Post-sales nightmare
By Dhaval Valia
 We at CRN, have done countless stories on post-sales warranty issues faced by channels. But, very honestly, the gravity of the issue sunk into me only recently, when I was confronted with a post-warranty issue.
It began when I decided to get a warranty extension pack for my notebook, as my product warranty was due to expire. I visited a service center conveniently located on my way to office, which quoted Rs 7,500 for a 1-year extension pack.
Sensing something fishy, I decided to authenticate the price with the vendor. Not to mention, the vendor representative quoted Rs 5,000 for the same pack.
The vast disparity between prices quoted by the ASP and the vendor baffled me no ends and hence, I escalated the matter. Luckily, I was offered a special price of Rs 3,500 excluding ST as a special gesture.
A month after the episode, I had another forgettable experience when my notebook crashed while installing Windows XP SP 3 update. I went to an ASP who flatly told me that they don’t address software related issues. Upon escalating the matter to the vendor, I was assured of prompt resolution. The issue was finally addressed but only after seven days, three visits to the ASP, and making some 15 calls to vendor representatives. I could pull this nightmare off because I am a more informed customer and knew exactly how to escalate the matter. Imagine the fate of a regular customer who may not have any knowledge of escalating the issue higher up.
The harrowing experience has made me fully conscious of the pains channels undergo to resolve problems related to post-sales support. On one side, they have to contend with customers who want their products urgently repaired, while on the other hand, they have to deal with nonchalant vendors.
My experience also highlighted that while vendors have the right policies and processes to address post-sales support matters, what they lack is execution and enforcement. How else can one explain the ASP quoting 50 percent extra over the suggested price for the warranty extension pack?
The process works only when it’s escalated to the top officials, which also demonstrates the lackadaisical attitude of vendors’ own staff.
Post-sales support is the most important element in a customer’s brand experience. Hence, it is imperative to provide a strong post-sales support irrespective of whether the product is under or outside warranty.
Channels should and must boycott vendors that have a laid-back attitude towards after-sales support. |