Recent service disruptions can significantly impact customer perception of a brand, and Verizon is experiencing this firsthand following a notable outage in January 2023. While frustrations are valid, it's essential to evaluate the situation from a broad perspective. This article delves into the reactions of Verizon's subscribers and highlights the company's path to recovery.
Weighing Customer Sentiment After the Disruption
After the outage on January 13, customers began reassessing their view of Verizon. A survey revealed that 560 out of 1,111 respondents (50%) reported a decline in their opinion of the carrier. This shift in sentiment reflects the emotional weight that service interruptions can carry.
Questions for Customers
Assessing the Outage’s Impact
The outage led to a disruption of voice, text, and data services for approximately ten hours, understandably causing frustration among customers. Although Verizon attempted to remedy the situation by offering outage credits ranging from $20 to $200, responses remained mixed, and many felt the compensation was inadequate.
Industry Rivalry in the Wake of the Outage
Meanwhile, competitors like AT&T and T-Mobile seized the opportunity to capitalize on Verizon's difficulties. However, is the backlash justified? The reality is that the outage affected about 1.5 million of Verizon's 90 million subscribers, which, while significant, may not warrant the extreme reaction it has generated.
"Verizon's outage hysteria? Overblown because it hit media elites."
— Roger Entner, Founder, Recon Analytics, January 2025
Verizon’s Road to Recovery
Despite ongoing challenges, Verizon may be poised for a comeback. With potential changes to its status in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, historical trends suggest that companies removed from the index often rebound. Following the outage, Verizon has paused price increases and is focusing on delivering enhanced value to its customers.
Furthermore, Verizon recently received recognition in RootMetrics' H2 2025 study, bagging multiple awards and earning the title of the best overall network, as well as the best 5G experience, ahead of its rivals.
While outages are unpredictable and can happen to any network, current signs indicate that Verizon is taking meaningful steps towards recovery. For those without significant grievances beyond the outage, it may be wise to consider remaining with the carrier.
