Latest news with #MyVerizon
Forbes
09-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Verizon Is Transforming The Customer Service Experience
A view of a Verizon store in Levittown, New York. (Photo by) It is one of the most frustrating parts of the customer experience: You have an issue with a company, explain it to an agent, and just when you think it may get resolved, the agent transfers you to someone else. And you have to explain the problem again – and again, and again. Now, Verizon is trying to alleviate this persistent pain point by giving consumers a single point of contact, reducing the exasperating transfer process that plagues call centers In an innovative idea that not many companies have implemented, Verizon recently created the role of dedicated Customer Champion, agents who will handle customer inquiries from start to finish. Under the plan, every customer service call will be assigned a champion, who will work on resolving the issue and updating the customer as the sole Verizon contact. 'The goal: customers only need to call once, and we take it from there,' Verizon said in announcing the initiative. The concept is creative, potentially very useful for customers and service teams alike, as are the specifics: the Verizon champions will update customers on progress through the channel of the customer's choosing. Research shows that U.S. consumers want to choose their own channels (and that they still favor phone calls, emails, or speaking to agents in person, even with the rise of AI-powered chatbots). The customer champions are part of a broader series of steps Verizon is taking in what the company calls its 'most significant customer experience transformation.' They include new 24/7 live support via phone and chat, along with a redesigned, AI-powered My Verizon app. 'We are setting a new standard for customer innovation by focusing on both people and technology, using the most advanced AI to make the customer experience simpler, faster, and more rewarding,' said Hans Vestberg, Verizon's Chairman and CEO. Why Traditional Customer Service Experience Fails Customers Verizon's overall focus on customer experience is laudable, yet the customer champions initiative stands out most of all. Research shows that being transferred from agent to agent is a particular source of customer frustration. People who get in touch often have a complaint from the start, and having to get new agents up to speed slows resolution times and can impact customer satisfaction scores. 'The only thing customers hate more than slow response times is having to repeat their query over and over again to different agents and teams,' wrote one online customer support platform. The consequences for companies can be stark, since more American consumers, driven by cultural shifts that were heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, are switching brands than ever. With many customers now willing to leave a brand after just two or three bad experiences, transferring someone to several agents could potentially cause that brand-switching by itself. In announcing the customer champions team and other recent steps, Verizon acknowledged that customer experience in its industry has fallen short. An email to customers from Verizon's consumer CEO, Sowmyanarayan Sampath, noted: 'Across the industry, customer service hasn't evolved the way it should. That's why at Verizon, we've taken a different path — one built entirely around you.' How Customer Champions Improve the Customer Service Experience Some issues are indeed persistent. And Verizon is onto something that should help. The benefits of the customer champions for actual customers are clear. By eliminating transfers, the initiative will reduce customer frustration and increase satisfaction, while improving customer trust that the brand has their back. Dealing with a single agent may even trigger an emotional connection between customer and company, potentially leading to more memorable customer experience moments. But it is not only customers who will benefit. Verizon is empowering agents to provide continuity and take personal ownership of issues, which could promote accountability and pride within service teams. The result? Higher employee satisfaction and a better employee experience. It will also give agents more productive things to do. With fewer phone calls to answer, company representatives can spend more time tracking the results of their interactions with individual customers, learning from how the issues were resolved, and perhaps even preventing future occurrences of the same problem. Key Questions About Verizon's Customer Service Experience Strategy Amid all of the positives, broader questions remain about the customer champions that will help determine ultimate success. Among them: What's Next For Verizon Perhaps the single most important question of all: How is Verizon equipping agents to not just solve problems, but create memorable experiences? Because that's ultimately the point of this and all such initiatives: Building a remarkable customer experience, something memorable and positive, that creates brand loyalty and leaves customers coming back for more. Verizon is saying the right things, and now needs to deliver. 'You're not a customer number or a case file,' the consumer CEO's email concludes. 'You're the reason we're here. And we're building an experience that will earn your trust, every single day. If we ever fall short – I want to hear about it, so we can get better.' And he provided his email address. Full text of the consumer CEO's email: A screenshot of the full email from Verizon's consumer CEO to customers.
