Rick just came in the house and said he’d been trying to call me but my phone has not rung. I tried to call him – nope. So my new phone won’t accept calls or call out. Called Verizon and got a tech voice with a heavy accent and I immediately said to speak clearly and slowly. And guess what his name was – it was JEFF! As if an American name is going to make him American? Yes, I do know it’s the almighty dollar.
Sure enough – after 5 hours and assuring me my data was transferred, my email didn’t work and today I find out they hadn’t turned on the service. The tech suggested that maybe the manufacturer made a defective phone. Oh, good grief!
I’m now installing an update – they couldn’t have done that in 5 hours? It’s enough to make me start drinking beer at 1:30 in the afternoon.
Mary, I want to start drinking on your behalf!! Sure makes me think about switching to another carrier like my daughter is urging me to!
It’s five o’clock somewhere 🙂
Consumer Cellular…all American company. All American techies.
I would swear you are being punked however I know better as this type of thing is more the norm than unusual.
Whoever said computers save time lied!
are you sure you do not need something stronger than a beer ???
i got onto another carrier when we moved due to Verizon challenges . I remember when my parents who still lived on their farm were so elated when there were new towers in their area and they no longer needed 2 devices and it was one VERIZON device and carrier. Wow has that brand changed and not for the better this time. Very sorry you are dealing with this challenge in the extraordinary heat.
I’ll join you with a glass of wine
As to the beer, anytime after 12 noon is perfectly acceptable in our house.
Mary —- I think you need a teenager! They are so smart about all of this technology! I wish you all the best at getting it straightened out!
I share your absolute dread of dealing with basically any kind of tech people when there are problems with cell phones, tablets, computers, etc. It takes not time whatsoever for me to feel defeated, intimidated and stupid. I’m nearly 75 years old and want only to heard and understood when I present with a problem. Having the tech person speak in plain English is an absolute BONUS.
Have that beer and enjoy it.
If you can’t understand the tech due to heavy accent, ask to be transferred to someone who can speak English better. To me, there is a difference between “speaking better English” and speaking English better”!
And keep asking until you do get someone. Otherwise, hang up and dial again – chances are you’ll get a different person each time you call. Phone companies think they have you over the barrel.
Call Consumer Cellular – they even speak better English better!
I bet you want to just scream !!! And it’s never to early for beer thirty ( or in my case , wine thirty ! )
We had heard that Verizon is really only interested in dealing with big cooperations. What happens when big cooperations are no longer. They forget there are more people then cooperations and most families have more than one phone.
Made a couple of dish drainer towels out of old calendar towels.
I think I would be having a couple of beers!
Mary – before I ever start a conversation with a tech rep, I always ask where they are located – if they answer they are located outside the US, ask to be transferred to someone in the US, they are required to do so
Check that the volume is turned up. I had the same issues with Verizon, the runaround at the local store and unintelligible “help.”
Hope this works for you.
Lord, have mercy! I was taught we have a choice to laugh or cry. I often laugh – sometimes it gets me in trouble. Sooo sorry about your phone woes. At least you can write your page with a tad of humor.
It took us only 3 hours a couple years ago when I got a new phone. And it took only a couple hours 2 days ago when the hubs got a new “free” phone upgrade, but I was quite frustrated with the creepy guy who helped us – certainly not the nice guy I had the day before when I needed to have my SIM card replaced, but you get who you get. I’ve learned on the phone to ask for somebody in the United States who speaks English. It often helps. Now my hubs is challenged to learn how to use his new phone – it’s a Motorola instead of the Samsungs we’ve been used to. I really need to just take stuff off of it for him to make it kid-usable.
I suppose we could go back to having one phone on the wall in the kitchen, maybe with a party line. Do they still sell those?
Sure hope you get it all straightened out before the beer runs out.
Good grief! I think i’d be going for something stronger than beer!
One thing Mary, don’t let them fob you off with ‘maybe the phone is dud’! The chance that the phone itself is at fault is truly infinitesimal. Mobile phone manufacture is a very rigorous process for established brands and the phones are very reliable. It is much more likely to be Verizon’s fault.
Oh. Good. Grief!!!
