Nithin Kamath’s Weblog

When was the last time you bought some electronic item and had to go back to the shop the next day to get it replaced because it was not working properly. I am sure it was not long back. So whats up with the companies, with the high tech machines they should have been producing products with world class quality, but it is getting worse. Are customers made the scrap goat, so that the companies can eliminate the quality control process, since they believe replacing a defective product is much cheaper than testing for quality.

Take my own example, about three months back I bought a computer mouse manufactured by a reputed peripheral maker. But when I open the box and connect the mouse to the PC, the left button was not working at all. So the next day I had to go back to the shop and get it replaced.

Another example would be of my friend, who had a Reliance mobile connection and bought a new Classic phone about two months backs. And ever since then he has been regretting his decision of buying that phone. The initial problems were that of phone switching off automatically, phone heating up etc.

He went to the one and only authorized service center in Bangalore which was about 10 Kms from his house to get it repaired. The service center just updated the software and it almost seemed to work, but alas within a week he started getting the same problems again.

He again went to the service center, but this time instead of repairing they issued him a DOA (Dead On Arrival) certificate stating that the mobile would not be repaired and he would get it replaced at any Reliance outlet. This is where more problems got added, when he went to one of the Reliance web worlds he was told they did not have the phone in stock, but when he casually asked the sales section the cost and the availability of the phone in stock, he was told it was available.

So took it up with the manager of the store, the manager became aggressive; and harshly cum in an angry voice asked the sales woman whether she had asked him before replying, then told her who knows about it you or I.These words were more than enough to get the answer ‘No’.

So my friend proceeded to another web world, few more Kms away, there after much waiting he was told the serial number mentioned on the DOA certificate was not valid and more over the DOA certificate was not as per the format specified. My friend argued that it was issued by the one and only authorised service center, but to no avail and was sent back.

The following Saturday, he again approached the service center. They told that the format is correct and the web world manager is wrong and must be mentioning about the format for LG/Motorola phones which is different. But for Classic phones this was the format, when queried about the wrong serial number, he told that only a digit was different and that was as per what was followed while entering the digits and he would not do anything about it and assured that the web world will accept it, if not he could be called and he would tell them about it.

So again he went to the web world and after waiting for a long time, the manager told that he was OK with the DOA certificate format and he was ready to change the phone if the serial number mentioned was changed to the correct one. After much discussion and debating with the service center over the phone, he had to return back with the problematic phone.

After a couple of more tries he finally managed to get it changed. It worked fine for about two-three weeks before it also got began malfunctioning, this time the display would not come on at all. After his past experiences and wasting more than five of his Saturdays on this, he decided to go easy and is using it only to receive calls. He also told me this is the only thing he can do. And he will soon be shifting to some other phone or may be some other service provider altogether.

These are just a couple of instances when products have been giving problems and we the consumers have had to take the extra trouble of getting them rectified. The problem is not in getting the replacement, but the time that is wasted, the trouble you have to take to explain the shopkeeper about the defect and various other things. There are lots of such instances, have you had any such problems do let me know by scribbling in the comments.

Recently I read about a case that was filed by a consumer against Microsoft over computer manufacturers being allowed to label the computers as ‘Vista Ready’ even though they would be able to run only the very basic features of Vista and nothing more. The claim of the consumer was that how would a normal buyer be able to know the requirements of the various versions of Vista (I believe that the computer was bought before Vista was released).

Though the consumer is right in his/her point the fact remains that the computer when installed with Vista can run it, as they were marketed to be, but not how the buyer thought it would. This type of marketing is very deceptive.

Forget Microsoft, let me take the real life example which I faced. I wanted a printout a few days back, while searching for a place, I came across a cyber center which had a poster on its wall which stated ‘Laser printout Re.1 only’. Happy to read this, I walked in and took the printout. I paid one rupee; the owner told it is Rs.2 and not Re.1. Confused I went out and took a look at the poster again, and protested saying that it is written Re.1 outside.

The shop owner smiled and said that is for 5 printouts and above. I mentioned to him that there is no indication anywhere to state that on the poster which he had put outside, something like a star which most of the people put to indicate that conditions apply was clearly missing. He said you should have asked before taking the prinout. My question is that since it was clearly written how much a prinout would cost, was it necessary to ask him the cost again before printout? Is it worth the effort to argue over that Re.1? What options did I have considering that the shop owner was right since he would have given it for Re.1 if I had taken more than 5 pages.

Not wanting to waste time arguing, I just gave him the other rupee and came out, he may have had the upper hand this time around, but he has lost a customer in the long run. So did you all have any such experience, please share it along by commenting to this post.

This blog headrush mentions about what we see always in our everyday life but never thought about it. Why do companies create brochures which are very attractive and on amazingly good quality glossy paper, but once the purchase is done the customer is dumped with a poor manual with unattractive design and dull look.

Is it that the companies just want to attract the customers and once the money is in, ignore them. Don’t the customers who buy the products deserve a better treatment. A creative and attractive manual not only helps the customer take notice of them, but also helps out increasing the customer knowledge of the product and hence the satisfaction. So should the existing customers be ignored for the possibilities of just attracting new customers.

Some would argue that the aim of having a manual is to pass information and usage instructions to the users and it does not matter if it is not attractive. I agree with them to one extent on that but not completely.

Another point is that since manuals are done almost at the end of the product development, i.e. in the last one or two months before the launch of the product there is no much time to make an attractive manual, since they have to cram as much information as possible in a limited amount of time.

Now its up to you, think about it…Is the way the customers are treated right? add your comments below.