CNET
26-06-2025
- Business
- CNET
Verizon Is Enlisting Google's AI to Resolve Support Calls on the First Try
Verizon's cryptic Project 624 flew under the radar until this week, when the carrier announced a new customer service program built on Google Gemini AI technology that's intended to resolve issues on first contact. If it works as intended, subscribers should be able to avoid the time-sucking support slog that is often a hallmark of modern troubleshooting. Sowmyanarayan Sampath, CEO of Verizon's consumer group, laid out changes to the customer experience that went live Tuesday, which include a team dedicated to satisfying customers in their first call (called the Customer Champion team) and improvements to the My Verizon app that leverage Google Gemini AI technology. There's also expanded live customer agent hours and 24/7 live chat and a larger footprint of physical Verizon stores. The company will also offer more perks and giveaways. In an open letter laying out the carrier's new customer service initiative, the consumer group CEO also included a direct email address, for customers to contact him. 5% [of customers with issues] go into a doom loop, and they are the most dissatisfied. It's a very rough journey for them. We see it, and it's not fair on them. Sowmyanarayan Sampath, Verizon consumer group CEO But before we get into the specifics of what's new, I wondered if the announcements were a direct reaction to the most recent quarter in which the company lost nearly 300,000 customers in the first quarter of 2025. Is the carrier boosting customer service to win back more subscribers? "That's a very fair question," Sampath said. "The answer is quite straight: Every first quarter we lose customers, that's the seasonality of the business. So this has nothing to do with our first quarter of business. This has to do with the two, three year transformation that we are in the middle of." He explained that improving customer experience is the next step after his prior efforts to revamp Verizon's sales infrastructure and price plans. Verizon may be the first carrier to get AI in its customer service platforms, but it's not the only one thinking of including it. Last September, T-Mobile announced that it was partnering with OpenAI to include a new artificial intelligence offering to help customers, which would launch sometime in 2025. Whether Verizon's system will get a leg up depends on what it's got in store for helping subscribers get their essential questions answered. Harnessing AI to create Customer Champions Customer service for any industry is difficult, but that's compounded for large mobile players like Verizon that provide connectivity for millions of customers across large swathes of area and technological hardware. And because phones have gained outsized importance in our lives, having something go wrong with one's link to the outside world can ratchet up frustration. "I get a lot of emails from customers every day, and they're not pretty," said Sampath. He estimates that 80% of the time, customers get their issue resolved on the first call. About 15% have to call again, maybe twice. "The last 5% go into a doom loop, and they are the most dissatisfied. It's a very rough journey for them. We see it, and it's not fair on them." To try to avoid that loop, Verizon is launching its so-called Customer Champion team that uses Verizon-customized Google Gemini 2.0 models to process calls, identify solutions and keep the customer updated throughout the resolution process. It's an approach inherited from systems Verizon has been using for its enterprise customers. "We've been doing that for a few months now in pilot [programs], and 90% of the time we solve issues the first time around," he said. As the program proceeds, he hopes to get that number up to 95 or 96%. A new version of the My Verizon app includes AI-based support improvements. Verizon Google Gemini is also an important part of an update to the My Verizon app. The AI-powered Verizon Assistant has been built with input from Google engineers and embedded with Verizon-specific context. As a practical example, the technology can enable Verizon to deal with problems proactively. "If your phone is lost in transit, I know it because FedEx told me it didn't get delivered," he said. "Why do I need you to call me and let me know your phone got lost?" In such a case, Verizon uses AI to identify the problem, automatically open a case and get back to the customer with a plan to resolve it. Sampath explained that Verizon essentially creates a small language model for each case, and compared that to the large language models (LLMs) that have more visibility in the industry right now. The small, bespoke models don't have general knowledge around life. "I don't need to know what the Romans did," he said. "I need to know why my bill went up. And we go ahead and do exactly that." LLMs, however, are not always known for their accuracy. Sampath said that a year and a half ago they were seeing a 30%-40% error rate, but that has now improved to "well north of 90% accuracy. And when it's inaccurate, it's only mildly inaccurate because of the