Verizon Customer Service Essay

Overview

Verizon is one, if not, the largest communication technology company in the entire world. Verizon was founded in 2000 and since has worked to become the global leader in innovative communications and technology. Verizon has focused its efforts on creating an experience for its customers that improves how they live, work, learn, and play. Verizon has over 130K employees in 150 global locations. Verizon focuses on reinventing how people, businesses, and things connect. Verizon has a market share of 35%, beating all its competitors. [1]

Competition

As one may assume, communication technology is very competitive. You have so many companies ranging from large to small all offering customers essentially the same service. AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile are the top competitors for Verizon, competing with network coverage, device line-up, and monthly pricing. But there exist other companies such as Cricket, Boost Mobile, Straight Talk, and even Xfinity Mobile, whose network coverage isn’t the best but market themselves as a better solution than larger companies by competing with lower monthly pricing.

Verizon competes on all levels, offering the best line-up of devices, investing immensely in its network, and providing competitive pricing for plans and features. But Verizon goes behind simply competing with obvious products and services but investing in solutions for every type of customer. Verizon has products and services for everyone; from the new business owner to the senior business owner looking to expand, from the college student to the retiring professional, and not limited to, from tech geeks to the oblivious tech user. Verizon aims to appeal to all customers finding a catered solution to each individual. [1]

Supplier Power

On bargaining power or lack thereof, there isn’t much to fret about. The bargaining power is quite low. Manufacturers of devices typically rely on companies like Verizon to create revenue by purchasing, marketing, and fundamentally creating a demand. Verizon does however pride itself on creating effective and positive relationships with its suppliers, vendors, and contractors to ensure constructive dealings when purchasing. Thus, paying less for products and services allows them to offer these products and services to customers for a more competitive price. [5]

Buyer Power

Buying power for Verizon is very significant. Customers can leave Verizon and go to another company with little to no up-front costs and there are even specific campaigns targeting acquiring Verizon customers by offering lower monthly bills. Verizon constantly makes efforts to retain customers as well as entice new customers with promotions, loyalty offers, the most reliable network, and even creative and all-encompassing marketing strategies. [2]

Threat of New Entrants

The threat of new entrants for Verizon is very low. Verizon is a goliath of communication technology and has been around since the start of the industry. Verizon has built a name that represents so much to so many people, structuring not only its network, and its customer service, but also developing relationships within its many communities. Even if a newcomer could finance the cost of starting a network, and navigating through a plethora of legalities, the newcomer would still need to establish a brand that would be strong enough to compete with a large globally recognized, and dominant company. [2]

Threat of Substitutes

This threat of substitution is the most critical to Verizon. Although Verizon does have the largest most reliable coverage area, an impressive number of products and services for consumer and business customers, and exceptional customer service, people, including Verizon customers, are split when deciding between network and price. Verizon would be in trouble if the economy shifts in a bad direction. Customers may find the Verizon bills bashing commercials more appealing. [2]

Verizon achieves its success through its’ inspiration to continue its transformative, strategic, and fundamental approaches. Aiming to fulfill its’ initiatives: building accountability, building security, and building abilities, Verizon seeks to help humans do more, give kids a better future, and rebuild communities. [1]

Inbound Logistics

In 2018 Verizon was associated with accumulating, storing, and distributing the inputs of the products. This could range from warehousing of physical products to material handling, as well as architecture to obtain and store customer information for any digital media company. In 2018 Verizon also subcontracted most of its inbound logistics activities. [6]

Operations

When it comes to operations, Verizon invested in activities that aimed to aid the organization in the transformation of raw materials into completed products. [6]

Outbound Logistics

Verizon in 2018 undertook several activities that allowed efficient distribution of all finished products to specific channel partners and final buyers. Outbound logistics undertakings included but were not limited to, wholesalers and retailers order fulfillment, warehousing, processing, scheduling, and distribution network. [6]

Marketing & Sales

In 2018 these activities were responsible for creating the means through which the buyer could acquire a firm’s products. These activities range from Salesforce management, advertising and promotion, strategic marketing, and appropriate channel selection, to competitive and effective pricing. [6]

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Services

Providing after-sales services and maintenance for successful usage of the product in 2018 was critical for Verizon's success. Some of these actions include the training provided to customers, post-sales maintenance, product forward and backend alignment of software, part supply, and installation services (some outsourced) for customers. [6]

Firm Infrastructure

Verizon’s firm infrastructure supports a wide range of activities that consist of planning, finance and accounting, legal services, quality management, and general management. All of these support the entire value chain, even though Verizon’s scope varies because of its diversified company portfolio within its industry. [6]

