Software bug causes voice mail glitch (Verizon strikes again)

The Daily Independent ^ | Published: Thursday, February 7, 2008 12:55 AM CST | BY RUTH JUSTIS/Staff Reporter

[granite]

Verizon's customer service is the worst. On hold for an hour only to be told by a rude rep that there is no estimated time to repair, the problem is NATIONWIDE and the credit is FOUR CENTS.

[fireforeffect]

Ive got Verizon and this has not effected me.

[Pablo64]

Don’t know what VM platform they use, but it almost sounds like their call forwarding features in the switch failed. It may be that the VM system refused to accept the calls, or maybe a combination of things. It’s been quite a while since my job duties required me to troubleshoot that kind of stuff, but I know it can be a nightmare. I don’t envy their techs.

[HereInTheHeartland]

I have had the opposite experince with Verizon Wireless.
Always good customer sewrvice via phone,

[granite]

To be fair, I have never been treated rudely until today. The are probably swamped with complaints and are being abused by unhappy customers.

I have to wonder if all the call-bots from the candidates on Tuesday blew up their server.

[driftdiver]

if you thnk verizon is bad try Time Warner.

[Pablo64]

I've never had to deal with their customer service, or any other wireless carrier's customer service for that matter. I have always worked for the wireless company that provides my service, but I have heard horror stories from people from time to time.

If there are some less than friendly service reps right now it's likely due to the shear volume of calls and customers being nasty themselves to begin with. It always amazes me how bent out of shape people get if something goes the slightest bit wrong with something. They act like the company singled them out personally and broke it just to piss them off. Yeah, it's an inconvenience, but it will eventually get fixed and they will eventually get all the credits worked out. People just tend to freak out way too easy these days.

Maybe I'm just too laid back, but I know that I don't have near the stress levels that some people have in their lives (because lot's of it is self inflicted).

[pitbully]

We are talking land lines not wireless voice mail.Many biss people depend on the voice mail so they do not miss a customer.Being mad that you can not access any calling features is understandable.Verizon has locked alot of people in to there service.Time to go backwards and buy a answering machine.

[Pablo64]

Ah, I did not pick up that it was landline service. It still sounds like it could be a call forwarding issue of some sort. Verizon is probably blocking access to the system until they can get it fixed.

As you said, it's always good to have a backup plan.

[George from New England]

Maybe their voice mail server is at the other end of an underground cable ... in India.

[pops88]

Verizon customer service has always been good for us. A few days back though we had problems with them that a second call resolved. However, we’re switching at the end of our contract. It often takes days before we’re notified of receiving voice mail and that’s not acceptable.

[Waco]

How do you refuse voice mail? I don’t need or want it. They tell callers I have not set up my voice mail and block the call.

[granite]

Maybe their voice mail server is at the other end of an underground cable ... in India

That idea had crossed my mind also.

[MayflowerMadam]

My office in Thousand Oaks, CA, has had no voice mail since early yesterday morning because of this.

[untrained skeptic]

I have had the opposite experince with Verizon Wireless. Always good customer sewrvice via phone,

That's been my experience as well. Cingular was absolutely horrible. I hate how Verizon disables features on their phones and tries to nickel and dime you to death, but I don't have nay complaints about there customer service.

[Pablo64]

"Maybe their voice mail server is at the other end of an underground cable ... in India."

LOL, I'm sure the back rooms at Conspiracy Theory Central have been working overtime trying to tie this into the cable cuts, but there wouldn't be any reason to have the VM system over seas. It's just hardware and most telcos that offer VM service will have it on site. They may have one VM server that serves more than one switch from different areas, but the units themselves don't take up all that much room in a rack of equipment (and I'm sure they're even more compact now than the last time I worked on one which was in late '02/early '03).

[Vroomfondel]

Ive got Verizon and this has not effected me.

I've got Verizon AND I live in Ridgecrest. It has affected me.

[Iron Munro]

I heard from a usually reliable source that the same problem has now appeared in Nevada, Florida and now North and South Caroline.

Hacking is suspected.

[granite]

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/feb/08/verizon-land-line-voicemail-goes-down/

[granite]

Mr. Davies suggested forwarding calls to another voice mail system if you have it by dialing 1-800-483-1000. We tried this, stepped through the voice mail prompts and the system cut us off. We've decided to just grin and bear it; we're old enough to remember a world without voice mail.