Wish I could come over and serve you a beer. As someone else said, it’s five o’clock somewhere.
Hang in there, dear Mary. 💜
Have you tried Consumer Cellular? Good customer service.
I feel you with your customer service problems. I had Hughes Satellite for 14 years, I didn’t need tech support very often but when I called I expected to have my problem solved. When they switched to English is not my first or second language tech support if I couldn’t understand “Jeff or Joe” I would insist on speaking to someone who I could understand and that soon proved futile. After 14 yrs of steadily downhill service, I quit them, I went to a hotspot!
Now when I get somebody I can’t understand I ask to speak to a supervisor, life is too short to waste hours on incompetent service. Version sounds like a comedy of errors.
I’m afraid my temper would have got the better of me if I’d dealt with that phone mess. I despise everything being connected, and oh don’t get me started on stupid passwords or having to get a code from my phone to sign in. I keep telling my hubby I want a landline WALL PHONE again! I’m serious. I’m a retired country girl. I want real textile world, and simple and quiet nature. I don’t want any of this ear-ringing- causing 5G in any of my space. Sure I get ideas from the internet, and the phone is handy. But, we lived just fine (and happier for sure) without any of it. I’d go back today.
Omg! I just went through the same kind of thing with Verizon! Ended up ordering a used “refurbished” phone similar to my old one from EBay. Got a SIM card, transferred everything and never looked back. SO sorry you are still dealing with this mess!
Mary, Verizon is the gift that keeps on giving 😡🤬
You have our support to pour that glass of beer, and another!
How aggravating. Technology is wonderful, when it works. Hope you have a working phone soon.
On another note, I received ‘Oh, Susannah’ in my mail today. What a cute goat.
Ann – your second book is in its way – so sorry!
Try AT&T.
OMG, a dud phone! They sold it to you.
This is extraordinarily poor service. I can only imagine how often you want to scream then cry.
I am the odd one. I have 3 land line phones, love binding quilts and only 1 cell phone that I don’t know how to answer! Variety is the spice of life.
Oh my goodness!! I feel so bad for what you are going through. I’d have something stronger than a beer and then go to bed with the covers over my head.
These comments are so good! You all are awesome!!
Such a mess! I agree with those who have recommended that you change providers. Also, it is important that you report them to the Better Business Bureau.
Oh, Mary! I do feel your pain! I, too, was a Verizon customer many years ago when cell phones were in their infancy. I lost the phone and had to deal with that company until I could cancel and switch to another. I have also had to deal with a rep. who spoke broken English on a customer service call with Century Link. I was in tears before the call was completed. They made me feel like an idiot because I could not understand what they were saying. I hope you have your beer, put up your feet, and forget all about this unpleasant experience. On a more serious note, I just came home from seeing the movie:”Sound of Freedom.” A very sobering topic and something that is very disturbing.
Good golly! I’d be happy to drink with you!
Oh goodness, I don’t talk to anyone with an accent either, even if they have an American name which is a lie.
Oh, Mary that is awful.😝. My Parrot Head husband said, “ It is 5 o’clock somewhere and it is beer thirty.” So sorry this is happening again. Several people have mentioned Consumer Cellular. Ted Danson is right; they are great! We have never had a problem. Jo in Wyoming, you made us laugh out loud😂😂. Ps. I loved Oh, Susannah😀
Ditch Verizon & get AT&T and their Apple IPhone!
Don’t know if you have that option in your area, but they are much better to deal with & for us “seniors” to figure out how to use the darn thing!!
Anyway, hope you get it all straightened out very soon & don’t have to waste any more time that takes you away from doing the things you love !
I feel for you. I can’t go with the thick accents too and computer generated. I did find out when they with accent want u to know what is said they can speak clear. It a pain. I have go to Verizon for the pro tective face on phone n case that dont slip. Last time there they didn’t want to help or work. They where just setting around! Must b nice b payed to nothing. I dont blame you being upset!
Mary, I feel your pain and frustration.
I am sending this comment at the risk of sounding racist. I am not racist, but I am someone with a hearing loss that needs all the help I can get on the phone.
