Verizon Rolls Out New Approach to FiOS Customer Care

For those who have hoped and dreamed of telcos putting a name and a face on customer care, Verizon Communications Inc.’s fledgling personal account manager (PAM) program may be the answer.

Looking to offload call centers handling an increasing list of services, bundles and promotions, and provide better customer support for FiOS residential services, Verizon confirmed Thursday that it quietly launched a trial of PAM in January for customers served by one exchange in Florida. Pleased with the results, the effort’s slated to be expanded to six counties in the next few months.

While operators and companies in other vertical markets have seemingly done little more than pay lip service to customer service through often ill-equipped call centers, Verizon’s PAM effort is taking it to the streets. However, it’s too early to tell if the customer may in fact be king with triple-play services or if customer service will prove to be a true differentiator.

“This is an attempt to take another approach to serving the customer,” said a spokesperson for Verizon. “The PAMs also chat up customers and can offer additional services. Some customers take to it immediately and others are initially skeptical. The trial has gone well.”

The PAMs, which are contractors brought on by Verizon, are not equipped to access the customer systems found in call centers and thus have to work with staff in these sites to solve issues and add services, according to the spokesperson.

The Verizon program appears to be the latest step in a high-stakes, big-ticket effort to land – and retain – customers for its FiOS (voice, high-speed Internet and TV) package amid fierce competition from incumbent cablecos and from satellite-based operators providing video services with or without Internet access.

Verizon offers the bundle to residences over its fiber-to-the-home network and has found since the yearend holidays that customer demand – in part because of aggressively marketing and promotion – has exceeded its projections. Part of this is driven by far wider availability of the service and innovative features such as multiroom DVR service.

However, general customer satisfaction with operators and their services still needs improvement. With carriers aware of the cost of acquiring and/or losing residential business, customer retention is beginning to move to the forefront.

Verizon started with its largest exchange in the state, the Brandon facility, and plans to have all PAMs out and assigned for the six counties, representing a 5,800 square-mile service area, by June 1, according to the spokesperson.

Asked if the program would be expanded to non FiOS residential services and/or areas outside the state of Florida, the spokesperson replied: “First things first.”

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