Qwest And Verizon Update Via Online Chat With Qwest

[MobileMsSeana]

ATTN: MODERATORS: PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STICKY, MOVE, CHANGE, HOWEVER YOU WISH, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE INFORMATION IS OUT THERE.

Below follows a full account of the conversation I had with a Qwest rep this morning via online chat.
I'm an informed consumer, I like to think, and so I've basically been a nuisance for a few weeks. Here is all the information I got this morning. The names have been changed because it's the right thing to do. I have the original chat saved as well, with names and ID numbers, but I only want to make sure fellow customers get the info. So here it is, and I hope it helps.

CHAT BEGINS HERE, MAY 31 2008 IN ONLINE CALL TO QWEST CUSTOMER SERVICE:
Thank you for using Qwest.com. A Qwest Sales and Service Consultant will be with you in just a moment.
Thank you for contacting Qwest. My name is Them. How may I help you today?
Me: Good morning Them 
Them: Hey there, Me. What can I assist you with today?
Me: I need more information than your website provides. Will you please tell me everything you know about the way the Verizon contract will work for existing customers?
Me: Specifically, will we have to give up current wireless service?
Me: (that's question #1)
Them: I do apologize that we are still in the process of figuring out how this will with Verizon customers who what to add they cell phone service to their Qwest account.
Me: I'm not a Verizon customer, I'm a Qwest customer. And I have a wireless plan that we have maintained for six years, and we don't want to change it if we can avoid it.
Them: At this time we are still going to honor all contracts for cell phone service that we have but will be offering our customers the ability to change to Verizon in the near future.
Me: That's fine, but what if we don't want to?
Me: Will we have to, eventually?
Me: And will we have to go through all the credit check stuff and everything?
Me: Or will there be a "grandfather" clause?
Them: I do apologize that I do not know if the change over will be forced at some point in the future as I know that we are only now offering one year contract renewals for out customers.
Me: I know about that part. I think I don't have a renewal till 2009.
Them: Then you would be fine until them.

Me: What I really need to know is how the equipment will be handled. One rep has already told me that we will get Verizon phones.
Me: If that's the case, I need to know how that will work, and if it will cost us money out of pocket.
Them: Yes, once the change over has taken place we will not be offer Qwest cell phones, only the Verizon phones so I would think that if you needed to replace a cell phone it may require you to change to the Verizon service.
Me: For existing customers will we receive equivalent phones that work on Verizon?
Them: Yes, that is the case if you are switching over.
Me: And what is the changeover date? Customers have received no information, and I know this is supposed to happen very soon.
Them: We just do not know the fine details as to when and how this will work.
Me: That isn't very reassuring.
Me: If we are going to have to change services anyway, I'd rather get it over with.
Me: Who can answer these questions?
Them: I do apologize that we just do not know all the information as to what is happening as it has not been finalized by Qwest and Verizon. Once that happens we will be able to provide that information to you.


Them: Is there anything else that I can help you with today?
Me: Just advise your higher ups that your informed consumers are not happy with being "kept in the dark".
Me: And also be aware I'll be posting this information because I've spoken to a lot of Qwest customers that want to know.
Me: I won't be posting names, don't worry. But this is not the Spirit of Service that Qwest values so highly.
Them: I can certainly pass this comment up the chain as I do know that it cna get frustrating as we do not know how to answer customers questions as the information has not been provided to use.
Them: Is there anything else that I can help you with today?
Me: Yes. If you don't have the infformation then who does?
Me: We need to know who to talk to.
Me: No one at Verizon knows, no one at Qwest knows. Someone has to know what's going on.
Them: It has just not been confirmed between Qwest and Verizon as to how this will all happen and because of that we do not have the information as it is still being discussed.
Me: According to your website's press release, the contract has already been signed, which means someone or several someones do know something. To me as a consumer, good customer service means we get updates, not just told that the information is still being discussed.
Me: The information I am asking about is information the consumer needs to know, because we have to plan our spending and our budgets, and additional "surprise" expenses will definitely not be welcome.
Them: Yes, the contract has been signed but at this time the fine details as to how and when this will take place has not been confirmed by either company.
Them: I can certainly understand your reason for wanting this information.
Them: But I do apologize that at this time we do not know the information you are requesting as it has not been finalized between the two companies

Me: Please be so kind as to provide me with the contact information for Qwest's corporate offices.
Me: If you have Verizon's corporate office information that would be welcome as well.
Them: You can call 1-303-992-1400 to get our general inquires line but they will not have any more information then what I have available to tell you.
Me: Is there someplace I can write to?
Me: Or email?
Them: Qwest offices 1801 California suite 5200 Denver co 80202
Them: You can write to the above address but they will only have the same information that I have provided to you as well.
Them: Once the decisions have been made by Qwest and Verizon this information will be sent out the following day to all Qwest agents to inform our customers about the information.
Me: One more question: If we elect to change to Verizon service, considering the lack of information we're receiving, do we have to buy our own phones again?
Me: And do we have to pay the early termination fee if we do?
Them: I do apologize as I have stated about the fine details as to how this will work have not been finalized and without that information I can only give you my opinion of what I think could happen but I can be wrong about my opinion.
Me: Your opinion would be welcomed. What do you think?
Them: I think that it should be that if you do change to Verizon and get a contract with them the termination fee for the Qwest Cell phone that you currently have would be waived and that you probably get a discount or free phone for changing the service.
Me: That would be nice. Do you also think the phones received should be equivalent to current equipment?
Them: They should be but we do not know what phones we will be able to offer with the Verizon service.
Me: The press release does specify the full line of Verizon phones, so that's promising.
Them: Is there anything else that I can help you with today?
Me: No, you've been honest, and I'm at least grateful for that.
Me: Thanks for your information.
Them: Thank you for using Qwest.com today. Our goal is to provide you with excellent service. If you need further assistance, please Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. for additional customer service options on Qwest.com. We invite you to learn how to surf safer and smarter online. Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. to visit the Incredible Internet site and get online safety certified.
Them: Have a good day, Me.
Me: You too, thanks again.
Them: Bye.
Thank you for using Qwest.com. Your chat session has ended.

