Question for shoppers!

vyle

As some of you may know, I work in a shop that sells electrical equipment (TVs, audio, computers, etc.).

I normally do my job perfectly well, and customers are happy, but I am often asked one question, the answer to which always upsets the customer, and that is, "Will there be a callout charge."

This tends to occur when a customer comes in to report a problem with their tv, which ranges from, "The TV doesn't show a picture any more," or "The tv is losing channels," "The computer has stopped working," and any number of similar questions where the cause of the fault could very easily be user error (I've lost track of the amount of 'non-working' TVs where the solution was to switch the input back to the digital tuner with a single button press).

They ask if an engineer can go out to look at their device, and I reply that they can. I then inform the customer that the callout will be free if the device is faulty, however, if there is no fault, they will be charged £59, which is the price of a standard troubleshooting callout.

This is where the customers kick off, saying that their product is under warranty, and they don't see why they should have to pay, to which I reply, "If the item is faulty, you won't have to pay. If you have any doubts, feel free to bring it in so I can check it over for you at no charge."

They continue to kick off, saying they shouldn't have to bring the thing in.

So, I would like a second opinion on this. How can I word the answer without !!!!ing customers off?

If there is no way to say it (and I expect the customer would rather know of any potential charges before making a callout, rather than after) without annoying people, can anyone think of a more diplomantic way of saying, "Yes your item is under warranty, but the warranty doesn't cover ignorance?"

Flyboy152

Shouldn't you have some sort "trouble shooting" procedure to follow, before the engineer is called out?

paddedjohn

You are always going to get idiots who think its up to you to change the channel on their tv or clean the filter on their driers, just keep doing what you do and try to ignore them

vyle

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Shouldn't you have some sort "trouble shooting" procedure to follow, before the engineer is called out?

Get them to read the instruction manual....

Seriously though, sometimes it's just impossible. If you have some old dear on the phone, you can ask them questions and they just get more confused.

For instance, panasonic TV and recorder remote controls look very similar. So if someone has a Panny tv and recorder and the tv "isn't working," the chances are that it's because theyve got the remotes muddled and put one of the devices onto the wrong input.

The phone conversation then goes like this:

me: Are you near your tv?

them: yes.

me: Do you have your remove controls to hand?

them: Yes.

me: good. on the TV remote, press the AV button.

them: It's not doing anything.

me: is it the TV remote?

them: yes.

me: So it has "AV and TV" buttons at the top and no "direct navigator button" on it?

them: yes.

me: okay. so press the AV button.

them: there isn't one.

me: Are you sure it's your tv remote?

them: yes.

me: and you have a panasonic tv, correct?

them: it's vera's.

me: you mean it's a panasonic viera?

them: yes.

me: Okay, so if that's the tv remote there must be an AV button.

them: Do I press the play button?

me: No...there isn't a play button on your tv remote.

them: Oh, i've got the wrong remote control. Do you want me to turn the tv on?

me: Yes please, then press the AV button.

them: Oh, the TV's just gone off.

me: You must have switched it off....

them: with the red button?

This continues for about an hour until they start going, "I'm 83 years old!!! Send someone out to me!!!"

Technically, customers should contact our tech support department with such queries rather than coming to the shop floor (I'm paid peanuts to sell, not the superior tech support money) but I'm happy to help when people are reasonable. Alas, as soon as you mention procedures to a customer that's a surefire way to get them raging.

Unintentional

vyle wrote: »

Get them to read the instruction manual....

Seriously though, sometimes it's just impossible. If you have some old dear on the phone, you can ask them questions and they just get more confused.

For instance, panasonic TV and recorder remote controls look very similar. So if someone has a Panny tv and recorder and the tv "isn't working," the chances are that it's because theyve got the remotes muddled and put one of the devices onto the wrong input.

The phone conversation then goes like this:

me: Are you near your tv?

them: yes.

me: Do you have your remove controls to hand?

them: Yes.

me: good. on the TV remote, press the AV button.

them: It's not doing anything.

me: is it the TV remote?

them: yes.

me: So it has "AV and TV" buttons at the top and no "direct navigator button" on it?

them: yes.

me: okay. so press the AV button.

them: there isn't one.

me: Are you sure it's your tv remote?

them: yes.

me: and you have a panasonic tv, correct?

them: it's vera's.

me: you mean it's a panasonic viera?

them: yes.

me: Okay, so if that's the tv remote there must be an AV button.

them: Do I press the play button?

me: No...there isn't a play button on your tv remote.

them: Oh, i've got the wrong remote control. Do you want me to turn the tv on?

me: Yes please, then press the AV button.

them: Oh, the TV's just gone off.

me: You must have switched it off....

them: with the red button?

