Phones, Service & Billing

Phone service is usually so good that I take it for granted. Until I try to make a change, then it's like playing dice with the Devil. No doubt about it, I'm in trouble.

I'm old enough to remember when phone service was like using a MAC; everything worked without a hitch, but you had few options. Now it is like using Unix; so many options that even the provider can't keep them all straight. My phone company, Verizon, has so many different departments they don't even know how to transfer you between them.

The regular residential help line in Maryland is 410-954-6260. Getting through to customer service via this line is almost impossible, no matter what time I've called over the past couple of months. It's a voice menu from Hell that spends minutes leading you through a multitude of choices & finally - you're almost there! - tells you everyone is busy & hangs up. Diabolically sadistic.

Luckily, one service rep gave me a number to call her back at, 410-954-6221. This number skips the voice menu & dumps you directly into a holding pattern for the next available rep, usually just a couple of minutes.

Fifteen years ago or so, we had our phone number changed so we could dial in to the city from our rural home without incurring a long distance charge. This is called a Foreign Exchange & we paid almost double for this privilege, but it was worth it. Then we moved a few miles & our daughter became a teenager. Suddenly it was long distance for her to call her friends. It didn't take too long to see that this wasn't going to work, so we thought we'd take advantage of Verizon's Freedom Plan.

This would require 3 items be done:
1) Change my phone number to a local exchange.
2) Pull my current provider & put all long distance service on Verizon with the Freedom Plan.
3) Move my DSL from the current number to the new one.

"No problem, Sir" was the answer. Except the DSL. That complicated things & the normal 10 business day wait wasn't acceptable. I live an hour from my servers & need access to them.
"Is there any way we can get the transfer of DSL service done quicker?" I got transferred to the DSL department who said they could. They transferred me back to the service rep, except I wound up going to some business service office. It took two more transfers & 30 minutes to get back to a service rep - a different one - who hung up on me.

I tried again a couple more times with varying, but similar results before finally hitting on a good rep who got everything done. Except after 5 days, the DSL wasn't up & we were expecting bad weather, so I braved the service line again. Two hours later, they said the DSL would be up the next day. It was!!!

A month later, I got a bill from my long distance company. I was still paying them for long distance. My Verizon bill arrived & I found I was paying extra for Call Waiting, Voice Mail & Caller ID - free services on the Freedom Plan. But I didn't have the Freedom Plan.

Tips: Call 1-700-555-4141 to verify which long distance service you have.
If you don't have caller ID, 200-200-6969 will let you know the number you are calling from. (Don't put a '1' in front of this number.)

I braved the customer service line again. Again, I had to use the back line because the voice menu said everyone was busy. An hour later, the Freedom Plan was indeed added to my phone line & they even credited me a little for the 'free' services. They couldn't & wouldn't make good on the other costs I'd incurred.

Bottom Line: It took me 6 hours & cost me $65, with 5 days of interrupted DSL service to make that 'simple' move to the Freedom Plan. So much for Verizon's customer service.