Internal Verizon memos reveal that the wireless ogre is eager to reprimand or fire customer service representatives who proactively recommend blocking access to the company’s overpriced data services. The company is also going to be stingier about issuing back credits to customers who spot unnecessary and unwanted services littering their monthly bills. The New York Times asked Verizon to explain itself, and the answer wasn’t all that surprising.

According to the Times’ tipster:

Effective this past month, all CSRs [customer-service reps} were versed on the usage of blocks. A new policy has gone into effect regarding how to handle Escalated Calls regarding data charges. Now, a representative can be reprimanded and even terminated for proactively offering to block any of the following:

• Web Access Blocks
• Data Blocks
• Premium SMS blocking
• Application download blocking
• Vcast Music or Vcast Video download blocks

Essentially, we are to upsell customers on the $9.99 25mb/month or $29.99 unlimited packages for customers. Customers are not to be credited for charges unless they ask for the credit. And in cases such as data or premium SMS, where the occurrences may have gone months without the consumer noticing, only an initial credit can be issued.

Verizon vehemently denied that they would actually fire CSRs for offering proactively customer service, but they defended ripping off unsuspecting customers. Their reason? “We don’t want customers to go over their usage every month, and then call us looking for credits every month.” Way to trust your loyal and beloved customers, Verizon.

Is Verizon Wireless Making It Harder to Avoid Charges? [The New York Times] (Thanks to Scott!)

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