This continues for about an hour until they start going, "I'm 83 years old!!! Send someone out to me!!!"

Technically, customers should contact our tech support department with such queries rather than coming to the shop floor (I'm paid peanuts to sell, not the superior tech support money) but I'm happy to help when people are reasonable. Alas, as soon as you mention procedures to a customer that's a surefire way to get them raging.

Heh I hate it when old people do this. Buy something, use it then try to bring it back because it's too complicated. Then kick off when you refuse a refund because it's been used and that they shouldn't of bought it in the first place if they thought they couldn't use it.

pmduk

You can never under-estimate the common-sense of the great British consumer. You can tell them something, even in writing and you'll get "I didn't think that applied to me."

vyle

The most head-scratching thing I've ever had was when a couple tried to complain about the possibility that they would have to pay for an engineer's callout. Here is a summary of what happened.

They had a new TV set up and connected to their DVD/PVR.

They claimed that since the installation, their PVR no longer worked.

When questioned about what didn't work, they said it "wasn't on." When questioned further, they explained that they never touched it, or used it, so couldnt say what was specifically wrong, but it didn't work.

Eventually they explained that the LCD display wasn't showing the time, but "01" instead.

I found out what model recorder they had, and told them that if the power is on, the display shows the channel number. if it is off, it shows the time.

They then kicked off, saying that the engineer must have broken it, and that they were going to take us to court if I charged for a callout.

I said they didn't need a callout as all they had to do was press the power button, and the engineer must have switched it on to check it was working when connected to the new tv.

They countered that the engineer shouldn't have touched it, and should have left it how it was (presumably connected to the old TV which they'd requested to be disposed of). They refused my suggestion that they press the power button, saying they didn't see why they should mess around with something when it was "broken by you."

I guess all they used their recorder for was as a very expensive clock...

In the end, I got my manager and went off to lunch.

paddyrg

Vyle, be grateful you don't sell PC's...

hollydays

What about making up a little story, talking about the situation in the third person,which may take the sting out of it,something like, " Your T.V. is under warranty,but for example,we had a customer the other day who hadn't read the instructions at all,and obviously,I know you wouldn't do that,they had to pay what we call a " unecessary call out charge" because they hadnt set it up properly.Of course I am always willing to help you here".

I had a business once and when I was on holiday,a member of staff told a customer they couldn't accept something back as it was "dirty"-the customer hit the roof-wrong choice of word.I just used to say the item hadnt been cleaned so there would be a cleaning charge as per the contract,but if the customer wished he could bring the item back after cleaning. sometimesa just a tweak of words is all it takes.

vyle

paddyrg wrote: »

Vyle, be grateful you don't sell PC's...

I do that, as well, as well as radios (people try to bring them back because they don't get a very good reception at the bottom of a hill when sitting in a lead bunker) and cameras ("The zoom doesn't work any more... I've not dropped it THAT often..."). It can be very fun, but also very frustrating sometimes.

hollydays wrote: »

What about making up a little story, talking about the situation in the third person,which may take the sting out of it,something like, " Your T.V. is under warranty,but for example,we had a customer the other day who hadn't read the instructions at all,and obviously,I know you wouldn't do that,they had to pay what we call a " unecessary call out charge" because they hadnt set it up properly.Of course I am always willing to help you here".

I had a business once and when I was on holiday,a member of staff told a customer they couldn't accept something back as it was "dirty"-the customer hit the roof-wrong choice of word.I just used to say the item hadnt been cleaned so there would be a cleaning charge as per the contract,but if the customer wished he could bring the item back after cleaning. sometimesa just a tweak of words is all it takes.

That's a good idea. I'll give that a try, although I have noticed that sometimes when I do use examples, people get offended that I could possibly group them with such people.

NoSatisfaction

I always used to say one thing when a customer got loud, shouts or swore at me:

Click, brrrrrrrr!


Glad I don't work in customer relations anymore!

But then the co I worked for was supportive and actually sent sent a few recorded calls to the police where the caller swore and threatened violence to my colleagues.