Roughly 30 minutes ago I got off the phone with a sales rep from Vivint, who initially asked to talk with my wife (she wasn’t home). Small chit chat and eventually he started his pitch for the products and services they were selling. At that point I explained that I am not interested in having their products installed in my home (for free), or signing up for their service ($$) and would like to be removed from their call list.
Unfortunately that wasn’t enough for the salesman on the end of the phone. He ignored my request and kept on talking as if I hadn’t said anything. So I repeated my request. He still kept going, at this point clearly ignoring what I was saying. Repeated it a third time, and he still kept going. At this point I started getting mad. So in a very loud and firm voice I told him that I couldn’t believe was completely ignoring me just so that he could continue on with his sales pitch. He still kept going.
Then I hung up.
About 45 seconds later I realized that if I didn’t do something I was going to keep getting calls like this. So I called the number back ( 801-765-5978 ) and listened to their automated system. They have an option that will supposedly remove your number from their list, but I wanted to talk to a person, and make it very clear to them how upset I was with how their salesman treated me on the phone.
Eventually I got through to a woman who listed to my complain and to her credit apologized repeatedly. At this point though the damage was already done in regards to the reputation of Vivint. At the end of the call I explained that I wanted my number removed from their contact list. She read back the number to confirm it was correct and indicated that they would indeed remove it from their database. At that point I said thank you and that was the end of the call.
My recommendation the next time you see ‘Vivint’ on the caller ID of your phone:
- answer
- immediately hang up
- call the number back ( the one I used was 801-765-5978 )
- ask to be removed from their call list
What ever you do, don’t start a conversation with one of their sales people. They will simply ignore your responses of “I’m not interested” and “please remove me from your contact list” and continue on their sales pitch as if you hadn’t said a word.
I’m not a fan of the strong arm sales pitch and this experience has made it clear that I don’t ever want to have any dealings with Vivint. Even if they change their name, again.
Have you added your phone number to the do not call registry? I’ve found it to work perfectly at stopping the telemarketing calls. https://www.donotcall.gov/
Yes, I’m on the do not call list. I believe the way companies like this get around that is that they ask you to refer your friends. Then on that basis they call you. That or they just ignore the do not call list.
just to let you know, the way that people get your phone numbers is when you fill out the online surveys. even if you check the box saying that you do not want to be contacted. Just a heads up there.
Ahh, Google Voice Global Spam Filter, How Do I love thee? Let me count the ways….
0
1
10
11
100
101
110
111
…
(in binary, of course, since Google Voice is a program and can’t read my writing)
http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/global-spam-filtering.html
Joseph,
I’m very sorry that you received a call from one of our representatives and were treated in this manner. Ignoring a request to be put on the do not call list is very much against our policy. Do you by chance remember the name of the individual? Could you perhaps send me an e-mail with that information? We would like to address this issue ASAP. Thanks so much!
Ian Bell (ian.bell@vivint.com)
I couldn’t get your salesman to stop talking about his pitch, so there was no way for me to get his name.
Apparently policy isn’t enough. I suspect your sales incentives may play a role in encouraging this type of behavior.
Thanks for the feedback. I am, once again, very sorry for your experience. We’ve brought this issue to the attention of the Inside Sales department, and we will be providing some additional training to the representatives that were working yesterday.
If there is anything else we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to send me a message: ian.bell@vivint.com
Thanks again,
Ian Bell
My other request would be to stop calling people at home during dinner time to pitch them on your services. I suspect you aren’t actually going to stop doing that though.
My family told me they got a call around 3am cst from your company……… Clearly, that also is a problem. 3am.
Unless they were living in Hawaii, that would be impossible. The National Inside Sales/NIS (on the phones) don’t work past either 9 or 10 PM MST. Even if they were open until 12AM and called the East Coast that still wouldn’t be past 2AM. You can be sure this true as I used to work for them, until my job as Tech Support started to become Sales Rep. No me gusta.
Maybe a bad apple? Or did you find posts else where that suggest that the whole bunch is bad?
Vivint used to be APX, and I’ve had multiple people mention problems with them. I never experienced it myself, so I filed it away for my own reference and didn’t think about it much more. Sadly I know have first hand experience.
Joseph, you mentioned already that Vivint used to be APEX (apx, apxalarm) which publicly marked their entry to home automation, but also conveniently helped them distance themselves from the reputation they acquired online through bulldog tactics like this, litigious contracts and the most loathsome customer service I had ever known.
Sadly, this and even their small army of online social media activists may all be lipstick on a pig, however, as it takes more than saying you’ll change to change..? It actually takes change to change.
(Search for “APEX alarm is a thief and a liar” if you want to know how I really feel)
There are no lack of bad apples at Vivint. Recently, my disabled mother-in-law was bamboozled by these people. Conned by a pushy salesmen into buying a poorly installed system (lines left running across the floor of the hallway). It took a threat of legal action to get them to back off of the contract they had her sign, even then it required that we visit her doctor to get confirmation of her disabled state. Something that would be obvious to ANYONE within the 1st seconds of meeting her.
