customer service

[Larry Blanchard]

I've gotten used to treating portable elextric heaters as disposables. Last year I decided to buy another heater based on my guess that it was about time for my old one to die.

About 6 weeks ago it did. I started using the new heater, which was a Holmes. It worked fine for a few weeks and then wouldn't heat past 60F.

I emailed Holmes and told them what had happened. I had no receipt and didn't even know how lond I'd had the heater. The model wasn't even listed on their website any more. All I wanted to do was let them know about the problem. They returned my email and asked for a date of manufacture code that was on the plug and I sent it.

Today I received another email - they're sending me a new heater for free! Now that's service.

I still think portable heaters are disposable, but you can bet I'll buy Holmes from now on. I suggest you do the same if you need one.

[rnrbrogan]

Congratulations Larry, because your experience is counter to the way many companies are going.

For example, we are building a new home in rural USA. Our plumber installed a new $1,600 whirlpool last week and one of the jet plumbing fittings leaked. He told me then "good luck". His daughter had a problem with a tub of the same origin and it took a month to get it fixed. I called the plumbing wholesaler that sold the tub and was told they didn't intervene between customer and Kohler any more. Kohler wanted to deal direct. I called Kohler, and after going through no less that four touch menus finally reached a human; who too basic ID info and sent me into another couple of rounds of touch menus. The Tech rep said he would contact a factory authorized repair firm who would contact us within two days to make and appointment. I was actually contacted the same day, but by the same tech rep who told me that since we lived in rural America, he was having trouble finding a rep to serve us. He would contact us again soon. That was three days ago.

Still leaks.

Ron

[nhurst]

I just had an amazing experience with service with Home Depot and their 18 Ga Ridgid nailer. The clip that holds the magazine shut broke, so I logged a claim on the Ridgid site, who told me to take it to one of my local HD sites. I took it in and they asked me to pick up a new one off the shelf. 5 minutes later I was done, with a brand new, unsealed brad nailer in my hand.

I was amazed, and this experience will probably bump Ridgid up quite a few notches in my opinion. No hassle, no problems, nothing. Just "oh, let's exchange that for you, have a nice day!"

-Nathan

[evodawg]

Remember talking with a District Manager for Marshalls the nick nack store. He says that 99% of everything they sell is from China. I ask about the crap they sell and how they deal with returns? He knows its crap and always returns or exchanges items that break or are broken. The Company knows they sell much more then is returned, so thats the justification. He also knows there is a certain percent of the population that don't bother to return defective items and that's figured in. Geeez I wonder How Green that is? Just goes to show you this Green Crap is just CRAP!!! And another way for the government to pinch us!!!!

[D'ohBoy]

seller of crap with no promotion of 'Green' practices) to Marshall's being an example of how stupid 'Green' is (waitaminnit, we already know Marshall's isn't 'Green'), to the government being responsible for CRAP!!! 'Green' practices?

Duud, obviously, someone at some point LED YOU TO LOGIC, but you chose NEVER to THINK.

Unless, of course, you were being sarcastic. But I didn't get that at all. Might be good to clarify that if so.

D'ohBoy

[Gerald Ross]

As a "By the Way" : do any of you know what the little "fuse" welded into the circuit of a portable heater or hair dryer is? Perhaps a heat limiting fuse? That is what always goes in my experience.

[Markem]

When they call again ask for a supervisor and inform him that you are posting your experience with Kohler's customer service upon the "net" for all to read.

Mark