Your Verizon customer service experience is about to feel very different due to an AI overhaul
Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETDealing with customer support at any company often feels like an exercise in frustration and futility. You often have to contact the company multiple times or talk to a host of different representatives to get the problem fixed. Now Verizon is looking to improve the support experience by using both people and AI.Also: Verizon will give you an iPhone 16 Plus (or 4) with no trade-in – here’s howOn Tuesday, the carrier revealed several changes to its support process, all designed with one goal in mind. Customers only need to contact Verizon support once, and the company will make sure the problem is resolved from there.1. AI assistantAn AI assistant will handle most common, simple support calls. If you just want to renew your service, activate a PIN, or troubleshoot a device, you can turn to the AI 24/7 instead of waiting on hold for a support rep. Of course, working with AI can be annoying if it’s unable to understand your issue. That leads us to the next change.2. Customer championFor more complex problems, a dedicated “Customer Champion” will take ownership as part of a personalized type of support. With AI-powered help from Google Gemini, that champion will update you on the status of your problem through the method of your choice–callbacks, text messages, or updates in the My Verizon app. The aim is to keep you in the loop until the problem is fully resolved.Also: Get a free pair of Meta Ray-Bans when you sign up for Verizon 5G home internetUnder a new “ValU” training program, Verizon’s champions will specialize in one product or brand instead of struggling to learn them all. Assigned to specific types of support issues, they should then have the necessary expertise to diagnose and resolve the problem more effectively. More