way we do it. We don't get crazy answers on [it]." Expanding live customer support and store footprint With this surge in using AI to handle customer issues, I naturally wanted to know if that would negatively affect Verizon staffing. If Verizon's Gemini model can deal with most requests, does that take humans out of the loop and off the payroll? "We've used AI to basically take cognitive workload off our employees so that they can focus their bandwidth and headspace on listening to customers better," Sampath said. "That's the right way for us to go. Look, if I need to take out costs, there are simpler ways for me to do it. I don't need to deploy AI and all the complexity that goes with it. And for us, AI is all about problem solving." As part of this new customer support initiative, Verizon is expanding its live support options in several ways. Representatives will be available from 9 a.m. until midnight (local times) via phone calls, expanded from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., and during the rest of the clock via live chat. "[Stuff] happens when you least expect it, and I don't want you to have to wait until the morning, because things can change," he said. Verizon store in New York Richard Levine The network of physical Verizon stores also plays a part, because "we want to be in your community," Sampath said. He noted that Verizon is recommitting to the retail experience, having added around 400 new stores in the last couple years and plans to keep expanding the company's brick-and-mortar footprint. Verizon Access rewards platform In today's mobile provider environment, perks have become powerful incentives, with carriers offering extras from conventional add-ons like streaming services and in-flight Wi-Fi to the assortment of giveaways in T-Mobile Tuesdays. On this front, Sampath made a point of differentiating Verizon's offerings from the competition. "Look, we don't give you $3 off your Little Caesars Pizza… you don't get a large popcorn versus a medium popcorn. I'm sure there's good value in that," he said. "We give you bucket-list things you can do," citing examples such as tickets to NFL games, Katy Perry and Beyoncé concerts. Starting today through June 30, Verizon is giving away 35,000 free prizes in drops from its Verizon Access program, "anything from tickets to devices and a bunch of other things to keep our loyalty going."
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Before, during and after severe weather, Verizon's got you
Verizon's integration of satellite technology enhances network resilience and reliability, helping maintain vital connectivity when it matters most. In emergency situations where traditional cellular networks are impacted, satellite connections can provide a critical lifeline for Verizon customers. All Verizon customers with compatible devices can send text messages to any other customer device via satellite if terrestrial cellular network service is interrupted, ensuring continued communication with first responders, loved ones, and emergency services. Verizon's Global Event Management Center monitors weather and all -hazards 24/7 365 days to mitigate risk to our teams and network and leads overall coordination of our crisis response and recovery operations. Across the country, there are teams of highly-specialized engineers and technicians who train throughout the year in HAZMAT, disaster response, and incident management who stand ready to deploy in the event of a crisis. Nearly 3,000 network and satellite assets are ready to deploy to the hardest hit areas to serve as mobile cell sites, temporary emergency command centers, and self-contained basecamp operations, or conduct drone missions for infrastructure assessments. Verizon runs to a crisis to meet the needs of the communities it serves, with a fleet of resources and specialized teams staged across the country to support response and recovery operations: Verizon's industry-leading network covers 99 percent of where people live, work and play. With built-in backup power, redundant fiber routes, and hardened infrastructure, our network is designed to withstand the harshest conditions. One hundred percent of Verizon's macro cell sites have backup battery power, and in addition to permanent generators at critical network facilities and cell sites, we have more than 1,000 mobile generators on standby to maintain connectivity in the event of commercial power loss. Customers can always get real-time updates on the status of the network in their area via the Check Network Status tool on Verizon's website or the My Verizon app. 'In the face of severe weather, we know our customers rely on Verizon. We understand the vital role connectivity plays in their life, and we work tirelessly to ensure that connectivity is there when they need us most,' said Joe Russo, Executive Vice President, Global Networks and Technology, Verizon. 