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Piece Description
In this short essay, the producer recounts his six-month battle with Verizon Wireless over an unpaid bill. He professes an undying faith that a "wireless messiah" will someday come to save cell phone customers. This piece was produced for a Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism broadcast. It's intended to be a lighthearted counterpoint to discussion of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" or corporate acquisitions in the mobile phone industry (i.e. ATT & Cingular).
Broadcast History
Aired on "Metro Beats" (Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Transcript
I am not a religious person. But I do hold this one, tiny, hotly fanatical belief. I have faith that one day Verizon Wireless - my mobile phone service provider - will get what it deserves. Eventually...
After long discussions with our parents and close associates, my girlfriend and I decided to take the next step in our relationship in October 2001. We started a cell phone plan together. Two phones. One account. Seventy dollars a month. But like so many newlywireless, we hit a rough patch. Right out of the gate, Verizon double-billed us. Four phones. Two accounts. One hundred forty dollars a month. Now, I returned the extra phones and I cancelled the ghost account, but the extra bills kept on coming. I spent long hours - or as they're called in the cellular biz, minutes - on the phone with customer service reps named Millie and Brian who assured me the matter was resolved.
On Dece...
Read the full transcript
Additional Files
- Script (wirelessmessiahscript.rtf)
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Kate Thomas
Posted on November 24, 2004 at 04:32 PM | Permalink
Review of The Wireless Messiah
Amen. A nice look at those oft-experienced struggles with the kind of customer service nightmares we love to hate (curse you Millie). But how does the story end? Inquiring minds want to know.