http://www.sys-con.com/story/?storyid=49230 Verizon CEO: Why Should Your Cell Phone Work in Your House? Company's Customer Service Apparently Ends at the Driveway April 16, 2005 Summary "Why in the world would you think your (cell) phone would work in your house?" Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg said in an interview in the San Francisco Chronicle. Here are at least three reasons why... By Roger Strukhoff "Why in the world would you think your (cell) phone would work in your house?" said Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. "The customer has come to expect so much. They want it to work in the elevator; they want it to work in the basement." This comment encapsulates the company's approach to customer service. We'll tell you what you want and you had better like it. And by the way, we're trying to buy MCI so we can further monopolize our attitude and your service. Three answers to Mr. Seidenberg's question immediately spring to mind: 1. Maybe I use my cell phone a lot (which I believe Verizon wants me to do), and so have occasion to give this number out to people who want to call me. Maybe I'm at home sometimes when they call. 2. Maybe I have a plan with a prescribed number of minutes, and I actually like using most of them to get my money's worth. 3. Maybe it's none of your beeswax how I use my phone. I pay for a service, you provide it. If it's crappy, I complain. If customers complain, you respond. Where's Tom Peters when we need him most? Certainly, the thousands of engineers throughout the world who bust their tails on a daily basis to develop new wireless products, services, and functionality can take little solace in a major-carrier CEO who expresses such disdain for the people who provide his company's revenues and finance his presumably very comfortable lifestyle. Or is the opinion of this reporter way off base? Should consumers be happy to note that Verizon is led by someone with such a hard-nosed, practical view of the world? Should engineers sleep well knowing that that goofy guy in glasses is always outside, trying to be heard, for a very good reason? After all, why should anyone want to use a cell phone at home?
Not so surprising coming from a CEO. Who cares what this says. As long as I have service (which I do), that works well (which it does), and the company I am with meets my needs, this is all that matters to me. Besides, this veiled Verizon-bashing article is part of an annoying trend on this site. EVERY carrier "sucks" to somebody. I'm not too thrilled with Cingular's service lately, so for me, they "suck". To each his/her own.
VERY SIMPLE ANSWER: You commercials tend to imply that your phones work anywhere! Even though the test guy is only shown outdoors, the advertisement suggests your phone works wheen and where you need it to.
Please note, this is the VERIZON CEO, not Verizon Wireless. Technically, Verizno Wireless is a company that VERIZON owns a majority share in. He sees this as one piece of a large communications conglomerate he is in charge of. He is not CEO of a wireless phone company. He has a vested interest in selling landline and wireless, not one or the other.
And Cingular advertising suggest that they have coverage everywhere with their "allover" network. Isn't this the whole purpose of advertising and marketing? And the guy in the commercial does do buildings. Have you seen the one where he's waiting outside the ladies' room while some woman test the coverage inside? I don't know what the deal is with the odd remarks during the interview, but my service still works and I'm still happy.
The problem is his attitude towards people who expect their service to work in their houses. If Stan Sigman had a similar attitude in an interview I would have the same opinion because, like you pointed out, Cingular's ads imply the same. Of course these companies would just retort that customers should read the fine print. I forgot about the ads in buildings. That just ads credibility to the customers' gripes as far as I'm concerned.
He's telling the truth, though it works inside your house if the Tower is Near. It's just the way He answers it. Great Coverage sells.
CEO's are jerks. They don't really do anything most of the time and still make millions and million, while their employees and customers get screwed.
That's not true. I have found the many CEO's I have met to be wonderful, caring people. They try their hardest to make sure their employees and customers are satisfied and happy... :lmao: Actually, the only CEO I've met is John Stanton of Western Wireless and he does seem genuinely concerned with his employees and customers. As a billionare-CEO, he's a stand up guy with integrity, which isn't the norm for people of similar position in any industry, not just wireless. He would never say anything like what Ivan Seidenberg said.
