IamA Verizon Rep and have worked for every major carrier! AMA!

As an Irish person who had never been to the US, are mobile carriers over there really as crap as people express online?

I haven't been out of the US so I don't think I'm qualified to answer this question, but from what my brother's fiance who lives in Germany and has been to most of the countries in Europe says, the pricing and customer service is better over there.

Is there a polite way to tell a sales rep that I probably know more about the devices they're trying to sell me than they do? I am not rude to them, I usually just let them finish but it can be a bit much sometimes. Thoughts?

As soon as you walk into a carrier store, the rep is going to automatically assume that they know more than you because they were trained to know more than you. If you are confident in the research you've done, I would recommend that you just tell them exactly what you want when you walk in the door. We are trained to offer you options based on what you use your current device for; just tell the rep that you already know what you want. Avoid saying things like "I'm looking for a new phone" because phrases like that are triggers for us to help you find one and ask qualifying questions.

Thanks!

What about if I want to browse the phones in person but I don't want to buy yet?

BTW, am I describing an uncommon customer? Do most people need help picking out the actual phone they want?

If you browse the phones in person, I would honestly just expect to be approached and talked to even if you say "I'm just looking" because we are trained to overcome that. If you want to see the phones in person but don't want to be bothered, try a large multi-carrier like Costco and Best Buy where they have so many customers they can hardly make an effort. You are an uncommon customer. Generally, in most things, people need to be persuaded in a direction to make a choice. That's what we're here for!

Can you go to corporate and tell them the customers respectfully request they stop throttling their data?

worth a shot

Sure, the next time I have a chance :)

do verizon girls do it better?

Of course(;

do you recognize the difference between .02 dollars and .02 cents?

Yes.

How do I get a subsidized phone?

You can still get subsidized phones by opening a 2 year contract despite everyone telling you that you can't. That being said, the new way of upgrading (Device Payment AKA Edge) is more often than not the cheaper way to do it because it lowers your bill to offset the price of the phone. If you don't want to be given a hard time about getting a 2 year contract you can try going to a multi-carrier store like Best Buy.

Yeah for me, this doesn't work. We have the loyalty plan which is 2 lines for $120. I'm not going to save money tacking on +$40 a month (2 phones) over 24 months, $960 versus paying for a subsidized phone @ $400 (2 phones).

Do I just go into the store and ask the rep, or do I call corporate? Verizon doesn't show them on their website.

Usually if you ask a rep in the store he will tell you that he can't do it. You would have better luck calling corporate. Just dial 611 from your phone.

My grandma is 85, and was talked into one of those 3g tablets and a 2 year contract. She never uses the thing, can I help her get off the contract cause she got talked into something she doesn't need?

Generally with cases like this you will have to pay the early termination fee if you're past the return period. In some cases, you can appeal to someone's heart and have them comp the ETF but you may have to turn in the device. DO NOT GO TO A STORE FOR THIS. Despite popular belief, sales reps can do very little about things like this. I'm sorry this happened to you, though.

please don't send them back to customer service. our hands are just as tied (sometimes even more) as yours, AND our job relies upon the survey that we're more likely to get than you.

Well, based on my experiences you guys have a little more pull with things like that, and we don't even have access to anything about it. When channel support directs me to customer care, they sometimes get it done for the customer.

Thanks for the info and reply. I kind of understand, they want more sales/commission. I'm a waiter and have to suggest things people don't need, cheese/bacon, desert to fat ppl etc.

Well, understanding doesn't grant acceptance. What they did to your grandma was wrong. I suggest that you go with her the next time she chooses to go into one of the stores.

What was your most considered qualification when you first started working wireless? And what company is the best to work for?

My most considered qualification was people skills. There is a heavy focus during the interview on your ability to coherently carry a conversation with someone even if you don't know the answer to their question. Recommendations are also a heavy focus, for example: During my interview for my current job my interviewer said: I'm thinking of going on vacation, where should I go? Rather than just say CANCUN!!! based on my own experience, I was expected to ask qualifying questions about them like: Do you like warm or cold places? What activities do you enjoy? Are you bringing your wife/kids? Have you ever been out of the country? Things like that.

