Customer Service and number transfer

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 03, 2004 Posts: 2

It is now going on six months and still no transfer. Vonage blamed Bellsouth and said they would file again but my transfer status doesn't reflect refiling. Bellsouth says they never received the request which I tend to believe given Vonage's non-existant customer care.

Call the toll free line, it is busy.

Call the other line, it tells you they are busy please wait, then 30 seconds later they disconnect you.

Automated email response is followed up about one in three times.

Six months, a half a dozen emails, untold calls and nothing.

What went from being great is about to go to the end, at 12/31 service will be cancelled, legal action initiated to regain fees and hardware costs. This is terrible service, but with lots of time on my hands I can start posting on every forum and group I can find.

Stay away from Vonage, NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. Their own phones don't work, how can they expect their customer's phones to work.

Tom Langley
Mobile, AL

Posts: 29 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Nov 17, 2004 Posts: 29

When I signed up I was told that the number transfer would take at minimum 20 days. After 30 days, when it still hadn't happened, I e-mailed tech support. They got back to me within a day and said that they would expedite the request with my local carrier (Cavalier Telephone). Within two days, the transfer was complete.

Signed,

Another happy Vonage customer Smile

Posts: 17 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Sep 20, 2004 Posts: 17

I was waiting for six months as well when I called support and told them that unless it was done in the next week, I was cancelling the service and would not pay any bills. What do you know - in a week (less actually) it was done. This call transfer business is a bunch of garbage thought. I have my other line on Comcast and the guy came out and installed the box, called their support center and transferred the number in 15 minutes. Vonage is just doing some finger pointing to deflect blaim from them.

Demand 100% credit for your service after 20 days if the number is not transferred - that also helps to "motivate" these guys.

Jim

Posts: 429

tomlangley wrote:

It is now going on six months and still no transfer.

Our transfer request is a week old-- I'm holding my breath all goes well.

tomlangley wrote:

Call the other line, it tells you they are busy please wait, then 30 seconds later they disconnect you. <snip>

Stay away from Vonage, NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. Their own phones don't work, how can they expect their customer's phones to work.

I'll second that. My typical wait on hold for customer service is 20-30 minutes. I don't believe I've EVER been helped in less than 20 minutes, and one time the wait exceeded 35 minutes. Totally unacceptable. And like you, I have had two support calls cut off in the middle of a conversation, meaning I've had to dial back in and wait ANOTHER 20-30 minutes. GRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

I am hoping this is just growing pains because they're piling on subscribers so quickly, and not an omen that lousy service will be a permanent thing.

Posts: 79 · Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 1:01 am Post subject:

Ok, in response to all four of u.....

Our biggest LNP (number transfer) issue involved one of our partner carriers name Telcove. Telcove went thru MAJOR personnel changes...so major that during their unrest, all number ports going thru telcove totally ceased! This went on from February of this year until late early November. Telcove was bought out by another company, went through a TOTAL restructuring, and is now back on track. And honestly, since they have been back on track, they have had some of the quickest transfer periods I have seen in my time with Vonage. Sure we have some issues with a few of our other partner carriers, but over all our LNP process is getting MUCH better.
Also, as far as the wait time on the phones...if you haven't heard Vonage will be hiring Six Hundred (600) more employees b4 Q1 2005. We r terribly understaffed right now in the Customer Care/ Tech Support areas, but u can see Vonages committment to making things better for our custimers. In time, that wait time will b non-existent.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 03, 2004 Posts: 2

After having called several more times (still busy or cut off) I faxed a request that they check and they responded to my email that the problem was with Bellsouth (not!!) but they were going to expedite my request.

At least you took ownership of the problem. Now, for the several hundred dollars in extra phone bills I have incurred keeping an extra Bellsouth line that costs me every month, all my time (I bill $125 an hour and my schedule is pretty much filled) will Vonage issue me some stock for my lost cost and time??

Thomas (Ted) Langley

Posts: 79 · Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 7:47 am Post subject:

Vonage has no problem at all compensating you for the delay in your number port. Just call in (I know the wait can b excruciating sometimes) and request credit for your LNP delay. Also while on the phone with customer care, question the rep u speak to, to make sure your port is working and not stalled or rejected for any reason. Our LNP dept is very busy and sometimes does not get back with customers timely when there r issues with their ports.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 10, 2004 Posts: 1

I have been a Vonage customer since the Oct 2. I tried Vonage for 2 weeks before deciding whether I want to jump in -- I did.

I submitted my number transfer request on Oct. 18th. I was with BellSouth. I say was since, as of Dec 8th, my number has been transferred. So it took about 8 weeks, but Vonage finally came through. I also received credits for the extra time it took to get my number transferred.

I have also noticed that customer service wait times have dramatically been reduced. 8 weeks ago I would wait 30 minutes before get a CSR. 4 weeks ago it was 10 minutes. I called a couple days ago and I got a CSR on ring 2!!!!

Posts: 20 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Nov 30, 2004 Posts: 20

dswartze wrote:

....I have also noticed that customer service wait times have dramatically been reduced..... I called a couple days ago and I got a CSR on ring 2!!!!

When did you call? 4am PST?!?!?!

Posts: 79 · Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 12:56 pm Post subject:

I've only been an employee of Vonage for about 4 months now. When I first started we had a TOTAL of approximately 500 employees, 2/3 of which were in Customer Care. Since I've been there, we have increased by about 400, 90% of which have joined us in CC. And as u all may have heard, Vonage will b hiring 600 more employees b4 April of 2005, 80-90% of those folks will also be coming to CC. We will be moving some departments to a second facility, AND a west coast facility is in the future. So, u can see Vonage is dedicated to rolling out not only the best VoIP product in the industry, but to providing great Customer Service. It's getting better.