Phone companies only understand phones

[yesthattom]

When dialing Verizon Wireless’s technical support number, you enter your 10-digit cell phone. They know the kind of phone you have and can give good service right away (though they do have to ask for your phone # twice... once you enter it by touch-tone and the second time when you speak with a human. I guess the system doesn’t pass the info on to the human, which is ok since for security reasons they should ask you to repeat it.)

However, if I log into their web site you enter your username and password and NO MENUS know what phone you have. Plus, you have to enter it multiple times as you enter different parts of the site. One site even asks you for your zip code... which is in my profile!

Ugh.

Tom

Comments

[sweh.livejournal.com]

I've recently switched to Sprint and have had to call customer services three times (to port my number; first time to request it, second time to find out why it hadn't happened, third time to really find out why it hadn't happened...) and was impressed. Not only did the support person know what type of phone I had and so had her "howto" guide customised for my phone, she also had a list of common issues with the procedure and work arounds; eg "click on the start menu, select the phone option" "umm.. I don't have that" (I've customised my menus) "oh, OK, press the green button instead and now you should see such'n'such..."

The second person was pretty useless. The third person was excellent and noticed the porting requested had punted, needing my Verizon passcode to authorize it.

The Sprint web site is mostly good as well; it also knows my phone and gives options accordingly.

[lilbjorn.livejournal.com]

I guess the system doesn’t pass the info on to the human

One of my pet peeves.

[scherzoid.livejournal.com]

I'm a data-only FiOS customer, and have trouble every time I call tech support since their entire IVR system is built around the subscriber's Verizon phone number. I have to do the whole get-a-human rigamarole with the IVR, then read off my insanely long circuit ID to the TechDroid. But once I get past that nonsense, FiOS tech support has been very good so far (16 months or so).

[gravitrue.livejournal.com]

What's the security advantage in speaking a number I just typed?
I mean, sure, ask me for my name/addy/etc, but if I just typed the number,
dictating it to a human twenty seconds later is just a PITA that makes me think their programmers and architects are too stupid to do it right.

Of course, your web site experience confirms this...

I think them knowing what kind of phone I have is gross anyway; none of
their damn business any more than the kind of desk set I have.