Should social media and customer service should be integrated. Here is a story why, complete with an example of bad social media practices by Verizon:

I am moving to the Big Apple and need to cancel all of my utilities.  I was able to cancel each one online, yay!  Well, every one except Verizon wireless internet.  I thought that maybe I had overlooked or couldn’t find the right part of their website to do that so, I contacted their online chat support.  Yay. Well, not so yay.  She referred me to a 1-800 number.  Okay, fine.  24 minutes after trying to talk to an automated woman who wanted to know everything short of the age my first tooth fell out, I finally reached Monique.

My call lasted 21 minutes. Monique asked for my name, address, account number and phone number. She typed all of my info in while laughing with her co-workers in the background.  Then she said, “Okay, Ma’am, could I have your account number?”  “Monique,” I replied, “I already gave it to you. Twice.”  She puts me on hold.  Comes back.  “Could you tell me your name again?” Puts me on hold. Comes back and said, “Okay, you’re all set.”

What was I all set with? She explained she had set my accounts (plural) to cancel.  “No, I only want internet canceled. Is it canceled for the 28th? Should I call back and talk to someone else?”She responded that she was in the process of cancelling both my internet and cell phone accounts and wasn’t sure how to set a specific date to cancel.  My head hurt.  I only needed the internet cancelled.

I took to Twitter where the incompetence of Verizon ensued.  Read the frustrating and unprofessional exchange below with six, yes, SIX Verizon reps.

Read the whole thing:   Verizon social media fail

Here’s a sneak peek of how it ends:Classy Verizon. Really classy. Verizon: Despite their Twitter name is not supportive and despite their Twitter description doesn’t handle Internet help. I didn’t need a specialist.  I needed to cancel my account.  It should not be that difficult.  Did I eventually get my Internet account cancelled? Yes.  However, because of this experience, I’m also looking for a new cell phone service provider.

I’ve spoken to an online chat representative, an automated machine, Monique, six people @verizonsupport on Twitter, and now they want me to contact different Verizon Twitter account when I didn’t reach out to this one in the first place?  What is the definition of crazy again?