'That's why we work year-round planning, building and fortifying our network operations to ensure we're at our best when Mother Nature is at its worst.' NEW YORK, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In response to the growing threat of severe weather, including hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes, Verizon is reaffirming its commitment to keeping customers connected. Through resilient network infrastructure, specialized response teams, and proactive community support initiatives, Verizon is prepared to support customers, communities, and public safety agencies when it matters most. Story Continues Verizon also integrates the use of satellites in its fleet of portable assets used for storm recovery. Satellite linked mobile cell sites, satellite links on trailers and other satellite assets help restore service when fiber is damaged by natural disasters and provide additional coverage for search, rescue and response teams. Ready on the Frontline The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team stands ready to provide mission-critical communications support to public safety agencies responding to severe weather events – at no cost to the supported agencies. Primarily composed of former first responders and military members, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team responded to more than 1,500 requests for support from more than 800 different federal, state and local public safety agencies across 46 states in 2024. That support has continued in 2025 with the team already responding to nearly 400 requests for support from more than 200 agencies within the first four months of the year. The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team provides on-demand, emergency assistance during crisis situations to public safety agencies and first responders on a 24/7 basis. Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team members set up portable cell sites, Wi-Fi hotspots, charging stations and other Verizon Frontline devices and solutions that help enable communications and/or boost network performance for first responders. Verizon also recently announced the launch of the Verizon Frontline Network Slice in select markets nationwide, continuing to build on the company's more than 30-year history of cutting-edge innovation in support of our nation's first responders. The Verizon Frontline Network Slice is a 5G Ultra Wideband (UW) virtual network slice completely dedicated to public safety that allows for the allocation of network resources within Verizon's network infrastructure. This helps provide first responders several key advantages including dedicated 5G UW network capacity, tailored performance, enhanced reliability and flexible scalability. Committed to the community Verizon's long-standing commitment to disaster-impacted communities is expanding given the increasing frequency of weather-related natural disasters to enable communities to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters. Verizon has rolled out flood sensor technology, in partnership with innovative start-up Hyfi, to use our network and data to spread urgent messages about flood risks within communities, helping people to confidently prepare for and mitigate their damaging effects. Hyfi's high-tech, low-cost sensor runs on Verizon's 5G network and provides stormwater managers with real-time data on current water levels and future flood risks. In fact, the stormwater sensors have rolled out in New Orleans and provided critical data to the city when Hurricane Francine hit in 2024. We have a goal to expand those flood sensors – along with other advanced technologies – to additional cities that are susceptible to weather-related disasters, such as Chicago, Detroit, Miami and Los Angeles. Verizon has also launched its Disaster Resilience Prize in partnership with MIT Solve to support tech advancement for game-changing technology that helps mitigate the effects of natural disasters. Partnering with United Way and Habitat for Humanity, Verizon is also rolling out comprehensive preparatory, response and recovery services across 15 cities, including workshops educating people on how to make personal emergency plans (such as safeguarding documents and making an escape plan), supporting nonprofits responding to specific weather-related events, and longer term recovery activities once disasters have struck (such as rebuilding homes, mental and emotional health services, long-term financial assistance, job assistance, and community clean ups). Ready to Serve With thousands of retail locations coast to coast, you're never far from one of our retail stores. Our knowledgeable retail team can help make sure you have what you need in advance of severe weather and get you back up and running after. While storms and power outages can impact our retail hours, our website, always has the latest information on store hours and locations so you can ensure we're there when you need us most. And of course we're always available online and via our My Verizon app. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $134.8 billion in 2024. Verizon's world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit or find a retail location at VERIZON'S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at News releases are also available through an RSS feed. 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