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Verizon CEO does not get the cluetrain

In an interview, Verizon's CEO Ivan Seidenberg ridiculed customer complaints:

Seidenberg, for instance, said people often complain about mobile phone service because they have unrealistic expectations about a wireless service working everywhere. Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone, is the state's largest mobile phone provider.

"Why in the world would you think your (cell) phone would work in your house?" he said. "The customer has come to expect so much. They want it to work in the elevator; they want it to work in the basement."

Seidenberg said it's not Verizon's responsibility to correct the misconception by giving out statistics on how often Verizon's service works inside homes or by distributing more detailed coverage maps, showing all the possible dead zones. He pointed out that there are five major wireless networks, none of which works perfectly everywhere.


Let me repeat this:

1) "The customer has come to expect so much" - am I the only one to think that this guy should better not give interviews? I always thought that phone companies number one job is to make cell phones available anywhere, thus have customers use theme everywhere (yes, even in elevators and basements) and then make money of it.
2) "it's not Verizon's responsibility to correct the misconception" well, maybe not. But when you want to manage customers expectation, you'll have to communicate with them. An be honest about your coverage maps.

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