Verizon customers peeved in Florida

TAMPA, Fla., March 26 (UPI) -- Verizon is snapping up new business in Florida left and right but some say it's at the expense of customer satisfaction.

People are complaining in growing numbers to government watchdogs and on Internet blogs, The Tampa Tribune reported Wednesday. The Verizon customers say they aren't getting promised discounts and equipment, are getting less-than-satisfactory responses from the company's customer service department, the newspaper said.

Some have contacted the Florida attorney general's office, while others are going the guerrilla route -- posting videos on YouTube.

Verizon company officials contend they are taking steps to improve service by doing a better job of training employees, changing the way they handle complaints and getting rid of some sales workers, the Tribune said.

Suri Surinder, who recently took over as head of operations in the Tampa Bay region, says getting on top of the problem is "a high priority."

"When you have people breaking down the door to get your service, some will fall through the cracks," Surinder said. "Everyone knows that we're doing a great job with the product. We need to do a better job with the customer experience, training our people, educating the customer and a better job of resolving issues."