When a person answers a “product/service” phone number with an accent and I have a difficult time understanding them, I ask “where have I called to?” I often am told that it’s an international call center or something with a similar name. When I am told that, I kindly ask if my call could please be transferred to an agent in the US. This works for me. I may be on hold again but I end up speaking with a person I can understand.
That is why we dropped Verizon and went with TMobile. Free Netflix and $25.00 a month less. Great service too!
Hi Mary…Hope your day is better. As to service reps I encounter situations besides phone service off shore to even Blue Cross, ADT etc. My iPhone “bowed” up in the middle! I have a new one at my co$t. Here the ATT store is always crowded but we stay with them. When I got the new phone they just handed me the box and I left. We keep a land line so we can be located in case of emergency. That can be an issue (some places). About the quilt “judging” I agree with you on what would be most important. To me a “first impression” should count too. NO blue ribbons for each entry. Must have an age limit on the judged quilt entry (40 yrs. a bit much) I have always seen Gloves, no drinks near the quilts/etc. Wish I could have heard all the Judges comments! Yes, it is still Hot in Texas…
I feel your pain! I am suppose to get MAX free with my internet service. (AT&T) Called to get the infor that I need to start the service only to find out that they had the information on my account really screwed up. They had all of my old information from Florida where I didn’t even use this company. Strange how my bill always got to the correct place and email. It was late at night and I was tired of dealing with it but they were sending me (2-3 weeks by mail) a code so I could fix it! I finally mustered up the strength to call back a few days later. By some miracle I got the most wonderful rep who helped me fix everything right away! ( well 2 hours later.) I still can’t figure out how they had all of the incorrect information. It is so exhausting! What every happened to good customer service. Sad!
Unbelievable. 🤬
Mary – I hope you were able to get your phone issues resolved today. Five hours yesterday was more than enough time to get everything done and the data transferred. The technician didn’t complete the transaction. Check the receipt to see what he claims he did and then call customer service and tell them what the phone doesn’t do. And don’t forget to mention the technician’s name! They hate that! Blaming the phone manufacture – please! This happened because of an incompetent technician!
Hang in there!
We still have our same landline we had put in 45 years ago. I know I am old fashioned. It has an answering machine and it’s what I use rather than a cell phone. Half the time I don’t even carry mine and I never set up an answering machine on it. I always tell my kids they never got forgotten or left behind when we were suppose to pick them up someplace and that was before cell phones cause we always talked and worked out arrangements ahead of time.
Oh, No!! More than frustrating!! Hoping you get your issues fixed without more problems! And go ahead & have that beer, doesn’t matter what time of day it is, you deserve it!!
Hi Mary,
I totally sympathize with you not being able to understand the person who is helping you! It’s happened to me so many times that after trying to understand them for a few minutes, I just kindly tell them that I can’t understand what they are saying and I need to talk to someone else! Usually that works! It always makes me nervous, tho!!!
Arghhh…. I hate having to change technology, whether it’s a phone, computer, sewing machine…. but now that we are so dependent on our phones…. it’s doubly difficult…. sorry it’s been so difficult.
Thanks Mary,
You are expressing a lot of our frustrations. Breathe and keep your BP down. Terrible the non service you get today. My husband just asks, ” May I speak to an English speaking American that enunciates clearly”. They transfer him to one. I am hard of hearing so I apologize( lame) for not being able to clearly make out the accent, and they transfer me to one who clearly speaks English. Use these, 2 new tools in your tool box.
Shirley from Oregon
I sure feel bad for you! I use ATT never any problems for over 15 years.
I feel your pain! I bought a new phone from Verizon only to get home to charge it and found out they sold me a charger that doesn’t work with my phone 😡 go figure! More trips to the store, hours on the phone like you (with people I couldn’t understand!!) Why does it have to be so complicated? I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this mess!!
Mary, not only is buying a phone a horrendous necessity, I think buying a car ranks right up there too!
Hey, it’s 5:00 somewhere!!! I feel for you. We have Verizon, as well, and have had issues with them, too. I got a kick out of someone at the fair asking you to go to the Verizon store for him. LOLOLOL Hang in there, Mary. we are all rooting for you. As always, i love the photos you post.