This, in my opinion, is very helpful. Im currently working for an AT&T subsidiary, but looking to switch into a corporate store as opposed to a dealer. But I'd still like to know, which company would you consider the best to work for?

I recommend Verizon. They have the best compensation package you will find in a major carrier. I made decent money with AT&T but the structure in which you received commission was weird and hard to follow.

Any Opinion on Google Fi?

Google Fi is cool! However, because it uses Sprint and T-Mobile's towers, it's terrible in my area. Sprint and T-Mobile have the worst coverage you can find up here so it's not very appealing to me personally. That being said, I think that once it gets even bigger it will be overwhelmingly popular. I've had dealings with their customer service and they are friendly, knowledgeable, and really believe in what they're doing.

What company truly has the best LTE coverage?

Verizon. Hands down. They have the most coverage across the United States by a large margin. As far as the 'strongest' LTE signal goes, it's AT&T. Aside from working for the carriers, I've also used them and the best coverage I've gotten across the country is Verizon.

I know you're being downvoted because reddit hates Verizon. I don't care for Verizon's business practices and no longer use them, but they really do have the best coverage any place I have been.

I agree. While the customer service isn't the best, the question was: Who has the best coverage? Not: Who has the bestest peoples everrr?

How has Tmobile affected sales for you? Just saw after 2 yrs or so of uncarrier, Verizon put an ad out directing it to TMO.

I'm not sure how T-Mobile has affected Verizon nationwide, but in my area T-Mobile has garbage coverage. Generally when people switch to them they come right back because they can't get a signal anywhere and the LTE is slow.

How long will it be until we get truly unlimited data... or will that never happen?

I wouldn't count on it ever happening. In fact, Verizon just raised prices for customers on pre-existing unlimited plans to get them over to the new plans. Sorry :/

Why does Verizon over infatuate the phones that it sells with company branding and bloatwear on the devices themselves?

My friend and I are on different networks. I on AT&T and He on Verizon both with the standard Galaxy S6 but the Verizon phone is filled with a ton of Verizon software and Verizon applications that replace manufacturer applications as defaults where on AT&T the bloatwear is far less in quantity and most of the applications are manufacturer defaults from the start. It just seems to me that Verizon tries to fill their phones up with more of the carrier branding, rather than being a distributor.

Why is Verizon pushing into the media industry, both with buying news sites such as AOL, creating sites such as Sugar, and making the GO90 app?

What's your third favorite color?

When it comes to Verizon bloatware, it's all stuff that Verizon hopes that you will find useful. For example, they include a Messages+ app that backs up your text messages to the cloud. Verizon is also a massive company that wants everyone to use them, so they will include as much stuff on your phone as it takes for it to scream I HAVE VERIZON AND I'M THE BEST. Verizon is trying to enter the media industry for a few reasons: to gain publicity, and to make money. The more Verizon is in your face, the better in their eyes. My third favorite color is gray.

Is eroes still shit?

No. They completely changed the system and call it OMNI now. It works pretty well, and we can use it on the iPads pretty well.

Are mobile phone shops the sordid after hours love nests the movies make them out to be?

Unfortunately no, it's just a bunch of exhausted people trying to get out of the door the closest to closing time as they can. Sorry to disappoint :/

When will i ever be able to talk on speakerphone and browse the internet?

You can now. Go into a Verizon store and have them activate HD voice on your line. It allows you to talk and browse.

Does it cost?

Nope, it's a free feature available to anyone with a smartphone.

Do you have a soul?

Yes. I love my customers and care about them. I am transparent with them and take care of them to the best of my ability. I could make a lot more money if that weren't true.

If you know why, is there any reason why Verizon locks the FM radios in most phones? (Or, at least it is in my G4). It isn't that big of a deal but it's still nice to have. Also, why do you guys lock the bootloaders of most devices, or make them really hard to unlock? I would really love to install a custom rom onto my Verizon branded G4 :P .Thanks.

