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Razer customer service - without peer!

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by ThunderRd, Sep 12, 2017.

  • by ThunderRd, Sep 12, 2017 at 2:23 PM
  • ThunderRd

    ThunderRd Irreverent Query Chairman Staff Member

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    This is a bit lengthy, but I am really, really inspired to give some compliments where they are rightfully due. Take the time to read this, because this is a tale of all-star customer service.

    Too often we complain about customer service, RMA problems, and other assorted sales complaints. I just wanted to take a moment to endorse the guys at Razer customer service: in no particular order, EugeneC, Jordi, and Erick.

    I have a Blackwidow mechanical keyboard I bought at a large retailer here in Thailand. After about 20 months, it began to have an intermittent problem with the up/down keys, which would randomly and unpredictably spout garbage and occasionally reboot the machine when pressed. I could not find any obvious faults with the KB or the software. It behaved the same way on several machines in both Windows and Linux.

    I checked the Razer website for the warranty term, and found it was 2 years on mechanical KBs. 'Good,' says I, 'I'll take it back to the retailer.' Which I did.

    In the most inexplicable and quaintly Thai way I was told that they did not offer a two year warranty, but 1 year only, and that if I wished to get two years honored, I'd have to deal with the distributor in Bangkok. So they provided me with the contact information, and I spoke to the service manager there. He said, no problem, send it in and we'll take a look. Which I also did.

    4 or 5 days later a box arrived. I opened it to find my KB and a service ticket stating that the unit was out of warranty and would not be repaired. No prior phone call or email, even though they had all my contact info, just a return. Now, I speak, read and write Thai pretty well; although it would be obvious to a native that I'm a foreigner, I understand the language and can communicate at a perfectly acceptable level for this transaction, so the lack of comms surprised me.

    Well, shit. What now?

    I then contacted Razer's customer service directly, and stated my case. They put me through some troubleshooting steps, asked some technical questions, and ack'ed that the KB should be looked at. Unfortunately, the place I was directed to was in Singapore, which apparently is the hub of Razer's SE Asian service. I went to both the post office and UPS, and the cost to ship out of the country was $71. For a $115 item. That I had already put $15 into when I shipped it to Bangkok. Hmm.

    I contacted Erick again, and he told me that although they understood my predicament, and were sympathetic to my plight, there was no other venue to handle the case, and could I let them know what I wanted to do? I gave it some thought, but a few hours later another message came from Jordi that said they would replace it with a newer model, the 2016 Ultimate, and would that help me to decide? So, in light of this most gracious offer, I sent the KB to Singapore.

    Fast forward a few days, and I receive a note from EugeneC, who asked for more information about how to reproduce the problem, because the keys in question were functioning OK after their testing. I ran down my experience with the board, that the fault was intermittent, and I even went back into the scrollback memory and dug out examples of the weird keystrokes that were happening. 'OK,' he sent back, 'give us a few days to reproduce the fault.' Which I did.

    7 days later [today] I received an email from Eugene, who told me that they were unable to find any faults with the KB, although he tested it thoroughly and even used it day to day on his own desk. He also told me a key bit of information - the 2-year warranty did not apply to this model, which has some older incarnation of the famous Razer switches. The 2 years applies only to models 2016 and beyond [mine is a 2014]. So that explains why the local retailer and distributor would not honor 2 years; but they were reluctant to tell me the straight dope.

    'Thank you for your patience, but we are unable to make the replacement if we can't reproduce the fault. Please let us know if you would like us to do further testing.'

    Well, in light of the new information I now knew about the warranty term, I thought they had really overextended themselves already. In fairness, I wasn't actually entitled to anything at all. So, I told him I thought he and Razer had done their level best to make me happy, and that perhaps shipping the KB had dislodged some dirt or something from the keys in question, and that I'd be pleased if it continued to function.

    Here's exactly what I said:
    And I thought that was the end of that.

    Until a couple of hours later, when I received this:

    To which I replied:
    Now, I can't guarantee the identical outcome to everyone with a problem but I can say that the Razer guys took time to reflect on what I, as the customer, had endured in this process: failure to get results from the local retailer/distributor; domestic shipping costs; international shipping costs; loss of use; and general frustration. And they decided to set it right, at their own expense.

    I was entitled to NOTHING [although I didn't know that until today]. These guys went out of their way to make me happy. This does not happen every day, and I think it deserves kudos. It's also a life lesson: customer service is the world's most difficult business. As consumers, we reap what we sow in these situations. Be a gentleman when dealing with CS reps and service people, and they will often be willing to go the distance for you. Do the opposite, and well, you get the picture.

    Thanks to the great guys at Razer: EugeneC, Erick, and Jordi. They acted like pros, and they were courteous, knowledgeable, and prompt with their replies. What more could a consumer want?

    And buy their stuff! It rocks.
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2017
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Comments

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by ThunderRd, Sep 12, 2017.

  1. booman
    Very nice! I now have a new respect for customer service at Razer. I love these kinds of stories because it reminds me that patience, consideration, respect and kind words always results in a good experience.

    How many times have you read a bitter/angry review on a game, movie, service or hardware where the person spent money and was angry because they didn't get what they "paid for"?

    Sometimes its legitimate, but giving the customer service person a "piece of your mind" doesn't help anyone.

    I've read so many bad reviews that are unrealistic and over-reactive because people are so consumer oriented and expect perfection in everything they purchase.

    I will never do that. I'm patient with DMV, Janitorial, Landscape Maintenance, Fast Food Servers, Postmen, Nurses, Bank Tellers and Over-Seas Support people. Everyone is worth some respect.

    Honestly, the only people I am not patient with are the telemarketing calls that interrupt your day to sell you something. But I even answer the call and politely say "I am not interested"
  2. ThunderRd
    When someone says he bench-tested a piece of gear for three days, and then used it in his own rig after that because he could not reproduce the issue, you know he's trying to make things right. That's putting the customer first.
    booman likes this.
  3. Gizmo
    I've yet to find a situation that getting angry can't make worse. In addition, in most cases you are just dealing with worker bees who are just trying to make a living, same as you. Getting all pissy with them won't serve any purpose but to make both of your days worse.

    HOWEVER

    There are times where expressing your frustration is required. If you are clearly dealing with someone who is incompetent, there's no harm in asking to speak with their supervisor.

    If they are clearly doing their best to resolve your issue but simply can't because of company policy, and you feel that you have a legitimate grievance, again, asking to speak with their supervisor is not out of line.

    Even when expressing your frustration, you should still endeavor to approach the situation with as much grace and forbearance as you can muster. Again, getting all 'up in your face' with someone will serve no purpose but to make both of you have a bad day. Express your displeasure calmly and rationally (to the best of your ability).

    It's been my experience that even when the person you are talking with disagrees, they are still more willing to try to accommodate you if you are at least rational. That's just human nature: I'm MUCH more likely to tell you to 'get lost' if you are being a jerk from start to finish than if you are being polite.
    booman likes this.
  4. booman
    Good point. I have a hard time being forward and asking to escalate the issue. Most times I just take my losses and never use the service/product again.
  5. ThunderRd
    In this case, my frustration was with the local retailer and distributor. Since the website led me to believe that the warranty was 2 years, I was righteously pissed off that they refused to honor the manufacturer's warranty period. I made this clear to the Razer customer service people, but didn't place the blame on them. It wasn't their doing.

    Little did I know that the locals were actually in the right; but in the 'reserved' Thai way they didn't want to tell me I was wrong, they just returned the unit without communication.

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