PIN does not block customer service's ability to do something that affects the account. It prevents an automated system from being able to affect customer's acc

PIN does not block customer service's ability to do something that affects the account. It prevents an automated system from being able to affect customer's account without the PIN. A CS agent can continue without a customer providing a PIN. It is the case for AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. I do not have a personal experience with Verizon but someone I know who works selling phones at a major retailer says that all PINs are just flags that pop up a message on screen. At the native company stores for AT&T a customer must authorize everything with a PIN in addition to the ID.