Though we’ve been talking about FiOS billing issues for more than a year, Verizon suffered from a wave of bad press on the issue last week. First the Tampa Tribune ran an article slamming Verizon for dysfunctional billing support, and then an insider leaked information showing just how extensive the dysfunction was. The insider highlighted how the telco was being skimpy with credits during the month of March, and how phantom billing and delayed bundle discounts were not an isolated phenomena.

The company has (at least in Florida) been in damage control mode since, and tells the Tampa Tribune this morning that they’re experimenting with personal FiOS account managers to help ease customer irritation.

Each “PAM” carries a Blackberry, works from 8AM to 8PM, and is responsible for around 800 customers. These new positions receive a base salary, but receive a bonus depending on how highly customers rate their support satisfaction. This appears to only be a trial in Branson, Florida so far. One of our users has a “PAM” in Florida:

So apparently they’re simply a proxy for your annoyance with Verizon’s billing and support systems. That’s better, but it still doesn’t seem to cure the underlying cause of consumer complaints — namely a troubled billing platform.
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