FINALLY someone at Verizon Wireless who knows what he is doing!

I get the same pit in my stomach walking into a Verizon store-front as some people do walking into the dentist to have their teeth drilled. Can you relate?

Our family is stuck with Verizon because of the contract we signed when we got our cell phones when we moved to Nashville.

Trying to get an answer to what should be an easy question is always a drama at the Verizon Brentwood, TN store-front (behind Publix on Old Hickory). No matter what, no one wants to help, no one knows the answer and they look relieved when you leave the store completely bewildered.

Two weeks ago I tried to upgrade to a Blackberry. I felt like, after three trips to the store I was in a Three Stooges movie. Ugh! They gave up and flung an 800 number at me when they said they couldn't program their Blackberry to upload my email address. The IT people on the other end of the 800 Verizon number accused me of having an email account that is incompatible with their Blackberry -- it's G-MAIL for goodness sakes -- the easiest email account to use!

I returned it for a full-refund, another 20-minute drill in Brentwood. If the "trained" employees couldn't figure out how to program their own products, what are the chances that as technologically challenged as I am, that I would ever be able to use their product?

My son needed a new cell phone (he'd lost his). I broke out in a sweat, my stomach started doing flip-flops...was I getting the flu? No, it only happened when I thought of walking into a Verizon store and doing battle again.

We found a Verizon store-front on Hillsboro Pike across from Green Hills Mall. Someone actually greeted us when we walked in, took our information down and put us in the que for help! This was a whole new experience, maybe Verizon and the Schoerke family were going to be on the SAME SIDE of this battle! Could it possibly be?!

The man in front of us in line was having problems with his Blackberry. The sales consultant behind the counter, Ryan Jones, tried to fix the problem When he couldn't, he called the IT 800 Verizon number HIMSELF and worked through the issue! WOW! Then he showed the customer what he had done and how to work his Blackberry going forward! IMAGINE! A VERIZON EMPLOYEE WHO CAN FIX A PROBLEM AND PROVIDE CUSTOMER SERVICE!! There was hope!

Our turn...Verizon was out of our first choice of a phone, but Ryan Jones solved our problem and found us an even better solution for our cell phone needs! He programmed it without having to ask us one question!

If you're tired of dealing with Verizon, wishing, hoping, counting the days until your contract with them ends, I suggest you go to the Verizon store on Hillsboro Road, request, RYAN JONES, and have the experience of being treated like a valued customer. He even gave us his card so we call him if we had more questions.

I'm a little nervous giving out this information so freely. What if the next time we need help with Verizon we walk in and there a dozen folks waiting for Ryan Jones to help them. Well, I'm being a good neighbor and passing the information along anyway.

So next time you need to upgrade or have a problem, go to Verizon at 4040 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN and ask for Ryan Jones, or call 615.385.1910. You will be so glad you did!