Thank you Sofia!
The last few weeks have been frantic– workshops, conferences and fundraisers on top of our already busy schedule. And in the middle of it all I dropped my phone, cracked the front faceplate and it started acting funny. I had been eyeing the new Droid Incredible anyway, so I decided it was time for an upgrade. But the thought of having to go to a Verizon Wireless store sent shivers down my busy spine. Now mind you, I don’t want to single out Verizon, because if you mention any telecom or cable company I’m pretty sure you won’t get an overwhelmingly positive reaction from anyone.
First I went to the Verizon Wireless store nearest my home. I was told they didn’t have any Droid Incredibles in stock but I would receive a call the next day. The next day came and went and I didn’t receive a call. So on my lunch hour the following day I went to the Verizon Wireless store closest to my office. I was told that yes, they had them in stock, but since I was an existing customer they couldn’t offer it to me at the advertised price. In fact, it would be more than twice the advertised price. Because I was an existing customer? HUH? No wonder there is no customer loyalty any more! The longer you are a customer, the more you get #&@*$&!
When I got back to the office grumpy and frustrated one of my co-workers suggested I go to the Verizon Wireless store on University Parkway in Sarasota because they heard it was the most helpful location in the area. They gave a phone # to me and told me to call. I called the # and talked to Sofia, who apologized for my experience and within a few minutes told me she could have a Droid Incredible delivered to their store without a problem. And it would indeed be at the advertised cost. She even called me back to tell me what time my phone would arrive at their store!
What I didn’t realize at the time was the phone # my co-worker gave me was actually for the Verizon Wireless kiosk inside BJ’s across the street from the University Parkway location. After a detour I finally got to Sofia and we had a great conversation, she was extremely helpful and she seemed to genuinely care about the ridiculous experiences I had at the other stores. Best of all she helped me get an awesome deal on my Droid–plus a $50 BJ’s gift card!
I highly recommend Sofia to anyone looking for a Verizon Wireless store anywhere near the Sarasota area!
We all tell people about our terrible customer service experiences, so I wanted to take the opportunity to tell everyone about a refreshing positive customer experience I had. Hopefully this inspires everyone to pay-it-forward and be more active in promoting the good people and businesses that still exist in our world.