Not happy about customer service

Posts: 6 · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2006 5:00 pm Post subject: Not happy about customer service

I just got off the phone with Vonage Customer Service. I'm not a happy camper. I just signed up for the service a little over a month ago. Installation went flawless once I received my router. I have referred two people to the service, one of which will be swtiching to Vonage shortly. Until now, I was a happy customer who would continue to push the product.

During the ordering process, I did not realize that I could get a wireless router as a part of the package ($29.99 fee) until one of the guys I am referring asked me about it. He had been on the website checking out his options(obviously more carefully than I). I would have happily paid upfront.

I called CS, assuming I could return the router I received and upgrade to the wireless. I was told by customer service they can not exchange. Even when I tried to rationalize that I just went past my 30 day cancellation point I got no where. My option would be to cancel my service, pay the $30+ cancellation fee and then reorder the service with the correct router or go buy a wireless router and go through all the hassel of configuring the thing. Seems like a lot of monkeying around for what could be a simple exchange

I do not want to hassel with configuring a retail purchased router if possible. I have been there before with my current hard-wired router and do not want to repeat. Anyone been successful in dealing with CS on similar issues? Seems they could go a long way to developing long term lotal customers with a little more flexiblity.

Posts: 17 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Apr 20, 2005 Posts: 17

Try calling 732.528.2600 which is Vonage's office number. Press 2 and punch in CITRON. It should come up with a match for Jeff Citron (CEO). Leave a message explaining the situation. You might have to leave one or two messages, but someone from the office (not CS) should call you back.

I have a RT31P2 that was acting up and CS said I would need a replacement (RTP300) and it was going to cost around 94 dollars. I left a message at the number and Vonage took care of everything and shipped the new adapter free of charge and I just have to pay to ship the old adapter back. So in my case it worked, give it a try.

Posts: 6 · Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2006 12:32 pm Post subject: Appreciate your help

Thanks Phoenix. I will give that a try.

Posts: 6 · Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2006 2:06 pm Post subject:

I left a polite message asking for his help. We'll see if there is a response. I do have a proposal for exchange of adapters that I feel Vonage should consider.

If customer requests exchange of Voip adapter:
1. Vonage comply and send new adapter. Customer is charged normal fee structure (same as new service)
2. Customer has 14 days to return adapter they wish to exchange or they are charged at full cost of the adapter.

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Apr 17, 2005 Posts: 7

recently i received a charge on my credit card for a router that i received. The charge was not supposed to happen. I have returned the defective router to the address listed in the email along with the paper showing the ra number.

During the conversation with the assistant i was told that they were working on their day off and that they were short staffed and had nobody on duty to help me. A company of your size should not be telling customers that they cannot resolve their issue because of the lack of customer service associates on duty. This is unacceptable. After a lengthy conversation explaining my issue and that i would like the charge put on hold until the issue could be resolved I was told "that is not going to happen"
then I was hung up on by the assistant.

If this is the repins i get when trying to resolve a credit issue I am not sure how happy i will be to do business with Vonage from here on out.

In the future if the customer assistant is unable to resolve the issue over the phone they need to pass on the customer to an assistant who can help resolve the customer issue and not hang up.

I insist on some kind of resolution to the frustrating customer service issue i encountered on the phone(January 22, 2006). My feelings are that if you have a customer on the phone who is genuinely unhappy with the situation that there be some attempt to resolve the issue immediately in order to save the customer. This has been my training. If the reason i am receiving bad customer service is because of bad training then you need to train em up. Up to this point my service has not been without problems but they were reasonable considering what i was trying to do and the change i was making. I assure you i am not trying to make an unreasonable request. I only seek to be taken care of in a way the makes me feel like an important customer. A little courtesy goes a long way!!

Thank you for reading my complaint

Posts: 14 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 20, 2006 Posts: 14

I was told the same thingabout my equipment transfer. I have worked in CS and this is likely an individual rep trying to duck out of helping you. No company would permit CS/TS to give ANY information to a customer about how many people are answering the phones.
It is an out from a lazy rep, the real problem isn't the number of people or vonage's management but rather the calibre of reps answering the phone which IMO is directly proportionate to the wage they are paid. Love your cheap phone service, hate your cheap phone support.

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Apr 17, 2005 Posts: 7

Thanks for your reply

I agree with you for the most part. It is also my opinion that Vonage does not have the same type of overhead that the phone companies have. This should allow for the billing personel and not the tech support to handle customer issues in a manner in which saves customers even though they are a fast growing company.

You point out that the customer service was being lazy. I am not able to put to words everything that was said in the call but i am under the impression that the individual just did not properly know how to handle the situation. This is my issue. I assume from my cs experience as well that a person working for say 8.00 an hour (not a lot of money in my book) with a good attitude can do a better job than the individual did in handling my issue. After putting a little more thought into the issue i would say Training Training Training would go a long way toward eliminating this issue. I mean training an individual to recognize when to do what it takes to maintain a profitable customer relation. A pissed off customer loses you way more than a happy customer gains you!!! I hope they see this and do something about it.

A customer looking to be happy.

Posts: 14 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 20, 2006 Posts: 14

Well I got off the phone with Vonage recently, and they promised to call me back and never did. I'll be passing the name of THAT "supervisor" on to Citron when I call him tomorrow. As for CS/TS not knowing how to handle the situation? No doubt. Most have no idea. Even the ones who do seem to have some idea in my case have consistently misled me in regards to timing, difficulty, etc. of having my MAC transferred. In fact, I'm at the point where when I call back I am not hanging up until it is either done or the account is cancelled and my money returned.

What happens when two brick walls of disdain and apathy collide? Find out tomorrow!

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Apr 17, 2005 Posts: 7

or if they hang up on you because they say there is no supervisor available.

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Apr 17, 2005 Posts: 7

I just got off the phone with a customer service representative (a women). I am not sure if that matters or not but she took care of my complaint on the spot issued my credit and credited back my card for the equipment. She actually got her supervisor (an unheard of thing at Vonage) without my even asking.

I have decided that if you call Vonage with a billing issue talk to a women and hang up on the men and you will get taken care of.

a little tongue and cheek for you.