I have to admit, I'm a hard sell on extended warranties. I have convinced myself that it is not worth it. Yet somehow the Circuit City sales rep was able to sell me on the 3 year extended warranty on my Panasonic 42" TH-42PX60U plasma TV. I must have been drunk that day, or maybe I was just thinking a few hundred bucks is actually worth to protect a huge investment like a big screen TV. Boy, was I wrong...
Around April 2008, my TV broke down. I didn't do anything unusual, just turned it on, but then I heard a couple of clicks, then a "zap" and instead of seeing a full screen, I only see 1/2 a screen. The left 1/2 of the screen is completely not working. I was glad that I have purchase the extended warranty. So I rummage through my pile of paperwork and found the receipt and called the Circuit City customer service number (888-333-2333), that's when my nightmare began.
Their automated system is not terrible, just pretty bad. You got to wade through the type of service you need (installation, DirecTV, etc), and then whether you have a TV larger or smaller than 25" when you get to the TV. Then they asked you whether or not you have the Circuit City extended warranty (duh, why would I call if I don't?), then they ask you what zip code you're in (I didn't know why, but I will explain in a bit).
So after about 5 minutes of their automated system I finally got a person. Yeay! So guess what they had me do? Power cycle the TV, do a hard reset of the settings. First of all, I work in IT. I have college degree in computers. One of my previous jobs involve taking apart laptops and replacing them. I know when the TV is broken, and when its my fault and I messed up the settings. This is definitely the former rather than the latter. Truthfully, why pay people to do this? That's why people hate customer service. They treat you like you have no idea what you're doing, when most people with a bit of common sense knows how to do these simple fixes and already tried it before calling customer service.
So I finally got them to send out a tech to visit me. Oh guess what, big "Gotcha" #1 (word being hyped by Sarah Palin), they only come out on weekdays. What??? Oh, I guess I didn't read the fine print. Its okay. Most people can spare a day off. But who wants to sit at home the whole day to wait for a tech to come by??? Most people have better things to do. Weekend are chore days, so I don't mind sitting at home once in a while, but now I have to burn a vacation day. They're beginning to annoy me.
So I took the day off for the tech to come by. He's an Indian guy that seems to know what he's doing. Problem is, they don't send him out with any parts (Gotcha #2). I mean zero, Nada, zilch. How dare they? If you gave me a broken laptop when I was repairing laptops, but didn't give me any parts to work with, I can give you back a broken laptop. So I didn't feel like going off on the guy, although his attitude was not the best either. I know he gotta take shit from all the customers the whole entire day (working as a tech sucks, that's why I don't do that no more), but you don't have to tell me that I should have told him the issue over the phone so he can order the part ahead of time. That's the job of the customer service that dispatch you. If they didn't write down enough description of the issues that I'm having, (screen 1/2 working), it is entirely their fault for not doing their job. Again, it was more than obvious that my TV had a parts related issue, but they did not send the tech out with any parts at all. So my whole entire day off is wasted, thanks to them.
So now I have to wait til they order the part from Panasonic. Guess what, it takes forever. I lost track of days. It didn't help that I'm a normal being and have other obligations in life. Specifically, I was getting ready to move. So I didn't follow up with them. When I did, I decide to take only 1/2 a day off, hoping to be fastidious with the number of hours I spend on this repair. Big mistake. Again, they only let you know the day before what time frame the tech will come by. Why not just give you a time frame in advance? No, apparently, Circuit city won't do that. After years of complains about cable installers, even they got their act right and give you 3 different time frames when you can have the tech come by. But Circuit City's customer service is still living in the 80's in terms of how they can treat their customer's schedule. So guess what, I missed the service appointment. And it wasn't by much too, like 1/2 hour. But would the tech come back? No sirrreeee, he's on his other call. So if he's done early, would he come back to help? NOPE! You're screwed. You gotta call up the customer service again to reschedule (Gotcha #3).
So its back on the phone, going through their lousy automated system to reach a person, explain the situation, and have them tell me their tech is busy til next week. But lucky me, I'm moving this weekend. So I will have to wait til I move to get my TV fixed. They asked me where I was moving to, I said I was moving from Queens to Brooklyn (a different borough, but same city), but its a short duration, only a month or two. Guess what they told me, they said their tech only service Queens, and I will have to wait til I come back to Queens to have my TV repaired (Gotcha #4). I don't know why I didn't blow up on them at that time. Seriously, I think people that have a short fuse are the ones that gets somewhere with Circuit City's customer service. That's just how ridiculous they are, if you treat them nice, it means you don't care if they stomp all over you. Being that I worked the customer service side and my general nature, I'm not that the short fuse type of person, but even a person like me have limits, and only now after my eyes are glaring with flames that I'm beginning to see some action. But let me continue.
So I finally moved back to Queens in late August, took the TV which I mothballed in storage for nearly 3 months (the "short" move took longer than expected), and repeat the process again. Call the number to schedule the appointment again. First, the part that took them forever to order was the display, and unfortunately, they have to ship it back because they can't hold it for that long. Its understandable. So I got the tech to come out again, but refresh his memory about my situation, so he didn't have to come by, he only had to order the part. I'm glad I didn't have to take a day off for that, but my mom was available for that day so it would have been better had he been available with the part to fix the TV.
