Verizon Wireless Store #319434.

Question

I am concerned if the customer service or lack thereof, is typical of Verizon stores.
I have been in this store, located at 13869 W Bell Rd Ste 101. Surprise, AZ 85374, only twice. I don't know, nor care, if it is a corporate store. Their idea of what defines customer service apparently stops after they have your name on their electronic ticker. After that, you are forgotten. I have been in the Verizon stores in Buckeye, and one in Goodyear off Estrella Pkwy and one off Litchfield. In all cases I was greeted, spoken with beyond "Hello,” and simply put, was not put on 'ignore' until my number came up.
About a year ago, my wife and I went to Store #319434, being in that area now, and upgraded our phones. After giving my number to a woman w/ an iPad, I was not spoken to again, although it was well over an hour before we had a rep speak to us. It then took another 20 minutes, and almost walking out, before she realized that I did in fact know what I wanted and did not want her upselling me and showing the latest and greatest. For reasons beyond my comprehension, after getting a phone from the back, she took over an hour to get it set up. Why must I have a Gmail account? That caused problems, since I didn't prior to that. I told her I wanted to select the contacts, but she dumped everything from my FB account, and I think Yahoo too. I ended up with hundreds of useless names (emails, businesses, etc) in my contacts list. Irritating, but not as bad as a week ago.
A couple weeks ago, my phone fell victim to a falling backpack and it cracked the screen. As it’s insured, I ordered a new one on email; that I must say was ease itself. Good system, there. I had poked my nose in the store initially, and they took only moments to check if it was still insured and then they said when I got the new phone bring it by and they would "take a couple minutes and get it loaded with everything (I had) in the original."
To explain part of my frustration - understand my wife and I work 10+ hrs daily and have hour-plus commutes, and only have a couple hours between driving home before bed calls, as we're up early.
Well, I took the "couple of minutes" at face value, and when my new phone arrived, we dropped by the store immediately after work. Again, we were met by a middle-aged, somewhat larger woman with an iPad (maybe a manager?? - I'll call her the greeter), and after asking what we wanted and being told I just wanted to put the card and stuff from an old phone to a replacement, said, "Okay", and walked away. Our name was on the list, but that was it. The greeter didn't introduce herself; give us an approximate time, how many are waiting before, nothing. We seemed to be an imposition to her oh-so-very-busy schedule. As she returned to one of the little tables, leaned on it, and fiddled with her iPad. She did the same for the next folks thru the door, only sometimes telling people how long they had to wait. Usually, "only 1/2 hr" although at this point, we've been there more than that, so that's a lie. She spent most of her time playing whatever she was on the iPad; otherwise, she wandered a bit, looked over salespeoples' shoulders, but didn't DO anything. Until one couple came in, don't know what was different, but after speaking with them briefly, the greeter becomes the picture of customer service, and waits on them. Although three others and we are still waiting, she takes them to the counter, gets whatever accessory they wanted, has to get a salespad from a salesperson, and spends a full 30-40 min's with them, chatting merrily the entire time.
Seeing as we've been sitting watching her inactivity for the past hour-plus, my wife is a little irate at this display. She didn't say anything, but she stood and stared rather pointedly at the greeter, who had returned to her post at the table, leaning on her elbows. The greeter says, "Oh, I can help you now." Taking my old and new phones, she slips the antenna and chip out, into the new and fires it up. When it asks for my Google account sign-in, I told her I hadn't used it and had forgotten it. She says that with it, it will add in all my contacts and everything; without it, she can't do more. And hands the phone to me. Then walks away as she calls the next name on the list; although we were still standing there, we had been summarily dismissed. I think she could have invited me to use a system there to get reset with my Gmail, but that wasn't even considered. Or given me directions what to do once I was reset. Nope, nothing.
We sat on those uncomfortable cubes/chairs for an hour and a half, were ignored, then when we were 'helped' it actually took all of 10 seconds, but then were again dismissed. She took 30 minutes with someone that spent money, but couldn't be bothered to get either someone, or herself, to put the chip, etc in my phone quickly, although she knew what we wanted. She never introduced herself, never attempted to make us welcome as customers. We didn't even get all we were needing, as my phone is still lacking my contacts (I got into Gmail the following day, but it still hasn't helped. I have had to find my apps; am still trying to get phone numbers, but things like notes, and other saved info is just gone.
I've been a Verizon customer for many years now and it's a darn good thing I travel and need the coverage and good reception Verizon offers (in remote areas I'm often the only person with a working phone). Another incident like that and it won't be enough. I will walk. And since I currently have four phones and a pad thru you, that'll be quite a coup for another cell provider.

Answer 1

Entitled? Really? That's pretty over-the-top considering I couldn't be more opposite of that. No offense taken. I learned how to use all of my phones on my own. If we are all created equal than anyone could do that too. I didn't expect anyone to teach me or hold my hand through the process. Do you go into Best Buy with the intentions of purchasing a computer and then expect the sales clerk to take everything out of the box, hook it up, and then sit you down for a course in Windows? Do you request a free course on how to hook up your new flat screen TV and home theater? See where your use of the word "entitled" is such a slippery slope in this instance? Why are cell phones and tablets the only consumer items that fit into this technological enigma that mystifies everyone and does nothing to initiate the motivation needed in order to learn how it's used on one's own? We learn how to use everything else we buy one way or the other without the need of the store we purchased those items from. I realize that not everyone is motivated enough to learn these things on their own. This is why I suggested that there be an area of the store for purchases and an area for questions. What part of that makes me sound entitled? That's a very equitable solution. I don't mind waiting in line behind others making purchases. I don't want to wait behind people with service related issues such as screen protectors and memory cards. I don't want to wait behind people with support issues such as questions on how to use their device and why their e-mail is not working. Countless amounts of stores have separate departments for these things. You're all appalled of my expectations when I walk into a store and I'm appalled at what I observed going on once in the store.