people.

capitalism has done a lot of good over the years, but robber barons are a perversion of its potential, "opinion-making elites"acting outside the law ~ assured by the powerful that they're entitled to a life without consequences ~ are a travesty of our principles, a government that dances to their tune rather than looking out for the welfare of all its citizens is a mockery.