This sounds like a case where consulting a lawyer might actually be useful…

It could be, but you're not going to get into a situation where you recover attorney's fees.

So you're in a position where you can either handle it yourself and grind it out, or you can pay a lawyer an indeterminate amount to fix it-- probably just enough for a letter, but that may not even do the trick.

Suing in small claims is an option, though. You might recover something, and you'll certainly cause Verizon to incur expenses.