Verizon strict – Verizon employees on Reddit say the carrier is enforcing a strict in-store policy that requires sales reps to push every product and seek manager approval, leaving customers waiting more than two hours in some cases. Verizon’s chief sales and service officer c
The next time a customer steps into a Verizon store looking for help, the wait may not be minutes—it could be hours.
Verizon employees taking their frustrations to Reddit describe an in-store sales policy that they say leaves little room for circumstances or customer needs. In one post. a Verizon employee claimed that workers are required to offer every new product to customers they help “with no regard for circumstances or customer needs.” The employee said this is why “waits are so long” at store locations. “sometimes taking more than two hours for a customer to speak with an employee.”.
The same post describes a workflow built around pitching, approvals, and paperwork. “We are made to slam every item on every quote or get written up,” the employee wrote. “If a customer came to cancel service in store we would have to offer each of the following: a new line. a tablet or watch. home internet. 4 perks. insurance on everything. all High priority upgrades on the account offered. and home device protection with every customer.”.
That employee said workers must also “check in with managers between quotes for approval to ensure every item is offered. ” and that managers get involved if employees aren’t closing most sales items. The post further alleged that employees are required to push customers to purchase new products for their businesses or employers.
Even when a customer isn’t buying, the employee claimed the process doesn’t stop. “And every customer gets submitted for a lead as a call back whether they buy or not. Managers have to upload forms for every employee transaction to ensure they are micromanaging their sales floor.”
Verizon’s transformation under its new CEO is the backdrop to these allegations. Dan Schulman became CEO in October 2025 and, during an earnings call, said he plans to “aggressively transform” the company. He also pointed to “recent price hikes and friction in the customer experience” that he said are pushing customers away.
Over the past three years, Verizon has lost 2.25 million postpaid phone customers.
Schulman followed that with layoffs aimed at changing how the company operates. In November. Verizon laid off 13. 000 employees to “simplify” its operations. create “new value” for customers. and “build a faster. stronger and more proactive Verizon. ” according to an internal memo sent to workers. By May. the company conducted another round of layoffs impacting hundreds of employees at its headquarters in New Jersey. according to a Business Insider report.
On social media, the store policy allegations are now being discussed as part of that push for sales—and the cost, according to employees, is customer patience.
In response to the Reddit post, other Verizon employees described similar workplace experiences. One commenter wrote. “I’m currently an employee and leaving. ” and said the main claim is “100% accurate representation of what’s going in the stores.” The employee described frequent office check-ins and said. “They micromanage every little thing to the point that every few days you’re in an office getting questioned.”.
Some customers echoed those complaints in the same thread. One customer said they went to a store to upgrade their phone and were pitched on extra offers after saying no. The customer wrote that the later quote added “a new line and 2 phones. an upgrade for me and the same one for the new line I didn’t ask for. ” adding $136.00 per month. Another customer said they had “all of those things offered to me when I simply went in to pick up an iPhone.”.
Verizon disputes the idea that customers are waiting longer.
Kevin Zavaglia, Verizon’s chief sales and service officer, responded in a LinkedIn post on June 2, saying, “most customers do not have a wait at all” for service. He added that Verizon’s overall average wait time is “only 7 minutes,” and that it is “down year over year.”
Zavaglia also said Verizon recently launched “a new compensation model. designed to reward premium pay for premium performance.” He wrote that Verizon has “seen significantly higher payouts than on historical plans. especially for our top performers. ” describing the pay structure changes as a way to reward results.
The push to improve store experiences comes as Verizon is still struggling against competitors in consumer satisfaction.
Schulman had previously told employees in December, during an internal meeting, that the company’s customer satisfaction scores are “worse than our competitors,” and that part of the problem is employees lack the “financial flexibility” to get things done.
A J.D. Power survey in January found that Verizon’s consumer satisfaction scores for postpaid phone plans lag behind those of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). The survey reflected a reality that some customers prioritize: smooth interactions with their carrier over network quality.
Carl Lepper, senior director of technology, media and telecom at J.D. Power. said in a statement. “Attracting customers with network quality and pricing is just the first step. ” adding that “True loyalty comes from how easy it is for customers to work with a carrier once they’re in the system. especially when it comes to resolving issues. managing bills and getting answers quickly.”.
On J.D. Power’s 1,000-point scale, traditional U.S. wireless carriers averaged 603. Among the Big 3, T-Mobile ranked highest with a 631 score, while Verizon earned 593 and AT&T received 587. MVNOs averaged 630 overall in consumer satisfaction for postpaid phone plans. with Consumer Cellular topping the category at 721 and Google Fi Wireless scoring 685. Spectrum Mobile scored 614.
Even with the store controversy, Verizon’s turnaround efforts appear to be starting to move customer numbers.
In its latest earnings report, Verizon welcomed 55,000 new postpaid phone customers in the first quarter of 2026. Still, customer losses continued. Wireless retail postpaid phone churn reached 0.97% during the quarter, up 2 basis points year over year.
Morningstar analyst Michael Hodel wrote in an analyst note in April that “Wireless customer churn remains elevated, reflecting the tough competitive environment, but Verizon is doing a much better job attracting new customers than a year ago.”
Verizon store policy customer wait times Dan Schulman Kevin Zavaglia Reddit complaints postpaid phone churn J.D. Power consumer satisfaction