I have no idea why they block the radio. As far as the bootloaders, Verizon finds it easier to have more control over their devices because they have to field less customer service calls and exchanges when people ruin their devices.

For some reason my family is on a Verizon Business plan. Been like that for over 15 years. 4 phones and the MIL's broken one thats up for renewal soon so we're axing it.

Would it be cheaper for me to go off a business plan and can Verizon do that or am I stuck where I am?

That depends on if you're receiving a discount for that business. Also, with business accounts, you can only do 2 year contracts instead of device payments. This means your access fee is higher. You'll have to find out how much data you use and talk to customer service about the cheapest option. They can change it into a personal account if that's the best option.

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To update your plan, I recommend that you go into a store and compare your plan to the current plans to see if you can save any money or get more data for the same price. And I happen to think that dog is cute!

Does Verizon try to encourage the reps to do whatever they can to get customers who still have unlimited data plans off of them by enticing them with promotions, etc?

No. Reps do not care at all about your unlimited data, and Verizon doesn't tell us to care.

Why does Verizon always lag behind on phones? They have the best network but they're always last to get new devices. All the best Nexus phones never cone to the big V.

They lag behind because they put all of the devices and software through their way-too-long process of making sure they're up to standard, and they want to fill them with their personalized Verizon applications. As for the Nexus phones, Verizon had the Nexus 5 & 6 pretty early.

Why is Sprint, their network and their customer service so crappy?

When I worked there, Sprint was undergoing a huge change to a new type of super tower that could be easily modified when it came time to change cell technology. This meant coverage was very spotty in a lot of areas and they even told us reps that we would lose about 30% of the customers in our area to make the changes but they saw it as worth it. Sprint still hasn't made good on the promises it made then and I don't know if it will before the larger carriers crush them. The customer service is so crappy because they spend ALL DAY apologizing to customers because of their terrible service.

Hey there! I'm also a former sprint rep, and I've worked both as a tech and in sales. A couple of questions for you:

1. What's your favorite phone that you've had throughout the years?

2. Which store had the best food next to it?

3. What is your favorite kind of cat?

1. HTC One M9. It doesn't have the best specs in the world but the phone is nearly indestructible, has a nice screen, great battery life, decent antennas, and the camera is good. HTC sense is nice and when you buy one the uh oh protection is good for peace of mind. 2. The store I work at right now has an Ahmo's and every fast food you can think of including Panda Express next to it so that's pretty cool. 3. Maine Coon. I am not at all a cat person, but if you're going to have one, these are big and nice.

Can you hear me now?

No, so you probably have Sprint.

Have you worked at T-Mobile? It wasn't listed, but it's a major carrier. Also, what's truly the best network for the money?

I have sold T-Mobile before. The best network for the money in terms of value is Verizon. (Not just because I work there). They have the best coverage and in recent months their prices and promos have become very comparable to carriers that were cheaper in the past (Sprint). As far as the lowest cost, it would be a toss up between Sprint and T-Mobile.

I currently have unlimited everything from Sprint for $68/mo after taxes and fees (including GS6 phone lease). I do think Verizon has a better network though. How much would a comparable plan at Verizon cost, and do they pay contract termination fees?

That depends on how much data you use, Verizon does not currently offer any unlimited date plans. For example: 1gb for $30, 3 for 45, 6 for 60, 12 for 80. And then you have access fees on top of that and the price of the phone. So if you wanted a GS6 on 12gb of data it would be 80+20+24.08+taxes. Verizon will pay your ETF and device payments off starting the 1st of the year.

still takes 2 hours to buy a damn phone.

It takes me an average of 45 minutes to sell one.

I always heard you salespeople make like $50k+ a year full-time... true? Also, why was it fucking impossible to get any mobile companies to hire me after being a lead at Best Buy Mobile?

Yes, I make an average of $60,000 per year. And as to the second question, carrier stores look down upon people that come from multi-carrier stores. I don't know why.

