Verizon prepares year-round for natural disasters and other emergencies to provide customers with reliable service so they can keep their businesses open; stay in touch with family and friends; and check the latest weather conditions on their TVs, PCs, tablets or smartphones. Verizon’s nationwide networks – and the skilled teams that operate them – stand ready to continue serving consumers, businesses and government customers.
Customer Contact Information
Residential customers can contact Verizon at www.verizon.com/outage; small business customers can visit www.verizon.com/bizoutage. Medium and large business customers should contact their regular customer service centers or account teams, as needed. Residential and small business customers can also call1-800-VERIZON (1-800-837-4966) to report service-related issues.
Preparedness Tips
In preparing for a storm, it’s wise to have an emergency kit on hand. Items to include:
- A battery-powered radio
- Flashlights and extra fresh batteries
- mophie® powerstation™ (4000mAh)
- A first-aid kit
- Bottled water and an adequate supply of non-perishable food
- A non-electric can opener
- Matches and candles with holders
- Extra blankets and sleeping bags
- A list of emergency phone numbers, including the customer service number for your electric and utility company saved in your smartphone
Tips for Small-Business Customers
Many of the tips for consumers apply to preparedness for small businesses, but there are additional steps business owners or managers will want to take:
- Back up your archives and documents, including critical business data, stored on your computers. Verizon’s Online Backup & Sharing will allow any small-business owner to back up these important files to secure remote servers that only the user can access from anywhere with an Internet connection, including via a smartphone.
- Update the “Contact Us” page on your website to include an email address. This is an additional method of communication for your customers to keep in touch with you.
- Add sign-up forms to your website and other social media platforms to capture contact information for your customers. This will allow you to communicate with them in case you have to temporarily close your business.
