Sorry, I have to side with the customers on these....

[sld72382]

Here are 2 instances were the customers have a legit gripe....

1. TV Firmware upgrade woes.

We send a tech out to diagnose a customer's issue with his TV's audio. The agent says it's a common problem and says a firmware upgrade will fix it, tells the customer to do it himself and leaves.

Um, what?! What is the retail outlet paying you for?

So the customer does the firmware upgrade himself and it must have gone to shit, because now the TV goes goes to the company splash screen and freezes.

Now here's the crappy part. Botched firmware upgrades that were done by the end user are considered user-inflicted damage and is not covered by the service plan.

However, the tech told him to do it. I made sure to document my notes and send the same agent back out. Let's hope he does his job this time.

SIDE NOTE: One of my co-workers did raise an interesting point: The tech probably played dumb because he knew if he did the firmware upgrade while there and it botched, the customer would be blaming us for "breaking" his TV.

2. Just exchange the set, dammit.

Guy buys an open box TV and immediately sees a spider-web crack on the upper right corner of the screen as soon as he unpacked it.

Guy goes to exchange the TV, the manager accuses HIM of damaging it, and refuses to return it or even exchange it.

He has a case, as the TV was put in the box (with no Styrofoam) with just a couple of layers of bubble wrap. Still, this didn't matter to the manager.

His only way of making his TV usable? Buy a "premium" level service plan for almost 500 bucks (they cover 1 screen replacement due to accidents per plan term) so we can come out and install what will most likely be a refurbished LCD panel, just so he can begin using the set.

Like I told a CW, if you have the mindset that every customer is out to scam you, then you won't have a customer base for very long.

[lordlundar]

2. Just exchange the set, dammit.

Guy buys an open box TV and immediately sees a spider-web crack on the upper right corner of the screen as soon as he unpacked it.

Guy goes to exchange the TV, the manager accuses HIM of damaging it, and refuses to return it or even exchange it.

He has a case, as the TV was put in the box (with no Styrofoam) with just a couple of layers of bubble wrap. Still, this didn't matter to the manager.

The company I used to work for implemented a procedure to comat both issues of this (scammers making false claims and legit exchanges being refused):

No TV leaves the store unopened. Before a TV leaves the store, a staff member opens it and confirms with the customer that there is no physical damage to it before it leaves the store, and signs that it was confirmed. That way if it comes back with damage, then it's a scammer.

[Difdi]

No TV leaves the store unopened. Before a TV leaves the store, a staff member opens it and confirms with the customer that there is no physical damage to it before it leaves the store, and signs that it was confirmed. That way if it comes back with damage, then it's a scammer.

You could even go a step further, and use a digital camera to photograph the customer standing by the opened box.

Or for the truly paranoid, print photo, insert into envelope, mail it to the store, and leave it unopened after delivery.

[sld72382]

The company I used to work for implemented a procedure to comat both issues of this (scammers making false claims and legit exchanges being refused):

No TV leaves the store unopened. Before a TV leaves the store, a staff member opens it and confirms with the customer that there is no physical damage to it before it leaves the store, and signs that it was confirmed. That way if it comes back with damage, then it's a scammer.

Yeah, but what happened if the TV was damaged during transit?

[Chromatix]

Yeah, but what happened if the TV was damaged during transit?

It's in the customer's hands, and the customer is organising the transit, so it's the customer's risk.

Right?

[EricKei]

It's in the customer's hands, and the customer is organising the transit, so it's the customer's risk.

Right?

Once It's in the customer's hands and out of the store, that makes it FOB to them. (English: Their responsibility and their liability)