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Hi.
I was today reminded of this one-and-a-half year old case with a broken computer. The customer was loud, foul-mouthed, angry, ew and so on. So, let the story begin.
Jan 15 2007
Cust. brings laptop in, we dont have immediate service but we send them to the manufacturer for repair. The monitor is mechanically broken (as in liquid leakage from the crystals) because of something sharp that has come to contact with it. I call Acer, they give an over-phone estimate of € 120, cust. agrees, we send it to get fixed.
Cust. receives estimate of € 390, does not approve, computer gets sent back to us.
Feb 16 2007
Computer arrives at us, we call cust., cust. comes to retrieve machine, is very disappointed in the service company/manufacturer. Demands to get it repaired under warranty (a 4-5-month old laptop at that point, so warranty valid, except it's mechanical damage...). I do as cust. commands me, call again to Acer, send it in again.
Cust receives a new estimate, € 290, does not approve it, and the computer gets somehow forgotten with Acer. It stays in the repair place.
Mar 27/28 2007
Cust. calls the shop (retailer, not repair place in any means), inquires about the laptop. I answer the phone, tell him it's still with Acer, he goes ballistic. Calls me "f*cking idiot" and "asshole" and such beautiful things on the phone. I'm so struck I don't say anything, nor hang up. Cust. gets tired of calling me names, hangs up. I go to the backroom to cry. Boss & colleagues are very understanding luckily.
July 6 2007
Computer comes back from Acer, not repaired (remember, mechanical damage -> not warranty?). I call to cust., tells him his machine is ready to be picked up. Cust. tells me he's not going to take a faulty machine back, demands me to get it fixed. I tell him it's not possible, get called names again, this time I chime in something along the lines of "I'm not required to listen to that kind of language, please calm down". Cust. tells me we'll be hearing from him.
July 28 2007
I get email from complaint handling department. Cust. has written a complaint and sent it. I tell them what's happened, they promise to handle it from there. I thank them and forget the case.
Aug 15-Sept 30 2007
I break down, have an "acute stress reaction", 2 weeks sick leave and 4 weeks working in another shop of same company. Come back to "my" shop, everything's ok.
Dec 10 2008
Shop gets a inquiry from cust's lawyer, where lawyer wants to get the computer back. In spite of cust. telling me 1½ years prior that he doesn't want to get a faulty computer back. Boss (a new one, not the same one) asks me about this. Wants to know if anything was done to the laptop, I tell him the sad, long story. He promises I'm not going to be reprimanded of it. I start feeling the same way I felt in Aug 2007 but am able to remain composed.
I'm just dumbfounded that this freaking piece of work contacts us VIA A LAWYER a year and a half after we've last informed him that his computer is ready to be picked up. Why does he bother, why not just come up and get it??? My new boss actually asked about the machine as he was cleaning his office (it was full of that kind of old stuff), almost tossed it, but decided to keep it just in case. And now the case is here again... I think I'll just go to a corner and cry.
I was today reminded of this one-and-a-half year old case with a broken computer. The customer was loud, foul-mouthed, angry, ew and so on. So, let the story begin.
Jan 15 2007
Cust. brings laptop in, we dont have immediate service but we send them to the manufacturer for repair. The monitor is mechanically broken (as in liquid leakage from the crystals) because of something sharp that has come to contact with it. I call Acer, they give an over-phone estimate of € 120, cust. agrees, we send it to get fixed.
Cust. receives estimate of € 390, does not approve, computer gets sent back to us.
Feb 16 2007
Computer arrives at us, we call cust., cust. comes to retrieve machine, is very disappointed in the service company/manufacturer. Demands to get it repaired under warranty (a 4-5-month old laptop at that point, so warranty valid, except it's mechanical damage...). I do as cust. commands me, call again to Acer, send it in again.
Cust receives a new estimate, € 290, does not approve it, and the computer gets somehow forgotten with Acer. It stays in the repair place.
Mar 27/28 2007
Cust. calls the shop (retailer, not repair place in any means), inquires about the laptop. I answer the phone, tell him it's still with Acer, he goes ballistic. Calls me "f*cking idiot" and "asshole" and such beautiful things on the phone. I'm so struck I don't say anything, nor hang up. Cust. gets tired of calling me names, hangs up. I go to the backroom to cry. Boss & colleagues are very understanding luckily.
July 6 2007
Computer comes back from Acer, not repaired (remember, mechanical damage -> not warranty?). I call to cust., tells him his machine is ready to be picked up. Cust. tells me he's not going to take a faulty machine back, demands me to get it fixed. I tell him it's not possible, get called names again, this time I chime in something along the lines of "I'm not required to listen to that kind of language, please calm down". Cust. tells me we'll be hearing from him.
July 28 2007
I get email from complaint handling department. Cust. has written a complaint and sent it. I tell them what's happened, they promise to handle it from there. I thank them and forget the case.
Aug 15-Sept 30 2007
I break down, have an "acute stress reaction", 2 weeks sick leave and 4 weeks working in another shop of same company. Come back to "my" shop, everything's ok.
Dec 10 2008
Shop gets a inquiry from cust's lawyer, where lawyer wants to get the computer back. In spite of cust. telling me 1½ years prior that he doesn't want to get a faulty computer back. Boss (a new one, not the same one) asks me about this. Wants to know if anything was done to the laptop, I tell him the sad, long story. He promises I'm not going to be reprimanded of it. I start feeling the same way I felt in Aug 2007 but am able to remain composed.
I'm just dumbfounded that this freaking piece of work contacts us VIA A LAWYER a year and a half after we've last informed him that his computer is ready to be picked up. Why does he bother, why not just come up and get it??? My new boss actually asked about the machine as he was cleaning his office (it was full of that kind of old stuff), almost tossed it, but decided to keep it just in case. And now the case is here again... I think I'll just go to a corner and cry.
I'm pretty sure he's contacted them too.
I AM the evil bastard!
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