Given that you've worked with various companies, which ones, IYHO, offer the best wi-fi deals? Also, do you have any suggestions on how to make certain you're getting the least expensive option?

As far as deals are concerned, it's Sprint. They have the best pricing you can find but you do have to sacrifice quality of service. My suggestion on making certain it's the least expensive is to go to a multi-carrier store like Best Buy that doesn't care what carrier you have. They're more likely to be honest with you.

What was your worst experience doing this?

That has to be when I worked at Sprint. When I do data transfers through the computer, I generally ask if there's anything on their device that I shouldn't see. Well, many times a girl will tell me an adamant "no" and the first picture that pops up on my computer is her completely naked. This experience was different, though. A kid came in with his sister because they were having a problem with their phone and I decided the only way I was going to be able to fix this was by wiping the phone. When I went to back up the phone, a video popped up on my computer and I saw one of those wooden mini baseball bats and when I was little I used to have a collection of them - this made me curious so I clicked on the video. Keep in mind, this kid is around 14-15. I played the video, and to my horror, it is a video of this kid taking the mini baseball bat which is around 18 inches long, and shoving it up his ass. I had absolutely no idea what to do so I just tried to forget that I saw it but it haunts me to this day.

Damn that sucks, so what happens in the event that you are transferring stuff and a lot of NSFW things come across from an underage person, do you have to report it or just forget you ever saw it?

It depends. If it's your run of the mill 16 year old girl sending a picture of herself naked, I forget I saw it. If it's something like a video of a 25 year old banging a 14 year old girl, then I have to report it.

Moving to a spot in the rocky mountains where reception is non-existent. Any thoughts on what I could get to boost reception capabilities?

Verizon sells signal boosters that you use in your home. This basically grabs the faintest cell signal in the area and will spread it throughout your property. Generally, you have to buy these, but if you complain enough they will sometimes send you one for free.

I have AT&T for cell and my bill is generally around $185 or so for 2 phones with 3 gigs of data. I use Fios for my internet and TV. I've been considering switching to T-Mobile since they have the unlimited data deal but I need to keep my bill around $150 cuz I have a sole income household (i.e. I support my wife and son) would you recommend this is would it be better to switch to Verizon for everything?

For 2 phones, 3gb of data, and 2 brand new devices on Verizon I have you calculated at $139 before taxes! That's $45 for 3gb of data, $20 access for each phone, and two brand new smartphones at $27 per month. You will experience better coverage with Verizon than with AT&T on a national average but I would go to https://vzwmap.verizonwireless.com/dotcom/coveragelocator/ to determine if you're going to have good service in your area.

I'm in Dallas. I'm pretty sure I'm covered lol! Why other plans do you have besides 3gb?

Nice! That's about it for plans at the moment, they jump pretty far as far is data is concerned with your options.

i work for verizon indirectly. thus, i can't afford shiny expensive phones and plans. however, i'm on a verizon MVNO. how do i get a phone i CAN afford (say Desire 526/626, Core Prime, Lumia 735), brand new, so that among things, i'm covered by the 1 year warranty (and so that my credit card will extend the warranty)?

As of right now, the only way to get them is either to get a Verizon postpaid account and put them on the bill, or pay full retail for the device. Sorry :/

Besides money being the obvious reason, why can't we simply pay for what we use? So much wasted data every month and Verizon does not do rollover.

For the same reason you can't just pay for the channels you watch with cable - the company gets more money.

How much money do you make, and how is your compensation structured? I.e. in terms of commissions, how are you paid and are there incentives for pushing certain products/plans, etc.?

I make an average of $60,000 per year at the moment. Currently I make 25% of the profit I make the store. On top of the 25% I get a percentage based bonus based on hitting different goals like number of tablets, jetpacks, xfinity, etc. Yes, there are definitely incentives for certain things. For example: I make an average of $20-$30 more selling a Galaxy S6 rather than an iPhone. As far as plans go, one of our incentives is called "data step up" where we are encouraged to offer people plans with bigger data packages.

