Verizon doesn't know what OS X is
This is not what you want to hear when you call tech support and tell them your operating system is OS X.
"What's that?" or "OSN?"
But that's what happened when I called Verizon to troubleshoot connection trouble on my EVDO card. I had to say it was a Mac before they understood. Well, sort of understood.
I was having difficulty where I would make a connection and within 30 seconds the connection would be terminated.
The first person I talked to asked me to launch Verizon's VZ Access Manager software. I explained that the instructions for Mac that came with the device said to just plug in the card and I would be able to manage it from within the OS. They did not tell you to install software. So therefore I could manage the card, but I did not have VZ Access Manager. This seemed to stymie the person on the other end and I was told that they don't get a lot of Mac questions.
On my own, while the tech fumbled for an idea of what do for a Mac user, I poked around on their site during the call and found an OS X version of the Access Manager and installed it. Once I did that we were able to troubleshoot and fix the problem.
But when I got home, I was still having access trouble. So I called Verizon again and gave them the case number. The support person asked me to choose tools from the menu option in VZ Access Manager. I explained that there was no tools option. I got another response that Macs "sure are different" and that they don't get many Mac calls. This technician fumbled around trying to give me steps for the Windows version of VZ Access Manager that I couldn't implement. Eventually it was suggested that I go outside and see if it worked outside the building. I agreed I'd try and we ended the call amicably.
Strangely, after I got off the call, the card connected and worked fine thereafter.
Now I must make clear that both techs I talked to seemed intelligent and were trying to be helpful. They just acted as if they had never seen a Mac before. They had no idea what this crazy "OS X" was, and had no scripts to help them support a Mac user.
Get it together, Verizon. If you advertise, as you do, that your card works with Macs, then you need to train your support personnel to know how to use them.
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On the other side of it, though, the support may have been outsourced, and the company didn't bother to take the time to work out scripts that will help them support Macs.
Either situation is unfortunate.
I told one person (the smartest and most articulate person I spoke with) I was on a mac and the software she was asking me about was different than what I downloaded from Sprint. "Well no one uses those. The only calls we get are for Vista or XP. So, like I was saying, did you open your connection manager?" I hung up.
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by jujinkai
June 30, 2008 8:34 AM PDT
- You should ask them how do you go into peoples bank accounts and steal money from them. that is what they seem to do best. I quit Verizon after 18 years of service and i was one of the best technicians in Queens NY and had to quit because of identity theft. I received a W2 for the year of 2007 even though I quit in 2006. They were even operating a business in Bradenton Florida with my information and have even paid a city Marshal to freeze my bank account for credit cards int the perps name. Go figure. i had to quit because they wouldn't fix the problem, reason being, this fraud goes all the way up the ladder in the executive office. be very careful as they will steal the customers identities too. I* had to file a lawsuit. This is for real and I will expose them. Verizon You Suck!!! I am coming for you!!!
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