[salreus]

I work for Qwest long distance. Which BTW is different that Qwest local. But it is still just one company. Anyway, I can assure you that you won't be able to get the infomation you want until it is publically released. Trust me, with the amount of insider trading education we go throught, Qwest is all about making sure they don't get into trouble again. If you think about it, if just Qwest or VZ knew when the contracts were going to be over or switched, it could provide an unfair advantage and could result in stock prices. I agree with you that there are people at Qwest and people at VZ that do know when the change over is going to take place, but I assure you that they won't be giving you or anyone else that infomation for the reasons I gave above. When it is giving out in a press release is when everyone will know. The person from Qwest you talked to wasn't just holding the info from you they just don't have it. I don't have it either. To be honest, the outside world will know before we as employees will know. Info is usually posted in the denver post and other outlets first, then later that day or the next day, a broadcast email is sent out to the employees telling us the same thing.

And if I am not mistaken, Qwest doesn't actually have a wirless service anymore. A few years ago they had to adjust the company and they sold off their yellow pages and also sold off the wireless service. So the phone you have is just branded Qwest. I belive it is a sprint serivce branded Qwest. I don't doubt that Qwest is going to make it adventagous for the customers when they convert the wirless service from Sprint to VZ. How else would they be able to retain you as a customer? If they didn't treat you nice then you would just leave and pick VZ or Sprint as a provider instead.

[meatgel]

I have 5 cell phones with Qwest and the only one I'm actually worried about is my Mogul ... I JUST got GPS on the stock ROM and and I love this phone! I don't want the Verizon 6800 because it seems their stock ROM doesn't have GPS and I really don't want to run a non-stock ROM. I'm very chickeny.

I'm going to hold out as long as I can with what I have ... my 5 cell phones with 2000 shared minutes, unlimited (5GB) data and unlimited texting is still less than $200 per month. My cell phone rings when someone calls my land-line and I have one voicemail box for my cell phone and landline.

I've been with Qwest wireless for about 8 years. My mom just visited my house (Colorado) from Pennsylvania. She has Verizon and her cell couldn't get any signal inside my house! I am nervous!

[MobileMsSeana]

My cel phone plan is 600/3000 with calls between the two lines, free, free l/d,, and I have data and he has Web. For all that I pay $95 per month.
I really would like to keep this plan....we can only hope.
I really would like to keep my phones....we can only hope.

[doo567]

I also have the 600/3000 plan with 4 phones, free long distance, nights starting at 7:00pm and internet access for one phone and I pay around 83.00 total with taxes.

Anyway, I chatted with a rep who told me the roll out is delayed until Mid October. I tried to confirm that with another rep and they wouldn't say.

It would be nice if it is delayed that they would tell us soon!

[MobileMsSeana]

There's a FAQ up at Qwest for this issue now. Still vague, but sort of not.
http://www.qwest.com/VZWmigration/faq.html

[doo567]

They avoid one the most pressing issues in my mind, and that is what about the plans and if we are under contract with Qwest what happens??

[MobileMsSeana]

Yeah that's my biggie as well. And I've pushed for an answer but so far no joy.
I am researching Verizon up the wazoo, to find the best and most similar deal we can get.

[meatgel]

I think I'm going with Sprint. My friend has Verizon and gets no signal in my house ... he has to go outside to talk on his phone!

Plus, Verizon still hasn't upgraded their 6800 ROM to include GPS. I don't feel comfortable flashing to the leaked ROMs, and no GPS would make me sad now that I have it.

I really see no other option for me and my 5 cell phone family.

I did go to the Sprint store to see if they would do any deals for the Qwest people and the guy there said a few people had already asked and he was badgering up the chain to get a good answer. My fingers are crossed.

[MobileMsSeana]

I talk with Qwest nearly every day, and every day I get the same answer: nothing to be done, you'll be taken care of, etc. It's really frustrating, because if they're gonna change, they just need to let me know how and when and I'll handle it myself.
But I talked with the other half of me yesterday and conclusion drawn: nothing to be done until final disposition. I won't be out from under my plan till December anyway, and they're supposed to rollout the new setup in October.
However, from what I gleaned yesterday, we don't have to change our plans if we don't want to. But I think I might like to, depending on what's offered. I had a Mogul and used it to the nth in my last job, but I don't need all that capacity now. My choices are terminate my data plan (35 MB 19.95/mo) but if I do and then I need it later, it's a whopping $40 for the access on the later plans.

Not sure, but we'll see. Verizon's shared plans are about what we pay now, so that's not a problem. It's a little more integrated, which is also not a problem. My problem would be the two year commitment when our needs may suddenly change. I'll have to talk further about that, and that's harder to do when they're saying "two years, or no deal".
Sigh.