<\/p>\n
Verizon is discontinuing a customer support option it has offered for 18 years, a move that comes after recently announcing a series of layoffs.<\/p>\n
The carrier has undergone a transformation under new CEO Dan Schulman in recent months as it works to slow customer losses in its wireless business. This involves simplifying operations, removing friction, and investing in artificial intelligence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Amid these goals, Verizon laid off more than 13,000 employees in November and cut hundreds of jobs nationwide in May.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Most recently, Verizon raised eyebrows last week when it revealed plans to sell 274 company-owned retail stores in August and lay off over 3,000 employees, with 500 of those cuts affecting corporate workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Verizon Community Forum is being discontinued<\/p>\n
As Verizon shrinks its workforce and tightens operations, it has confirmed plans to shut down its Verizon Community Forum in August.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Verizon Community Forum was launched in 2008. It provides a space where customers can connect with each other and with Verizon experts to troubleshoot technical issues and discuss devices and services.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Verizon, our goal is to make your experience simple and delightful,\u201d said Verizon in an update on its website. \u201cTo that end, we will be sunsetting the Verizon Community Forum later this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Related: Verizon acquires 35-year-old wireless carrier as it shuts down<\/p>\n
The platform officially transitioned to \u201cread-only access\u201d on July 17. In this mode, customers can still search for existing posts on the forum, but will no longer be able to create new posts, reply to existing ones, or exchange private messages. Profile features are also disabled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe encourage you to save any content or solutions you wish to keep,\u201d said Verizon.<\/p>\n
The forum will officially shut down on Aug. 18, and customers have until Aug. 17 to submit a request to \u201caccess, correct, or delete\u201d any personal information they shared on the platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Verizon also said customers will still have other options for assistance with technical issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile this specific platform is closing, our commitment to helping you hasn’t changed,\u201d said Verizon. \u201cYou can find comprehensive troubleshooting tools, automated assistance and our new One-Touch Digital Resolution feature right in the My Verizon App or at verizon.com\/support. And of course, our customer support team is always here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Verizon is discontinuing its Verizon Community Forum as it reshapes its operations.<\/p>\n
Bloomberg / Getty Images<\/p>\n
Verizon is reimagining customer support with AI\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The move from Verizon comes as it increasingly embeds AI into its operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last summer, it began using AI to improve its customer service. It is also reportedly using AI to scan bills from rival wireless carriers to offer customers customized deals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are determined to be an AI-first company, deploying AI at scale,\u201d said Schulman during an earnings call in January. \u201cWe will use AI to optimize our operations and fundamentally reshape the customer experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are leveraging it to simplify offers, personalized interactions and reduce churn through smart, consistent marketing,\u201d he continued. \u201cBy using predictive models, we can anticipate customer pain points before they happen, allowing us to solve problems proactively.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schulman also said during a Bloomberg Tech conference in June that AI will replace \u201ca large percentage\u201d of Verizon\u2019s customer service.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing in our customer service is that the rote stuff can be done by agents, more complex stuff is a combination of an agent and a human working hand in hand to satisfy an agent much better than either can do alone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also highlighted that AI \u201cwill dramatically improve\u201d Verizon\u2019s ability to \u201csatisfy customers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the last three months, we have been experimenting with agents that are replacing some of our customer service reps,\u201d said Schulman. \u201cAnd those agents, their customer service satisfaction rate is 1,280 basis points better than what we had before.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an April TechBullion report, industry analyst Jeff Kagan said it is vital for Verizon to keep pace with AI innovation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVerizon must evolve into a faster, more adaptive, and innovation-driven organization, especially as AI reshapes the industry,\u201d said Kagan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis industry has undergone wave after wave of transformation over the past century, and the pace of change is only accelerating,\u201d he added. \u201cAI, in particular, will redefine competition, operations, and customer expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Consumers are cautious about AI-powered customer service<\/p>\n
Verizon\u2019s push to use AI in customer service comes at a time when consumers are not too thrilled about interacting with the technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A recent survey conducted by Pegasystems and YouGov found that 46% of U.S. and U.K. consumers said they either \u201crarely\u201d or \u201cnever\u201d achieve successful customer service outcomes through AI-powered interactions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More Verizon News:<\/p>\n
Verizon CEO doubles down on removing free offers for customersVerizon adds generous offers for customers after price increaseVerizon makes surprising phone plan change that could backfire<\/p>\n
Also, 48% don\u2019t trust businesses using AI to handle their customer service interactions entirely. Additionally, 77% said they \u201calways\u201d or \u201coften\u201d achieve better outcomes when interacting only with a human.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAI can be transformational for customer service \u2014 but it has to live up to customer expectations,\u201d said Simon Thorpe, director of Pega, in a press release. \u201cThere\u2019s a simple reason why we\u2019re seeing a lack of consumer trust in the use of AI. There are just too many first-hand examples of businesses deploying these tools in ways that lead to dead ends and frustration.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBusinesses must build back consumer trust by moving past simple chatbots and deploying predictable AI agents that consistently get work done on behalf of customers,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Related: Verizon makes drastic move as battle for customers intensifies<\/p>\n
#Verizon #shuts #longtime #customer #support #option #layoffs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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