Lets talk about excellent customer service (1 Viewer)

[MikeH1]

Is there such a thing? I believe I just expierienced this on the weekend here. I have sung Audio Ark's praises before, but this almost baffles me.
In June 1998 I purchased the Mirage BPS150i subwoofer. I had some initial problems with it and the service dept. of Audio Ark had to keep replacing the drivers for they were seperating from the voice coil. I took it into the store to get fixed twice in the first year. The warranty ended in June 1999(powered units have one year warranty instead of 5 like a passive Mirage speaker) and I took it in last week to get it repaired. I told them that something was seriously wrong and it has to be a deeper problem than just the drivers seperating. Sure enough, "the variable gain control" was whacked and probably always has been.
I wasn't aware that the warranty had expired almost 3 years before. I was quoted $300.00 to get it fixed. Right now, I'm a student until March finishing my apprenticeship and can hardly afford to spend this. Since the problem has been there since the beginning they suggested writing an email to Mirage. My salesman, Jack, was going to do the same. It wouldn't hurt to see what they said but more than likely I would probably still have to spend money to fix it.
Today, Jack called me. He asked if I had sent an email to Mirage yet stating my problem. I said no - I was going to do that Sunday. He told me to not bother with it, that Audio Ark was going to pick up the tab. That basicley the store would fix it for me at their expense even though the warranty had expired almost 3 years ago. They obviously understood that it was never fixed properly in the first place even though its been years since. My thinking is most places would have told me to go to hell and that it was now my problem.
Not Audio Ark. I'm not going to speculate on the reasons why although in the last couple of months I have had some friends get into HT and I referred them to the Ark. They walked away a few thousand lighter in their wallets but smiling bigger in front of their TV's than they ever had.
Good Stuff!!

 

[Henry Carmona]

Michael,
Thats a great story!!
Not related to HT, but still customer service.
I do believe, highly, in customer service. If a company wants to get repeat business and good word of mouth, they will then do everything they can to satisfy the customer.
As an X evening manager for a Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza hotel and Wyndham hotel, i would get called to handle most all irate guests.
Working in the afternoon and evening meant dealing with check ins-and other problems.
I would ALWAYS do my best to make the guest happy. Even if it meant a discount on their room,, free dinner, or comp'ing their stay entirely.
This is why i get so damn upset with some retailers and companies who dont seem to give a damn about their customers.
You would think they werent taught anything about business they way they write off your complaint or make it seem as if your giving THEM a hard time.

 

[Dustin B]

I do agree costumer service is key, but some customers just don't deserve it.

As funny example, at the electronics store I had a job at last summer, a couple came in and purchased a satellite system. They got everything they wanted and left. The next day they came back wanting the receiver replaced. The box was mangled, the casing of the receiver was mangled and the circuit boards inside were destroyed. We asked them what happened. They said that had put it in the back of their truck and it flew out on the highway. They wanted it replaced under warranty. It was rather difficult making them understand the difference between warranty and insurance. This type of thing only happened once with something large, it happened all the time with cell phones.

For places that do give good costumer service, I think half the berdon is on the customer as well. If the business is reasonable and the costumer is reasonable everyone walks away happy. If the business is reasonable and the customer isn't, the business is going above and beyond. If the business isn't reasonable and the customer is (well this is when the customer can get loud).

 

[Roy Wallace]

Hey, Michael:

That is nice to hear about Audio Ark. As I too am in Edmonton, I have been giving them a look on the recomendation of a friend.

Negative stories usually get more ink than positive ones...Bravo Audio Ark...

RW