Human Resources Management

Verizon encourages an atmosphere geared towards becoming a learning organization, thus, human resources management is a vital component to the success of its organization. HRM may assist or carry out activities that include recruiting & selection, training & development, hiring & terminating, skills assessment, people planning, as well as compensation at every level. Human resources management imperatively affects Verizon’s competitive advantage. [6]

Technology Development

At Verizon, as one may speculate, technology supports almost every activity in any modern-day organization. Of course, in a technology industry, technology development is the main source of an organization’s competitive advantage. Technology development at Verizon in 2018, process engineering, feature design, field-testing, component design, and technology selection. [6]

Procurement

Procurement at Verizon involves purchasing inputs that are used by Verizon 2018’s value chain, excluding the actual inputs themselves. These purchased inputs might consist of raw materials, supplies, machinery, laboratory equipment, office equipment, and buildings. Procurement activities similarly employ technology for things such as procedures, vendor management, information systems, supply chain partner qualification rules, and ongoing performance evaluation. [6]

Verizon’s Business Strategy

Core Business

Verizon has always been focused on keeping its network at the gold standard and investing in the business for evolution while strengthening our balance sheet and sustaining strong dividend performance for our shareholders. “This will continue to be the driving force behind the use of cash savings from tax reform -- and by strengthening the balance sheet, it will give us the flexibility to execute our strategies going forward.” [4]

Verizon strongly believes that its employees are what drives their innovation and success. The idea that we all share in the success of not only tax reform, but the overall performance of Verizon is vital. Sharing their success Verizon exemplifies true corporate citizenship. “In 2017, Verizon and its foundation donated $75 million for disaster recovery and community projects. We will increase our contributions to the Verizon Foundation by $200 million to $300 million over the next two years with the additional funds being dedicated to our efforts around Humanability – and, by “Humanability,” we mean applying our technology to making our customers’ lives better.” [4]

Verizon and IT

“The cornerstone of our strategy continues to be our best-in-class wireless network, which continues to be ranked #1 in the nation in both voice and data network quality.” Verizon has steadily been at the forefront of technology innovation and has continued to take an agile approach to the transformation of the wireless industry from analog to today’s fourth-generation LTE service. [4]

Verizon is proud to introduce its new and unprecedented opportunity to drive the evolution of the U.S. wireless industry to the fifth generation of mobile services.  Much time has not passed since the claims that 5G was impossible, at least until around the year 2020-2022 but Verizon, a persistent and constant visionary organization of evolution now possesses the spectrum bandwidth needed to provide the rich services of true 5G, Intelligent Edge Network capabilities, and engineering knowhow to lead the industry in providing the full suite of 5G gigabit services. “The next industrial revolution will be on Verizon’s network, and it will positively impact society like no technology we have seen before.” [4]

Threats to Verizon’s Success

Verizon threats are external strategic factors that could be the cause of a decrease in performance. There are 3 areas that Verizon should pay close attention to:

1. Competition- which was discussed in Verizon’s Five Forces
2. Security threats via network or information technologies
3. Natural disasters that could obliterate or damage infrastructure

Competitors are threatening Verizon with their aggressive continuous efforts to improve their strategic marketing, technologies, and networks. Verizon recognizes that it must invest in the development of multifaceted security mitigation initiatives to assist in the alleviation and elimination of any security threat. Verizon is aware that natural disasters could have a tremendous impact on its infrastructure and addresses these concerns by creating technology redundancy and duplicates. [3]

References

1. “About Verizon.” Official Corporate Website, www.verizon.com/about/.
2. DePersio, Greg. “Analyzing Porter's Five Forces on Verizon (VZ).” Investopedia, Investopedia, 19 May 2019, www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/012616/analyzing-porters-five-forces-verizon-vz.asp.
3. Smithson, Nathaniel. “Verizon SWOT Analysis & Recommendations.” Panmore Institute, 16 July 2017, panmore.com/verizon-swot-analysis-recommendations.
4. “Verizon CEO: Our 2018 Strategy to Return Value to Customers, Shareholders, Employees and Communities.” About Verizon, 24 Jan. 2018, www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-ceo-our-2018-strategy-return-value-customers-shareholders-employees-and-communities.
5. “Verizon Suppliers Community.” Verizon, www.verizon.com/suppliers/.
6. Writer, Strategy Staff. “Solved: Verizon 2018 Porter Value Chain Analysis & Case Study Solution.” Blue Ocean University, Blue Ocean University, 26 Jan. 2019, blueoceanuniversity.com/frontpage/portervaluechain/21230-verizon-2018.