And it isn’t limited to my mother-in-law. My own mom had one of these salesmen come to her house. His sales pitch? To frighten her to death with stories of thieves killing dogs during home invasions. A clear scare tactic. She almost bought into it too, until she called me. I prompted drove to my mother’s house, found the young salesmen in the neighbourhood, and asked him about his sales pitch. He flat out denied it. Now either he was lying, or my elderly mother… which would you believe?
The scruples of this company are beyond reproach.
My last story involves a friend that subscribed to the service. A week later, her son couldn’t get into the house when keying the punchcode. Her son called her, she tried the cellphone option that had been sold with the bundle. It didn’t work either. When she got home, the door code STILL didn’t work. She called vivint, they couldn’t open the door either. She asked how she was to get into her house… they said it wasn’t their problem. She ended up having to get a locksmith to let her into the house.
Avoid this service people.
Hello my name is keegan, I used to work for vivint and reading everything here I hate to say it really sounds blown out of proportion. I mean that in no offence to your story it’s just no ones perfect! In fact we employ 500,000 employees, can you not expect an odd apple thats possibly having a pissy fit day and unfortunately did not give you the service vivint strives to be their best and top priorities as well as ensuring their employees are healthy and have everything they need to keep customers happy. All i’d say is you gave up in dealing with them to soon, if you try one more time, not only the phone will be answered within a minute to talk to someone, but also that they will make the absolute best job they can to help. Trust me working there was stressful with the amount of things we have to do. Especially the operators they get people yelling at them left right and centre all day sometimes and had one person say something nasty to him/her where it upset the rep and like i said unfortunately just said we can’t help because we often have people that quit and give up trying to help people or wanting to deal with you. I personally apologize to you but I will say it is the best company for that field, do yourself a favour and call 1-855-4VIVINT and i assure all these problems would be resolved. These small complaints are not nessecary.
Keegan, you make it sound like its Joseph’s job to get Vivint to perform great (or even reasonable) customer service.
Any business model where “call back and try your luck with another rep” is an acceptable plan of action has deeper challenges. Systemic, I’d wager… Top down and all that.
Small complaint? How would you like a sales person coming to your home to scare your elderly mother? That’s what this young fella did… use scare tactics to push a service.
The story continues for my step-mother too (forgive my earlier calling her mom-in-law… I often mix those up). She is still getting harassing calls from VIVINT asking her to settle the bill. This in spite of the fact that it’s been shown to VIVINT that she had power of attorney signed over to her son a year before the salesguy even showed up at the door. You think that would be proof enough to get these vultures to go away? NO. They threatened a collection agency a couple times. We’ve told them to go ahead… but they don’t do it. I suspect they know it would be a step in the wrong direction.
Another interesting note. Since signing up for their service, my step-mother, and 2 of my own neighbours have been getting visits from the Mormons, looking to spread the word of God. Any connection to VIVINT’s roots in Utah I wonder? Or just coincidence? Neighbours without VIVINT service have yet to be visited by Mormons.
By the way, why would you freak about taking the grandmothers alarm out?? Did you know they have medical pendant and if she were to fall the ambulance would be dispatched immediately? We do not use scare tactics either that’s just exaggerating what it’s really called are facts, working in the line of work where I met people on a daily bases that had been broken into, they have told me all kinds of things i’ve seen it all! Shooting dogs is uncommon but happens but it’s more or less just pepper spray on dogs but if a burglar wants in your house that dog won’t stop him. He’s gonna do anything for the jewellery, money, whatever he wants, doing whatever the dog to do that. Now I mean this in no bad way, but these days I believe every senior should have a vivint system I’ve witnessed so many lives saved from it with more health issues than burglaries. But these days senior citizens are so vulnerable to this world now, why? Because they are brittle and punk kids actually beat them up for that wallet I hear of it all the time in the news in fact I’ve heard it more and more as time goes. So wouldn’t you hate it if someone broke in her house and robbed her!? I care for my grandma and that’s why she will always have it. I just read a news article that was about a 103 year old man that had been killed by a kid that knocked on his door and asked for some water, the man being a nice senior invites him to sit in the home and join him for a drink. Once returned with drink the kid get up and beats the old man and robs him, This world is full of crime so I hope you look past this and understand it’s hard doing this on a daily basis. The reason the guy kept talking on the phone ps was most likely he was a NEW salesperson and its a part of the psychology of selling. He might just been hoping that by saying you a few KEY details it may entice you to listen and try it, it woulda been worth the time to have tried a trial it woulda been $200 for the equipment and install. Anyways we get so many people that don’t wanna listen and they say no but us salespeople don’t think its fair that you say no when you don’t know all that we offer. It might have pissed you off, depends on the person and I usually read my people if I do that but you’d be surprised how many people actually end up getting it after they hear something they like about it, we call those hot buttons. If we say it locks your doors from your phone and you looked interested I’m gonna try to talk of that main point it’s sales it’s a tough job if you tried it you’d understand.
Kegan the point being made is that Vivint employees are rude. If this person is not interested in the service than Vivint should accept that and move on. I for one have had encounters with Vivint employees and several complaints are true for some.
It seems like you want to defend your company and that is respected and noble, however, if Vivint wants to be respected they need to get rid of thoes bad apples immediately.
I have been in contact with your company corporate office and I have spoken to directors and managers about being harrased in my own home by this company — no more I will file a complaint with the TN Attny General Office and have Vivint speak with my lawyer.
My complaint is very alarming in that I have a family member with a medical condition that cannot afford them to be under unnecessary stress. Vivint employees know this and they continue to make loud noise, trash the place and move on. That is unacceptable, why should anyone have to call to correct another companies employees.
There are obviously going to be some dishonest people working for every company. Every Vivint employee gets a full background check, fingerprinted, and are approved through the state and city licensing departments. Unfortunately there isn’t much more they can do to hire honest sales representatives. This doesn’t mean every employee is dishonest though. There are plenty of reviews saying how much people love their system and the sales rep who sold it to them. As for the sales rep who used the “scare tactic”, how do you know you talked to the one who actually spoke with your mother? There are lots of guys selling in the same area, so he may have been denying it because it wasn’t him. Also, the guy who was ignoring your request to take you off of the list. He obviously wasn’t doing his job correctly, but that doesn’t mean you should peg that reputation on the entire company. Vivint has over 5,000 employees. Is it possible to have perfection from every single one? That’s what they shoot for but be realistic. Do your research and don’t be so quick to stereotype.
Since when is it ok to have ANY sales person or employee in your entire organization using scare tactics or refusing to take someone off the call list OK–at ANY level?
Really? Don’t be so quick to stereotype? Whose fault is it when a Vivint employee goes off the rails and pushes someone into a contract they know isn’t exactly fair and then laugh about the poor souls online (see the link).
Vivint shouldn’t be so quick to pretend it’s not a problem.
Vivint should change their behavior (systemic?) rather than push PR people online to counteract the frustrated postings of people who have been hurt.
Vivint should do a little more research into the actual in-the-field tactics (not criminal background) of their sales people.
Vivint should not tolerate this behavior from any employee at any time in any situation or circumstance. This should be GROUNDS FOR TERMINATION.
If Vivint was SERIOUS about this, they should make it personal when an employee goes off the rails. What is the policy?
How about this:
1) Make sure that every sales person had someone with them whose job it was to ensure they are not doing anything out of line.
2) require a MANDATORY waiting period between signing the contract and installation of the equipment/execution of the agreement to be sure the homeowner has thought it through and still thinks it is a good idea.
3) Before any selling begins, the rep must reveal to the potential buyer that they have a national hotline setup where any Vivint employee found of bad behavior is terminated ON THE SPOT.
4) Any employee terminated for bad behavior will have all their commissions for the last selling season REVOKED, and any contracts signed by that agent by the reporting consumer are immediately absolved and ALL contracts by that agent for the past selling season are immediately entered into a special status where clients are notified that the status of their contract is up for review and that they can continue their service or cancel at any time without any penalty for a period of 90 days from notice.
Would sales agents cross the line then?
You have plenty of money, big trucks, fast boats, big attitudes, big ad budgets and big BYU Football sponsorships, VIVINT, lets see you put some money where your mouth is and make it PERSONAL when your own people mess with someone’s life.
Still, the irony here is, that when it comes to home SECURITY systems, the people I feel *least* trustworthy about are the people who SELL the systems.
The stereotype is valid when it’s so constantly, constantly, constantly present.
Last night I was was over at a friends house when one of the sales persons from your company came by here in Nolanvill Texas. He started his pitch and my friend said that he wasen’t interested he then said with the trailer park near by that he needed the security (unaware that this is where I live) I am in the military and my home is paid for I was insulted that he was indicating that I was a theif because I live in a mobile home. I am warning everyone I speak to here in Nolanville, Killeen, and temple to avaoid this company at all costs.
I can not get this company to stop calling me. I contacted their corporate office to stop the predatory calls and they claim I am not on their list. Yet, I still get the calls from what their third party telemarketing company. This number 732-357-0729 has called me three times a day for weeks. Prior to that number 732-835-4050 called me for weeks end on, until that one stopped after I contacted their corporate legal office, Angela Woodard angela.woodard@vivint.com at 801.705.6213 . I even spoke to someone at the first number to stop the calls, yet they continue. I have filed numerous complaints with the donotcall list but the calls simply continue. It is no wonder this company is flagged on the Better Business Bureau website. They are a predatory scammer.
Ive worked for vivint, directv, and tmobile customer care. This is not a “vivint problem”. Its a sales problem with ANY company. In customer service im having to do a lot of damage control because some agents “regardless of the company” will do whatever it takes for the sale. Its unfortuntate but its the game. The problems are throughout all companies. But maybe your only bad experience you’ve encountered is with vivint. What I’ve learned in all companies is you have customers who have either had the worst experience and are pissed at whomever they speak to or they love the company and it can do no wrong. Just know that us in customer service isn’t the one who lied or pushed you into a contract or deserves to be yelled at. We genuinely want to help and are doing damage control for a “select few” who represent in a poor manner.