Is true customer service a dying art?
Dedicated to Joyce Marie Lavery, the consummate customer service warrior.
Wells Fargo Update:
Per the federal government my paycheck has not been returned by Wells Fargo. Additionally, when/if they receive it, it will take them up to two weeks for the federal government to reprocess it and get me paid. In the meantime, my bills are bouncing like silly putty. Interestingly enough, Wells Fargo sent me a small check for the fraudulent charges I submitted. You just can't make this up!
Customer Service Complaint Letters and Company Responses
AT&T Formal Dispute Certified Letter Status: NO RESPONSE
Paypal (Venmo & Zell) Customer Complaint Letter followed by Company Response (finally)
Paypal (Venmo & Zell) Customer Complaint Letter followed by Company Response (finally)
April 9, 2026
AT&T Office of the President
John Stankey
White Acre Tower
208 S. Akard Street
Dallas, TX 75202
Re: Formal Dispute – Account Numbers:
Internet: 552730278709, Wireless: 843 446-xxxx and 910 508-xxxx and Apple Watch.
Dear Mr. Stankey and AT&T Executive Team:
We are writing to formally dispute the fraudulent cost of our two wireless phones, one watch and internet which were formulated by AT&T employees using misrepresentation and deception. Additionally, we are disputing the subpar, disrespectful, and unprofessional customer service provided.
Description of the Issue:
Please pull and review customer service and billing call logs on 4/8/26 and 4/9/26 from approximately 1:43 pm EST to 8:50 pm. Additionally, please revise an onsite AT&T meeting which occurred on 3/18/26 at approximately 12:42 pm in the North Myrtle Beach, SC store: 213 US 17 N, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29583.
Supporting Evidence:
Please pull associated customer service and billing department call logs and AT&T documentation from associated calls and onsite meeting. Also refer to attached AT&T advertisements and our most recent bill.
Requested Action:
To resolve this matter, we are asking that you reduce our current service charges, as initially promised, formally investigate our service concerns and make us aware of all actions taken. We look forward to your response and a resolution to this problem within 30 days knowing that you would want to avoid any further reputational damage via the Better Business Bureau or the State Attorney General’s office.
Sincerely,
Paypal (Venmo & Zell) Customer Complaint Letter followed by Company Response (finally)
Paypal (Venmo & Zell) Customer Complaint Letter followed by Company Response (finally)
Paypal (Venmo & Zell) Customer Complaint Letter followed by Company Response (finally)
COMPLAINT LETTER:
Hello Mr. Lores,
After a horrific customer service experience with your overseas team (details below) I began to research PayPal, Venmo and Zelle. I read your mission and vision and came upon the below older summary of Paypal's customer service philosophy as quoted from Amanda Wiltshire-Craine in 2023:
- "Amanda also touched on the evolving role of customer service professionals. As automation becomes more widespread, frontline teams are transforming from problem-solvers to proactive partners in the customer journey. They’re not just addressing issues; they’re part of the product refinement process, leveraging direct insights from customers to fine-tune AI models and improve service delivery.
- One of Amanda’s key strategic tenets is treating every customer contact as a defect, meaning that if a customer needs to reach out, something is likely not working as expected. This philosophy drives PayPal’s commitment to removing friction from the customer journey, preventing problems before they happen, and providing seamless, personalized service across all channels.
- In closing, Amanda reminded us that while technology continues to evolve, the heart of customer experience remains the same—placing customers’ expectations at the heart of design and service delivery. As CX leaders, our job is to harness the best of technology and integrate the human touch where it matters most, delivering the best experience for customers.
Excuse my frankness but I call bullshit. Let me explain:
I connected to the Venmo customer service "bot" as I had monies that were sent to me via Venmo that for various reasons never made it to my bank account. I was attempting to get answers as to where the money was and how I could reclaim it.
I went from "talking" with your bot to requesting to "talk" ie., text to a live representative in your overseas call center. As an aside I am an American with the status of disabled per the ADA and federal government so not being able to talk with a live person versus texting is VERY difficult for me.
