Vote for the best and worse customer service you have received!

[Oldboy]

Hello everyone,

This thread has been created due to my own and a few others experience of completely rubbish customer service of late from Panasonic so was just after a consensous of opinion so please feel free to add your experinces both good and bad!

To start the ball rolling my nomination for the most useless customer service i have received to date is Panasonic UK, recently i have had my tv develop screen burn and their response and whole customer service experience was utter rubbish. They really couldn't have performed worse if they tried, a monumental shocker.

For great customer service though i must nominate KEF....Panasonic, if you want to learn how customer service should be done look no further than these guys! I have never received customer service like it, and it was a sad day when i said goodbye to my Kef speakers not just because they were brilliant speakers but becuase the customer service was so good. They were patient, polite and couldn't have been any more help if they tried and it was all explained in plain english, faultless imo [Y]

 

[hammill]

Brabantia are very good. I have a kitchen bin which had a problem with the lid catch.It had a lifetime guarantee and they promptly sent 3 replacements over the years on request with no demand for any proof of purchase. They have fixed the problem now and it still works fine.

A & R have also been very good, even offering to let me visit an employees house to listen to a potential upgrade to my A60.

On the negative side, I would not touch Bristan taps/showers with a barge poll. Three different failures in one bathroom and poor customer care.

I

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Brilliant thread

Best i have had, John Lewis and Sevenoaks

Worst - best not say and i am

now anyway, so there is no problem and i have also had great experiences there anyway.

Panasonic shop not great for me either, just because i like to demo "alot" the guy who owned the shop starting saying to me everytime i went in yes i saw you last week - basically giving me grief because i did not buy anything and i had been in there quite abit, next time i took someone with me and he said it again. Now i just don't even go in there what is the point if all i am going to get is grief.

 

[Andy Clough]

Lexus. The cars may not be the best, but the customer service is. The power steering on mine failed just weeks after the warranty expired. Cost to fix was £2000, but they did it free of charge.

 

[chudleighpaul]

You drive a Lexus Andy? Hmmmmmmmm

 

[The_Lhc]

gel:
Brilliant thread

Worst - best not say

Kind of defeats the object the "brilliant thread" then doesn't it?

 

[Deleted member 2457]

the_lhc:gel:

Brilliant thread

Worst - best not say Kind of defeats the object the "brilliant thread" then doesn't it?

I best not say but you knock yourself out

 

[The_Lhc]

gel:the_lhc:gel:

Brilliant thread

Worst - best not say Kind of defeats the object the "brilliant thread" then doesn't it?

I best not say

You said that already, which makes this thread not so brilliant, doesn't it?

but you knock yourself out

Why would I do that?

 

[Anonymous]

Although no longer a user the best experience has to be Naim. Some years ago the selector switch on the amplifier paked up (out of warranty). I took it back to the dealer and he told me that it would need to go back to Naim and would probably be some weeks.
I called Naim directly and they said if I could bring it to them they would fix it while I waited. After an introduction to the guy who was going to fix it I got a factory tour and even lunch. They then tested my amplifier in their music room and all without cost!

 

[ukdavej]

Best - Dyson - friendly, efficient, easy to deal with and have never failed to sort any issue I have had

Worst - Virgin Media (1st line CS) - simply hopeless every single time

 

[AlmaataKZ]

Best - Amazon.

Worst - BT.

 

[Chewy]

Lexus?? Dyson?? Brabantia?!?! . . I thought this was a hi-fi forum?!

For me Monitor Audio have been briliiant - they were happy to repair my sub; ended up completely replacing the amplifier unit, even though it had gone out of warranty - they even covered the courier both ways!

I also lost the foam bungs that go in the speaker ports (I was experimenting with speaker placement) and dropped them an e-mail to see if I could buy some more, and 6 brand new ones arrived in the post two days later! FOC! Excellent!

I also recently had a very good experience with 'The Home Cinema Centre' recently, they let me have a weeks home demo of an LX-83 before I decided to whether or not to buy one - they paid for the courier both ways (which instantly overcomes any geographical issues), and then gave me a trade in value on my old Onkyo (also covered courier costs) to save me having to e-bay it! Briliant service! Can definately recommend them!

As for bad experiences, nothing comes to mind inside of the hi-fi world (plenty outside of it) - maybe I've been lucky!

 

[Anonymous]

Was very impressed with the Sky engineer who called out yesterday to fix a problem with my broadband/telephone. Explained everything in terms of who he was, who to contact, etc as soon as he stepped through the door. Very professional and sorted problem quickly.

