Verizon (VZ) had a challenging few months this year. Its decision to increase prices for older phone plans was not received well by longtime customers, with some of them breaking the contract.
In February, the carrier officially raised the monthly prices of its myPlan and New Verizon Plan wireless accounts to address “rising operational costs,” frustrating thousands of customers.
💵💰Don’t miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet’s free daily newsletter 💰💵
In the first quarter of the year, nearly 289,000 total postpaid phone customers left. Analysts said this was the company’s “worst result on record,” writes The Street’s Patricia Battle.
A recent post on Reddit from a Verizon employee sounded the alarm on the issue.
“I’m a store rep and literally every single customer I’ve had today has been leaving Verizon. Anyone else getting an influx of customers leaving?” asked the user.
The rest of the post focused on the frustrating process of cutting the cord on Verizon services. The post resonated well with the crowd, receiving more than 600 upvotes and comments.
Other users shared their inconveniences with the carrier, such as difficulties obtaining home internet, poor cell signal in a major metro area, slow 5G speeds, and more.
A more recent post reveals another reason one Verizon customer got angry.
Verizon has been working hard over the last few months to address customer losses due to higher prices.
Image source: Shutterstock
Verizon customer says carrier quietly pulled the plug on a promised discount
One user started a discussion on Reddit, sharing his case of “magically” losing loyalty discounts.
The person behind the post reveals they have been a Verizon customer for over 20 years and are now trying to find a way to leave the carrier.
Related: T-Mobile offers customers an unexpected gift this summer
This customer was about to leave when they were offered a loyalty discount at $20 per line, which they thought was “too good to pass up.” They accepted the offer, and also added another line, only to find out that their loyalty discounts disappeared.
Two key issues are: The customer doesn’t want to contact customer service again, claiming they weren’t helpful before, and having a 3-year contract for a new phone.
What could have gone wrong?
Verizon’s discounts are usually offered up to 12 months, and it is not clear if the user had it over this period, writes Phone Arena.
Other possible explanations might be that an account upgrade made them ineligible for the discount or the company simply made a mistake. After all, Verizon is one of the largest wireless carriers in the U.S. with 146 million subscribers. It’s quite a challenge to maintain constant smooth sailing for each customer.
More retail:
- Huge retail chain suddenly closing hundreds of stores
- Amazon partners humiliate customers over adult diaper deliveries
- Walmart announces generous offers rivaling Target
With that said, customers have reported similar troubles in the past, and other loyal customers of 20 years or more claim they have never been offered such discounts, arguing that recipients are chosen randomly instead of by years of loyalty.
Verizon’s recent efforts to win back customers
Verizon has worked hard over the last few months to address customer losses due to higher prices.
In June, it announced a new bundle for new and longtime customers who have a myPlan mobile account can get a smartphone, tablet, and smartwatch when they trade in an eligible phone.
Related: T-Mobile fixes major smartphone pain point for subscribers
The carrier has been quietly reaching out to select customers and offering them a new phone line that will be free for 36 months.
Last month, the company revealed another move to improve its service and keep customers happy. Verizon said it plans to use artificial intelligence to enhance customer experience and extend customer support hours to 24/7 availability.
Despite all these efforts to improve its offerings and answer consumers’ needs, Verizon has faced scrutiny over a recent controversial move to prevent customers from quickly switching to other carriers.
One customer recently highlighted that the company might approach the problem incorrectly.
“Instead of fixing the systemic problems that cause people to give up on Verizon, they’re just throwing freebies and lower prices in a desperate attempt to retain or attract customers. It’s like watching the downfall of Comcast.”
Nonetheless, this user remains a customer, arguing that there is no better carrier option for them.
Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast