Verizon does damage control after massive outage angers customers

Core Viewpoint - Verizon experienced a significant service outage affecting approximately 2.3 million customers, leading to widespread frustration and demands for compensation [1][4][5] Group 1: Service Outage Details - The outage occurred on January 14, impacting customers in states including New York, Texas, Georgia, and California, with devices going into SOS-only mode [1] - The outage lasted about 10 hours, during which customers were unable to make regular calls [4] - Verizon attributed the outage to a software issue and is conducting a full review of the incident [7] Group 2: Customer Reactions - Customers expressed dissatisfaction on social media, with some threatening to switch providers due to the outage [2][3] - Many customers demanded compensation, with one stating that their business could not operate due to the outage [2] - Verizon's response included a $20 credit for affected customers, which can be redeemed through the myVerizon app [4][5] Group 3: Company Challenges - The outage comes at a challenging time for Verizon, as the company has been losing customers due to price increases and competition from rivals like T-Mobile and MVNOs [8][9] - In the third quarter of 2025, Verizon reported a churn rate of 0.91%, with 7,000 postpaid customers leaving [9] - A recent survey indicated that many consumers are exploring affordable phone plans, highlighting a shift in customer preferences [10] Group 4: Leadership and Strategy - Verizon's new CEO, Dan Schulman, acknowledged that previous price increases contributed to customer loss and emphasized the need for a customer-centric approach [11][12] - Schulman stated that the company must focus on building loyalty and improving retention, moving away from a strategy reliant on price hikes [12][13] - Recent layoffs of over 13,000 employees were part of efforts to simplify operations and enhance customer experience [13][14] Group 5: Consumer Satisfaction Insights - A J.D. Power survey revealed that Verizon's customer satisfaction score for postpaid plans is 583, lower than T-Mobile's 636 and MVNOs' 641 [17] - The survey indicated that 90% of consumers would consider alternatives to traditional carriers, with cost being a primary factor for 85% of respondents [16] - Value and service quality are identified as critical drivers of overall customer experience in the telecom market [18][19]