Worst service - Lloyds TSB, Santander, Halifax, basically all the banks that I've had any recent experience of. My problems with a couple of Hifi/AV retailers in the past 12 months pale into insignificance compared to having to deal with banks. We bail them out, they provide a dreadful service and rip us off, then have the cheek to pay themselves massive bonuses.

 

[DandyCobalt]

Best - 1) Sharp, a couple of years ago. My LCD flatscreen was 6 months out of warranty but they sent someone out to fix it free-of-charge the next day. Also, 2) Apple Apps Store - my iPad copy of the Times has stopped working - immediate refund and apology - .

3) Definitely KEF - fixed my subwoofer while I waited in their showroom in Maidstone - they also gave me a guided tour of the speakers, including the amazing enormous monolith that is the "Muon" http://www.kef.com/gb/loudspeakers/muon/muon . They also explained that "Standby" on a KEF subwoofer actually means "Mute", hence why it had worn out. Good to know

4) Bassetts sweets - they sent me a big box of free sweets to say sorry for some queerly smelling Allsorts, thirty years ago. Or was it Whitworths dried fruit??

Worst - Post Office (birthday cards opened en route in post and daughter's birthday money from elderly grandad removed - they sent a couple of first class stamps as compensation and denied any responsibility - who else could it be?) Lovefilm on PS3 (see thread), Sony Playstation Store.

 

[Anonymous]

best service...munstersounds and d.i.d electrical. both excellent...

worst... pc world and vodafone...pc world are a joke, vodafone are just poor ime..

 

[Anonymous]

I don't think from one 'bad' or 'good' experience people can exercise verdict by pointing your thumb up or down like Nero at the Gladiators' Ring? Most of the time it's a disgruntle staff who couldn't give a monkeys as he doesn't want to be there doing the dog day job. Generally, the worse Customer Service is down to call centres that work for say Microsoft; in trying to cancel your Xbox live account and get to speak only to someone that you can't really understand 90% of the time? Now's that's bad customer service making it difficult for you to cancel a service even if it is calling a 0800 toll number.

I worked in Retail Sales a long time ago though not in Hi Fi ot TV, its pants!! You think surrounded by these gadgets make you feel great... well you may do if you own it and experience it in your fox hole but not in a store.

Most staff if they had the expertise should work for a Magazine and not read off a sales leaflet. My brother went to buy a TV so he went into a Pana store, they said to him Sony don't make their own Panels but Pana do for their sets ?$$^%

What kind of incentive sales talk is that?

EDITED BY MODS for ranty sexist nonsense

 

[6th.replicant]

This could've be lengthy re 'baddies', so here's my most recent top and bottom three:

Worst
Comet (Greenwich Peninsula)
All of the staff seem to think that Comet is exempt from the Sale of Goods Act re faulty goods.

TalkTalk/Tiscali IPTV
The most flawed concept I've ever experienced, with a website and sales literature/staff that are the epitome of 'being economical with the truth'.

Billy Vee Sound Systems (Lewisham)
Recently demo'd some speakers, with one of the most irritable and brusque fellas I've ever met in my life. For example, I'd barely sat down before he started pouring scorn on my CDP. Cheers, mate!

Best
Apple (Online Store)
A delivery was delayed by 48hrs, during which time I was constantly updated, via email and telephone(!), by the same very courteous and efficient customer services lady. And once my order arrived, Apple credited my Amex accn't with a £50 "gesture of goodwill".

Sevenoaks (Bromley)
Arguably, they're not the friendliest bunch but IME they are always courteous, professional and very helpful - whether during kit demos, price matching or organising a full refund for a flawed Philips TV.

Paul Green Hi-Fi (Bath)
The complete antithesis of Billy Vee when I recently demo'd (many) speakers: friendly, cheerful and nothing seemed like too much trouble - even made me several mugs of char. Almost feel guilty I didn't opt for any of their products.

 

[margetti]

Worst - Most recently, Carphone Warehouse - 6 weeks left on contract, went in to upgrade to an iPhone, but because the "system" said I had 4 months left on the contract it would cost me £200 to buy it out. Went to another CPW shop - same thing. Tried to explain but they just weren't interested. Went elsewhere, phoned up CPW to cancel, and the guy on the phone said a phone call by the shop to customer services would have sorted it out without a problem. Too late - I'd taken my business elsewhere.

Best - Still has to be the amp I bought off my local dealer 10 years ago. After auditioning, said I'd have to wait a couple of weeks until pay day before I could collect/pay - he saw how eager I was to get it home and accepted a post-dated cheque then and there. I'd only bought once before off him - a real show of trust!

