Verizon Begins Sending New York Customers Easier-to-Understand Bill to Provide Better Customer Service

NEW YORK - A new Verizon bill for residential customers in New York will improve customer service by making it easier for people to understand the cost and see the value of their communication services.

Verizon began introducing the redesigned, simplified bill in New York in the September and October bill cycles.  All other Verizon residential customers will receive it by the end of the year.  The redesign is in response to the growing base of services Verizon offers - particularly bundles of voice, high-speed Internet and video - that made the current bill much more complicated.  In addition, customers said they wanted their bills to have fewer pages and for the presentation to be more concise and easier to review.

"Customers love our services, and now they are going to love the presentation of our bills," said Bill Foshay," senior vice president and Verizon customer care czar for the company's wireline business unit, Verizon Telecom.  

"Customers have provided us with valuable input about their desire to receive a simpler representation of the charges associated with their services," he said.  "The bill is part of the overall customer experience.  To meet and exceed customers' needs, we have created a simpler bill format, normally four or fewer pages, that still provides the appropriate backup detail."

Growth in Bundle Popularity, Customer Input Prompts Verizon Bill Redesign

Verizon compiled customer comments obtained over the past two years and conducted a series of focus groups with consumers, including those who order FiOS and traditional Verizon wireline services, and those who order multiple voice, high-speed Internet and video services as part of a bundled offer. 

Results of the focus-group sessions revealed that customers want a clearer presentation of monthly charges and associated taxes, plus fewer pages.  Customers also expressed interest in having access to billing detail, as long as it is presented in a simple format.

The new format reflects these interests, plus other features.  For example, Page 1 of the bill contains the customer's key account information, a Quick Bill Summary section, and a reference to Verizon.com/billview for those who wish to review or pay their bill online.

(Click here to view a sample version of the new bill for New York customers.)

Instructions for Spanish-language customers and customers with disabilities are provided on Page 2 (on the back of Page 1).  Page 3 provides a detailed breakdown of charges, including local taxes and fees. Page 4, which appears on the back of Page 3, features a restatement of that month's bill.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 69 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 228,600 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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