Another week pass, I got a call that they have to part and I have to, once again, take a day off for the appointment. Being burned by the previous attempt to save on my days off, I took the whole day off so I didn't miss the appointment. So the tech came, but instead of the big panel, he came with a box a little bigger than a Chinese takeout box. I was like "huh?". "Yeah, since you weren't available the last time when we had the huge panel, they (Circuit City customer service) decided to try replacing this piece first to see if it will fix the problem", the tech said while recusing himself from having anything to do with this. It wasn't a good sign, but I was hoping and praying that they're right and whatever was in that tiny box would resolve all that ails my TV. I watch patiently as the tech dissected my TV, taking out screw after screw from the back of my TV, until the back cover comes off and you can see the huge piece of circuit boards running from 1 end of the TV to the other, and smaller circuit boards near the area where you hook up the cables that give the TV life by letting it display the lights and sounds. You know how people use to bang on their old TVs to make it work? Well, I can guarantee its won't work with TV these days.
So after the tech replaced the board, he turned on the TV, and it was my expected result. The TV is still not working, it is still only displaying 1/2 the image. Another day off wasted.
I waited a few days to recover from that failure, and then I had to call their customer service again. BTW, it is required language for the Circuit City customer rep to repeat their customer service # at the end of each call. Um, I practically have your number on my speed dial at this point, do you really need to torment me with that every time I call you? Anyway, I called to find out the status of the part, but then they couldn't give me much info except that it on order. At this point, I'm pretty pissed off already. 4 scheduled appointments later, and my TV still wasn't fixed. I demanded answers! I finally got the rep to tell me that it took 2 days since that failed attempt (the last appointment) for them to order the part. Apparently, they have to get approval. Now, I have to wait like 10 business days for the part to arrive. That's the same wait time I had to wait the first time, which is the reason why it took them so long to call me and for me to miss that appointment by 1/2 hour.
So after all this, here's my latest issue with them, they fail to call me to schedule an appointment the day before. Instead, they just had the tech call me to say that he's coming by to fix my TV. Had I had any sort of call, I would have try to have some one at my place to let the tech in. But no. The customer service that was suppose to call people the night before was out. So they decide to not call anyone at all!What the f@#&??? What kind of service is this???? Whoever is in charge of the monkey operations over there should get their ass kicked. This is ridiculous.
I'm done with Circuit City. Their customer service have lost a customer for good. I'm recommending everyone not to buy from them. Don't ever purchase their garbage extended warranty from them. Its not worth the time spent, the hassle, the days of vacation you lose, the aggravation, the pain and suffering. They should pay you for getting their warranty. At least that way you know that you're signed up for some long lasting repetitive torture.
To recap, and for other companies (Best Buy, I'm looking at you), here's a list of things that will keep your customers satisfy if you're a big electronics retailer:
-Better automated system (one that you can type in your claim #, and it automatically routes you to a rep would be nice. Also, don't be one of those lousy automated system that doesn't transfer the claim # and info to the customer service rep's computer so that he/she can readily help the customer out).
-Better phone customer service (I'm fine with verifying my identity with questions, but don't repeat garbage like, "You purchase XXX on XX/XX/XXXX and the extended warranty expires XX/XX/XXXX" every single time. That's why you give claim #s to people in the first place, so that they feel like you already know what they are going through, instead of repeating the same useless info that they already know because they have the receipt in front of them and have called you more than some distant relatives. Also, don't repeat your number to them at the end of the call. I didn't get your number by dialing the operator. The repeat of useless information just aggravates people.
-Techs that work on at least 1 weekend day (Most people have 9-5 jobs, is it so much to request techs that work at least on a Saturday or a Sunday? I wouldn't mind paying extra for this service. Some people like to save money, I wouldn't mind spending a bit to get things done. Why not give that option at the very least, if you don't offer it for free?)
-Offer to take the TV for repair (Although I read nightmare stories about that for smaller electronics repair companies, ie., ones that don't respond or call back). As a big chain, you have the customer service department to deal with the voluminous amount of calls, as long as they give useful info on how long it would take to repair it. This is definitely best for busy people that can't be always home to wait for your tech to tinker with the TV.
-Better communications between your customer service and your techs. (If I called the customer service rep and they went through the standard troubleshooting routine and the problem is definitely a parts related issue, notify the tech immediately so that he can order a part before he goes out to the appointment.)
-Send tech with all necessary parts on a call (This is an inventory management issue, and it will cost money to do this, but if the tech has no parts to work with, why send him out at all? The least they can do is send the tech out with that small box that they tried but failed on my 4th appointment call, but do it on the first call, so the customer at least know you tried.)
-Better appointment windows (Give 3 appointment windows when the tech will be available, and let the customer pick one instead of calling the day before to let the customer know when the tech will show up. This will avoid the issue of "accidentally" not calling the customers the day before. BTW, I just remember, on my first appointment, the tech was late by a few hours. I wasn't even sure if he was coming, I had to call to track him down. How come the tech can be late, and I can't be? Yeah, let's add that if the customer was not around earlier, the tech should try to revisit the customer that same day if the customer calls back. Hey, the tech will end his day early anyway if he didn't have to spend the time for the repair, you might as well send him back.)
Once again, because of the actions of one department, I will not be purchasing anything from Circuit City ever again. I hope my boycott of them would cause them to fail as a business. I know, that's vengeful of me. But unfortunately, that's how things are. If you as a business don't spend the time to treat your customers well (without them turning spiteful towards you to see any effective actions), you don't deserve to be in business. You might have tricked me once into buying your "extended warranty", but the fact is that your extended warranty itself is a broken product that should have a huge sign "buyer beware" on top of it.