 

[camac]

WORST...

Has to be VIRGIN MEDIA . A case of good product but once they have "your" dosh or "you" have a problem "they" dont have a clue.

BEST...

RICHER SOUNDS , Edinburgh. (although all branches are not the same) But the guys in here are always patient , courteous and very helpful.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Best:

Actually it was Panasonic 'Made Currys exchange a broken DVD Recorder after having it for 5 weeks and Currys refusing exchange'.

Also, when my Panasonic Projector started playing up. I called Panasonic at 2yrs from purchase they collected next day and returned 5 days later with new lens etc. and the latest Firmware.

Store wise has to be 'Creative Audio, Shrewsbury' and Richer Sounds 'Stoke'. Asda, are pretty good with exchanges too, quick and simple.

Sky was pretty good too.

Worst:

BT by far. Refused to cancel my Broadband and give me Mac no. so that Sky could connect me to theirs! Took 2 hours of calls and several calls. Get so far and they would cut me off. Also refused to look at my Broadband when Wi-Fi wasn't working, claiming it was other networks. Sky worked!

Sony Customer Service - 3 PS3's in 2 years. They offered to sell me a reconditioned one at £130 with a 3 MONTHS GUARANTEE.

3 Months what use is that! Great piece of kit but they were horrible.

Orange Broadband - who after cancelling my broadband with them due to 'on/ off service' told me he had signed me back up for 18 months again and it should now work fine! Claimed it was the only way to ensure it would work and claimed he couldn't cancel it! Stayed on the phone for 1 and a half hours. 40 minutes waiting for him to cancel it.

Then just people who come across rude or dismissive like Music Matters in Stafford. Sorry, not into Bose.

 

[Anonymous]

This thread is pointless...sounds like a scene from One flew over the cuckoo's Nest, no consistence in the responses...??

If people think customer service is bad then they should do the job themselves and see how long before they go potty

 

[DandyCobalt]

Odd reply mate.

"Customer Service" should mean exactly what it says on the tin. The best customer-supplier relationships are actually developed after something goes wrong, and has been dealt with to the satisfaction of both sides. Probably because the customer has had more opportunity to experience how the supplier company truly thinks about their business and their customers.

Julian (Richer Sounds) Richer's book "The Richer Way" (2001) is a very good example of how philosphy and leadership from the top of an organisation will drive the positive approach of a whole company. No, I don't work for them, before you ask or assume.

If someone goes potty as a customer service employee, then they are either in the wrong job (being a traffic warden might be more appropriate), selling an awful product, or not getting the right support and customer-led leadership from above.

 

[Oldboy]

Well said DandyCobalt!

That is the post of an either current or former customer service member who doesn't understand the job description, surely when you call it 'customer service' you are inviting criticism from the customers you are supposed to be servicing when it all goes wrong, no matter what the cicumstances?? There is also nothing wrong with highlighting the bad examples of customer services for others to avoid and to be quite frank if all 'customer services' done their job correctly then posts like mine wouldn't appear!!

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Oldboy:

Well said DandyCobalt!

That is the post of an either current or former customer service member who doesn't understand the job description, surely when you call it 'customer service' you are inviting criticism from the customers you are supposed to be servicing when it all goes wrong, no matter what the cicumstances?? There is also nothing wrong with highlighting the bad examples of customer services for others to avoid and to be quite frank if all 'customer services' done their job correctly then posts like mine wouldn't appear!!

Yep

that is why i like this thread you get to hear about peoples experiences.

 

[Anonymous]

Best: Dell. Had a laptop from them with a one year warranty a while back now. It broke after about 18 months, just completely died. Called them up and they were very helpfull and got me to run some tests to see what was broken, which was a number of things. Guy on the phone then asked his manager if it was okay to repair it as it was off warranty. Manager agreed and they sent a person round to fix it two days later. Replaced the hard drive, motherboard and graphics card, so basically half the computer all while off warranty. Was very impressed that this was all achieved with just a 25 minute phone call.

Worst: People who need to supply my heating here in the Netherlands. They physically wont let me pay. Which sounds like a good thing but I will be back charged for all previous months. Right pain. Called them multiple times, sent multiple letters but they dont have a clue what's going on.

Also Vodafone: Think it's a great network but in store customer service is a shambles. What doesn't help is that the online store is a seperate business from the physical shops. So when you order something online with them and it goes worng the shops don't want anything to do with you. Not to mention out and out rudeness of much of the staff, shocking considering it isn't the cheapest network, here in NL at least. All they are interested in is signing people up for new contracts, everything else is a pain and worst of all, they let it show.