Salon - - How much does customer support mean?

Ed_L · #1 01-18-2003, 09:47 AM

Does customer support rank high, when you choose a product? I recently had a Sony monitor (new) that just did not look right. It strained my eyes after looking at it for a while. I contacted Sony support, and they sent a replacement. The replacement came in good time, but it was a refurbished unit. Another call was made, and a new monitor was sent. This one did not look any better. A third monitor was sent, and it still looked the same. Sony sent me a monitor of higher quality than the original. This one was also a refurb, and it was supposed to be new. I still had trouble with eye strain. They finally gave up, saying that there must be a compatibility problem that they couldn't identify. A full refund is on the way, and I'll look at another brand. Here's the bottom line, from my point of view: Sony did everything they could possibly do to keep a customer, and make him happy. They paid for shipping one way seven times. I'm sorry the monitor didn't work for me because I think Sony will do whatever possible to make a customer happy, but to be fair in my evaluation, it seems that communication between departments is lacking, since I received two refurbs, and they should have been new. I will not write Sony off in the future, if I get a different computer. This kind of service means a lot to me.

Ed

Stephen M · #2 01-18-2003, 10:03 AM

Ed, did you happen to play with your monitor software refresh rate? That can play a big role in monitor appearance and eye fatigue.

Stephen Marsh.

Ed_L · #3 01-18-2003, 12:19 PM

I've done, I think, everything possible including downloading a driver from their site. I still can't believe how much of a problem this has been. I've owned Sony TV's for several years, and I've always been a satisfied customer.

Ed

CJ Swartz · #4 01-18-2003, 02:09 PM

Ed, customer service is the most important thing to me in buying locally -- whether it's computer/electronics, groceries, eating out, clothing, furniture, a home, etc. I'm a fanatic about expecting a company to show that my business is important to them and that I am important to them. I've walked out of stores that offered a better price because they didn't convince me that they would give me their honest attention - if they don't show sincere interest before they get my money, I doubt they're going to give me any support AFTER they have my money.

I've never had to go through all that you and Sony went through to get something fixed to my satisfaction -- but I would want them to try that hard to make things right.

P.S. whoever stole my Sony monitor in 1987, I'd still like it back!

G. Couch · #5 01-18-2003, 02:11 PM

I have a Sony monitor and it's been crystal clear for a year now. I have always been impressed with the quality of their screens but there are always going to be a few duds. It does seem like a real lack of communication on Sony's part that you kept getting refurbished units, but even so, it does sound like it might be a problem on your end. Like Stephen, refresh rate was the first thing that popped into my head. Perhaps your video card can't handle the rate that the monitor needs? What kind of card do you have?

Sanda · #6 01-18-2003, 03:36 PM

Customer service is of extreme importance to me. I'm surprised by the number of large companies who don't answer emails. Recently I've emailed a number of large companies for various reasons but to my surprise the number of answers I have received is only a small percentage. I don't know why some of these companies don't regard an email as being important.

Doug Nelson · #7 01-18-2003, 06:00 PM

Customer service is my #2 priority, but still a huge part of my decision-making process. I've bought products from companies with notorious cs reputations, simply because they had the only product that fit my needs.

However, all other things being equal, cs will control my final decision.

For example, Gateway has a very good product reputation, although not #1 by any means. However, I have never dealt with any other computer company with cs as good as Gateway's. They have my computer business for life (or until their cs stumbles).

On the other hand there's all the various tools I use to run this site. With a couple of major exceptions, the cs for all of them is staggeringly poor. But they have unique features I need, and I'm pretty self-sufficient, so it works out.

Ed_L · #8 01-18-2003, 06:15 PM

As you probably know by now, customer service is very important to me. I agree with Doug, and his statement about cs from Gateway. My last computer was a Gateway, and my current one is a Dell, because Gateway couldn't match the machine I wanted with the price from Dell. Dell might be a better computer, but nobody, including Dell, beats Gateway's cs. I will definitely consider them again.

Greg,
My video card is a 64MB NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 4X AGP. I even called Dell, thinking my card might be bad. Even though it passed all tests, Dell sent me a new card, but it didn't help. I think one of your ghosts is living in my computer.

Ed

chris h · #9 01-19-2003, 05:09 AM

How does service work in the US Ed, did you buy the monitor direct from Sony or one of their agents? Over here unless a service package comes with the product you deal with the people you bought the item from. Over the years I've always had better back up from mail order operations than local businesses and not just computers.

Just to move off the point slightly a friend bought a vcr from Asda a large supermarket chain over here. I actually was with her when she collected the machine and opened it in the car park to check that a tv-vcr lead was supplied ( I never believe the assistants)which was. On getting home she set the machine up only to find it already had a cassette in the machine with a recent tv programme on it!!. Obviously the machine had been returned by a previous customer and re-sealed by the staff. She's taking it back for a refund as a replacement doesnt appeal!

P.S. Asda is a susidiary of Wal Mart!

Ed_L · #10 01-19-2003, 09:48 AM

Hi Chris,

This monitor was bought from Circuit City, one of the larger computer retailers. It was brand new, and I called Sony support because of the problem, hoping they could tell me it was an easy adjustment needed. But they didn't tell me to take it back to the store. They told me they would send a replacement, so I just dealt directly with Sony.

I think the problem you described with the VCR happens now and then at discount stores around here too. But it's a very small percentage of the time. Too bad people can't be honest.

Ed