I really appreciate your honesty with this question. I find these sorts of incentive programs just terrifying. This lives up to the stereotype of sales people being manipulative leeches. Don't salespeople feel guilty about participating in incentive programs like this? I mean, the sales staff are supposed to be the educated source for the customers but because of the incentive program they're actively encouraging customers to just buy what corporate wants them to buy instead of just helping the customer. This is just using the customer for immediate gain.

I don't understand the difference between this and the types of schemes employed by common swindlers. Maybe I just don't understand capitalism, but if nothing else it just seems disingenuous.

I suppose it all depends on what kind of sales rep you are. I don't try to persuade anyone in certain directions, I just try to make sure they are happy and taken care of. I do my best to be as transparent as possible when it comes to these things. That's why I make $60,000 and some of my co-workers make upwards of $75,000.

Do you work for a corporate location or an authorized agent?

I work for a privately owned company.

Corporate sales reps at Verizon don't get paid differently depending on the phone they sell. Are you a premium retailer/indirect?

Source: am sales rep at corporate store.

Yes, I work for a privately owned company. How does pay structure work for you guys?

Please post more proof, too

Done!

What? Why?

Why what?

How is having a shirt proof? I can get a hold of one of those from my friend one text message

Fair enough, I fixed it and added more proof.

Why doesn't verzion put out phone updates as fast as other carriers?

This is a very common question in the store, it's because Verizon puts every update through a series of tests before they deem it acceptable to put on their phones. They also want to have time to ensure that the plethora of Verizon apps that come pre-installed will work with the new updates.

How can I get a better deal with Verizon. My company currently gets 17% off the bill, but I think I can do better. Also how do I get out of getting screwed on the Grandfather Unlimited data price hike that just happened?

Try going into a store and having them check your discount. Many times your discount on the bill will not adjust automatically if the percentage of the discount increases. As for the rate hike, unfortunately there is no way to get out of paying the extra money. You can see how much data you're using and determine if you still need the unlimited, though. Sometimes people think they are huge data users and actually have no use for unlimited.

I use 500 gigs a month or so. So yea.. I am not one of those! =)

Oh, wow...what do you use that much data on? If you don't mind me asking.

This is an ATT example, but may apply to other carriers.

I hate the language of 'device access charge'. It's complete shit.

For instance, suppose I bring my own device - a Nexus 6 smartphone (which, btw, why did I have to explain to the chat rep that a Nexus 6 is a smartphone made by Motorola/Google, how did they not know this already). I can't use it with a prepaid plan, so those are off the table. So, the only other option is the Mobile Share Value plan (and as a single dude, idgaf about sharing my data). Here's how the price breaks down for 2GB UT&T plan:

2GB Unlimited Talk & Text plan: 30/month
Device Access Charge: 25/month
Total Charges: 55/month

So, I can have a plan, but I am unable to use it unless I pay 25/mo for access to it, which makes no sense. What they are saying is the plan costs 30 + 25 * number of devices, which is essentially fine. However, it's a bullshit way to market their plans as cheaper than they actually are, because there is no way to pay 30 and use the plan. What it should really say (like it did back in the days of add-a-line) is '55/month for the plan and the first device, plus 25/month for each additional device'. That removes the 'device access charge' wording for the first device, since that almost implies that you could access it without paying the access charge. Maybe I'm just being nitpicky, but the language that they use irks me. If they would just change the language, I may have switched to ATT instead of opting to give Fi a try.

TLDR - my 2 questions:

Why did I have to explain to the chat rep that a Nexus 6 is a smartphone made by Motorola/Google, how did they not know this already?

and

Have you had other customers say anything about the wording of the MSV plans or complain that they had to pay an access charge to use something they were already paying for (esp when you only have 1 phone)?

I'm not sure how the customer service rep didn't know that, my only guess would be that they didn't really know anything about cell phones and were only trained on the ones carried by them. As for the access charges, Verizon positions it as a charge for the Unlimited Talk & Text in conjunction with your data charge. I agree that access fees are stupid, but if they just charged for the data you could have as many phones as you wanted on the plan and not pay any more thus thinning the carrier's pockets.