[IP] more on Verizon CEO sounds off on Wi-Fi, customer gripes
Title: more on Verizon CEO sounds off on Wi-Fi, customer gripes
------ Forwarded Message
From: <david.e.young@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 13:57:56 -0400
To: <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <eric.rabe@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [IP] Verizon CEO sounds off on Wi-Fi, customer gripes
Dave,
FYI- Thought you and others on the IP list might be interested in this note from Eric Rabe who was with our CEO, Ivan Seidenberg, when he was interviewed for the San Francisco Chronicle article that was mentioned in several postings.
-David
--------------------------------
David E. Young
Verizon Communications
1300 I Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
+1 202-515-2517 <Office>
+1 202-365-4755 <Mobile>
+1 202-336-7923 <Fax>
david.e.young@xxxxxxxxxxx
===========================================
----- Forwarded by Eric W. Rabe/EMPL/PA/Verizon on 04/25/2005 01:41 PM -----
A recent story on Verizon from the San Francisco Chronicle has been making the rounds of the bloggers who gleefully repeat an out of context quote from Verizon's chairman at an editorial board meeting with the paper with a "gotcha" enthusiasm.
I was there, and here's why what the paper wrote leaves the wrong impression.
CEO Ivan Seidenberg was making the point that mobile phone service was designed to serve customers on the move - in airports, downtown areas, and along major travel routes. He rhetorically asked, since that's the case, why would you expect a mobile phone to work in your home? Bingo - quote time.
Left out was Ivan's point, made just as strongly, that in recent years, customers have come to expect mobile phones to work everywhere, and that this challenges the entire industry to expand coverage and provide service in places never engineered for wireless phone calls in the first place.
Ivan also noted that Verizon Wireless provides the best service of the half dozen competitors serving most cities, including San Francisco. That position is confirmed in customer surveys and by the movement of many customers from competitors to Verizon Wireless.
Finally, Ivan was quick to say we work everyday to make our service work wherever customers need it, and he pointed out that Verizon Wireless spends billions of dollars each year to improve coverage.
But the April 16 story used only the most inflammatory comment in 15 minutes or more of discussion about wireless service. A fairer report would surely have noted that Ivan acknowledged that wireless service is still being deployed and that Verizon is working hard to make the service even better than it is.
When I wrote to the paper, the response was that space is limited, they try to select quotes of most interest to readers and do not mean to be unfair.
I'm glad the paper didn't mean to be unfair – and certainly the Chronicle chose a quote that was of "interest to readers." But it's clear from the buzz on the blogs that lots of people got an inaccurate impression – and an unfair one – of the conversation.
Glad to discuss as always,
Eric
Eric Rabe
VP, Media Relations, Verizon
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