What I encountered (again screenshots of the conversation are attached) was dismissive, rude and the antithesis of what good customer service is. I know, I ran customer service for the largest pharmacy that supplies medications to hospice patients for more years that I can remember. When we "got it wrong" we didn't get a do-over but I personally directed our service recovery.
Any who, I digress: I was intentionally disconnected several times, not allowed to type my responses ie., blocked, had our conversation immediately erased after intentionally being disconnected, was refused my request to speak with a supervisor and told that it was against company policy to provide their name or employee ID. Lest I repeat myself - all this is documented in the screenshots I took of the electric conversation, along with a recording of (finally) my live conversation with a supervisor after I had spent 4 1/2 hours online texting with your overseas customer service team.
I'd like to give you an opportunity to review my email and the attachments. I'm hoping you actually do care about your customer service which is your revenue stream and will be honest with me on how you have addressed my issue and the issues of other customers moving forward. That being said, I'm not naive and therefore am prepared to take my concerns public with a focus on social media.
In closing, if I so poorly managed my customer service team, as is occuring at Paypal, I would fully expect to be looking for a new job. I would also expect my customer service base to errode until it was non-existent and my company was no longer in business. Perhaps you can't envision that given your current revenues, but I can.
I greatly look forward to hearing from you and I appreciate you as a fellow human being.
COMPANY RESPONSE:
Dear xxxx,
My name is Bxxxx and I’m writing from PayPal’s Office of Global Customer Complaints & Advocacy. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me and for your continued engagement as we reviewed your concerns together. I want to personally acknowledge the effort you put into sharing details, documentation, and context related to the missing Venmo funds and the customer service experience you encountered. Your willingness to walk us through what happened, including the time you invested in seeking assistance, was sincerely appreciated.
Following your escalation, we reached out promptly and connected by phone on April 29 and April 30, 2026. During our conversation, we confirmed that the Venmo funds in question were successfully located and received after you personally followed up directly with your bank. I recognize that you took additional steps on your own to move this forward, and I appreciate you keeping us informed so we could bring this matter to a clear and timely resolution.
I also want to acknowledge the broader service experience you described. We carefully reviewed your contact history associated with these concerns, including the extended amount of time you spent seeking help, the multiple interactions you had across chat and phone support, and the several hours you waited before being able to connect with a supervisor. I appreciate the thoughtful way you walked me through this timeline, as it helped us understand the full scope of your experience and the effort it required on your part.
We understand how your health condition, Parkinson’s disease, made it difficult for you to rely on text‑ or chat‑based support. I understand that these communication methods can be challenging when typing and response speed are affected, and I want you to know that your ability to reach assistance in a way that works for you truly matters. Your experience was heard, taken seriously, and carefully reviewed. The feedback you shared—along with the outcome of our review—has been shared with the appropriate teams, including guidance focused on accessibility considerations, escalation handling, and improving support options for customers who need alternatives beyond chat‑only interactions.
As part of our discussion, I also shared guidance around how payments may behave when sent to an inactive or external bank account, so you’ll have clearer insight should a similar situation arise in the future. Throughout this process, our goal was to act with intention, apply urgency appropriate to the escalation, and ensure you felt supported, informed, and respected every step of the way.
Thank you again, Colleen, for your time, your cooperation, and the professionalism you brought to our conversations. We value your relationship with us, and feedback like yours plays an important role in helping us strengthen how we serve our customers. If you need assistance in the future or have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at executiveoffice@paypal.com—we’re here to help.
Respectfully,
Byron
Global Customer Complaints & Advocacy
PayPal
Copyright © 1999-2026 PayPal. All rights reserved.
Venmo is a service of PayPal, Inc., a licensed provider of money transfer services. All money transmission is provided by PayPal, Inc. pursuant to PayPal, Inc.'s licenses.
PayPal is located at 2211 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95131
Subscribe
Contact Us
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.