Sowmyanarayan Sampath, CEO of Verizon, has outlined the company’s plan to raise the bar for customer service experiences.
In a nationwide email to Verizon's US customers, Sampath’s message criticized the current state of customer service and promised to provide an alternative.
"Across the industry, customer service hasn’t evolved the way that it should," he wrote.
Naturally, the CEO positioned his own company as separate from what he perceives as an industry-wide issue with subpar customer service.
Sampath described Verizon as being on "a different path" that is "built entirely around you [the customer]," and delivers speedier, simpler, and more intelligent support.
"It’s not just better service – we are setting a new standard, beginning today," he noted.
You’re not a customer number or a case file. You’re the reason we’re here. And we’re building an experience that will earn your trust, every single day.
In expounding on how the company will provide this superior level of service in practical terms, the letter listed the following features and capabilities:
- 24/7 access to top-tier support representatives for around-the-clock help.
- Streamlined digital onboarding to get customers up and running from day one.
- A redesigned, industry-leading app built with customer needs in mind.
- A next-gen AI assistant that delivers fast, accurate answers anytime.
- Dedicated Customer Champions who stay with customer issues until they are fully resolved.
- Access to America’s largest retail network, so in-person support is always nearby.
But do these features really differentiate Verizon from its competitors?
How Different are Verizon’s Differentiators?
Despite claiming in the letter that Verizon is the only company delivering these capabilities, several do not appear to be unique.
The likes of 24/7 support, seamless digital onboarding, and app-driven interactions have all been implemented in various forms by many companies.
Of course, Sampath’s comments may have meant to state that Verizon was the only company that delivered the full suite of features – which might be the case.
In particular, the scale of its U.S. retail network is unmatched.
With operations in over 6,800 stores nationwide, Verizon maintains the largest postpaid retail network in U.S. telecom, placing 93 percent of the population within a 30-minute drive of a physical location.
The other capability that separates Verizon from much of the competition is its Customer Champions.
