Verizon customers may increasingly find themselves wishing the carrier would follow T-Mobile’s lead and shift more of its operations towards a fully digital experience. As frustrations with customer service persist, an app-first approach could appeal to users who feel let down by human representatives.
A recent reader poll explored why some believe Verizon representatives occasionally engage in dishonest practices. More than 55 percent of respondents said the behaviour stemmed from representatives simply not caring about customers. Almost 42 percent felt that support staff were more focused on their commissions than on helping users. Fewer than three percent believed the issues arose from representatives failing to understand a customer’s problem, leaving them unable to assist even when willing.
Should Verizon Go Fully Digital?
T-Mobile has shifted most of its operations to its T-Life app, while also conducting mass layoffs and closing stores. Verizon has similarly carried out redundancies in recent times. Notably, a considerable portion of T-Mobile’s user base has begun to prefer the T-Life app over interacting with human representatives.
If Verizon’s customers continue to feel poorly served, they may become more receptive to an all-digital switch. Verizon already offers the My Verizon app, which allows users to complete many tasks independently, much like T-Life. However, the carrier has not yet made a radical move towards a “digital everything” model in the way T-Mobile has.
What a Digital Shift Might Involve
Adopting such a model would require Verizon to encourage customers to use My Verizon for all tasks rather than relying on human staff, even within physical stores. Employees would be closely monitored to ensure customers used the app, effectively guiding the user base towards self-service.
The transition to the T-Life app appears to be gaining traction. Should it prove successful, Verizon and AT&T may follow suit in an effort to reduce operational costs further. If Verizon staff continue to prioritise commissions over honest work, there may be less of an outcry in support of the workforce than there was during T-Mobile’s redundancies.
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Image: phonearena.com
